Post deleted because the entire thread devolved into pointless political arguments. :(
Post deleted because the entire thread devolved into pointless political arguments. :(
You can't say anything anymore without being bullied.
Megyn Kelly, on her show, talked about a British university (Kent?) outlawing certain costumes for Halloween. For example, you can't dress up like a cowboy. (HUH?) In passing, she said something like when she was a kid it was ok for a white person to paint their face black and a black person to paint their face white. She got crucified for being racist and I think her show is being cancelled.
I'm no Megyn Kelly fan, but she wasn't being racist.
Btw, she said the university said it was ok to dress up as letters of the alphabet. So she said she's going to a party as F and her husband as U.
Yep, Kent - but not the university, the Student's Union.
Brock University SU (Canada) did similar 2 years ago.
she said something like when she was a kid it was ok for a white person to paint their face black and a black person to paint their face white
A Morris Dancing (UK) group from a former coal-mining town used to 'black-up' to represent coal miners. The virtue-signallers complained it was racist and they were made to stop.
The world's gone mad :(
AJ
My basic rule is to let the readers duke it out if it comes to that. The only time I respond to a comment is if someone sends me a message saying I should check it out and I feel i need to say something, most of the time I don't. I regard the comments as a way for the readers to discuss the stories between themselves. If they want to talk to me they can send me a message.
My basic rule is to let the readers duke it out if it comes to that. The only time I respond to a comment is if someone sends me a message saying I should check it out and I feel i need to say something, most of the time I don't. I regard the comments as a way for the readers to discuss the stories between themselves. If they want to talk to me they can send me a message.
Alas, in my case, my readers were asking me (the author) questions about the story, instead of discussing the story among themselves and in lieu of sending me a private message.
I probably shouldhave shut it down early, since it wasn't fostering public discussions, but since it was another way for readers to ask questions, I encouraged it.
Alas, in my case, my readers were asking me (the author) questions about the story, instead of discussing the story among themselves and in lieu of sending me a private message.
That's why I have the statement about the comments in my end note that reads:
The site has a reader service to add comments at the end of the story for other readers. This is for readers to make comments for other readers. I do not track them or read them, so don't say anything there you expect me to respond to. If you wish to communicate with me, send me an email via the Author Feedback link.
Have we all had our rants now on the state of the world and get back to something we can control, our writing? Please?
I grew up back when Red Foxx said on daytime TV during an episode of "Sanford and Son": "There's enough niggers in here for a Tarzan movie." and I don't remember anybody having anything to say about it.
I'd love to see someone say it on TV now just to watch the explosion. Easier than teasing a rabid dog behind a fence.
during an episode of "Sanford and Son": "There's enough niggers in here for a Tarzan movie." and I don't remember anybody having anything to say about it.
Probably because they would have been ignored, abused, assaulted or killed depending on where they were.
Fear of reprisal is a reason you often don't hear people speak-up for themselves about things they find objectionable or offensive.
Slavery used to be acceptable, now it's not.
Bigotry used to be acceptable, now it's not.
Things change. Sometimes for the worst, sometimes for the better.
Things I used to find amusing when I was 6 aren't so amusing anymore. I like to think it's because i'm a bit more mature and a bit wiser now than I was when I was 6.
He was a Black man talking about other Black people. I still hear black people do that. I still find it funny. I don't mind cracker jokes either.
Bigotry still exists walk into the wrong political gathering wearing the wrong shirt or the wrong neighborhood and you're liable to experience it.
Slavery still exists. Depending on where you are at you can buy a Black man or a White one for that matter for a few hundred US. So nothing has really changed.
What's insane to me is people screaming over a word but doing nothing about real issues say the price of food or medicine. How about answering why inner cities can't have basic amenities like wholesome food, good schools, and streets without crater-sized potholes? I lived there.
Answer me why Social Services are set up in such a way that two-parent families are disadvantaged in service offerings even though they are suffering just as much as single-parent families and their children are just as hungry?
Instead, people want to scream because of words like cracker. I'm not popping off at you Grant. I'm commenting on the social environment.
I don't mind cracker jokes either.
I prefer the term 'Saltine American', thank you...
:)
I still laugh when I think about this time a few years back when this black guy said to me "What do you think you're doing cracker?" and I replied, " First of all, it's not cracker, it's soda cracker and to you, it's Mr. Soda Cracker.".
He and his friends cracked up and said: "Go on, get out of here."
Instead, people want to scream because of words like cracker. I'm not popping off at you Grant. I'm commenting on the social environment.
I've written seven million words of social commentary talking about the problems with the social environment. There's a story there, too. :-)
Lol, I know there is. It's literally make your choices and pay your prices. ANY social system you choose has drawbacks that will make people bitch. Then when you get the propaganda machine crunk things get fun. A large part of what we're seeing is the result of a long term focused propaganda war which is just a front on an Ideological war that started in the 1800's. I'm out of it now. I just like watching them squirm.
I've written seven million words of social commentary talking about the problems with the social environment. There's a story there, too. :-)
It would be hard to write without preaching.
Slavery used to be acceptable, now it's not.
Bigotry used to be acceptable, now it's not.
The irony!
I'm a bigot. I think slavery is unacceptable and I refuse to accept that alternative opinions are acceptable therefore I'm a bigot!
AJ
The worst I've seen was brought to my attention for comment was a mild dispute about my reading of the causes of the US Civil War. It wasn't an issue needing reporting.
edit to add: In my mind it was more of "I disagree, please clarify" type of comment.
Someone suggested I should have alerted Lazeez right away, since it ultimately affects the entire site ... As usual, I tried to discuss the issue, hoping to head it off
I suggest the approach should be to alert Lazeez of anything that concerns you - even if you can deal with what is happening to you effectively. If you don't, similar things will happen to other authors who may not cope so well.
Lazeez has worked hard to provide extensive communications facilities, which do not need active moderation, and provide flexibility to turn off anything which is unwanted. But a record is kept of all that happens. We should accept Lazeez has the right to decide how to respond to anything which MAY be inappropriate in the interests of protecting us all in thew long term.
The few blacks in her studio audience did NOT appear to be entertained by her 'it's all fun' statement.
On the contrary, I saw a black woman laughing.
The point is, it was said as a passing comment. She never condoned blackface. And does that mean Al Jolson movies and songs should be banned as being racist? For that matter, should the Washington Monument be torn down and the capital renamed because George was a slave owner?
I'm sorry, this hit a nerve. It's gone too far. And add the bullying going on on Twitter. I'm disgusted with the human race. People see bullying in schools wrong because bullied teens and pre-teens are committing suicide. But the parents shouting it's wrong are doing the same thing.
Just like the CNN CEO. He's right in saying Trump's words are inciting. But so are the words from people on CNN. He just doesn't see it. And how about that Democratic congresswoman who said people should harass Republicans in public places, like at restaurants? That's not inciting violence?
Why isn't the STARZ Black channel racist? Why doesn't the media have the same kind of coverage when a black cop shoots an unarmed white person as when a white cop shoots a black person? Why aren't there riots and marches when that happens?
I'm not saying there's not a problem. I'm saying political correctness has gone too far.
I'm sorry, this hit a nerve. It's gone too far.
Also keep in mind, as you mention about CNN, the complete consistency with NBC. Or lack thereof. Since Jimmy Fallon has a show there, and he's performed in blackface. Did a Chris Rock impersonation. So has Jimmy Kimmel, doing or trying to poke fun at Karl Malone. Note that I'm NOT saying that makes it okay, just that this has happened in the past (remember Tropic Thunder? Robert Downey Jr. played the whole MOVIE in blackface.)
You're absolutely correct, political correctness has gone too far. Because (at least in the U.S.), freedom of speech does not mean freedom from offense. It also doesn't mean that you don't have consequences for your actions, either. But it does mean that there's not nearly as much testicular fortitude any more.
Your rant failed to address one important thing. Namely the way whites feel when the shoe is on the other foot. Blacks say and do many things that offend whites, and they don't seem to care about hurting the feelings of a white person.
I'm not saying that makes hurtful comments okay, but it is time for everyone to be more sensitive to what we say to each other.
Your rant failed to address one important thing. Namely the way whites feel when the shoe is on the other foot.
I wonder if 'White Chicks' could be made today. It would be a shame if it couldn't, even though I didn't like the movie.
AJ
I didn't like the movie [White Chicks]
That was so bad it even failed at being a failure. According to Wikispit:
It was nominated for five Razzies, including Worst Picture, Worst Actress for the Wayans brothers in drag, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst Screen Couple, but failed to get any of those awards.
I wonder if 'White Chicks' could be made today. It would be a shame if it couldn't, even though I didn't like the movie.
Blazing Saddles ...
Blazing Saddles ...
Now that's a movie I did like, and it broke the 4th Wall literally to boot!
AJ
it broke the 4th Wall literally to boot!
Okay. I think we've established by now that the fourth wall may be successfully broken for the purposes of humour.
Other examples are both the US and even better UK original of the TV shows House of Cards.
Other examples are both the US and even better UK original of the TV shows House of Cards.
The Marvel comic books and movies for Deadpool.
The Marvel comic books
Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk) used to regularly break the fourth wall in her comics, so it wasn't just Wade Wilson.
it broke the 4th Wall literally to boot!
Okay. I think we've established by now that the fourth wall may be successfully broken for the purposes of humour.
Other examples are both the US and even better UK original of the TV shows House of Cards.
Why not break the 4th Wall wide open, like the very first book to do it, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling? Here's a quote from his first chapter, where he warns readers he's going to break it repeatedly:
Reader, I think proper, before we proceed any further together, to acquaint thee that I intend to digress, through this whole history, as often as I see occasion, of which I am myself a better judge than any pitiful critic whatever; and here I must desire all those critics to mind their own business, and not to intermeddle with affairs or works which no ways concern them; for till they produce the authority by which they are constituted judges, I shall not plead to their jurisdiction.
Why not break the 4th Wall wide open
BECAUSE it yanks readers out of a story.
It is not a literary device those learning how to write should be experimenting with, IMHO. And a long list of experts who have pulled it off - for which I contributed the first two names - will not convince me otherwise.
I'll give you one other example before I shut up (I told you it hit a nerve).
I forget what the discussion was about, but a black person said about baseball: "Oh, that's a white man's game."
First, when you add up the number of hispanics, Asians, blacks, and others (the father of my great grandson is a professional baseball player and he's Hawaiian/Puerto Rican), whites most likely are not the majority. So that was an insult to other races, especially to hispanics who make up a large portion of MLB.
But what if a white person had said, "Oh, that's a black man's sport," like the NBA. He'd be labeled a racist.