So we have a case of a hateful rant against a minority and another apology. Before I begin I would like to say that I love comedy, especially stand-up. I love a good joke. Even a good gay or lesbian joke. Yup I'm a lesbian. But a good joke is a good joke. Some of my favorite jokes have been by lesbian or gay comedian's and one reason I often find them funny is because they are so true! The truth can be funny! Like how many of you have heard jokes about lesbians and U-Haul? These jokes about lesbians and U-Hauls are funny because they are true. Every lesbian should own stock in U-Haul, seriously. What is the talk between two lesbians the day after a first date? Lesbian 1: OMG I had so much fun last night! Lesbian 2: (as she looks dreamily into lesbian 1's eyes) It was the best first date ever, I never thought I would meet someone like you! Lesbian 1: I really liked your apartment, but I think my house would be better for us to live in, you'll love it when you see it! That sounds great, I'll call U-Haul and start packing today. I can move in this weekend and we will be so happy together! I love you so much! Yes, this is true. This is what a lot of lesbians do. So I'm sure you can see how many funny jokes can come out of that. On the other hand this is not even remotely funny: "he'd stab that "nigger" to death with a knife. He also said that gays need to stop being pussies and stop whining about things as insignificant as bullying. And he added that being gay is a choice, and if they can fucking take it up the ass,then they can't take a fucking joke." How is this hate filled rant funny? Tracy, the only joke I see here is you.
Of course there was backlash from his comments. Heck with social media like Facebook and Twitter, their is usually a lot of backlash from almost anything a famous person does. Mr. Morgan responded the way people usually respond when they let their bigotry (against any minority, this is not simply about gay people, it is about discrimination) show for all the world to see. He apologized. Who could not see that coming?
His "apology" stated that what he said was not funny in any context. He didn't know this BEFORE he said it? He didn't know BEFORE he said it that it was hateful things to say? What he said was not simply jokes. They were mean, hateful comments that show how he feels about gay people. Pure and simple. You do not say things like he said unless you actually think them, unless that is how you feel deep inside of you of being. So no, an apology won't cut it. It was an apology to help save his sorry ass and his career. It was an insincere apology. He did not over night stop being homophobic. Only a homophobe would say the things he said even as a "joke". Especially there was nothing funny about what he said. Like I said I enjoy comedy. What I don't enjoy is hateful speech about ANYONE.
Someone on a Facebook post of a friend of mine mentioned bullying and that is a great point. How many gay people, especially young impressionable gay people, watched what he said? I'm willing to bet that for everyone of us who got angry and indignant there was at least one person who took what he said to heart. Who immediately felt less than. Who wondered should they even live. THAT is not comedy. Comedy can be offensive and still be comedy. George Carlin, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, heck even Bob Saget, the father Full House, all have done offensive material. Because offensive is in the ear of the listener. What I find offensive someone else may not, and what someone else finds offensive I may not. What he said went way beyond offensive. What he said was hate.
Like my friend Ben, I don't understand anyone who would condone or defend his actions. I simply don't get it. Ben mentioned Michael Richards from Seinfeld in a post and what happened to him. He was so ostracized for his actions at one of his standup routines that I don't think his career has ever been the same. Is it a different situation because that had to do with African Americans and this has to do with gays? Discrimination is discrimination, no matter how you cut it.I understand that Richards also insulted a heckler, so he went after an actual individual, but again, hate should never be acceptable in any form. We all have freedom of speech in this country. That is one of the many great things about this country is all of our freedoms. Men and women fight every day to help ensure that we keep all of our freedoms. But just because we can say or do something should we? A man can walk out on his wife and 10 kids and never see them again, never paying a dime to help support the kids he made. He has the freedom to do that. But does that mean he should? What he should do is pay child support to help support his children. How often does that actually happen? My point is that just because we have the freedom to do something, it does not make it right.
Janet Lee Smith
06/12/2011
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