Forecasting Damage Control After Obama on Leno. GAFF

reply to post by The Last Man on Earth



That is the funniest thing I have read on this site in a long time.

Almost Mencina funny.

A sitting President should show more control than Obama. His ego cannot be contained. There was no reason for him to go on the The Tonight Show. What is he taking up Network time for next week? Obama is a disgrace and his VP isn't any better. Anyone hear Biden dropping "F" bombs? But this is what the majority of voting lemmings wanted here in the USA. We almost had a VP that would've championed the special needs of those less fortunate instead of making fun of them.

reply to post by vor78


And? It's a joke, on a talk show. You're blowing it way out of proportion. I don't care if he is the president or not. Just because he's the president he's supposed to be a robot? Who the hell cares what he said on Leno, it was obviously a fluff piece.

Do you have any family members who are handicapped? Are YOU handicapped perhaps? Why are you taking offense? I have family members who are, I think it was funny.

In my mind it is you that is thinking of them as less than other people and therefore cannot be made the butt of a joke. I think of them as any other people, and therefore, just like a fat person, can be the butt of a joke, that I quite possibly would find amusing.

Originally posted by Pimpish

The word retard is also just as offensive to someone with a disability as the n-word is to black people.

I have a close relative with down syndrome, and still found the comment funny.

Yes and I have a severly autistic brother.. maybe I just have more respect than to allow people to constantly refer to his demographic as something subhuman. Your argument is the same as saying "I have black cousins so can call them n-word".

The word retard,..when used as an insult refers exclusively to "retarded" people. I'm so sorry that bullies are running out of minority groups to hate on but equality is meant to be for ALL people.. not just the ones that are more likely to fight back.

BTW. My gripe was more about posters using the word retard than about the president's tasteless joke but disabled have every right to express their offense if thats how they feel.

[edit on 20-3-2009 by riley]

reply to post by Pimpish


Of course. Virtually everyone has a family member with some type of disability.

If you're not offended by it, again, that's fine with me. But don't sit there and tell everyone else what to think.

This is why he needs his teleprompter, to prevent making such gaffs. He obviously gave his teleprompter team/spin writers a well deserved night off. This is just an example of BHO talking "off the cuff". Big Mistake.

[edit on 20-3-2009 by Elostone]

reply to post by jd140


I don't understand how you can that you find his comment funny, and then be outraged by Obama's? You can't have it both ways - it's either one way or the other.

You get offended by jokes or you don't. Which is it?

[edit on 3/20/2009 by Irish M1ck]

Dude because he is taking the Handicap point of view. Imagine them sitting at home and hear this. Now imagine that they said this.

Its funny. Mencina funny.

Obama was just being careless.

reply to post by jd140


But it is also offensive. I agree it was funny, but I find both comments funny. I am not letting partisanship or other views cloud up my judgment. I also don't get offended by jokes.

You can't be offended by someone making fun of one group, and then laugh at someone using a racist word towards another (unless there is some level of hypocrisy there).

[edit on 3/20/2009 by Irish M1ck]

reply to post by vor78


I'm not telling people how to think anymore than you are with your posts. This is a discussion board, isn't the point to have discussion? People can think what they choose, I am just posting the reasoning behind why I don't think it's a big deal.

If you don't want to agree with me, then don't. That is your right, and isn't that kind of the whole point of this forum? I mean, if everyone agreed with everyone else it would get really boring really quick.

Not finding biggoted jokes funny does not equal not having a sense of humour at all. TLMOE's joke was pointing out the hypocricy of one (self proclaimed) minority making fun of another.

reply to post by Pimpish


I've already said that you can believe whatever you want.

Read your last post.

You're the one telling me that I'm blowing it out of proportion. You're the one saying 'who the hell cares'. You're the one saying that because I take offense, its because I somehow think less of them.

reply to post by riley


I agree that if you don't find biggoted jokes funny does not necessarily mean that you *edit- do not* have a sense of humor. Sure, don't laugh, you don't think its funny...fine. But to lambaste the guy for it is just silly, it was intended and presented as a joke. Maybe not funny, sure, but it was just a joke in bad taste.

[edit on 20-3-2009 by Pimpish]

reply to post by vor78


Oh sorry, I didn't realize that if my opinion disagreed with yours that it was less valid.

I still believe that it was no big deal, and that it was blown way out of porportion. I'm not telling YOU to feel that way, that is the way I feel. Do you see the difference now?

reply to post by Pimpish



I've said that about four times now. You can believe whatever you want about the story.

Originally posted by Pimpish
reply to post by riley

 

I agree that if you don't find biggoted jokes funny does not necessarily mean that you have a sense of humor. Sure, don't laugh, you don't think its funny...fine. But to lambaste the guy for it is just silly, it was intended and presented as a joke. Maybe not funny, sure, but it was just a joke in bad taste.

Actually the person I had a go at was saying that "retards" are too stupid to understand when they're being insulted. You then took it upon yourself to explain to me in a lengthy post me why using the word retard is okay.. even saying "that includes joking around with them". Does that mean you actually call them retards yourself? I have NEVER heared it being used as a term of endearence and if they laugh it's probably because they're avoiding confrontation and realise some people just don't know any better.

[edit on 20-3-2009 by riley]

reply to post by vor78


I'm glad I have your permission. Apparently I am just not allowed to have my opinions here if they disagree with yours then, is that the issue?

I did not tell anyone how to think, I stated my opinion. Please show me where I told anyone how to think. I think you're blowing things out of proportion so I guess that means I'm telling you how to think? I thnk there are much bigger issues to worry about than some stupid fluff piece on Leno, so I guess that means I'm telling you how to think? I'm posting my opinion, just like other people are doing all of this place on this board. Take from it what you choose. I don't want to tell anybody what to think, I just wanted to state my opinion.

Do I need to preface it like you? Let's try that, you can think whatever you want but you're blowing this out of proportion and it was not that big of a deal.

You can think whatever you want but, I think it was mildly amusing and not offensive to anybody. You can think what you want but the earth is flat.

reply to post by riley


I think you totally missed the point of my post on that one, I'll try and be more clear. Retard is a clinical term, you will find many doctors use the word retarded. Generally, they will say mentally retarded, but not always.

The word has since evolved and has now become more of an insult than anything. So my point was, really any word that you use to describe someone of lesser intelligence, is likely going to end up the same way due to the intrinsic nature of the whole thing.

I never said that you should call anyone retarded, nor do I intend to imply it. I was just stating that it came from a clinical term. The reason it is an insult is because that is how people use it.

No, I never call my cousin with down syndrome retarded. However, I do make jokes with him all the time. He may be limited in intelligence, but he understands these are jokes and that I don't intend them as anything other than such, and hoping for a good laugh, which I often get out of him.

*edit* typo

[edit on 20-3-2009 by Pimpish]

reply to post by Pimpish


Talk about blowing things out of proportion...

Here's my advice. Go into your profile. Put me on ignore. Problem solved.

Originally posted by Pimpish
reply to post by riley

 

I think you totally missed the point of my post on that one, I'll try and be more clear. Retard is a clinical term, you will find many doctors use the word retarded. Generally, they will say mentally retarded, but not always.

Mental retardation was a clinical term.. retard is not (in fact I've never heared doctors use it) and using it as a slur does NOT make it okay because it has some link to medical definitions. There are people who come from Nigeria.. same argument could be used.

You posted defending someone for using the word retard as though I was wrong to find it offensive. You even said that YOU didn't find it offensive because you have a relative with down syndrome.. implying that I was over reacting. I responded already and now you are just regurgitating the same points. Move on.

[edit on 20-3-2009 by riley]