Tonight's Word: Hypocrisy

[seagullsong]

Ok, kiddos. Discussion time! Got any favorite shows that you wish would just stop doing that one thing, but that you're willing to forgive because they're usually so awesome? It can be anything from incredibly bad puns to racism, I just want to hear about the stuff that makes you wince juuuust enough to be uncomfortable, but not enough to make you

Comments

[espreite]

The Daily Show and transphobia. The "Suddenly Susan" episode was the first time I was seriously disappointed (and I don't like Susan Stanton very much), but most of it is more subtle than that. Like the really good clip about immigration that starts out with a transphobic joke. But I'm so used to the media sucking on trans issues that I can mostly brush it off with some sighing and wincing.

That comic is so true, and it's totally how every conversation goes when someone suggests that TDS/TCR might not be perfect. I feel so awkward pointing it out. Even in fandom, we just kinda ignore it most of the time.

(Talking with Glee fans can be like that too - I actually *did* give up on watching that one, though. You'd think me mentioning ways the episode screwed up is a personal attack on their liking the show. Except it's worse because Glee likes to think that it's really improving the depiction of minorities.)

[seagullsong]

I watch Glee. It shames me deeply, but I have no delusions as to its progressiveness. I watch it half because it seems like a cartoon- clearly defined villains, simplistic morals, big musical numbers, jokes, etc. Also, the trainwreck of fail amuses me. Did you hear it actually won an award from GLAAD for best comedy? I was astonished.

And yeah. TDS/TCR does make me wince every now and then. There are just some issues that it's so much more attuned to than others. The fat jokes hit me the hardest. They're just so crude.

[espreite]

I rather love the actual musical bits of Glee, and I think I might have enjoyed it a lot more if it weren't for the way it touts itself as so groundbreaking. Argh, yes, the GLAAD award. *sigh*

The record is pretty bad on mental disability too. There was a *really* bad segment on TCR a few weeks ago where the joke was mentally disabled people needing legal protections. I was like...whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat. I hope Jon actually takes up Mrs. Carter's offer to visit her center, because it probably would help a bit.

[seagullsong]

I don't remember much of the stuff about mental disabilities, but I'm sure it's there.

[sarcasticsra]

I'm torn, with that comic. On the one hand, I tend to think actually being funny is at least one legitimate aspect by which to measure whether something satirizing an offensive action is still offensive or not, but on the other, I am mindful of "it's just a joke, you guise!" derailing, and do not wish to fall into that trap at all. Things that are funny can still be offensive, obviously. Hrm.

I agree with espreite, also. Transphobia is probably TDS' biggest weak-point. The fat jokes are, I think, the next in line.

[seagullsong]

I think pretty much the same way you do about satire. It's complicated. But I also think that the Report has a tendency to sometimes coast on the fact that since the whole show's a satire, they can write pretty much whatever offensive thing they want and then claim that since it's the character saying it, it's meant to be satirical. I can't remember the specifics of the Chinese caricature , but I do remember that it struck me that the audience definitely wasn't meant to be laughing because "Colbert" was satirizing racists but because he was saying funny things. Which as far as I could tell, he wasn't. It bothered me.