Crossroads Commentary with Big Al

First off, I don’t think rape is funny when one is actually making a rape joke. I don’t think that’s what Daniel Tosh was doing.

According to the Tumblr that started the fire (are people in Colorado offended because I said fire?), the offending party had never heard of Tosh before. That’s issue number 1. Tosh is a bit of a shock comic, but a lot of it is with HEAVILY sarcastic overtones. She’s obviously not privy to this. Moving on.

Then, Tosh asked the crowd what he should talk about. The following is the offended parties recollection:

So Tosh then starts making some very generalizing, declarative statements about rape jokes always being funny, how can a rape joke not be funny, rape is hilarious, etc. I don’t know why he was so repetitive about it but I felt provoked because I, for one, DON’T find them funny and never have. So I didnt appreciate Daniel Tosh (or anyone!) telling me I should find them funny. So I yelled out, “Actually, rape jokes are never funny!”

(link to the entire blog post)

Okay. The repetitiveness and knowing Tosh’s comedy style lead me to (quite rightfully) believe that the man was being sarcastic. Then, her response makes her a heckler. Comics diffuse hecklers. It’s how that works. So Tosh responds in one of two way: the offended claims that he stated it’d be hilarious if she were raped by 5 guys, the club owner suggests otherwise. He said vs. she said. Either way, it was more sarcasm.

My issue is with being overly sensitive just because you don’t get someone’s humor or because they make fun of the one issue you’re sensitive about. You didn’t see New Orlenians or people from the Gulf South up in arms and calling for Tosh’s head when he busted out with Katrina jokes. Both are traumatic experiences causing psychological harm and often death. One group laughed, the other tries to get Tosh fired.

This incident has polarized the Internet. Comedians are defending Tosh left and right, others condemning him. Some of the criticism is absolutely ludicrous as well. Blogger Erica Palan writes:

“Tosh’s comedy is the kind of it’s-funny-cuz-it’s-LOUD-and-PROFANE humor that panders to mouth breathers, frat boys and girls with incredibly low self-esteem. He’s a bro who believes that every word that comes out of his mouth is a precious gift from the comedy gods and in return you should thank him by guffawing—even if it’s straight-up stupid or inaccurate. He definitely was the guy in high school who pulled the chair out from the quiet overweight kid and told the girl with braces and glasses that she was ugly.”

(link to Palan’s blog)

Yes. Tosh is loud. And Profane. But I truly believe Tosh’s style is very much a shtick. A gimmick. I seriously doubt Tosh is this intolerant douchebag. He does comedy that people (many people) find hilarious, not just “mouth breathers, frat boys, and girls with incredibly low self esteem.” Getting upset with Tosh for his on stage persona would be like hating Stephen Colbert for being a right wing nut job. Its. Just. Comedy.

Marginal competition??? FUCK YOU GRUDEN!

Brandon Stokley jersey? Fuckin’ A.

Cleveland trades up to 3. They are taking Richardson, as I predicted.

Excellent post by my boy Brad over at Saints11. Go read and enjoy!

saints11:

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Evolution, revolution

Last Saturday night Drew Brees threw 41 passes, completing nearly eighty percent of them for 466 yards while leading the New Orleans Saints, who possess the most prolific of the NFL’s postmodern offenses, to a fireworks-filled 45-28 win over the visiting Detroit Lions. 

Last Sunday night, Tim Tebow threw 21 passes, completing less than fifty percent of them for just over 300 yards while leading the Denver Broncos, who run a modified version of offenses that have not been used fulltime in the NFL since about the Eisenhower Administration, to a 29-23 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers.  

Something is wonky in professional football right now, and it’s not because Jesus has money on Denver.

(via)

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