The Shortlist for July 30

Russell Brand Defends Dane Cook and Daniel Tosh

Is it OK for a comic to crack jokes about matters as serious as rape and the Aurora, Colo., shooting? Russell Brand seems to think so. Two comedians have been in the news this month for controversial commentary in the name of humor: Daniel Tosh "joked" about a female heckler in his audience being gang raped, while Dane Cook said "The Dark Knight Rises" was so bad that "somebody in that theater … was probably like, 'ugh, f------ shoot me."

Asked to respond to their jokes, Brand told reporters: "I think if someone's job is a comedian and they say something, like in the analysis of the content of their statement, you should recall the bit that they're a comedian. I've noticed a lot of people sort of remove [the fact that they are comedians] from the analysis to sort of create some storm of condemnation." (Us)