Sitting in the living room watching television, I scroll through the endless feed that is Facebook. Nothing but shared links to videos that ‘will bring me to tears’ or articles that will ‘make me fall in love with Jimmy Fallon.’
But more than not, I always see these articles about why I should be offended about what some said about some other race or gender or sexual orientation. And every time I am in the settings section about to deactivate my Facebook.
Today, just about anything said will land you in hot water with some sort of group. But, where does it end? When do I get to say what I want? Why can’t I find offensive jokes funny?
There lies the overlying question, where is the line on political correctness? I feel like everywhere we look someone is always offended by something. Why can’t something offensive be funny? It seems like over the years everyone has gone soft, it's like the parties nowadays are full of ‘poopers’. And I know how this seems, like I’m some far right-wing nut job who doesn’t respect anybody, think again (offense intended for using the term ‘right-wing nut job’). Politically, I’m smack dab in the middle, which is honestly the best place to be. I get to pick and choose what I like from both sides and make my own political opinions. It’s pretty fun, you guys should try it some time.
Now I’m just a guy who loves jokes, all jokes, and I know this comes off, like I’m some idiot who loves to make fun of people. No, actually on the contrary because I love to make fun one person in particular, myself.
There’s nothing wrong with seeing your faults for what they are, and people need to realize that, not everything is offensive. Or not even that extreme, just seeing that you’re unique in your own way. There's a reason we all aren’t one gender, one race, or one sexuality. We are different for a reason, own it, and laugh about it.
“That’s not right, that’s offensive. I’m against that. Who do you think you are?” Shut up, for the love of God please, shut up. I say that with all love of course, for the love of comedy, for the love to say whatever the hell you want, to certain extents.
Of course, like everything, there are limits, and with this there are some exceptions. Its kind of like how the Supreme Court defined ‘pornography’ “I know it when I see it,” as Justice Stewart said way back in 1964; the same applies here.
What people need to realize is that there is a difference between humor and bullying. Like before, ‘you know it when you see it’ but everyone just needs to raise the bar just a little bit so not everyone freaks out. Some comedians wont even perform college shows anymore because the ‘intellectual’ audience is too sensitive. Jerry Seinfeld spoke to radio personality Colin Cowherd a few months ago about why he doesn’t perform on college campuses. “I don’t play colleges, but I hear a lot of people tell me, ‘Don’t go near colleges. They’re so PC…’ They just want to use these words: ‘That’s racist;’ ‘That’s sexist;’ ‘That’s prejudice.’ They don’t know what the hell they’re talking about,” Seinfeld said. Is that what you want to be known as America? People who need a “Caution! Hot Coffee!” label on their beverages and people who cant take an inappropriate joke?
You’re really insensitive! That’s what I imagine when this opinion piece goes out into the world; I can take it though. And, alas, I don’t delete my Facebook because let's be honest, everything that offends me on here is super entertaining.
