The word talent is typically defined as "a special natural ability or aptitude" or "a natural skill." Often, we attribute this word to those particularly gifted in a specific area. For example, when a student shows great ability in school we deem them a "talented student" (hence the "Gifted and Talented" program implemented in Texas). When someone is especially skilled musically, we say they are "a talented singer/guitarist/pianist/etc" . Since the word "talent" is mostly used in the context of performance, it makes sense that the majority of Miss USA contestants choose to sing, dance, or play an instrument for the talent portion of this competition. It is a performance driven section, and naturally the contestants choose to do just that- perform. So when Miss Colorado chose to deliver a monologue detailing her job as a nurse, "The View" wasted no time in commenting on her decision. Quickly thereafter, "The View" received severe backlash and was reprimanded for "making fun of nurses." Yes, in an age where thousands of people still tune in to watch and support an incredibly sexist show, the issue at hand is not the competition itself but the comments of two comedians.
The American Nurses Association president, Pamela F. Cipriano, said in a statement released Monday that "...it was disturbing when Joy Behar used her national platform and influence to mock Miss America contestant Kelley Johnson for wearing a 'doctor's stethoscope' while performing a dramatic monologue about her experience as a registered nurse during the pageant's talent competition, as if Johnson were wearing a costume." I believe though that was exactly the point of the comedian's comments: this is the talent portion of a competition, where everyone wears costumes and performs, why then did Miss Colorado choose to simply talk to the audience about her profession?
As the niece of two nurses, and the daughter of a soon-to-be nurse, it is important to note here that I am not dismissive in any way of the profession. I have seen first hand how important nurses are. However, as a critic, Miss Colorado's lack of a performance is truly baffling. It would be one thing if she had put on a skit about nurses because then she would have displayed a talent- acting. But by standing on stage and telling the audience about her experience as a nurse, she did nothing more than just stand and talk. How is this a talent?
The comments made by both Michelle Collins and Joy Behar poke fun at the lack of a performance, not at the profession of nursing itself. Unfortunately for these two comedians though, we happen to live in a society that has grown increasingly sensitive to the words of others. We now live in an age where all must be extremely politically correct, for fear of extreme backlash and a loss of support. It has gotten to the point where even mild comedians, such as Jerry Seinfeld, will not perform at colleges anymore due to the excessive complaints from students who feel the jokes are insensitive.
At what point did we start demanding our comedians to be sensitive to issues? As comedian Jeff Ross said a few months back on Bill Maher's "Real Time", "Comedy is medicine. You don't want it watered down; you want it potent. We [comedians] have a responsibility to shine a light on the darkest aspects of society." Comedy has always served as a forum through which political and social issues are addressed, hence the popularity of such programs as "The Daily Show" and "Last Week Tonight", which use a satirical format to discuss current events and issues.
It is one thing to be upset with, say, a news anchor on CNN carelessly making a comment while reporting on a serious issue. It is an entirely different thing to be upset with an anchor on "The View", a show whose premise is a bunch of comedians and actresses sitting around gossiping about the news, making a comment about a beauty pageant contestant's performance. Context is key here, and I think that the political correctness police often forget this. Taking Collins and Behar's comments out of context, they sound like an attack on the nursing profession. Putting them in context, however, you see that these comments come from two comedians who are poking fun at the lack of a performance in a beauty pageant.
A whole nation is in outrage over what a couple of comedians said about a beauty pageant, and yet no one is really raising a fuss about more important issues, like the fact that Ahmed Mohamed's (the teen arrested for bringing his homemade clock to school) civil rights were violated by police. They denied his repeated requests to speak with his parents during his detention, and yet have suffered no consequences. Meanwhile, "The View" has lost quite a lot of major sponsors.
Political correctness, in my opinion, is a hinderance to progress. The more time we spend focusing on what people say, the less we spend focusing on what needs to be done, and there is so much to be done in our world. Words are important, I cannot deny that. As an English major, I know firsthand just how much impact words can have. However, I also know that the impact of words can only be significant if they are backed by action. You have to walk the walk you talk in order to truly make a difference. Perhaps we should be spending more time walking, than worrying about the talk of a couple of comedians.
