Head Tale

A while back on AskReddit, there was a question about “What will be the “smoking” of the next generation which our kids judge us harshly for?”

At the time, I thought that it would be “eating meat” that would be seen by future generations as something that, although enjoyable, had a big negative impact on individuals and the wider environment.

But the more I think about it, I wonder if the actual answer is “offensive humour”.

When I was growing up, I loved all sorts of comedians including many who have some routines that have not aged so well – Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, Dennis Leary are just three that spring to mind.  In fact, I think many of those comedians influenced my world view – at least with regards to being skeptical about what you’re being told, creative uses of language, and the general absurdity of life.  And yes, they also taught me about how to process things that were unsafe, unsettling and offensive.

I understand why there is now pushback against routines that were popular at the time but are retrospectively recognized as being sexist, homophobic, racist and so on.  But at the same time, I also know that free speech is often challenged from both the right *and* the left and my own view is that any speech that is legal should be allowed, even if others might find it offensive (and always with the caveat that you are not immune from consequences for your speech – people may protest you or get your comedy tour cancelled or whatever.)

All of which makes the blowback against Wolf’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner so interesting – her routine was the essence of “speaking truth to power” modelled heavily on Stephen Colbert’s earlier roast-style speech of George W. Bush at the same event.  But just as left-wingers will jump to censure a comedian whose work they find offensive for some reason (recent examples include Ricky Gervais and Dave Chapelle and even someone who is seen as innocuous as Jerry Seinfeld), the right-wing is now attacking Wolf for the same reason – they find her routine offensive (though there’s often a layer of hypocrisy in these situations as well.)

Where will it all end?  I’m not sure so instead, I think I’ll leave the last word to “Lost Voice Guy”: