Comedian Titus Hints at Assassinating Palin

[dre]

Exactly. Comedians are not to be taken seriously, while news analysts are in the position to be taken seriously.

I dont take either of them very seriously, and find both groups to be kinda funny in their own ways.

[Shady]

Titus is a comedian, he made a joke. It's not even news!

Fortunately you don't get to decide for everybody else, what is and isn't news. And I'm not sure that being a so-called comedian gives one a free pass to say "I would literally kill her."

[GostHacked]

Fortunately you don't get to decide for everybody else, what is and isn't news. And I'm not sure that being a so-called comedian gives one a free pass to say "I would literally kill her."

There are much more important things to be concerned about than a comedian making a joke about a joke (aka Palin). Don't worry about the big shit, concentrate on the petty stuff.

[Shady]

There are much more important things to be concerned about than a comedian making a joke

Once again, the false choice. One can be concerned about the comedian, as well as more important issues. It's not an either or. So stop pretending it is. And saying "I would literally kill her" isn't really much of a joke. If he had made the same "joke" about the President, he'd be getting a breif visit from the Secret Service.

[DogOnPorch]

Fortunately you don't get to decide for everybody else, what is and isn't news. And I'm not sure that being a so-called comedian gives one a free pass to say "I would literally kill her."

Ask Michael Richards, eh?

[DogOnPorch]

...and Tracy Morgan.

http://arts.nationalpost.com/2011/06/10/tracy-morgan-unleashes-anti-gay-tirade-at-nashville-show-reports/

[Shady]

Ask Michael Richards, eh?

Exactly!

[Guest American Woman]

Fortunately you don't get to decide for everybody else, what is and isn't news. And I'm not sure that being a so-called comedian gives one a free pass to say "I would literally kill her."

That's not what he said, and the reason it's not news is the same reason all the death threats Obama has had are not news individually. How many threats has he received? And how many of them can you tell us about? And they weren't from comedians making jokes.

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I'm still waiting for the outrage over the Fox News analyst joking about killing Obama, but I've don't see that forthcoming in this thread. No surprise there.

[bloodyminded]

Ask Michael Richards, eh?

I think Richards was unfairly maligned. That was way overblown.

[bloodyminded]

That's not what he said, and the reason it's not news is the same reason all the death threats Obama has had are not news individually. How many threats has he received?

Probably a thousand.

And how many of them can you tell us about?

Probably zero.

And they weren't from comedians making jokes.

I agree. Not an issue.

[Pliny]

That's not what he said, and the reason it's not news is the same reason all the death threats Obama has had are not news individually. How many threats has he received? And how many of them can you tell us about? And they weren't from comedians making jokes.

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I'm still waiting for the outrage over the Fox News analyst joking about killing Obama, but I've don't see that forthcoming in this thread. No surprise there.

I may be prejudiced, I admit I like Sarah Palin. I don't like Barack Obama. If a comedian said he would like to sit on the grassy knoll waiting for Obama if he ever got elected. I would think it was a bit over the line and might even consider it racist to make my point. I can't understand in this case why a woman would not consider this at least anti-feminist. But then feminists have never rushed to the side of Sarah Palin for some reason.

A newscaster makes a slip of the tongue, laughingly makes a further faux pas correcting her mistake and its the same thing. That should elicit outrage?

Titus is indeed in the business of being funny - here he tried and failed. Tell me you think it was funny and you guffawed. Tell me you saw that newscaster clip and were outraged.

I think the comedian was a bit over the line. I'm trying to be objective here. So is it just me and I should just laugh at this kind of humour like you do?

Edited June 11, 2011 by Pliny

[Guest American Woman]

I may be prejudiced, I admit I like Sarah Palin. I don't like Barack Obama. If a comedian said he would like to sit on the grassy knoll waiting for Obama if he ever got elected. I would think it was a bit over the line and might even consider it racist to make my point.

But Obama has received threats, many many threats. Are they racists? Some are, some aren't. As I said, death threats are something every POTUS has to live with, and I'd go so far to say every person who puts them self out there as a potential POTUS. Yet there's no outrage over that - just one comedian's joke about Palin along with the ad naseum "derangement syndrome" comment - as if Sarah Palin is unjustly disliked. I guess it's only the Republicans/conservatives who are subjected to "derangement syndrome." whenever they are disliked it's unjust - in contrast to the oh-so-just people who dislike the Democrats/liberals. Like you, for instance. What would you think if I accused you of Obama Derangement Syndrome because you don't like Obama? It would be ludicrous and just as tiring as the reference to derangement syndrome when someone doesn't like a Republican/conservative. Wouldn't you agree?

I can't understand in this case why a woman would not consider this at least anti-feminist. But then feminists have never rushed to the side of Sarah Palin for some reason.

The fact that people don't like her politics and don't find her intelligent has nothing to do with her being a woman, so why would it be anti-feminist? The reason feminists don't rush to her side is because they don't agree with her/like her, and they'd feel the same way if she were a man. Why should they rush to her side just because she's a woman? Do you rush to the side of a male politician because he's a male?

A newscaster makes a slip of the tongue, laughingly makes a further faux pas correcting her mistake and its the same thing. That should elicit outrage?

She did more than make a "further faux pas" - she made a joke about taking out Obama if we could - on a news program. She is a news analyst on a news station so I would think there should be outrage over such an outrageous statement on a national news broadcast before there would be outrage over a comedy act.

As I pointed out, people choose whether to go to comedy shows or not, generally knowing what kind of humor will be presented. People don't turn into a news station expecting to hear a news analyst making a joke about taking out a presidential candidate. I can't imagine the outrage if such a comment had been made on a major news outlet regarding Palin - or any Republican/conservative.

But bottom line. Not much was made out it - yet look at the outrage here over a comedian's remark about Palin. I would bet a year's salary that other comedians in all the other comedy shows out there have made similar jokes about other politicians and we simply have not heard about it because no one made a big deal about it. I've heard some pretty questionable political jokes at comedy clubs, including Second City in Toronto. I thought they were crossing the line at times. But I also realize that comedy is sometimes outrageous, sometimes raunchy. So whether Titus was funny or not, he was not "out of his element." The news analyst, on the other hand, was.

Titus is indeed in the business of being funny - here he tried and failed. Tell me you think it was funny and you guffawed. Tell me you saw that newscaster clip and were outraged.

I wasn't "outraged" by either comment. As I said, humor is selective. There's a lot of humor that I don't find funny that others do - and vice versa. Was I outraged over the newscaster clip? No, I wasn't. I was disgusted - but I don't have a high opinion of Fox News, so I can't say it particularly surprised me - and I don't tune into Fox News for that reason. By the same token, people can choose not to go see Titus' comedy act.

What I am taking issue with is the selective outrage.

I think the comedian was a bit over the line. I'm trying to be objective here. So is it just me and I should just laugh at this kind of humour like you do?

I think a lot of comedians are over the line. As I've already pointed out, a lot of comedy is; it's outrageous and raunchy, by my standards. But it is comedy, and therefore it's not to be taken seriously - unlike a news broadcast on a national television network.

The fact that you are downplaying what a news caster said, by in effect making excuses for it, tells me that you are failing in your effort to be objective.

I'll say again - if it's crossing the line, if it's death threats that are the objection, that should have been the focus of this thread. But it's not. It's outrage over one joke aimed at Palin to the exclusion of actual death threats that have been made - which we know nothing of - and the exclusion of similar outrage over such incidents aimed at Obama/the other side.

As for whether 'you should laugh at this kind of humor like I do' - where in God's name did I ever say I thought it was funny? As I said, you fail in your effort to be objective.

[Pliny]

But Obama has received threats, many many threats. Are they racists? Some are, some aren't. As I said, death threats are something every POTUS has to live with, and I'd go so far to say every person who puts them self out there as a potential POTUS. Yet there's no outrage over that - just one comedian's joke about Palin along with the ad naseum "derangement syndrome" comment - as if Sarah Palin is unjustly disliked. I guess it's only the Republicans/conservatives who are subjected to "derangement syndrome." whenever they are disliked it's unjust - in contrast to the oh-so-just people who dislike the Democrats/liberals. Like you, for instance. What would you think if I accused you of Obama Derangement Syndrome because you don't like Obama? It would be ludicrous and just as tiring as the reference to derangement syndrome when someone doesn't like a Republican/conservative. Wouldn't you agree?

The race card is an older and far more effective means of discreditation. It is the same tactic, not quite as effective, with a different name. It would be more likely I would be called a racist.

The fact that people don't like her politics and don't find her intelligent has nothing to do with her being a woman, so why would it be anti-feminist? The reason feminists don't rush to her side is because they don't agree with her/like her, and they'd feel the same way if she were a man. Why should they rush to her side just because she's a woman? Do you rush to the side of a male politician because he's a male?

"People" not liking her politics and not finding her intelligent does indeed have nothing to do with her being a woman? So feminism is then about politics and opinion about level of intelligence and has little to do with women. Feminists must be democrats and considered intelligent and feminists shall determine if you are democrat and intelligent enough to be a feminist.

She did more than make a "further faux pas" - she made a joke about taking out Obama if we could - on a news program. She is a news analyst on a news station so I would think there should be outrage over such an outrageous statement on a national news broadcast before there would be outrage over a comedy act.

Taking the incidences literally and totally out of their context they are exactly the same thing.

The newscaster made a statement about assassination. As it was on a news show I believe that most of her audience could take her suggestion as a preposterous solution and easily reject it. Only the most partisan or someone attempting to say it was the same thing would wish to present it as literal. The comedian in his show however, is suggesting that the solution is not such a preposterous suggestion, and is therefore not as easily rejected by his audience, especially by those who are even slightly partisan or consider themselves fair.

As I pointed out, people choose whether to go to comedy shows or not, generally knowing what kind of humor will be presented.

And of course they never just tune into humour, it is only found on newscasts sometimes. I tune into humour once in awhile and most of the time find myself tuning out.

People don't turn into a news station expecting to hear a news analyst making a joke about taking out a presidential candidate.

And most recognize it as intended - a preposterous suggestion. Very few were concerned about the newscast as it never made the rounds much and never got any legs of it's own - it was just accepted as preposterous. It is somehow the same thing as a controversial comedian who suggests the use of assassination is not a preposterous idea - it is harder to accept as preposterous because the comedian is telling you, in his opinion, it is not a preposterous suggestion.

Therein lies the difference - whether or not the statement can be generally rejected by the audience as as a serious suggestion.

I can't imagine the outrage if such a comment had been made on a major news outlet regarding Palin - or any Republican/conservative.

Doubt there would be much of an outrage. There has to be controversy and Democrats wouldn't argue the fact, they would just let it go or point at some other faux pas they thought might be similar.

But bottom line. Not much was made out it - yet look at the outrage here over a comedian's remark about Palin. I would bet a year's salary that other comedians in all the other comedy shows out there have made similar jokes about other politicians and we simply have not heard about it because no one made a big deal about it. I've heard some pretty questionable political jokes at comedy clubs, including Second City in Toronto. I thought they were crossing the line at times. But I also realize that comedy is sometimes outrageous, sometimes raunchy. So whether Titus was funny or not, he was not "out of his element." The news analyst, on the other hand, was.

I wasn't "outraged" by either comment. As I said, humor is selective. There's a lot of humor that I don't find funny that others do - and vice versa. Was I outraged over the newscaster clip? No, I wasn't. I was disgusted - but I don't have a high opinion of Fox News, so I can't say it particularly surprised me - and I don't tune into Fox News for that reason. By the same token, people can choose not to go see Titus' comedy act.

What I am taking issue with is the selective outrage.

How fair of you. Actually, what I feel you are doing is saying the comedian can say what he wants and people shouldn't be offended because no one said anything about a newscast that literally suggested the exact same thing as the comedian as though the nuance and circumstance was also exactly the same thing.

I think a lot of comedians are over the line. As I've already pointed out, a lot of comedy is; it's outrageous and raunchy, by my standards. But it is comedy, and therefore it's not to be taken seriously - unlike a news broadcast on a national television network.

The fact that you are downplaying what a news caster said, by in effect making excuses for it, tells me that you are failing in your effort to be objective.

No. I thought I might not be being objective but now that I have gone over it with you I feel that I am looking at this quite objectively.

I'll say again - if it's crossing the line, if it's death threats that are the objection, that should have been the focus of this thread. But it's not. It's outrage over one joke aimed at Palin to the exclusion of actual death threats that have been made - which we know nothing of - and the exclusion of similar outrage over such incidents aimed at Obama/the other side.

As for whether 'you should laugh at this kind of humor like I do' - where in God's name did I ever say I thought it was funny? As I said, you fail in your effort to be objective.

So you say - very objectively, of course.

I'm still waiting for the outrage over the Fox News analyst joking about killing Obama, but I've don't see that forthcoming in this thread. No surprise there.

I guess it isn't as outrageous as you think. It is, after all, when put in context hardly the same thing.

Many liberals are defending the comedian and his "suggestion" as being an exercise in comedic licence, they are not offended, in the least. The conservatives are outraged. I don't remember the outrage of the liberal community at the time of the newscasters "suggestion" although it was a newscast and a serious show - hardly the place for such a "joke". They should have been beside themselves. Believe me, if there was cause for outrage the liberals would have been on it. Tying these things together after the fact as being the "same" thing is what's in error not a lack of outrage from conservatives.

The only conclusion that can be made is that Liberals don't seem to mind the "jokes" whether they are on a newscast or a comedy show.

Someone being outraged by a liberal is about the only thing that outrages a Liberal.

Edited June 15, 2011 by Pliny