I find humor complex and fascinating. I have mulled over the statement made by Trey Parker that either it is all funny or none of it is, meaning that all subjects should be open for parody, satire and or ridicule and not be censored. But no matter how I look at it, child abuse just isn't funny.
I am all for free speech. I don’t think we can command the populace to stop with this type of humor anyway. Better, motivate the culture to change. Start with ourselves. Cultivate empathy. Be an example, but not in a self-righteous way. The smartest people in the world have the ability to put themselves into the positions of others and imagine alternate outcomes from given situations. We should strive to develope that habit. When we do, we will stop to find certain things funny. This is a badge of maturity. Rather than shaming and fighting against the ones that are on the fence, defending their right to adult humor and free speech, maybe it would be better to remember that many of us pass through a phase like this (I used to watch a lot of these shows), and find a way to connect others with the point of view of the victims. If the concept of empathy touches their hearts, they will make the necessary changes themselves. If they choose not to, then we are talking about something different. We are possibly talking about someone who, for whatever reason (be it libertarian or egalitarian) feels that it is ok to enable the sickness that we fight against.
view the rest of the comments →
SurfinMindWaves ago
I find humor complex and fascinating. I have mulled over the statement made by Trey Parker that either it is all funny or none of it is, meaning that all subjects should be open for parody, satire and or ridicule and not be censored. But no matter how I look at it, child abuse just isn't funny.
GreenDell144 ago
I am all for free speech. I don’t think we can command the populace to stop with this type of humor anyway. Better, motivate the culture to change. Start with ourselves. Cultivate empathy. Be an example, but not in a self-righteous way. The smartest people in the world have the ability to put themselves into the positions of others and imagine alternate outcomes from given situations. We should strive to develope that habit. When we do, we will stop to find certain things funny. This is a badge of maturity. Rather than shaming and fighting against the ones that are on the fence, defending their right to adult humor and free speech, maybe it would be better to remember that many of us pass through a phase like this (I used to watch a lot of these shows), and find a way to connect others with the point of view of the victims. If the concept of empathy touches their hearts, they will make the necessary changes themselves. If they choose not to, then we are talking about something different. We are possibly talking about someone who, for whatever reason (be it libertarian or egalitarian) feels that it is ok to enable the sickness that we fight against.