so let's talk about the 5 white male racist comedians on TV

[donsu]

the comedy channel. same channel Stewart and Colbert are on.

the 5 men include Fox of the 'how you can tell if you are a redneck' fame.

Fox is the only one of the 5 that does not make racist jokes (that I've heard but I don't listen to any of them for very long)but he laughs with and travels and works with the other 4.

the theater they perform in, for TV, is huge and is full to brimming with white people who laugh at the racist jokes, roll in the isles with laughter. it's disgusting.

nobody says boo about their racism.

(a good part of their jokes are about poop or throwing up)

no I don't know their names. one is stout and wears overalls (he's in love with the N word), another always holds a drink and cig.

but the point of this post is that nobody says anything about their racism which is OVERT.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Comedy Channel's been encouraging racism recently.

Apparently they thought Dave Chappelle was racist, and that's what made him funny. So they've been going after the racist demographic.

[joshcryer]

72. Dave Chappelle used racist humor. And boy was it good.

I was just getting used to racist humor actually being something we could joke about rather than bitch about. :(

[piedmont]

2. His name isn't Fox nt

[vireo]

6. No, but he's Fox-worthy

[Little Wing]

3. Why don't you post this again later

and actually try next time

[King Coal]

19. Larry the Cable Guy is a racist, I don't know about the other 3.

I've never heard anything racist from them.

[EFerrari]

44. His character is a bigot. Do we know if he is?

[Goblinmonger]

79. Isnt' that enough?

I mean, sure, he was schooled at a private school in Kansas(?) and is not really the cracker he plays in his stand up. But the point is that what he is doing is not satire. It is racist bullshit and it is one of those things that makes me hate humanity that so many people are fans of his.

[Bucky]

89. I read his book (in a bookstore, of course). Yes, he's plenty bigoted.

"Racist" seems a little harsh since I don't get the impression he talks about white superiority or any such ideological basis. But he's a bigot and can't mention blacks without throwing out the old racist tropes about chicken and blinged up cars and welfare for a cheap laugh. He's as bad as his character seems.

He's also prone to use the tired old shtick about "none of the black guys I know ever say they're African-American or do Kwanzaa".

[atreides1]

4. You mean Jeff Foxworthy?

And these gentlemen?

Larry the Cable Guy, Ron White, and Bill Engvall

[EFerrari]

5. When I watched the Blue Collar Tour, most of the jokes

were directed at "themselves" or, the chararcters they present on stage. Is that the show you mean?

[donsu]

16. yes

nt

[piedmont]

18. I have no idea what he means by saying one of them "is in love with the n-word"

I've watched the show and I don't recall hearing that word.

edited to clarify title

[Maine-ah]

38. uh, yeah

I have never heard it on that show either

I'm gonna guess the OP hasn't really watched much of it :shrug:

[donsu]

25. and not just that tour - they are on the Channel late at night as solo

performers too.

[EFerrari]

43. Yeah -- I know. I don't remember them being "blue" or

any more offensive to anyone else than they were to their own "in" group. Maybe I've just sat through too many terrible comedy sets during the years I was writing and producing it. :shrug:

[seabeyond]

58. my husband has the cd and i have watched portions. havent seen racist comments

as a poster said i do hear a lot of dissing of themselves. i am sure they can be trashy in their personal acts but i dont see it in the tour show.

[Clark2008]

111. Yep - and their families.

Southern humor is to make jokes about one's family - how crazy and backward they are.

As Julia Sugarbaker once said on Designing Women, "I'm saying this is the South. And we're proud of our crazy people. We don't hide them up in the attic. We bring 'em right down to the living room and show 'em off. See, Phyllis, no one in the South ever asks if you have crazy people in your family. They just ask what side they're on."

[Tom Joad]

7. Not defending them at all... but at least he was not given a prime spot on

a network "news" channel 5 days a week.

[MadBadger]

8. I dont understand what you are saying

but I just disagree with you. Are you sure you arent mixing up the N word with him saying "Git-R-Done?"

[donsu]

17. no

nt

[NormanYorkstein]

82. when did any of these use "the n word"?

You claim one is "in love with it"? When did this air? I've never heard any of those comedians make racist jokes. I think they one guy with the cigarette and drink is hilarious.

[krispos42]

84. Ron White is the drunken smoker

He's hilarious. And not racist, either, at least not in the acts I've seen or listened to. And I've listened to "They Call Me 'Tater Salad'" a million times.

[tammywammy]

87. I like him the least of the Blue Collar group

But that "Tater Salad" joke is funny.

[NormanYorkstein]

105. the one with the cheetos and the televangelist on TV

that was hysterical, I nearly pissed my pants.

[Make7]

9. And what about 'All in the Family' re-runs?

Not an episode went by without Archie Bunker saying something offensive. Why is that still allowed on the air?

- Make7

[MadBadger]

10. Your joking

right?

[Make7]

24. Um....

...yeah. Apparently I should have made it more obvious.

Humor is a tricky thing - often people don't get what someone is really trying to say. Sometimes it is readily apparent, like the writing for All in the Family - sometimes not so much, like parts of Sarah Silverman's act (to use another example from this thread).

- Make7

[MadBadger]

26. Sarcasm

is hard to read on the internet.

[ikojo]

112. But there is a SMILEY to denote sarcasm

:sarcasm:

[Goblinmonger]

80. Are you arguing that Larry the Cable Guy

is satire like All in the Family? Larry is not satire. he is not the butt of the joke like Archie was. Larry makes others (often homosexuals, minorities, etc) the butt of his joke. He is not mocking the crackers that make up his audience.

[Make7]

103. I don't watch it, so I couldn't say.

I was simply pointing out that the intention of a piece of comedy is open to interpretation. As is the degree of success that may or may not have been achieved in its execution.

People have called Sarah Silverman racist. I disagree. Who shall we say is right? Perhaps they think the commentary concerning racism she sometimes presents through her act is more hurtful than it is enlightening. A case could be made for that - and one could also be made for the opposing viewpoint. It largely depends on how one chooses to look at it.

Is 'Larry the Cable Guy' a character meant to illustrate people's ignorance towards others, or does the character simply perpetuate that ignorance? I don't know, but sometimes it is not as easy to tell as one would imagine. Perhaps if someone presented the comedian's own take on that character, his intention might become more clear. Maybe the guy's just an ass trying to be funny at others expense - and maybe he has some point to it all.

- Make7

[NormanYorkstein]

107. I don't think "Larry the Cable Guy" is racist

I've seen him at least once on HBO. If anyone should be offended by his act, it's working class White folk. I think Joe Rogan "outed" him as some rich yuppie dude making fun of poor Whites. I don't remember him even mentioning Black folk but I could be wrong who knows? :shrug:

[Clark2008]

113. You apparently don't listen to him.

He's the butt of his own jokes all the time - and so are the white people ("crackers" is offensive when not discussing wheat wafers, in case you didn't know) all the time.

He jokes all the time about his weight, his lack of intelligence and his bowel movements. He's pretty self-deprecating, if you ask me.

Edit to add: I don't really find him all that funny because I don't like potty jokes - but he's not overly racist. He may say something here and there, but it's NOT a large or even a small part of his performance. Mostly, he makes fun of country folk.

[no_hypocrisy]

14. I suppose it's on the air b/c the show is written for viewers to see

the views of Archie Bunker with derision and humanity at times. There were a number of viewers (like my dad) who ironically cheered on Archie when the show was first broadcast. Norman Lear wrote it to develop debate about how American society was changing. The fact that the episodes are still controversial spotlight its genius.

[Webster Green]

15. Context perhaps? (n/t)

[Bucky]

90. You're kidding, but Bill Cosby used to attack "All in the Family" for the same thing

He said he always felt Archie Bunker did more harm to society than good, because it made bigotry seem cute and likeable.

[southpaw]

11. I don't have much direct knowledge of these guys...

Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, Ron White and Bill Engvall, but this is the first time I've heard any accusations of them using racism in their humor.

Apparently Carlos Mencia is known for racial stereotyping, but the outcry against him is minimal. Same with Chapelle.

[jakem]

48. Racial stereotyping is the basis for a lot of legitimate humor...

it is just easier to succeed at it if you are:

1) not white.
2) funny.

Mencia and Chapelle are damn funny when they are on top of their game, mildly but excusably offensive when they are not... kind of like South Park...

[enough already]

12. I heard some disgusting crap from Sarah Silverman on Comedy Central one night

Telling Martin Luther King jokes, of all things. Racist pig.

[ncabot22]

55. S Silverman isn't a racist

Her joke about ML King was in context of her having a dream too--about a shark with braces and claiming he used to roll up the car windows in the summer, turn up the heat and fart to annoy his family. Tasteless, yes. Amusing, yes. Ridiculous, yes. No one actually thinks ML King did that. If we are being so hypersensitive, I could call you an anti-semite for calling her a pig--she is Jewish after all. But then, that would be stupid wouldn't it?

You might not like her humour, but be careful at throwing out the term "racist". She made no comment about his skin colour or heritage. Her humour isn't for the faint of heart. I find her hysterical.

[bryant69]

68. From Terry Sawyer writing at Pop Matters

Do I think Sarah Silverman is racist? Not particularly. But I do think she simply tears-up the historical significance of the words she uses, only to quilt them back together in meticulously parsed clashes of shock. If she's surprised that other people, like the ones currently suffering under the political oppression still attached to many of those terms, bristle under having those words reduced to structural play, then I think she's naïve, to say the least.

Well worth reading, although it may well make you uncomfortable --> http://www.popmatters.com/columns/sawyer/060120.shtml

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[ncabot22]

76. Thanks for the link

Again, I stand by my initial statement she isn't a racist. The link backs me up. As I initially stated in my previous comment, her humour is tasteless. However, I do find her funny. "Jesus is Magic" is hysterical. I don't know if you've seen it, but if you haven't I would recommend it. You should make up your own mind rather than believing what I or some online columnist has to say about her. I also thought Sam Kinison and Richard Pryor were funny, although many were offended by their humour.

As for your comment that I might find the article "uncomfortable", I am puzzled. You should never presume something will make me uncomfortable. I actually delight in debate and have a strong intellect. Opposing opinions rarely make me uncomfortable. I don't expect everyone to agree with me nor do I want everyone to agree with me. Moreover, I have a pretty thick skin and do not take to heart what people say. It is their actions I am more concerned with.

Again, thanks for the link. Oh, if SS offends you--please whatever you do, do not rent "The Aristocrats". ;) She's in it and the humour is, well, tasteless.

[enough already]

78. There's nothing funny about MLK jokes

The man was and remains a hero. And yes, people that tell them are racists. Plain and simple. If you think that's 'hypersensitive', you probably need to examine your own sense of 'humor'.

[Forkboy]

93. Jesus was a hero to a lot of people to,yet I've heard some damn funny Jesus jokes.

[Bucky]

95. Martin Luther King farting isn't exactly a race joke.

Unless I'm just not up on my racist tropes, I don't think anyone's ever suggested that farting is exclusive to African Americans. I can see someone saying this is disrespectful to a martyr to the rights of Americans. I can see someone saying this just isn't funny. But how on earth is it racist?

[ncabot22]

98. It is hypersensitive

No one is denying her humour is tasteless, but when you throw around the term "racist" you dilute its meaning. She never said anything about his race or his ethnicity. She mentioned farting in a car, for Christ's sakes. Speaking of which, another poster mentioned Jesus jokes. You can't get more sacred, to some, than Jesus. Are you just as appalled by that?

I think ML King had a sense of humour. I didn't know the man but I doubt he's wandering around in the afterlife weeping that some chucklehead down on earth is telling fart and dream jokes about him.

[Bucky]

92. It's edgy humor. But she toes a line with it. It doesn't promote hateful thinking

Silverman's humor hangs on how inappropriate she can act--she reminds me of Norm Macdonald's in that way. I guess both can get a little tiresome after a while, but half the joke is self-directed.

[ncabot22]

99. Absolutely

I think one critic referred to her as being like a five year-old who cusses. At first it is cute, then it gets old. I'm paraphrasing.

[piedmont]

59. MLK is a sacred cow now?

No one can joke about him or reference him in a joke without being a racist?

[Bucky]

91. You don't hear a lot of "how many MLKs does it take to screw in a light bulb" jokes.

You don't see that famous chin-grabbing portrait used to move furniture on MLK Day like they do with Lincoln and Washington for Presidents' Day sales. In fact, I don't think stores even have Martin Luther King Day sales. So yes, he's still in the sacred cow category.

[Forkboy]

96. I can barely fight the urge to go find some MLK jokes and post them.

Just because "sacred cows make the best hamburgers."

Abbie Hoffman said that....I'm pretty sure he wasn't racist.But I'm expecting to be told differently any day now here on DU :)

[WinkyDink]

108. And gee! Jokes about a murdered man are such KNEE-SLAPPERS!

[Bluebear]

13. >>>>

[MadBadger]

20. I think you all need to hear a song

Its from the Broadway Show Avenue Q. Its called "Everyone's a little bit Racist" Go find it.

Im sure now ill be attacked for being a racist too.

[dogday]

31. You might be a racist if you need this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=646952&mesg_id=646952


:rofl:

[Virginia Dare]

21. It's all in context..

there's a big difference between someone who has a radio show on a "news and information" channel, and mixes his offensive act with interviews of prominent politicians and journalists, and stand-up comedy.

MSNBC and CBS did an entirely appropriate thing by cancelling Imus's show, there is no place for that type of "humor" coupled with news and information.

[blogslut]

22. When has any of them ever said the "N" word?

Prove it.

Look, I'm no fan of that show but I think you're making accusations that have no basis in fact.

PS: There's only four of them BTW.

[donsu]

28. about a wk. ago, late nite, the overall guy said the N word and I

turned the channel.

[blogslut]

29. Okay

If you say so. I guess it must be true.

[donsu]

33. you think I'm lying?

nt

[Little Wing]

36. yes. absolutely.

[moez]

49. ditto

[donsu]

45. wow

nt

[IA_Seth]

56. Yeah...

I'd say your either mistaken or full of it.

[Rosemary2205]

85. I think you heard wrong.

I'd say there's not one chance in hell Larry the Cable Guy said the "N" word, or any variation of it, on stage. He mumbles a lot so I think you probably misheard.

BTW, I can't stand the Blue Collar Comedy guys but racism is not at all any part of their "schtick". The worst anyone can claim is that Larry is rabidly pro-GW Bush and rabidly anti-anyone who's anti-Bush and is a bigot against homosexuals.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

54. No way in hell he did.

It would be all over the news if it actually happened.

[spoony]

67. "nipple"? "nascar"? "neanderthal"?

[Joe Fields]

69. I've seen them on t.v. many times and NEVER have I heard any

of them say the "N" word.

You will have to do better than just say that you heard one of them say it and changed the channel.

[rockyandmax]

73. don't you think that the context in which it was used

might be important?

[MadBadger]

23. Are you sure you werent watching...

The Comedy Central Roast to Jeff Foxworthy?

[donsu]

30. no I wasn't watching that

sometimes late at nite I'll surf the TV and pause at the Comedy channel to listen for awhile. when any of these guys are on I find that I soon turn the channel because of the racism

[NoPasaran]

27. Larry the Cable Guy is an offensive stereotype

He is a living insult to everyone who works in the cable television industry, most of whom are NOT brain-damaged morons.

[Rude Horner]

35. Give me a break

I don't care for Larry the Cable Guy myself, but c'mon - an offensive stereotype? So was Roseanne an offensive stereotype to housewives? Don Corleon an offensive stereotype to mafia leaders? Ed Norton an offensive stereotype for sewer workers? Larry the Cable Guy is a character. Granted, he's an idiot, but still, he's just a character. I work in the computer industry. You don't see me complaining about the offensive stereotypes portrayed on "Revenge of the Nerds". So what now - every character on tv or in the movies have to now portray that character as good looking and intelligent, otherwise anybody who happens to have the same job is going to be offended by the portrayal?

If there are cable workers who are offended by Larry the Cable guy, I'd say they were a bit too sensitive.

[Little Wing]

37. reboot your sarcasm detector

[Rude Horner]

40. If that was sarcasm, then I apologize

however there is that little :sarcasm: thingy that makes it much easier to tell a writers intent.

[Rocknrule]

39. I saw Larry the Cable Guy live 2 months ago

He seems to be a parody of a stereotypical redneck, if anything

[krispos42]

94. It is. It's a character he plays. He first started doing it for radio shows

then Jeff Foxworthy or Bill Engvall heard him and began working and touring with him.

His real name is Daniel Lawrence Whitney and he was born in Nebraska.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_the_cable_guy

[donsu]

47. Roseanne was offensive stereotype to housewives!

first time I ever heard that

[theboss]

32. One example would be nice

Not that I've watched a lot of them....But I have never heard any of them use the N-word or be accused of it.

So, I think you are making suff up.

[donsu]

34. well you think wrong

nt

[ProdigalJunkMail]

sorry...but you're gonna have to document this one

I have watched them...they poke fun at people that are essentially my family. I have never heard one of them make a derogatory remark that is racially based...class based, for certain...but not race based.

You provide a reference and I will humbly apologize, but until then, I won't believe you.

sP

[EFerrari]

46. I'm going to try to watch it again, donsu, because I don't remember

what you remember and now you've made me curious.

Doug used to do a set about homelessness and about mental illness that used to freak people out until we made it plain that he was poking fun mainly at HIMSELF. And, the character he plays on stage is not who he is -- it's a character.

[donsu]

50. thanks for not thinking I'm a liar

nt

[EFerrari]

51. Oh, man! I think it's a healthy thing to air this stuff out.

It's a good conversation to have, imho.

[theboss]

52. So basically you have no evidence

Gotcha.....

[TahitiNut]

41. I seem to see fireworks ... or is that just axes being ground?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x646361

:eyes: Funny ... I'd think it'd be sharp enough at this point.

[Marie26]

42. This post makes no sense. nt

[DarbyUSMC]

53. Bill "Here's your sign" Engvall? One of the four "Blue Collar" comics.

William Ray ("Bill") Engvall, Jr. (born 27 July 1957 in Galveston, Texas) is an American comedian best known for his work as a stand-up comic, and as a member of the Blue Collar Comedy group.

Bill's trademark routine is "Here's Your Sign". Often, it involves a person asking a stupid question, to which Bill gives a sarcastic answer in return, followed by the line "Here's your sign".

Bill's explanation for the "signs": I just hate stupid people. They should have to wear signs that say "I'm Stupid". That way you wouldn't rely on them, and you wouldn't ask them for nothing.

Engvall is in the park flying a kite with his son.

Passerby: Y'all flyin' a kite?


Bill: Nope, fishin' for birds! Here's your sign.

On the phone with his wife when the plane he was on stopped after hitting a deer.

Bill's wife: Oh my God! Were you on the ground?
Bill: Nope, Santa was making one last run. Here's your sign.

On a trip to go deer hunting with his wife:

Bill's wife: Why do they put those signs up? Deer can't read!
Bill: No, but they do recognize pictures of themselves. Here's your sign.

Truck driver gets his truck stuck under an overpass, with Engvall watching.

Cop: You got your truck stuck?
Bill: God bless that trucker, without missing a beat he goes:
Driver: No sir, I was deliverin' that overpass and I ran outta gas. Here's your sign.

...And there's this guy with a coat hanger inside his window... and I could not stop myself... I said, "You lock your keys in your car?"

Driver: No, just washed it, gonna hang it up to dry. Here's your sign.

Bill's son, Travis: I'm going to play you a song from Harry Potter, Dad, here on the piano.
Bill: Oh, the movie?
Travis: No dad, the book! Here's your...
Bill: Hey! Hey now!

[tammywammy]

86. I've heard those jokes in his act

Yet, I still chuckled reading them.

I'm at work during the day shift (I usually work in the afternoons) the other day and a co-worker goes "You working today?" I thought of him.

[Jonathan50]

57. Larry the Cable Guy

Does do some fairly offensive stuff but it mostly doesn't get on the TV show.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_the_Cable_Guy


"Madder than a carload of queers getting pulled over for doin' a 69 in a 55,"

"Madder than a skinhead watching The Jeffersons,"

"Happier than Jim Nabors with a wheelbarrow full of buttholes."

"Happier than a tornado in a trailer park,"

[minkyboodle]

61. larry before his conversion

Larry aka Dan Whitney
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c75fUO5bvms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VROn7ZvVoW8
Here sure can sell the merchandise though :eyes:

[Clark2008]

114. And none of those were completely awful

He doesn't seem to be passing judgment - hell, all humans should do a 69 at least once in their lives. :evilgrin:

[Daedelus76]

60. I don't believe that

I don't believe any of them are racists. They are all into gentle self-depricatory humor, and each hase their own take (Larry the Cable Guy is probably the most toilet-humor based). Nothing really offensive there. Lots of white folks watch it, and the jokes are mostly oriented towards white folks, so what?

[etherealtruth]

62. I'm not a real fan of the blue collar guys ...

I out and out despise the "git-r-done" fool ... however, I have never seen anything that approaches what you are saying (?). Though, I would not put anything past the "git-r-done" fool ... the others seem to do pretty benign stuff.

[maveric]

63. Carlos Mencia is the worst.

He thinks its cute with the Beaner jokes because he's one. Which he's really not.
At times his schtick sickens me. Especially the way he makes fun of the disabled.

[Gabi Hayes]

64. none of those guys is remotely funny. I was forced to sit through an hour and a half of Ron White's

sneering attempt at 'self deprecatory'--narcissistic--humor one night, and have tried to watch the others.

read David Cross's letter to Larry the Cable guy for a take on what a real comedian thinks of these creeps' Walmarting of comedy.

and check this:

http://www.devilducky.com/media/51002/

[minkyboodle]

75. yep

love david cross' letter and the emails he got in
reaction. See my post #57 about Larry aka Dan Whitney.
Looks like him and Ned Holdness aka Carlos have something
in common besides being not funny, they are both frauds
(and Mencia is an infamous joke thief).
PS Wonder Showzen is the best!!!

[sendero]

65. You have to be some kind..

.. of nutso if you think Jeff Foxworthy is a racist. Seriously.

[librechik]

66. BET

don't go there girlfriend

[Geek_Girl]

70. I've watched the Blue Collar Tour

I didn't find their jokes to be racist or sexist. But I really don't like Mencina very much or the Man show.

[IsItJustMe]

71. I watch them sometimes, I never heard any of them say anything remotly construed as racism. I have

heard a couple of them rip the Dixie Chicks up one side and down the other. I also feel that there appeal is definitly to wards the poor trailer park Republican variety. If you see a gitter-dun sticker on a truck, that person is more-than-likely a staunch Republican voter.

All the ones I know of anyway.

[minkyboodle]

77. they are racist against people of middle eastern descent

I don't know about n-bomb I've never heard it but
then I don't really like those guys so I may not know.
They are however very prejudiced against people of
middle eastern descent or just dark skinned "foreigners" of
any kind. Also making fun of Mexicans is a big
part of their act. Not to say they are any worse
than their audience in these regards though, which
like you said is largely willfully ignorant
republicans.

[Joe Fields]

74. This post ain't worth a bucket of warm spit.

[TahitiNut]

81. Yep. Not even a down payment on it.

DU has its Crusaders who see absolutely EVERYTHING through the lens of their 'cause.'

[EstimatedProphet]

83. Agreed

[davsand]

88. Selective outrage.

donsu, you are a veteran of the internet. I could be wrong, but I think I even maybe remember you from my old day at Salon--and THAT goes back a ways if it is true. Certainly you've been here with us at DU for a while now. Anyhow, I am not calling you out, I'm not gonna contradict you in your opinions. I just want to put something out here for discussion.

I want to offer an observation about outrage. Seems to me that both the GOP and the Dems have no monopoly on outrage. It might be outrage about different things, but it is still this knee-jerk, boogie-man under the bed, paranoia that overwhelms otherwise careful people. To borrow from Herbert's Dune, "Fear is the mind killer..." and maybe we can all take lesson from the Bene Gesserit on that.

Comedy is one of those art forms that is incredibly dangerous to view with outrage. If it makes you uncomfortable it is most likely doing its job of making you think. The Edvard Munch painting The Scream makes me uncomfortable, but I still see its beauty. I suspect that comedy is (or can be) kind of that same thing, really. I have to control my outrage.

Similarly, I have to control my visceral response to Rap and all of its horrible images of women. I have to shut down my knee jerk response to the language used. This music thing isn't anything new--look at the movie Spinal Tap and you will see a comedy about heavy metal and how offensive and silly that is. Shoot, Elvis had his detractors too...

I absolutely am offended by Lolita by Nabokov. It is a hell of an amazing use of language--but it really is creepy--ya know? I'm not terribly hip to some of the stuff in Alice Walker's books, I can't say I loved how To Kill a Mockingbird made me feel, and I am not gonna celebrate the Nazi stuff Lennie Riefenstahl did. I AM, however, gonna respect them and hold them up for inspection and I'm gonna accept the visceral response they all create in me.

I dunno, donsu. I'm not a highly educated woman. My Bachelor's really hasn't taken me too far in life, and I am not anybody earning a big income. I'm not on stage, making music, or even dipping a brush in paint. I'm just a person that has a respect for the power of art, and I am a person that tries not to allow my outrage to blind me.

Regards!


Laura

[donsu]

97. thank you for the consideration

yes I've been around since the 2000 coup d'etat

and I'll be around until the neo cons are in prison and we have our country back or until I die.

since a little girl I've been opening my mouth and speaking against racism and sexism, guess I won't stop now.

(joke that I came out of my mother's womb a feminist with a book in her hand)

[davsand]

102. Thankfully you didn't feed my paranoia by mentioning us all in prison.

There are dark nights when that fear looms out there and I start to wonder about how safe any of us are, outraged or not...

Frankly I never expected to be in a place where I spoke of The Blue Collar Comedy tour as a form of art--but I just did. I do hope you realize I'm not a terrible fan of these guys. It isn't my cup of tea (or coffee) but because it does evoke a response in me I feel I have to be careful in my judgment of it.

I don't remember who said it, but there is a quote out there about freedom of speech that says something along the lines of 'the stuff that makes you most uncomfortable is probably what you need to protect the most vehemently.' (I wish I could remember the source for that one!)

Don't sit down, and please don't ever give up on organizing. Change only comes with action.


Laura

[dysfunctional press]

100. here's a thought- change the channel.

unless you've got one of those one-channel sets that seem to be so popular with so many people here.

[Vinca]

101. I'm really puzzled by this thread. I've never heard any of these guys

doing the kind of humor described. I love Ron White - he's one of the funniest people on the planet and he's never done racist stuff.

[Retired AF Dem]

104. Don't you know?

It is about thought control.

[WinkyDink]

106. Self-mockery is not the same as what Imus did.

[outofbounds]

109. I was talking with a man

yesterday that said the majority of white people have for about 20 years stopped using racist terms to try not to offend people. But the recent situation with Imus has changed his mind and he is on a march not to care. He said these people are just looking for a reason to shout racism against whites but not not the African Americans, not his words. He seems to think Sharpton should apologize to the Duke Lacrosse players for what he said during the initial days of that case. Sharpton has said he will not.
Ever time one of these incidents occur I'm in disbelief that people haven't been able to accept our African American brothers and sisters as what they are, equal. My friend also said that when African Americans, again not his words, stop using these words to describe their own he may change his mind and go back to treating them as equals. I'm hear more and more of this since The Imus incident, I saw this OP and it looks like a witch hunt. These guys make fun of themselves and if they were racist you can't tell it from their skits.
I just wanted to share this conversation I had and see if you all are hearing this kind of thing. As far as we have come it looks like some are reverting back to the old unacceptable way and trying to bring more with them.
I've known this man for 15 years and never heard him talk like this until now.

[Clark2008]

110. I've never heard Bill Engvall make a racist joke.

As a matter of fact, of the Blue Comedy Tour entourage, he's the least offensive.

Bill Engvall is NOT either of the two you mentioned in your post. The first is Larry the Cable Guy and the second is Ron White.

P.S. Of the four (if there are five now, I don't know who the fifth one is and have never heard him), only Larry the Cable Guy makes somewhat racists jokes (one about Arabs that I remember, but it's not a large part of his reportarie. Most of what he talks about his weird family - so it's self-deprecating).
They certainly don't cuss every five seconds and don't call each other names, if you're trying to make a comparison between them and some of the racist humor I hear out of SOME black comedians.