TV Hockey Analyst, Dustin Penner, Loses Job After Poorly Explaining His Rape Joke Tweets | Media Training
Former NHL star Dustin Penner had a cushy job as an analyst for TSN. But then he started making some rape jokes on Twitter. Now, no more TV job at TSN-he was fired an hour later. Penner tried to minimize the damage by claiming he was just kidding around with his girlfriend, but nobody found it funny.
At the risk of staking the obvious and sounding like the least useful media trainer ever, let me just say it: If you are a man, don’t talk about rape in a joking way, or in a woman-can’t-get-pregnant-way (a la Todd Akin) or in any way other than condemning it and supporting funds for rape counseling centers, unless you want to end your career.
If you are a comedian like Lisa Lampanelli, sure you can get away with it. But nobody else can.
If you want to see step by step how Penner destroyed his career, Mediaite.com has laid it out for you below.
Is it always consensual if she’s your girlfriend? Asking for my gf…& shortly arriving police
— Dustin Penner (@Dustinpenner25) March 1, 2015
The normal Twitter rage ensued, which only escalated when Penner insulted his followers:
I came up with the joke with my gf U idiots freaking out about this.
— Dustin Penner (@Dustinpenner25) March 1, 2015
Is it a rape joke if it’s your girlfriend? Is this even my girlfriend?!?!
— Dustin Penner (@Dustinpenner25) March 1, 2015
After numerous people called him out, Penner apologized:
I see the offensive side of my joke. On behalf of those who laughed, my gf & I included, I apologize. We understand we are awful people.
— Dustin Penner (@Dustinpenner25) March 1, 2015
But then…he didn’t?
Furthermore my gf and I were in lying in bed and the hypothetical question was “raised” “what if I had been sleeping?” And then we laughed
— Dustin Penner (@Dustinpenner25) March 1, 2015
Oh and I was the one sleeping.
— Dustin Penner (@Dustinpenner25) March 1, 2015
Shortly after Yahoo! News reported that TSN had pulled Penner from the lineup, he offered a sincere apology on Twitter:
My goal isn’t to hurt anybody who has suffered. I can see how my words might have done this though. To those who were hurt by it: I’m sorry
— Dustin Penner (@Dustinpenner25) March 1, 2015
Some friends have texted me today telling me they’re survivors. They said that while I didn’t intend harm it still might’ve hurt survivors.
— Dustin Penner (@Dustinpenner25) March 1, 2015
And then. And then.
To set the record straight I pulled out of the TSN gig an hour after my tweet because of the position I put them in. pic.twitter.com/N5k8wKHxsc
— Dustin Penner (@Dustinpenner25) March 2, 2015