One Interesting Thing 4/8/08
Happy Tuesday!
1. Well, my blog is finally controversial. It only took 2.5 years and strangely wasn’t really about the subject matter I was dealing with, but hey, controversy comes in all forms I suppose. In regards to my vagina joke from yesterday, it was certainly crass and it was certainly sexist. There’s no real denying that. On the sexism scale, with ten being the highest, I can’t see how I hit anything higher than a five but I’m not going to defend my joke and I’m not going to apologize for it. I can certainly see why people could be offended by what I said, but please know this was not my intent.It was a throw away line that in the end, stole the show. Which as a writer, is a lesson learned. In fact, because of where I received my writing training, my aim is never to be crass just for the sake of being crass. I’m a comedian. I make jokes. Sometimes those jokes will be crass. Sometimes people will be offended by them. And while that really isn’t my goal when I write something, it does and (most likely) will continue to happen. I guess this is a disclaimer. Anyhoo…
The interesting thing about all of this to me, and this is a conversation that takes place between comedians a lot*, is the line between what makes something funny and edgy and what makes something offensive and how impossible that line is to locate and define. Couching offensive material in satire certainly helps in that it gives everything a purpose and an intent. I know how to make something satirical and I know the place that offensive humor has in satire. My real curiosity comes in trying to define what’s offensive. If you ask me, defining what’s “offensive” is an impossible dilemma to answer because everyone’s threshold or perception differs so very much. Furthermore, what offends one person won’t offend another in the slightest, because in some ways we are defined by the people, causes and sensitivities that surround us. SPOILER ALERT! IF YOU DON’T WANT THIS SKETCH I’M ABOUT TO TALK ABOUT RUINED FOR YOU, STOP READING! I wrote a sketch a few years ago about a robot that is a miracle in terms of its benefits to humankind. The robot was capable of doing so many wonderful things for the world. The only problem? It was fueled by rape. The satirical point of the sketch was that scientific progress has very real and serious implications and people are sometimes too quick to label something as “the next cure-all”. Most people get that, but some of those same people are very offended that I used rape as the robot’s flaw. That’s totally understandable and totally fair. Rape is awful. But so is cancer, and arson and physical abuse. No matter what I had used as the robot’s fatal flaw, somebody would have been offended. YOU CAN START READING AGAIN! This comedy stuff is tough, huh? What are your thoughts? This is why I blog. To have discussions that I’m too socially awkward to have in person…
*I assume. It does with my friends.
Mike
Well I can’t say that I was offended but then again, I’ll use the phrase “Your vagina is showing” to a man whose had a manicure.
was it just using the word “vagina” as an insult that got people all riled up?
those people are assholes, which would be an insult to all of us if we were all going to get touchy about using a body part as an insult, but it isn’t. it’s just about those assholes.
what it would be like if people had real problems to distract them from every little thing every person does….. ah.
sorry for coming to your blog and calling your readers assholes. maybe I’ll go to my own blog and call my own readers assholes.
that only seems right.
It’s ok. Nobody’s an asshole. Everyone’s awesome. Seriously.
I’m happy to hear you’re the writer of the rapebot sketch! I thought it was genius. I’m also glad that my “deeper meaning” understanding of the sketch was right. For some reason I always think I’m reading too far into things… Like satire at the BNW.
I was once told that the word “cunt” was the most offensive word in the English language. Funny, since it’s original meaning was something along the lines of meaning a woman was very rich and prestigious.
Sometime I think the world is missing a few screws.
Write on, Mr. Fotis. Write on.