obama the punchline.

[Guest American Woman]

Who made fun of Bob Dole's war injury? The only people I recall exploiting that were Republicans saying people made fun of it. I guess there are still a few of those around.

And on and on they go .... as they do the same thing they are accusing some unknown others of doing.

[kimmy]

And as you "remember" those things, you have no problem joining in the fray. Says a lot about you; especially as you whine about people 'picking on' Palin. Typical of so many on the right. 'Do as I would like you to do, not as I do.'

I was pointing out that you were grossly in error in suggesting that "the right" are the only ones who make fun of peoples' appearances in politics.

I was not adopting a "holier than thou" stance, I was knocking you off of yours. Sadly you're unable to follow a conversation.

Maybe to someone with a juvenile sense of humor. But then, even when I was in junior high it took something actually funny to be funny to me. I never got off on making fun of other people's looks. And like I said, those who do are really the last ones who should be doing it.

This air of superiority rings rather hollow from someone who thought Rue's "Stepford Wife" blast was hilarious. Your sense of humor seems to depend mostly on who's being made fun of. In fact, you're a lot like what you're accusing other people of.

I read no further than that. Since I am interested in substance, your childish post lost my interest....

It's lucky for you that you stopped reading there, since it spared you from the embarrassment of addressing Obama's position on NAFTA.

And on and on they go .... as they do the same thing they are accusing some unknown others of doing.

I backed it up.

-k

[Guest American Woman]

I was pointing out that you were grossly in error in suggesting that "the right" are the only ones who make fun of peoples' appearances in politics.

I was not adopting a "holier than thou" stance, I was knocking you off of yours. Sadly you're unable to follow a conversation.

I was referring to making fun of looks as "the only thing" one can go after. Sadly, you are the one either unable to follow a conversation or unable to comprehend what you read.

This air of superiority rings rather hollow from someone who thought Rue's "Stepford Wife" blast was hilarious. Your sense of humor seems to depend mostly on who's being made fun of. In fact, you're a lot like what you're accusing other people of.

Ummmm, Rue's post wasn't making fun of Palin's looks. It was all about her politics. As I said, obviously you are the one who is unable to follow a conversation and/or comprehend the written word. In fact, you are a whole lot like what you're accusing me of. again.

It's lucky for you that you stopped reading there...

I already know that. Reading through an entire juvenile post is nothing but a waste of time.

[BubberMiley]

I recall SNL and Mad TV sketches portraying the disabled limb flopping about comically. The Mad TV sketch was particularly crass, depicting Bob Dole as "Dole-O-Mite", dressed as a pimp and getting into some kind of altercation with the guest star (Ice T, I believe) with the result that the limb was sent windmilling uncontrollably as "Dole-O-Mite" was forcibly ejected from the stage.

-k

I've never watched Mad TV. How are they representative of "the Left?"

[kimmy]

I was referring to making fun of looks as "the only thing" one can go after. Sadly, you are the one either unable to follow a conversation or unable to comprehend what you read.

Oh, I see, it's not that making fun of someone's looks is bad, it's that Obama's looks are the "only thing" people have to make fun of.

But that's just your view (it shouldn't surprise me that you can't see anything else about the Leader that could possibly be made fun of).

-People have made fun of his work history.

-people have made fun of his propensity for writing books about himself.

-People have made fun of the amount of times the Master Orator says "uh" and "wh-wh-wh-" when he's not reading from a teleprompter (watch the famous "lipstick on a pig" clip for a prime example)

-I think it's funny that his position on NAFTA keeps shifting to match what his audience wants to hear.

Ummmm, Rue's post wasn't making fun of Palin's looks. It was all about her politics. As I said, obviously you are the one who is unable to follow a conversation and/or comprehend the written word. In fact, you are a whole lot like what you're accusing me of. again.

I didn't accuse you of making fun of her looks, but the "Stepford Wife" crack is equally childish (and displays a fundamentally flawed understanding of the reference, btw.) So again, your air of superiority rings a little hollow.

I already know that. Reading through an entire juvenile post is nothing but a waste of time.

nafta nafta nafta

-k

[kimmy]

I've never watched Mad TV. How are they representative of "the Left?"

What are the qualifications? Is there a membership card, or something?

If I make fun of Obama's twig-like physique, am I representing "the right"? Why? Do I have a membership card? Is there some kind of watch list that I'm on?

Tell you what, if you don't feel that SNL and MadTV are actual representatives of "the left", I will withdraw the claim, provided that you go and cite me attacks on Obama's appearance that have come from actual, recognized right-wing politicians and commentators. If SNL and MadTV don't qualify as "the left" making fun of Dole's crippled arm, then Kimmy on MLW Forums doesn't qualify as "the right" making fun of Obama's pipecleaner arms.

-k

[BubberMiley]

What are the qualifications? Is there a membership card, or something?

Yeah, exactly. I'm glad you see what a stupid overgeneralization it was.

[Guest American Woman]

I've never watched Mad TV. How are they representative of "the Left?"

Mad tv is most definitely not representative of the left. The show makes fun of music, television shows, movies, actors and actresses, and politics. That includes Democrats. Any show that would be "representatives of the left" wouldn't be airing parodies about Democrats too. Seems as if any show that makes fun of any Republican is seen by some as "representative of the left." Seems that the parodies about the Democrats totally escape them. It's ludicrous.

[BC_chick]

So what you're really saying is that black people are good at basketball? How do you sleep at night, you despicable bigot?!

There is no consensus amongst the the politically-correct crowd, obviously, but personally, I don't see the big deal about stereotypes when they are not intended to cause malice. Some people claim stereotypes are always unacceptable, but I'll tell you why I think as I do....

To me, intent within the actions plays a big role. For example, even though I don't think it's good to use the word under any circumstance, if a black person calls another the n-word, usually there is no malice intended when they do. And if the intention is bad, it's self-defeating when the person him/herself is black. Many non-blacks, however, use the word maliciously and their justification is that blacks say the word themselves, so why can't they.

IMO, I don't see the big deal about saying blacks are good at sports or Asians are good at math though again, I stress that this is my personal opinion and that it is not shared by all PC's.

However, I do see a big deal when the stereotype is intended to malign a people, be they black, white, green or whatever.

I think of it similarly as I do with "though shalt not kill"... you can't just think there's a line and it can't be crossed. The person's intent in their actions, for example killing in self-defense, do, in fact, may a difference in whether or not the person's actions were just.

Edited October 2, 2008 by BC_chick

[kimmy]

There is no consensus amongst the the politically-correct crowd, obviously, but personally, I don't see the big deal about stereotypes when they are not intended to cause malice. Some people claim stereotypes are always unacceptable, but I'll tell you why I think as I do....

To be clear: I was just pulling Bubber's leg.

Stereotypes are confusing. I'm not sure what's allowed. Even stuff that seems innocuous, like Asians are good at math or black people are good at sports, seems to be a minefield. I recall a few years ago after Tiger Woods won a golf tournament, one of his competitors made a poorly planned joke about looking forward to "fried chicken and watermelon" at the victory dinner. Tiger did not make a big deal about it, but the golfer who made the comment was thoroughly beat down in the media.

I'm not sure if there's something coded in "fried chicken and watermelon" that I just lack the context to appreciate the significance of, but at face value it seems pretty innocuous. Fried chicken and watermelon are tasty. Everybody likes fried chicken and watermelon. But ask a black person if they'd like fried chicken and watermelon and you might be getting a punch in the mouth.

-k

[BC_chick]

To be clear: I was just pulling Bubber's leg.

Stereotypes are confusing. I'm not sure what's allowed. Even stuff that seems innocuous, like Asians are good at math or black people are good at sports, seems to be a minefield. I recall a few years ago after Tiger Woods won a golf tournament, one of his competitors made a poorly planned joke about looking forward to "fried chicken and watermelon" at the victory dinner. Tiger did not make a big deal about it, but the golfer who made the comment was thoroughly beat down in the media.

I'm not sure if there's something coded in "fried chicken and watermelon" that I just lack the context to appreciate the significance of, but at face value it seems pretty innocuous. Fried chicken and watermelon are tasty. Everybody likes fried chicken and watermelon. But ask a black person if they'd like fried chicken and watermelon and you might be getting a punch in the mouth.

-k

Your feigning ignorance here reminds me of me when I was 5 or 6. When I'd ride in the backseat my mom would tell me not to push in the front seat with my feet because it bugs the person sitting in front. So I'd just hold my toes just enough within the seat to not really be pushing it, but enough to bug the person sitting in front of me.

It's called passive-aggressiveness. My mom didn't like it either.

[BubberMiley]

I'm not sure if there's something coded in "fried chicken and watermelon" that I just lack the context to appreciate the significance of, but at face value it seems pretty innocuous.

You're clearly lacking several hundred years of context.

[kimmy]

By saying something like "black people love fried chicken and watermelon", somebody has expressed their belief in a racial stereotype that while not negative in itself, indicates a belief in a wide variety of other racial generalities that *are* negative. Is that why it's so negative?

If that's the case, then wouldn't the same argument apply to any other stereotype, whether positive, negative, or otherwise?

If someone says "Asians are good at math," are they implying they buy into other stereotypes about Asians as well?

-k

[BubberMiley]

By saying something like "black people love fried chicken and watermelon", somebody has expressed their belief in a racial stereotype that while not negative in itself, indicates a belief in a wide variety of other racial generalities that *are* negative. Is that why it's so negative?

Nope. It's negative because it derives from the minstrel show tradition that tried to reduce black people to a subhuman caricature.

[BC_chick]

Kimmy, I don't know what you find so difficult about the concept of intent. It's quite simple actually.

If you tell your Asian buddy that Asians are good at math, or if you ask your black friend if he wants to go for fried chicken, it is not the same thing as scoffing past a bunch of blacks on the street that gotta hurry to catch that fried chicken or laughing at an Asian for being Asian and therefore good at math.

There is no malice intended in both the first cases, whereas both second cases the intent is to RIDICULE.

Passive-aggressivesly, sure, but meaning to be hurtful just the same.

Edited October 4, 2008 by BC_chick