Forrest Griffin Rape Jokes: MMA Fighter Sparks Controversy On Twitter

Shortly after being named one of the "most creative" MMA fighters on Twitter by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Forrest Griffin sparked controversy on Tuesday by tweeting a tasteless joke about rape.

"Rape is the new missionary," he tweeted.

The light heavyweight deleted the tweet from his timeline, but Bloody Elbow was quick to embed it on their site. According to their report, Griffin made the same joke two hours earlier and then repeated it.

After a female follower tweeted that she had decided to unfollow Griffin after the tweet, the fighter fired back, "Keep it to yourself nobody cares." He also claimed that following him is a privilege. Jezebel pointed out that this deleted tweet was just the latest in a string of recent tweets referencing rape in some fashion.

@TinaMarieTXs
Christina Gonzalez

Yeah just unfollowed @ForrestGriffin bc he said rape is the new missionary, completely inappropriate

November 8, 2011 9:16 pm via Twitter for BlackBerry® Reply Retweet Favorite

While the insensitive tweet may fit certain negative stereotypes about the rough-and-tumble nature of cage fighters, Griffin's biography isn't what many would expect. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in political science and worked in local law enforcement while attending school. That background combined with his embrace of social media would certainly lead one to think that he would be more sensitive -- or at least be more aware of the potential backlash for something like this. Not only does this joke reveal a lot of unsavory things about Griffin's view of women but it also shows a shocking lack of savvy for someone who just won a social media award.

Griffin later tweeted that he was punishing himself for his mistweets.

@ForrestGriffin
Forrest Griffin I'm sorry I'm gonna go ahead and put myself of twitter restriction until next week
Nov 08 via Twitter for iPhoneFavoriteRetweetReply

UFC president Dana White hasn't taken action yet.

Although he was recently recognized for his "creativity" on Twitter, this is not the first time that Griffin has generated controversy online. He and Tito Ortiz engaged in a heated Twitter battle in February.

Comments

[Volantiad]

08:39 PM on 11/11/2011

It's true, he apologized... ish.

"I like to cause trouble, I like to stir the pot and I like to make a mess of things, but I really do not want to be mean or malicious to anyone. I feel bad, I want to apologize, I feel like a should be punished a little bit. Maybe other professional athletes or just guys in locker rooms can kind of be more sensitive towards the topic of rape. Once you take the comments in the light of day you feel disgusted by it, but at the time you don't think."

Maybe I'm cynical, but his apology and donation to a charity that supports rape survivors smacks of savvy handlers rapidly providing damage control. He seems to maybe only be dimly aware of the wrong he's done and I doubt he's even remotely contrite.

[snakecharmer1340]

04:57 PM on 11/11/2011

You guys need to update this story. He apologized, visited a rape victims center, donated to them.

[Valois]

02:45 PM on 11/11/2011

who cares, can't say anything in this country any more.

ANYTHING is okay to joke about. Dead babies, rape, anything. Pull your panties up people.

[MoeB]

03:41 PM on 11/11/2011

Correction:

You have a right to joke about ANYTHING. That is nowhere near the same thing as suggesting that it's "okay" to joke about anything. And you also don't have a right to be insulated from the consequences of advertising your terrible "joke" to millions of people. You don't want to deal with people getting upset at your rape "jokes"??? Then don't make them...or make them to an audience that will think rape is hilarious.

Further, making jokes about rape doesn't make you more of a man...so spare me the "pull your panties up" bit.

[Volantiad]

08:41 PM on 11/11/2011

MoeB: faved and fanned! Hit the nail on the head :)!

[chiodo08]

09:57 AM on 11/11/2011

wasn't this guy s teacher?...wow

[amanda mariee]

09:16 AM on 11/11/2011

What a shock... Roid rage from an MMA fighter.

[emily tripp]

08:40 AM on 11/11/2011

Oh, and he's "punishing himself" by putting himself on Twitter restriction? You're kidding me, right? That's some serious punishment there, dude; don't go overboard.

[emily tripp]

08:38 AM on 11/11/2011

"A little tasteless"? "Off-color"? "Insensitive"? So we woman who are outraged by a joke about rape are just cry-babies? Suppose he had made a joke about a little boy being sodomized in a collegiate football locker room? I suspect another demographic on this thread would be feeling outraged. Well, guys - rape is rape. And anyone who makes a joke about it and anyone who thinks that joke is funny is sick and disgusting. I wouldn't find it funny if Letterman said it, and I don't find it the least bit coming from some guy who has worked in "law enforcement" and has "embraced social media." (Since when are those two items considered criteria for sensitivity or intelligence? Now that's a joke I will laugh at.) So, yep - I'm saying it: he made a disgusting, ignorant remark and that reflects back on him as a disgusting, ignorant man.

[Volantiad]

08:43 PM on 11/11/2011

Nailed it, Emily Tripp! Couldn't be more right.

[jayquintana]

06:50 AM on 11/11/2011

A guy who gets punched in the head for a living makes an off color joke. Who'd have thunk?

[snakecharmer1340]

03:44 AM on 11/11/2011

Forrest is a good guy who made a terrible joke online. All of us have made stupid comments but none have been seen by as many people. He needs to watch him himself online and people on here need to stop being so outraged.

[MoeB]

10:33 AM on 11/11/2011

Any outrage he receives over this is his OWN fault...no one forced him to post what he did online for the world to see.

[Volantiad]

08:48 PM on 11/11/2011

Snakecharmer1340, you may believe this guy is good. However, it is an excuse to try to minimize what he did by saying lots of people do it or when they do they're not observed by lots of people or that he should go ahead and believe rape is a joke but just not put it on twitter (because he's such a good guy, right?). Also, no one needs to stop being outraged by rape. In fact, the world would be a better place if EVERYONE was outraged by rape.

[BillAnthony]

11:13 PM on 11/10/2011

Much to do about nothing. Way too PC.

[MoeB]

10:36 AM on 11/11/2011

Yeah, right? If you don't think rape is HILARIOUS, it's because you're "way too PC".

[Valois]

02:46 PM on 11/11/2011

it's way too pc to think he should be punished. If you don't think it's funny, that's okay.

[XxDisfngustedxX]

02:26 PM on 11/10/2011

Oh Forrest. Very cute you are. But a dumb comment.

[MPA2000]

12:36 PM on 11/10/2011

That's it? That's all? We are supposed to be up in arms over something like that? That doesn't even hit the low bar, in my opinion, of downplaying rape.

Get over it already.

[Spartan112]

10:45 AM on 11/10/2011

Oh Forrest...decent fighter, but never the sharpest tool in the shed. There are a lot of pretty bright guys in MMA, he just isn't one of them.

[XxDisfngustedxX]

02:39 PM on 11/10/2011

He graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in political science.

[Spartan112]

05:25 AM on 11/11/2011

UGA...the Harvard of the South...

[Volantiad]

08:56 PM on 11/11/2011

XxDisfngustedxX, I read about his degree, too. However, based on is formal, published apology ~ which isn't comprised of complete sentences or thoughts ~ I think UG may have given him the paper without him earning it. I agree with Spartan112 that he seems about as sharp as a marble.

[chadizzy]

10:32 AM on 11/10/2011

Whats funny is how you guys bust him on this but then never say anything about the foul things comedians say. Oh its comedy you say well forrest was joking so its comedy right? Everyone on the Eddie Murphy thread talking about that director and what he said when in the end Eddie Murphy has said way worse things about gay people. Letterman and Leno constantly joked about rape after the Mike Tyson incident and nobody says a word. If you want PC then keep it across the board. I say you can keep your PC I dont want nor do I need it. People choose to be offended words dont choose who to offend. So sick of the cry babies!

[MoeB]

11:43 AM on 11/10/2011

The difference is that we expect this from comedians...their job is to make JOKES.

His job is to FIGHT...clearly, as I see NOTHING funny about "rape" being the new "missionary". In what way is that even remotely hilarious?

[Chris89Se]

09:09 AM on 11/10/2011

It really makes me laugh how weak and politicly correct we have become these days. So because Mr Griffin posted a joke that was a little tasteless, we label him a total idiot and loser... Never forget that getting punched in the face for a living doesn't necesairly make you smarter, but it does not make you a bad human being either. I've been a fan of the ufc for years, and Forrest gave us some great moments in the octogon. We all say stupid things once in a while, the problem with him is that he has a greater audiance than most of us... So stop judging him for one stupid little tweet and lets just go on in life. It was just a joke....

[MoeB]

11:47 AM on 11/10/2011

It was a terrible "joke".

And I don't think he's an idiot for being an MMA fighter...I actually watch it...and have since UFC1.
But he IS an idiot for posting such a vile, tasteless joke for the WORLD to see and expecting NO ONE to be offended by it...as if he wouldn't have female fans who would shudder at such a joke about rape.

Lastly, what's "weak" is constantly hiding behind 'it's just a joke!' everytime someone says something stupid. It's just a way to dodge responsibility for the things you say...

[skelit0re]

05:51 PM on 11/15/2011

ahh where to start? Really I dont need to say anything at all, youve embarrassed yourself better than I ever could.

[skelit0re]

06:14 PM on 11/15/2011

God you try so hard to seem intelligent and let me please explain what a massive fail you have performed. Go get a life, and lay "missionary" until you do.