Well, I’m back, but it was a near thing. After basking in the success of my very first blog post I was actually looking forward to posting another today. Of course I had promised myself that I would use the week to research and develop a guaranteed winner of a post, but that didn’t happen and I resigned myself to winging it. It was listening to the news this morning that my mouth went dry and the fear set in. The story made me realize that this post is a very powerful thing, and if not used wisely it could turn on me in an instant. I am not even certain why I am writing right now, it seems like a very dangerous thing to do.
The news story I heard was covering the handing over of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show to a new host when Jon Stewart leaves the show later this year. I had heard yesterday that they had tapped Trevor Noah, a relatively young comedian from South Africa. I had heard of him and seen him on the show before and was somewhat surprised that one of the more seasoned regulars had not made the cut, but he is smart and very funny and I think he has a lot of potential. A lot of the online articles about the handover detailed his diversity and his perspective from that point of view. No one expects him to follow the same political skewering that Stewart is known for, instead, they envision him taking the show into the different territory of social commentary, a very risky business. Today he found out just how risky it is.
It seems that this young comedian has a dark and sordid past. Specifically he has been active on Twitter for quite a while and some of his past, insensitive tweets are coming back to haunt him. By that, I mean that someone, somewhere, at some time has been offended by something he posted for the world to see. I read some of the “offensive” tweets and generally found them to be not that funny. However, that is a far as I can go in giving my opinion. The whirling storm of outrage surrounding the young man’s future has really opened my eyes. Blogging, Tweeting, posting on Facebook (link to my page here), these are mediums that just beg one to post their daily thoughts, ideas, meals, selfies, and trips to the grocery store, but heaven help the person whose views fall into any of the current hot topics that stir up the internet.
Over the years people have muttered about the “political correctness” that has become a part of the fabric of our culture. Due to it, a lot of people have learned that things they say and do may have an effect on the others around them. That is a good thing, and hopefully it will help to lead our society into a future where we all link arms and sing about soft drinks. But, along this path have stood two types of people that push back just a little; the bigots and the comedians. One refuses to let go of outdated and hurtful ways, the other pokes fun at the full-tilt run into self-censorship for self-censorship’s sake. It seems that a lot of people have made up their minds as to which category Trevor Noah falls into.
That is what has made this blog post so intimidating to write. It is out there, scattered electrons sailing the ether to a computer near you. Have I shared an opinion that someone disagrees with? If so, what will happen? I would like to think that we just may have moved down that path far enough to be accepting of opposing views. That we can understand that disagreement does not have to become outrage, but can actually bring people closer as they learn what makes each other tick.
This brave new world that we live in has made it easy for everyone to share their thoughts. But, rather than opening boundaries I am afraid it is doing the opposite. It allows us to barricade ourselves behind electronic walls and throw stones at those that are not like us. It has made it easier to find those that share our same interests, and to also find those who do not. What will you do? Will you fall into electronic tribalism and arm yourselves with outrage. Some have and seem set to ruin a young man’s career before he really has started. I say give the guy a chance. He may have made some mistakes in trying to be funny, but he also had the guts to keep all of his past tweets online where they can be picked apart. He is not hiding or running away. Another comedian, Patton Oswalt, sent out 53 tweets in defense of Trevor Noah, and it is worth a read. It gave me the wherewithal to write this post, despite the danger.
I leave you with this sad story. Gary Ross Dahl, the inventor of the Pet Rock has passed away. This guy stuck a pair of googly eyes onto a stone and made us all laugh as we coughed up the ten bucks to own one. This is the person people think of when they imagine their great idea or invention making them a millionaire. It was funny and harmless, and any one of us could have done it. Any one can pick up a stone and imagine it as the perfect pet, and yet some of us choose to hurl it. I challenge you to slap some silly eyes on that rock and hand it to someone who is not in your tribe. It might just turn into the next stepping stone on that path I mentioned. You know, the one where we all get along, warts and all.
Mike Ghere
04/01/2015