| re: Randy Rainbow’s old, racist, and transphobic tweets resurface | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 02:01 am EDT 08/20/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Randy Rainbow’s old, racist, and transphobic tweets resurface - ryhog 09:32 am EDT 08/19/20 | |
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| I think in a comedy world sense it has to/should be acknowledge that there didn't used to be such a black and white view of "racist jokes", and joking that played on stereotypes or casually poked at or used more shocking takes on race relations etc were acceptable to far far more people, and were not seen as "racist" as a 0 to 100 kind of way, the way they much more often/likely are now. I'm not saying that was ok or not okay - I'm just saying there is a sensitivity and an awareness to the impact of that kind of humor now that there wasn't then. Some of it I think is right, and some of it is an overcorrection, but either way, my opinion is irrelevant, it's just a observable truth of how it was for people tweeting or writing or performing comedy then. I mean have you seen sets from people like Amy Schumer from back then? Stuff she'd never say now. Anthony Jeselnik (her ex boyfriend actually, and for awhile a much bigger comedian) was even more dryly insensitive and controversial on purpose, as the schtick, and had a whole tv series on Comedy Central based around it. Playing into dark and mean and insensitive humor that certainly played on stereotypes too. Playing on something also doesn't always mean supporting the idea that it is truth. But before recently, the sensitivity to the potential impact of the perpetuation of those things was not taken as seriously. But I think the main point is that nothing in Randy's career as a sketch and song comedian has made him seem anything but fully supportive to the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. And in fact I think often people that are, and are in that community, feel empowered to throw around words like "tranny"... I frankly don't think trans people would have been anywhere near as bothered by him saying it as a straight person. But we are at a point where it doesn't matter why or what empowered you to use it... however, it's not entirely fair or worthwhile to go back 10 years ago and judge in today's context. However, still, as I said in another post, GLAAD had already gone after a famous gay for using tranny on TV, and that person (Christian Siriano) apologized for it and stopped using it, 3 2-3 years before Randy's tweets. So he was almost definitely aware it was at least a touchy thing. This wasn't the 80s. But i agree that going after him for these given what his content has been in the decade since doesn't seem like a good use of time. |
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