Trigger warning: Sexual assault, rape and suicide
Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past few months, there is no way that you could not have heard of the Jerry Epstein drama that has been flooding social media. Let me quickly refresh your memory: Jerry Epstein was a convicted sex offender that was arrested in July 2019 on several accounts of sex trafficking. Yet, to many peoples dismay, he still managed to get a Netflix documentary. Reason being, a decade after he was forced to register as a sex offender, he continued to bring young girls to his island. Regardless of his actions, police put no measures in place to stop him. It is rather shocking, considering the fact that most girls were underage, and no consent was given. In fact, most girls were not aware that they had been assaulted until many years later. The assaults commenced in the year 2002 and some girls were only 14 years of age.
That being said, you probably all wondering: ‘so, how is Chrissy Teigen connected to the Jerry Epstein drama?’
Lately, many celebrities have been connected to Epstien, for instance, Donald Trump who is a known associate of his. However, many people have been spreading rumours about Chrissy Teigen’s alleged affiliation with the Epstien drama. Ever since he committed suicide in prison, many people are trying to link people to Epstien and his island where all the sexual assaults occurred. Thus, Chrissy Teigen had blocked over one million Twitter users that accused her and her husband – John Legend – of being involved. As we all know, Chrissy Teigen is famous for her controversial Tweets, but lately many people have been questioning the use of her ‘dark’ humour.
So, how far can a person actually take a joke? Where do we draw the line?
Well firstly, a joke should never touch a topic that requires a trigger warning. Once a ‘joke’ reaches this point, the line has already been crossed. Regardless of the intent and underlying humour evident in certain jokes; if it involves sexual assault, rape, abuse or even suicide then it is no longer a joke. These are serious issues that affect many people on a psychological level.
If people are unable to see how offensive these jokes can be, then it is your duty as a friend or family member to call them out on it! For example, if your friends are joking about how they had to persuade a girl to sleep with them, then call them out! Do not turn a blind eye to it, and hope that they do not make a ‘mistake’ like that again.
Always remember, a joke is never a joke if it requires a trigger warning.