(no subject)
On the Costa Rica trip, Matt and I found out something interesting. For me, it's easier to be nice than asanine. For Matt, the opposite is true. That aside, it is his livejournal. If it offends you, simply stop reading. He has protection under the constitution to have that online. If you want a website to be enraged about, why don't you check out something that is a real threat, like neo-nazi webrings.
The fact remains that what he said is, while his right to say in every way, offensive to many people socially. But then again, what isn't these days? Political correctness is blown way out of proportion. Analogy: learning table manners. It's absolutely ridiculous to know the names and uses of 13 forks, but you come out with an idea of how to be civil at the dinner table when you need to be. We shouldn't be so caught up in the nuances of "how offensive this is," what the labels mean, or why they are negative labels. The point is that we have to consider people's feelings.
But that mostly applies to the real world. What I mean by the real world, is everything outside of jokes. If anyone took this as his serious viewpoint, then you really need to reconsider. The point to which we have now narrowed it down is, if you misconstrue this as his serious belief, why does it offend you?
If your name was on the list, I seriously doubt it made you feel good. Let's examine why. Perhaps people are offended by the stereotype. Hot, good fashion sense, women love them. Wow that must suck. Maybe it's the meaning of the word? I mean, happy? The word means happy. Or maybe you think you will be less popular, or cool? That means you see a reason for a gay person to be less cool. Perhaps he didn't actually mean it as an insult.
Another reason people might be offended is that it hits home. All humor has to involve some truth, or else it doesn't make sense. Scott's sheep joke is true - if one were to fuck a sheep on the edge of a cliff, it wouldn't be able to move, that's what makes it funny. Perhaps this offended someone personally on the list because he or she had doubts about sexuality, or is worried that he or she exhibits "too many" homosexual qualities. Now we're deviating to homosexual qualities, and stereotypes.
Now, let's back up to the actual entry. He said he felt like being a dick, clearly he is about to make a joke that is potentially offensive. We had warning. He then goes on to say that being gay ISN'T something he feels is bad. Now we know that this wasn't meant to be offensive, and he notified you of this before you read it so that you knew. The list contained a large number of those that had already come out. I would hope that those people are OK with being called gay. Now, he has even apologized for accidentally offending people.
To wrap this up, essentially, the topic of offensive jokes must be solved. If you have never told a racial joke, used a slur, made fun of a stereotype, laughed at South Park, Family Guy, the Simpsons, even Seinfeld. I would even be surprised if one of you has never felt even a twang of insensitivity towards another race, sex, sexuality or class. Political incorrectness is around us at all times, in fact our society almost embraces it. Humor is one of the greatest things life has to offer, I suggest you do embrace to enjoy every bit.
Oh, and for some good old humor that's only offensive to forest frolicking superheroes. http://www.dc101.com/videos/shmoo6.mpg