As many on this blog know, I have long griped about the loss of civility and basic standards of conduct in our society. Whether it is a halftime show or television broadcast or some fan or some athlete acting like a thug, we seem to be quickly abandoning any sense of decorum or decency. When M.I.A. used bad language and flipped the bird during a Superbowl game, many like the New Yorker insisted that she should not apologize and that such standards of decency that are nothing but a remnant of the fifties we haven’t shaken.” I remain unconvinced that our society has now abandoned such standards as historical relics. While I have opposed efforts to criminalize speech, I do believe that as a society we should enforce standards of civility and decency. My concerns were raised this last week again with scurrilous attacks on President Barack Obama and a profane laced Fourth of July celebration in Philadelphia.
First, let me begin by saying that I have never understood why people find Joan Rivers (or her younger version Kathy Griffin) to be funny in the slightest. I actually recoil while watching Rivers like seeing a car crash repeat over and over. However, that lack of talent was matched with a lack of decency last week when she called President Obama “gay” and the First Lady a “tranny.” It is an example of what passed for humor in today’s trash talking culture. I also fail to see why anyone would consider that attack on the First Family to be funny.
Many might say that such insults are just part of the New York culture. However, in Nebraska, families cheered a float in a small-town parade on the Fourth of July that depicted the “Obama Presidential Library” as an outhouse. While the organizers said it was protected political speech, my gripe is with the lack of maturity and respect to create such a float in a Fourth of July parade. I have been a loud critic of President Obama for his attacks on civil liberty and his violation of the Separation of Powers. Yet, I consider it shockingly inappropriate to parade such an insulting display as part of our celebration on the Fourth. He is still the President of the United States and we should be teaching our children some modicum respect even if we disagree with his actions. Moreover, the Fourth is a time when we celebrate our common beliefs and values as a nation. Trashing our President seems fundamentally at odds with the values of that day — values that we should be working hard to instill in our children. When people object to the rapid decline of civility and decency in our society, they need to look at displays like the one in Norfolk, Nebraska and consider the impact on kids. I did not see the display as necessarily racist, but I view it was wildly inappropriate for a Fourth of July parade.
Then there was the profanity laced Fourth of July concert in Philadelphia. While Mayor Michael Nutter said that he did not notice the profanity, many families were shocked by the profanity filled concert that is heavily attended by families and children. Concert broadcaster 6 ABC actually had to entirely cut away from live coverage of Roots frontman Black Thought at the start of the show because of all of the foul language. Then, just as families thought they could relax and take the hands from the ears of the kids, Nicki Minaj appeared in a skimpy outfit and proceeded to repeated as a virtual mantra words like “bitch,” “shit,” and “motherf*****” into every song. Then Ed Sheeran finished with his own f-bomb laced performance.
I just don’t get it. If you cannot sing without profanity, stick to the clubs and concert halls. These performers wanted this gig and were contractually required to keep the performance family friendly. This is after all a public concert for everyone, including families, to celebrate the Fourth of July.
I will admit that I no doubt sound like a prude and an old crank. Perhaps we have come as a society, as advocated by the New Yorker, of treating good manners as a “remnant of the fifties.” However, we are hardly a better society for it.
Think of the idiots you know who are PC. ‘Nuff said.
Neo, Comedians need to be given wide latitude. Even if they are unfunny. Standup comedy is more popular now than it has EVER been. That’s because you can go to a nightclub and hear the things you used to be able to hear everywhere, but now only in a comedy club. I saw a great discussion between Ricky Gervais, Louis CK, Seinfeld and Chris Rock. A pretty wide spectrum of comedy. They all agreed that PC is out of control and they will not be victims of it. Our last line of defense.
How old is Joan Rivers? I thought she retired. If she was rude, crude or even nude then we are in deep trouble.
Joan Rivers comedy has always been crude and I personally don’t like her brand of comedy as I don’t like most types of profane comedy but these comedians certainly have made their fortunes with it so who am I to condemn, it’s all about taste.
There are people all over this country that HATE Obama. If you consider yourself an employee (slave) of the United States Corporation, then he is YOUR President but he’s certainly not mine as I live under involuntary servitude under the United States Corporation regime.
I consider myself an American which is a country. The United States is again a corporation not a country. This should be no surprise to anyone.
There are universal axioms but morality and equality don’t even come close. (not that I can follow or see much sense in that post)
Damn right, Mr Turley. There are plenty of real hits to our freedoms by President Obama, but to use innapropriate words like gay and transvestite is to ask not to be taken seriously in one’s complaints. And yes, of course, plain rude to anyone who hears it. Not to mention rude to gays and persons born between two genders. Joan Rivers deserves a meltdown for that.
Wait a minute. We had a decent society as depicted in public performances and on television in the 50’s but it was bad, remember? Remember “Leave It To Beaver,” the “The Nelsons” etc.?
We had to engage in “fundamentally transforming” it.
Maybe that’s what discrimination obtains for decent people.
What we have now is equal distribution of misery, the equal, ubiquitous and untouchable distribution of disgusting behavior in the absence of respect born of fear. How low can you go?
Enjoy that multi-culturalism.
The Progressives have been busily progressing America.
“…the blessings of liberty to OURSELVES and OUR POSTERITY…”
There will inevitably be a massive asteroid that will wipe out all life on the planet and the cycle will begin again.
And there will be no one left to carry protest signs; chanting that the asteroid was immoral, that cosmic explosions are wrong and demanding equal rights for the inhabitants of planet earth.
Morality and equality are universal axioms, right?
Darren
I celebrate trash… ‘Cuz that’s where many of my comments end up!
Jum22
The selling of a public school system to private, for profit organizations isn’t a progressive plot or some conspiracy theory…
… It simply is a Fascist grab at corporate and Government control of a generalized system to funnel tax dollars into private hands at the expense of the future’ education.
Who benefits from an ignorant yet compliant populace?
… JUST progressives?
Max-1, I retrieved your comment at 4:17.
RTC, We have something in agreement. Rush is an idiot as is his sister Coulter. Never liked either of them, never could stand to listen to either of them.
But, good grief another war on ______ (enter whatever word you want). I’m not sure it’s a war, but the govt. monopoly of education is controlled more by the progressives than the conservatives.
Shady, Whitlock speaks eloquently and hilariously on how he is constantly being told by hand wringing white folk, and racial ambulance chasers, on how he should think, speak and write.. Whitlock did not start calling out black folk on their self loathing “prison culture” w/ the Richard Sherman incident, he’s been doing it going back to the last century. I’m guessing you’re Caucasian?
The potty mouth movements have begun.
Calling Richard Sherman a thug or comparing him to a thug remains an entirely inaccurate description.
Re Whitlock:
“Whitlock, in the name of “telling it like it is,” was merely flattering the prerogatives of white people who preferred that any discussion of race begin with the pathologies of black people and their culture, not with the de jure and de facto system of oppression in America and its residue. Whitlock was **********. He took the easy way out. He did what comes easiest to an American, even in the 21st century, even—especially—now in the age of Obama, himself no stranger to this sort of ahistorical rhetoric. He blamed the black folks.”
http://deadspin.com/can-jason-whitlock-save-espns-black-grantland-from-hi-1586606960
Independence Day is our holiday not politician’s.
One event that I found insulting was during the Capitol Hill 4th celebration I saw on PBS a few years ago had a segment of the Sesame Street characters singing “I Love Trash”. I thought that was insulting to sing about trash during our most important civil holiday.
Freedumb of speechafy’n
… As W. Would put it.
But we all laugh anyway.
Rush Limbaugh is the pioneer in crude and offensive remarks, which he always passes off as humor. It is anything but humor and never funny, but always low class insults in masquerade. Limbaugh appeals to the ignorant, bigoted, self-satisfied, and mean-spirited nature of many Americans. His onetime popularity spawned much of the programming on the Fox Phony News lineup.
Rush Limbaugh, more evidence that the Republican war on education is succeeding.
Mespo, I never wrote that “my side” had a monopoly on virtue. The question of crudeness in our culture has been brought up and in my view, it is the result of the progressive movement and the govt. replacing what the church used to do over time. I don’t expect you to agree.
MaryK, I agree w/ you, but you must realize the role of PC. To point out the horrible influence of the black “prison culture” as black sportswriter, Jason Whitlock calls it, is fraught w/ danger. It is not by any means the sole reason for the coarsening, but it is a major reason. The race card used to be played here more than Free Bird is on FM radio. JT was ripped here for calling Richard Sherman a “thug” during the football season. I was heartened to see he was not been cowed, and used the same word today.
Very much agree that crude has become chic in a baffling and unpleasant way. I can’t help but think this is related to illiteracy. It is troubling that much angry vulgarity is being exploited as ‘art,’ particularly with reference to African American performers. Degrading to all concerned, as far as I can see. Giving some consideration to others in speech is just a basic of civilization, yet ours seems to be ever-deteriorating.