The results of Britain’s Favourite Rape Joke 2011 were announced last night, with Jack Tweed’s 2010 acquittal topping the poll.
Organiser Peter Phillips explained why the joke is so effective: "Through out the trial, as the details emerged, everyone thought ‘guilty – definitely guilty,’ so much so that none of us foresaw the punch line – ‘innocent.’"
He continued: "It’s a dark joke which really pushes the boundaries of taste and decency. For a start, its length makes Stewart Lee’s material look almost pithy by comparison and its attempt at fusing together different genres such as absurdism and surrealism, is incredibly bold."
Whilst the joke itself has been widely acclaimed, its many imitations have been scorned by critics. In particular, the recent trend of "sexsomnia" acquittals has been variously described as "hackneyed", "offensive" and "too absurd to be amusing."