In defense of Roseanne Barr
Racism, just like religion, is the result of childhood indoctrination.
Most of the members of this site are non-belivers of some sort. Many of us understand that when religious concepts are pounded into children by those they must trust for their survival and approval, those children grow to be become adult believers of fairy tales, and adherents to dangerous doctrines and practices to varying degrees. Racism is the same. It is taught. And like religion it is extremely difficult to unlearn.
Humans have a propensity for ideas that explain the world and how to behave. Religious ideas have been promulgated, often by violence, as explanations of what is and should be. So do humans have propensity for us/them, protecting the tribe, and hence suspicion of strangers. This bigotry, and racism.
What many have done is to ameliorate their learned images with current reinforcement of those ideas, and prohibitions of their overt demonstration, by developing the habit to not say aloud what they are thinking.
This means, we learn what circumstances would result in adverse consequences.
What surprised me most is that Roseanne had not internalized the prohibition of announcing her inner most thoughts. No doubt a reflection of the Trump factor.
Trump has no such filters. And many who voted for him said, "He is saying what we are thinking." Yes, but some of those thoughts should not be heard by others.
I am still not sure how I feel about how she was treated. When Kathy Griffin was criticized for replicating a cover of Der Spiegel magazine, by holding a replica of Trumps head, I was concerned. Her right to free speech was being public ally, and privately, threatened by the acting President of the United States, and his minions. This was, and is, more dangerous than anything she, or Roseanne Barr, has said.
Roseanne Barr is not the only crazy celebrity. Mel Gibson is an amazing example of the true looniness that can result from being forced fed shit during a child's formative years.
Yet, no matter how annoying a person's speech and/or behavior, we have to be careful how we censure their speech and actions.
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I was raised in the south when integration was a new thing & referring to someone as "colored" was considered being extremely respectful. I was not raised to literally hate people because of the color of their skin but racist words were part of the every day vernacular. As I grew older, I learned better.
Saying Barr's statements were due to her "raising" is, for all intents & purposes, rubbish. She's grown, she knows or should know better but her internal racist has been set free by her embracing the current racist in cheif, President Dunning-Kruger.
She is free to say whatever she pleases but absutely no one is free of the consequences of their speech. Her's were swift & devestating in the collateral damaged caused to others on her now cancelled show. Sucks to be her.
She does not get a pass from me because of her "raising", "indoctrination" or any other nicety you care to use as a replacement for her choice to be a repugnant racist. She can kick rocks & sit in the unemployment line with Kathy Griffin for all I care. No excuses.
& using mental illness as a crutch to prop it all up is, also, bs. She trots that out when its convenient, just like the attempt to blame Ambien. Yes, it sucks. Yes, I am constantly monitored to make sure my meds work & are still working to control my bipolar disorder. Yes, switching them up to find the right balance is a pain. Then again, I embraced the fact I'm crazy (my shrink hates that term) & I take personal responsibility to keep (pardon the colloquialsm) my shit in 1 sock & crazy damage to a minimum. Again, no sympathy & no pass from me.
(Maybe my ex is right, I am too hard on people...or maybe I just set a high standard for myself & expect the same of others.)
SallyInStitches
Level 7
June 5, 2018
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One can have compassion for the abuse that is the original source of some actions and attitudes, but that doesn't make those actions and attitudes no longer harmful or censurable. Nor does it relieve them of taking responsibility, self-reflecting, and changing.
Ms. Barr has stated publicly that she suffers from serious mental illness (supposedly, multiple personalities -- one of which, Bill Maher joked the other day, is clearly pretty racist) so we can go a little easier on her. But the cancellation of her show was still the right call.
As for Kathy Griffin, I think what she did was not a credible threat to the President and there's a closed secret service investigation about that, that agrees with me. It was stupid, but comedians (especially the edgy kind) often push the envelope and get into trouble in the age of social media because it's much more "leaky" than trying out new jokes on a small night club audience while doing stand up. In fact Griffin says (and I believe her) that it was an impromptu photo shoot poking fun at the "she's got blood coming out of her wherever" Trump remark. She got carried away in the moment and wasn't thinking. She's NOT got a history of constant racist / xenophobic remarks like Rosanne, so I think it's pretty clear she paid a more than high enough price for her actions.
mordant
Level 8
June 5, 2018
0
Rosanne Barr has no excuse for racism. She was raised Jewish and being culturally Jewish it pisses me off to no end to hear racist Jews. After the Holocaust how can they be so ignorant and hateful. They are the lowest of the low-no excuses.
sassygirl3869
Level 9
June 5, 2018
4
EXACTLY! She's apparently ''bought into'' the shock value of saying something so bizarre (not to mention hurtful) and stepped wayyyy over the line of comedy when it became cruelty.
Not an excuse but a rational.
Racism comes early. And there is a historical divide between jews and blacks.
This is the same as religious indoctrination.
Being public with one's stupidty is stupid.
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