Wednesday, June 10, 2015

The Death of Humor

When did we become the Society That Can't Laugh At Itself?  I ask as Republicans are demanding an apology from Wisconsin Congressman Mark Pocan for a spoof of the GOP field of Presidential candidates at last weekend's Democratic state convention in Milwaukee:



Republicans claim that Pocan's bit was "racist", "sexist" and that it "engaged in fat-shaming".  And you know what, it probably was--but that doesn't change the fact that it was also funny.  I'm sure that if Paul Ryan had done the same thing with Rebel Wilson as Hillary Clinton, Waldorf from the Muppet Show as Bernie Sanders and Harvey Fierstein as Mark Pocan--everyone at the Republican Party convention would have laughed as well.

As our children learn in their modern history books, there is no such thing as "reverse racism" or "reverse sexism" because it is straight, white men that hold all of the power--therefore, they are the only ones that can be targets of satire and humor in our society.  Anyone else is being "stereotyped" or "repressed" by attempts at humor.

The Pocan "controversy" comes at the same time comedy legend Jerry Seinfeld says that he and most other comedians are staying away from doing college shows anymore due to the "Politically Correct culture" on campus.  In fact, he predicts PC will be the "death of comedy"--as we completely lose the ability to laugh at ourselves--instead having to feign insult and indignation that someone other than a person who "understands our struggle" has dared to comment on a situation.

So I would suggest to the Republican Party that rather than pretend to be offended by Mark Pocan's attempt at humor that you instead join in the chuckles--because you aren't allowed to laugh at anyone else anymore.

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