You already know. You've seen the video. I discussed it on a mailing list focused on new media tech and intellectual properties monetization...coincidentally someone whined about political correctness a couple of days ago.
I don't normally post much on that list. Didn't post much on this topic either...someone else got off a nice one.
It's often said that the remedy to abuse of free speech is more free speech, and that's essentially a sound principle. However, there are circumstances when free speech becomes abusive (fire in a crowded theater, grossly violative of broadly-accepted social norms, etc.), and one may well damage (not merely offend) others with one's free speech.
The point is this:
Be prepared to accept the consequences of poorly chosen (or even abjectly abused) free speech, because those consequences are real, and you may not be able to simply "define" them away by presenting your personal opinion on the matter. [P6: emphasis added]
Communication is a two-way street, and even in a one-way communication there is a sender and a receiver. If you do not take into account how your free speech is going to be received, then you are probably not communicating very well and you will likely be misinterpreted or worse.
If someone is offended by your speech, that is partly your fault, even if at its most innocuous the excuse is "well, I didn't know". You have the right to be an a**hole, an idiot, or worse. But if you do so, you must take ownership of the results of your actions. (Libertarian interpretation: You have personal rights, and with those rights come personal responsibilities and personal liabilities.)
Speech is often "action" in this sense, and follows the same principle.
(Sticks and stones may hurt my bones, and sometimes a strategically placed utterance can kill me.)
And "action" is closely related to *power*, in the sense that those who have the power to speak have the powe to "act" in a very important sense. The issues end up being about who can *speak back* or *correct abusive speech* etc.
The power to communicate is not a minor power at all. It is becoming more important all the time.
When people speak out against abusive speech, they are simply exercising their own right to free speech, especially in a corrective manner which is the point.
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I was waiting for a post
I was waiting for a post commenting on this. It makes you wonder who taught him to think these kinds of things. His parents? Personally, I have lost a lot of respect for him as a comedian and as a human being. I think the media does a disservice by only covering this issue in a manner befitting a tabloid. They eat it up and spit it out without asking any hard questions about how indicative these feelings are of a large number of people. I work with people who express these feelings pretty frequently but there are no exposes about their behavior.       Â
I don't think he explicitly
I don't think he explicitly learned these things from anyone; the themes underlying his tirade are part and parcel of american culture and ideology. Remember what he said about what's buried beneath; that rang true. In fact, that whole routine was an exercise in truth. The veneer of PC playfulness was dropped, and we got to see the raw attitude that fuels our common problem.
Notice how empowered Kramer seemed when he took up the mantle of his whiteness. It was a short-lived crack high before he finally caught himself. Our culture breeds that attitude, and we are often just a few ill-chosen words away from seeing it manifested.
Luckily, Kramer was a 4th tier comedian with a mic; it could have been a knucklehead cop with a baton.
Keto. Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!
Keto. Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!
a Million
I think this is the first time I've ever seen a man actually set fire to a million bucks.
Still Don't Know What To Say
I've been discussing this so much on my discussion lists that I still haven't blogged on it myself. This really isn't about the N-word so all the folks who want to blame black folks who use the word need to dig deeper. He said a WHOLE lot of other stuff before the camera video started running. Sinbad was there and this is what he says:
http://www.cnn.com/video/partners/clickability/index.html?
url=/video/showbiz/2006/11/21/anderson.intv.sinbad.richards.cnn
Sinbad's Interview
Is OUTSTANDING! I don't know if he does counseling (aside from his conscientious comedic choices), but this is a grrreat session. Absolutely a keeper. Thanks Q.
It's great that he was there because there are so many things that can't be captured in the video. Â For one, he said the guys in front weren't really heckling Michael Richards. Â He also suggested that the small flares erupted initially along class lines - with Richards telling the audience about his wealth...and distancing himself from the audience...these are all classic ego-defensive mechanisms.
Sinbad has been doing his thing for over 20 years - and he has a realistic and balanced perspective on the event - some of the contributing factors (in so much as he's not inside Richards' head) - the requirements of an authentic apology - and the possibility of redemption. Â
Great stuff. Â By the way, his analysis and prescriptions are transferrable to many our transgressions against one another.
I'm only pissed I can't
I'm only pissed I can't steal the damn video. It should definitely make the rounds.