Cultural Heat
by Richard Terrell
Recently we have been treated to comments, widely regarded as outrageous, crude, stupid, (at least by some people), by prominent people targeting other prominent people with insulting words or exhortations. Among the more recent such instances are:
Roseanne Barr’s weird conjunction of references to the Muslim Brotherhood and “Planet of the Apes,” as a way of understanding the person of Valerie Jarrett, chief counsel, advisor, and alleged puppet-master to Barack Obama.
“Comediene” Samantha Bee’s reference to Donald Trump’s daughter as a “c—t” (slang for female genitalia) and exhortation for her to invite the president to engage in incestuous sexual behavior with her as a way of influencing immigration policy in the U.S. All of this earned vigorous applause from her audience.
Robert deNiro, introducing Bruce Springsteen to the Tony Awards audience, calling out “F…k Trump” (slang for act of sexual intercourse as a raw, physical act) to a standing ovation.
Bill Maher, an alleged comedian and social commentator, called for an economic crash, even if it destroyed the lives of many ordinary people, as an acceptable price to pay for “getting rid of Trump.”
Some observations regarding all this:
The knee-jerk rush to assign the “racism” charge to people might prevent, in the Barr case, seeing some other aspects to her clumsy (and perhaps much too subtle) association. Was Barr scorning Jarrett’s looks, as some assert, implying that she was “ape-like?” Or, was she drawing attention to the Jarrett-Obama attraction to totalitarian ideologies that reside within the openly expressed goals of the MB, the Obama placement of MB associates within the federal bureaucracy, and the theme of American destruction and the transformation of its territory into an alien totalitarianism?
Let me be clear (as both Richard Nixon and Barack Obama were fond of saying): I am not suggesting that Barr was thinking in these terms. She has pleaded that she wasn’t thinking at all, and has tried to extricate herself from blowback by pleading that she was on a drug. But, I am wanting to say that another, non-racist interpretation of her remarks is at least possible, but we are prevented from even considering it because of the prevalence and heat (and the apparent need in some) to shout “racism! Racism!” at every criticism or satire that is pointed in the direction of an African-American (at least those who meet the approval of the mainstream progressive culture). I guess the cultural issue, or question here, is whether we want to say that any critique, satire, sarcasm, cartoon, or “dig” at an approved African-American can be attributed, ipso facto, to racism, and if so is this a good thing for public discourse?
Now it seems to me that the Samantha Bee, Robert deNiro, and Bill Maher statements, while on the surface are somewhat different, are really one of a piece. Why should anyone be shocked that a promiment “progressive” pop-culture figure should call someone who is alleged to be outside that culture and associated with someone challenging that culture, a “c—t” or boldly declare, in an awards ceremony, “f—k” the president of the U.S.? To borrow and adapt a pointed phase from movie character Rambo, “this is who [they] are, and this is what [they] do.” Indeed, Bill Maher used precisely the same language in reference to Sarah Palin in 2008, and others have been aimed at syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin. Nor can we just say that it’s just that individual, given the audience applause (yay, even a standing ovation for deNiro).
I would ask some questions about all this. Inasmuch as these prominent people think to lead us all somewhere by their assessments and preferences, who is it that they embrace, culturally, spiritually, and politically? Just asking. And does that association or direction tell us anything? How are we to assess public responses to these comments? Today, on a televised panel, someone suggested that the comments are certainly “ill advised” on the grounds that they might actually arouse sympathy/support for the targets of these comments (this has been stated in regard to all the comments under consideration here). What does this tell us about social values or moral principles? Another question might ask: how has our cultural life become so degraded that people would even think to express themselves publicly in such fashion? Who is responsible for this degradation? Conservatives? Liberals? Perhaps the Russians!
It has also been asserted by some that such comments might be criticized on the grounds that they serve to obscure the “positive contributions” of the people to other issues (e.g. Samantha Bee’s alleged concern for immigrants). But another question might be: do such comments reveal deeper issues of character that indicate that if one is given to rude, crude, hyperbolic, distorted, unfair, mindless, profane, and compassion-less assessments/evaluations of human beings, might their allegedly “credible” assessments of other issues likewise be informed by rude, crude, hyperbolic, distorted, unfair, mindless, profane, and compassion-less assessments/evaluations of those concerns?
For the record, I have never seen an episode of any television show of Roseanne Barr, but I did draw up a cartoon in response to her call, a few years ago, for the beheading of rich people (excepting her, I would assume). I have never previously heard of Samantha Bee, but I would imagine that the one thing a “comedienne” would want to accomplish is humor. The fact that her audience found her designation of another woman as a “c—t” indicates, in my assessment, a falling short of that goal. I admit to having a negative view of Bill Maher, and regard him as highly disingenuous person who stirs attention through little more than a flamboyant and stylish profanity. As for Robert deNiro, I am a fan of the “Godfather” movies and regard “Godfather II” as one the greatest movies ever. What occurs to me is how strange it is that some of these people can be so good at an artform and interpreting human situations through a script, yet be so stupid in real life.
Now in the spirit of seeking balance, I would point out many such cases of invective aimed at prominent “progressive” people, such as name-distortion. Some examples: Rachel “Madcow,” Barack “Odumbo,” “Hiltery” Clinton, or references to someone as a “POS.” Most of these things are found on response forums at various blogs from people making their voice heard in statements allegedly clever or crude. However, I’m pretty sure that neither Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Jon Voigt, Gary Senise, etc. among prominent public figures who are politically engaged, have yet to offer up the assessment of some politically opposite woman as a “c—t” or publicly call out “f—k Obama/Hillary” etc. Rush Limbaugh has coined a concept to describe a certain style of radical feminist (“feminazi”). So . . . OK. Fair and balanced!
Richard