Splitsider

Friday, June 17th, 2011
Followup
3

The Conversation Sparked by Louis CK's Defense of Tracy Morgan

by | June 17th, 2011

The Tracy Morgan conversation continues over at The Atlantic, where Ta-Nehisi Coates rebuts Louis CK's argument that the comedy stage is a safe space:

In terms of those events, I fail to see why CK is any more qualified to say what happened than the "third-hand" listeners he's inveighing against. Louis CK, himself, is a third-hand listener. The person "who fucked up" is not. The person "who fucked up" is a gay man living in a state where the government is actively trying to make it easier for gay kids to get stomped out at school.

All together, I think this defense has a lot more to do with Louis CK than it does with Tracy Morgan. CK makes a living saying impolite things, which by his lights, take us to "scary places." He's damn good at it, but I suspect he could easily see someone taking one of his bits and either out of ignorance, or out of malice, causing him a lot of pain. I understand that fear.

But I also think it's worth pointing out that America is not exactly starved of dissident humorists who take us to those "scary places." This is not 1956. South Park is in its fifteenth season. Sarah Silverman is a star. The right to say impolite things is sacred and essential. Unfortunately, the right to not be misinterpreted is not.

Louis CK himself tweeted about the piece, saying:

This whole thing has been a fascinating learning experience. @tanehisi wrote a great piece that I don't completely agree with. I would love to say I was wrong, because that means I've grown. I don't feel that yet, but I'm listening. Here's what I think is great. Folks are talking. It's stimulating and it opens doors. I guess I felt like I was hearing just the one thing about this over and over again. I just said something different.

He's right; no matter what you think about Morgan's rant, the conversation it's started about offensive humor has indeed been fascinating, and I think valuable as well.

Tags:

followup, louis ck, tracy morgan

  • Brendan Kennedy@facebook

    Louis C.K. once announced my partner @kennymellman as "The Faggot Piano Player" when introducing him at the Aspen Comedy Festival. He is an entitled awful (insert every horrid expletive) and therefore unfunny person. When someone is pointing and laughing and talking/making fun of or abusing something they aren't and do not understand, that's not funny. not even in a safe space. Don't stand up for bullies even the "funny" ones. vile. btws thanks for coming on my show adam you were great!

  • http://twitter.com/joshung Joshua Ungerleider

    I think Ta-Nehisi read a bit too much into it with "The person "who fucked up" is a gay man living in a state where the government is actively trying to make it easier for gay kids to get stomped out at school." Of course, that's my opinion. I'm sure my experiences with this sort of thing is much different that a gay person's.

    As far as the freedom to not be misinterpreted. It is things like that which make me feel that freedom of speech is the most misunderstood right in this country. You can say what you want (as long as those words don't impede on another's rights), but nobody ever promised that you wouldn't be misinterpreted, or outcast because of it. The only promise is that you won't be jailed. As much as Tracy Morgan has the right to say what he said (not that I agree with it), everybody else has the right to think he's an asshole for doing so.

  • http://jonaspolsky.tumblr.com/ Jonas Polsky

    I'm sick of this back and forth rhetoric.

    Comedy fans, arm yourselves, and if what the comic says doesn't please you, stab them to death.

    We must attack this problem at its root, before it seeps out of comedy venues and infects our minds.

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