Is stand-up comedy art?

[kid a]

Some other questions the Rhandi Rhodes issue brings up.

Should Sarah Silverman be fired from Comedy Central. (if you've seen her stand-up routine, you'll know the topics she covers - aids, jesus, sexism, etc.)

Can artists moonlight for corporations and keep their performance / art mutually exclusive?

My opinion: Any censorship is a slippery slope. Turn the channel, state your objection, write a alternative essay, create your own art to respond, teach your children the value of speaking out, speaking up, and honoring others right to speak.

You might not like it. You don't have to.

[goldcanyonaz]

1. Would the N word used to describe Obama fall into the "comedy is art" column?

[Hugabear]

4. It would depend, I suppose

Context is everything, and honestly, it depends on who is doing the comedy.

For example, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, and Chris Rock have done some pretty funny comedy routines that probably wouldn't be appropriate for a white comedian to do.

[JimGinPA]

5. Yeah, If It Was Chris Rock Saying It Loud...

Rather than Mrs. Clinton and her surrogates whispering it privately.

[kid a]

6. I'm sure there is a hip-hop artist out there that will use that

In a lyric to describe Obama.

He has the right to. I won't buy it.

[theboss]

7. Sure...why wouldn't it?

Unless you are going to dismiss a large portion of Richard Pryor's career?

[Blue-Jay]

36. Depends on the context.

[Buzz Clik]

2. Wasn't Rhodes representing Air America during her standup routine?

The problem here is, even if Rhodes was moonlighting, she still is associated first and foremost with Air America. As such, Air America cannot tell her what to say during her comedy routine, but they can certainly decide that they don't want to be associated with someone who expresses herself in a certain way.

[kid a]

8. I agree. As an artist you have to be fully willing to accept the consequence

He employer has a right to discipline. I think firing = shutting up.

[ColbertWatcher]

10. So, why didn't Comedy Central fire...

...Stephen Colbert after the White House Correspondent's dinner?

[Buzz Clik]

11. You've got to be kidding.

Was there a single line from Colbert's routine that even approaches Rhodes's remarks?

[ColbertWatcher]

33. You're kidding, right?

Please.

It seems DU should start a new forum: "General Discussion: Fainting Couch" specifically for those who are offended by language.

[Buzz Clik]

34. Not kidding.

First, Rhodes didn't offend me in the slightest, but I won't defend her, either.

Second, Colbert used no off-color language. I will defend his entire routine.

(Are you sure you responded to the right person?)

[ColbertWatcher]

35. How magnanimous of you.

No one is asking you to "defend" anyone.

Perhaps when someone's language offends your delicate sensibilities, you can perhaps change the channel, or shut the TV off, or close the book, cover your ears, etc.

I still don't know why Comedy Central didn't fire Stephen Colbert for the Correspondents' Dinner.

They are a corporation (owned by Viacom) dependent on their GOP masters and Stephen insulted their king.

To his face.

[Buzz Clik]

37. Go f*** yourself. You're twisting this eight ways from Sunday.

Christ, you're a complete a**hole.

Go attack somebody on the other side; but frankly, I'd be happy if you just took off. You're so out there that you can no longer distinguish good guys from bad guys, and I make no claim to you whatsoever.

[ColbertWatcher]

41. I won't attack people...

...but I will attack what they do.

Also, I won't attack what people say.

Language is just that: words.

And, I have attacked the GOP, just check my other comments.

[Moochy]

3. Should Orange and White Corporate Fat Cats

Exercise their whim to censor voices they don't agree with?



"NY pol Mark Green is the man in charge at Air America Radio,
though he prefers to be called simply president of "America." ..."

from http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/3536

[ColbertWatcher]

9. Good post.

And, to answer your question, Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor would probably say yes, so who am I to disagree with them?

Maybe add Paul Mooney too.

[otohara]

12. I Didn't Realize One Gig Promoted As Stand-Up

constitutes a bona fide comedian title.

[kid a]

13. I wasn't sure how many times she done that.

[Moochy]

14. Open Mic Nite

Anyone is a comedian when they get on the stage. Maybe not a good one...

What are your bona fides? I know you started one of the flamefests in favor of censorship...

[otohara]

15. Bona Fides as In Sarah Silverman

as stated in the original post.

Media Matters makes their living calling out the right-wing media and others who on a daily basis call our candidates all sorts of ugly names and for making false accusations. Along with their stories, a contact name to said medias are posted for us to contact those networks, or radio stations to express our outrage.

Missing from Media Matters so far today is a single word about this Rhodes matter. Imagine if Glen Beck, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh had called Sen. Clinton a "big fucking whore". Think people on this site wouldn't be outraged and would fire off an e-mail?

Why is it okay for Rhodes to say what she did and we go fucking nuts when the wing nuts on the right do it?

What a bunch of hypocrites we are!

[Moochy]

16. careful with that broad brush

"What a bunch of hypocrites we are!"

Now if you are indicting your fellow Clinton supporters by all means brush away!

Art is in the eye of the beholder.

Why is it ok?

Why?

Because its true.

[otohara]

18. Actually I'm An Obama Supporter

I was a Obama delegate at the city convention, in 04 I was a Kucinich delegate, then a Dean delegate.
Careful of that broad assumption that all criticism regarding Randi Rhodes is coming from Clinton supporters only.


I'm Obama all the way baby, and I would suspect that he would not condone Randi Rhodes calling Hillary Clinton a big fucking whore.

[Moochy]

19. Point taken (back)

about broad brushes, lets all use smaller brushes :)

I dont think its hypocritical to have a consistent belief in free speech.

If Randi had said this on the air, then AAR would muzzle her with no complaints.

Context is everything, and it seems that many who are pro-censorship are just blind hrc supporters, while others from obama's camp are thinking about Obama's strategy, rather than the constitution.

I care more about the fact that it's Mark Green who is a Clinton supporter telling Randi what she can and can't say off the air. This was punishment that was "long overdue" according to many. That kind of moral relativism sucks.


My take is that Obama would defend her first amendment rights more than most of his supporters here, who seem willing to go along and silence Randi.

He's a constitutional scholar.

[otohara]

21. Not So Fast

Obama called for the firing of Don Imus.

In an interview with ABC News Wednesday afternoon, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., called for the firing of talk radio host Don Imus. Obama said he would never again appear on Imus' show, which is broadcast on CBS Radio and MSNBC television.

"I understand MSNBC has suspended Mr. Imus," Obama told ABC News, "but I would also say that there's nobody on my staff who would still be working for me if they made a comment like that about anybody of any ethnic group. And I would hope that NBC ends up having that same attitude."

Obama said he appeared once on Imus' show two years ago, and "I have no intention of returning."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3031317

[Moochy]

23. Comments made on the air

Do you admit that there is any difference between the event Randi was at and the show itself?
She was not working on the company dime.

[otohara]

29. Depends On Her Contract

there is this messy clause about behavior on and off the station, that may or may not be in her contract. Here's an update and surprise surprise she blames her employer.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-norman/rhodes-says-air-america-b_b_94981.html

Air America doesn't have that many listeners to begin with, to lose more and possibly advertisers for her employer was bad judgment. But in listening to Randi Rhodes, one thing is clear, she is so full of herself, she thinks she is Air America. They would be better off with out her. Let her go find work elsewhere.

They couldn't pay me to listen to her after all this.

[Moochy]

30. As well she should.. (blame mgmt)

If you dont't like her show fine.

but don't go trying to squash something YOU are not going to listen to anyways.

What you are doing is frankly bullshit, advocating for censorship, or thinking there is some set of rules that she has to follow off air, that she should know better and should simply practice the fine art of self-censorship.

:puke:

[otohara]

31. Corporate Blowback Is A Bitch

and Randi Rhodes is a big fucking out-of-work whore! Whew that does feel good to call people names, maybe I will tune if she returns and call her up just to call her a big fucking whore. When I go to work tomorrow, maybe I'll jump on the intercom and shout Randi Rhodes is a big fucking whore and hope my employer doesn't fire me for expressing free speech.

[Moochy]

32. Now you are getting it (not)

I understand, you hate free speech, it's cool. that which you don't like others should not hear!!

I get it. your whims trump the constitution.

[walldude]

17. Normally I tell the pro-censorship people

and apparently there are many of them here, that if they don't like what they see to change the channel or station. But Randi was performing to an audience that paid to see her. So I guess we should just shoot her. Can't have her calling Hillary names. I think the death penalty is fair..

[DearAbby]

20. Randi has been "Dixi chicked"

Just because she stated her views? She did it in a form of comedy, not on the air.

I am torn, because she was at an AAR sponsered event, yet there is a part of me that wonders about her freedom to express herself.

[otohara]

22. We Better Never Complain Again About Rush, Glen Beck, Malkin, etc.

and those other comedians on the radio, who've said some pretty vile things about our leaders over the years. Keith Olberman's Worst Person The World segment always attacks those goons for shit they say on and off the air.

[BlueIdaho]

24. Respectfully...

Are you sure those guys are comedians?

[DearAbby]

25. I don't call for them to be fired...

People can complain about the content, but these people still have the right to express themselves. I can choose to listen to them or not. I don't have the right to shut them up, that smacks of fascism.

Gonna look over your shoulder when you express yourself? Pure McCarthyism. Blacklist Randi, just as they tried to black list the Dixi Chicks because they had the courage to express themselves.

What have we become?

[Moochy]

28. well said

:applause:

[MediaBabe]

26. Does her employer have to keep paying her?

If I hire you to make a speech and you fill it with profanity do I have to hire you again?

If I don't pay you forever is that *gasp* censorship?

[kid a]

38. Who hired her to make that speech (show a link please). nt

[Deja Q]

27. Sarah Silverman's show lacks a laugh track for obvious reasons...

Mostly because she's not funny, nor has what it takes to satirize stereotypes or whatever else she does in the name of "comedy". One of her role models, Carroll O'Connor, knew how to satirize stereotypes and there were good writers backing him too. (At least earlier on in "All in the Family") Good co-stars too; especially Jean Stapleton...

Even I've learned, empty shock jock tactics is soooo FOX Sunday night lineup. :)

[Exilednight]

39. Legally, AAR has the right to discipline her since they were paying her.......

after all, they are a private corporation and she was performing on their behalf.

With that being said, it's hard to call yourself a liberal-progressive entity and then punish someone for saying something you don't agree with.

Yes, AAR has the right legally, but is now the question turns to ethics.

This is where I usually get pissed off at media corporations. Several months back, Olbermann said that shrub was pimping General Petraius. Then a few months back, Schuster gets suspended for ASKING, not stating, if Hillary was pimping Chelsea. The part that really pissed me off is when MSNBC sent out Olbermann to offer an apology for something he himself had done in the past.

Anyone who yells free speech in one breath and then cries victim in the next does not understand the meaning of free speech.

There are those few rare exceptions, but those are when words do some sort of damage to a person, whether it be economically (a ceo lying to the public to keep a stock price artificially inflated) or physically (yelling fire in theater and someone gets trampled).

[Swamp Rat]

40. Performance art.