“It’s just a joke” What happens when sexual assault becomes the punchline?

By: Sylvie Kamb, I Have The Right To Intern

“It’s just a joke”– the phrase has become commonplace across Gen Z spaces. Games like Five Nights at Epstein’s are emerging, and P Diddy has been a punchline for years. Yet, when you hear these kinds of inhumane jokes that leave a pit in your stomach, criticism is immediately followed by “don’t get all woke; we’re just kidding.” Gen Z is seemingly entranced with this type of ‘dark humor’, sexual assault being the newest punchline. But these jokes are more than just dark humor—they’ve become commonplace as a modern propaganda technique.

Memetic warfare and political impact

In 2010, Brian J. Hancock coined the term “memetic warfare” for the Federation of American Scientists. He outlined memetic warfare as a propaganda tactic pushing misinformation through online social media accounts, targeting young audiences. With sexual assault, we see this in the constant invalidation of victims. Memes have become a way of silencing and making light of intensely painful abuse at the hands of celebrities. Not only does this silence high-profile victims, but it also affects victims of less publicized assault. How can we expect survivors to speak up when we build a community literally joking about the rape and exploitation of children? It creates a culture of mistrust and anger towards victims, and invalidates the pain and suffering sexual assault victims face.  The US Senate acknowledged memetic warfare in a 2015 hearing about the results it gave for terrorist organizations. Jihad 2.0, the meeting, discussed how memetic warfare was a powerful tool in recruitment. Clearly, even governments see the harm in internet jokes and memes.

Common themes in jokes about SA

There are several common themes in sexual assault memes, the first of which is the “ugly kid” stereotype. After connections between Lifetouch, the popular school photography company, and Epstein were discovered, many memes circulated of not being chosen as a victim due to not meeting conventional beauty standards. But when we really look at the connotations of this joke, it seems so clearly founded in pedophilia. Is there a child whose looks are supposed to rationalize abuse? Abuse is about power and control more than it ever is about attractiveness. This joke directly points blame at victims for being “too attractive” as children. Another common joke is the “oil up” joke. This meme references P. Diddy’s use of baby oil when sexually assaulting his victims. The joke is meant to threaten the other party with sexual assault when they do something stupid. However, it actually stands as a barrier to empathy for victims, suggesting that they must have done something stupid or wrong to deserve their treatment and minimizing the pain of sexual assault. Finally, there’s the example of the Bill Cosby Drink meme, depicting a smiling Bill Cosby with the caption ‘Take a Sip of This.’ This joke minimizes drug facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) and creates a punchline out of the sexual assault Bill Cosby caused. 

The effect of these internet jokes is extremely dangerous— they protect abusers, villainize and retraumatize victims, and minimize the harm of sexual assault. Overall, the internet environment has become a dangerous place for high-profile victims, creating a society of aggression towards victims.

Our Impact

Our compliance is part of the bigger problem. Gen Z is active in supporting the spread of this propaganda, which in turn limits intellectual literacy and free thought. The system relies on you hearting an insensitive meme, playing Five Nights on Epstein’s Island, or reposting a TikTok about Lifetouch. By joking about these issues, we fail to hold officials accountable for their continued corruption, and we lose the ability to reflect on current events’ impacts genuinely. We learn to ignore the real people behind the screen. 

We should be supporting these victims, standing with them and calling out these jokes for what they really are– harmful and disgusting. The first step is to call out dangerous jokes. Standing up for victims of assault means standing up in every environment— even if you don’t know if victims are present. Because building a culture of respect towards victims means educating people on the importance of empathy towards victims. Sometimes, that means having a conversation with a friend about the impact of their jokes, reporting a TikTok, or not laughing at the next Epstein reference. But whatever steps you take, big or small, it’s a step in the direction of change and a better online community. Your decisions make an impact on victims’ lives. 

SOURCES:

Fink, Kathryn, et al. “New online game ‘Five Nights at Epstein’s’ has parents and schools concerned.” NPR, 6 Apr. 2026, www.npr.org/2026/04/06/nx-s1-5766479/ new-online-game-five-nights-at-epsteins-has-parents-and-schools-concerned. Accessed 21 July 2026.

Giesea, Jeff. “It’s Time to Embrace Memetic Warfare.” Jeff Giesea, stratcomcoe.org/cuploads/pfiles/jeff_gisea.pdf. Accessed 21 July 2026.

Hancock, Brian J. “Memetic Warfare: The Future of War.” Acedemia, 2010, www.academia.edu/43534914/Memetic_Warfare_The_Future_of_War. Accessed 21 July 2026.

United States, Congress, Senate, HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS UNITED STATES SENATE. JIHAD 2.0: SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF TERRORIST RECRUITMENT. Government Publishing Office, 7 May 2015.