Why must we always have the same talk? It seems like it’s only a matter of time before we’re doing it all over again. Tracy Morgan, it’s not that I’m upset, I’m just disappointed. But it's not just you, I'm disappointed in all of us to be totally honest.
Whether Morgan ‘pulled a Kramer,’ going way over the line with an edgy comedy routine, or committed some hateful tirade (pulling a Gibson, I guess), is for the court of public opinion to decide. Time will also tell whether or not this will have as big an impact on his career or whether it will be dismissed, put aside as just another comedian doing a raunchy routine.
But one thing is clear - there are still some areas dangerous to tread. Yes, one can venture down that road, but the longer that subject area is pursued the greater the chances of getting burnt. Comedians have always been there to open our eyes to the ridiculousness of our daily life, but whether it's that we're still too prudish or not there are still some areas people do not want to find themselves. They still remain in tact, as the reaction to Morgan's homophobic bit suggests.
It seems, just like Michael Richards, Morgan is not necessarily getting punished for his joke - although he was apparently warned in the past about making homophobic jokes in his routine. It's the manner in which he presented himself that has people talking. Yes, some in attendance laughed when Richards started his infamous racist rant, but that didn't last too long once he appeared to be a bit taking it a bit too seriously. His act became far too convincing, just seemed too authentic. And people did not like seeing that.
This is where Morgan has caught himself, at that point where people could honestly believe he supports everything he's saying on stage. And when these all too convincing attacks target a marginalized segment of society, in this case homosexuals, trouble starts brewing.
Freedom of expression is essential, but it's also tricky. It’s seems hard to stand firmly opposed to censorship in all forms, in all outlets of media, art, and the daily world really, and yet also support fairness and equality to all. The two ideas don’t really mesh, there will always be someone getting hurt and always a segment of the population out there willing to dish it out as well.
As a result some are outraged with Morgan, while others don't disagree with the views expressed in Morgan's routine. And then finally comes the other part of society won't give it a second thought since it is a comedian, and it's not worthy of the discussion. But everyone will have something to say because it is another celebrity saying things most people would dare not be associated with saying in public.
Why the discussion about these touchy areas only comes about when someone famous has lit the fire is weird, and a little sad. Yes, this is the part where I get disappointed in us as a society. You'd think we could have some dialogue on these subjects whenever, not just when it revolves around the question of whether or not a major network will drop them from that popular show people like to watch. Because, you know, you really like that show.
But it does happen this way, it's cued by our celebrity betters, and then we try and have some honest discussion about the way people think and act and treat one another. And try and figure out their future on our favourite shows, of course.
I guess the one good thing is that with how closely we pay attention to what these people say, and how much that has increased since the advent of the internet, cell phone cameras, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media platforms, that soon we'll have consistent discussion on many topics worth acknowledgment considering how many celebrity controversies regularly emerge.
What a fragmented, screwed up, and honest take on how we make our way through this so-called life.
