[nfb-talk] National Federation of the BlindCommentsonSaturdayNight Live Segment

[tribble]

Lots of good New Jersey jokes...*smile* (I used to live in NJ -- they take 
New York's attitude in stride.)
But as for the SNL skit, I found a few spots to be offensive but by and 
large it was kind of funny. I mean, it is no more insulting than any of 
their other skits, and when you tune into SNL you expect them to be 
irreverent. I mean, if it were in an elementary school textbook it would be 
bad, but it's comedy, which is pretty much completely devoted to magnifying 
people's quirks.
Oh well, I agree the governor and Mark Maurer probably did the right thing 
denouncing it, but the producers of SNL most likely expected that so I doubt 
it did much good except to publicize the controversy -- which may mean SNL 
did us a favor.
--le

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dan Hicks" <danjhicks at yahoo.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 7:17 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] National Federation of the 
BlindCommentsonSaturdayNight Live Segment


"Wm. Ritchhart" <william.ritchhart at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> I am still dying for the people from SNL to explain the following?
>
> If racially stereotyped jokes are not appropriate, and gender
> stereotyped   jokes are not appropriate, and sexual orientation
> stereotyped jokes are not appropriate, then why is it appropriate to
> make jokes about someone's blindness?
>
>
> This is the same negative humor that every other minority group has had
> to endure.  Any person who has ever been the but of this kind of
> so-called humor should be offended.  If they are not, then I believe
> they have forgotten their past.
>

Ah, but you make the point for the sketch. SNL does occasionally skewer
black stereotypes and gay stereotypes and gender stereotypes. It could be
argued the bringing to the attention of the public the fact that a  blind
guy can be a governor might be -- on balance -- a positive statement. Well,
perhaps.

SNL is not going to go out of its way to present a positive view of
blindness per se for one simple reason: that would not be funny. Presenting
a positive view of blindness is not the job of the show's writers -- it is
ours.

I once talked to a blind guy who thought NFB should protest the Comedy
Central series South Park because it does not have a blind character. I
shudder to think of what a trainwreck that might be. Let's hope they don't
think of it.

Here is another link to the SNL sketch. And, "sketch" is the correct word,
as apposed to "skit." Quick, before YouTube pulls it.  Ignore the phony
Twilight Zone garbage at the beginning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbEIZLxFyFA

I am really going to miss Amy Pohler.

Dan

"If you want to go quickly, go alone.
 If you want to go far, go together."
                        - African Proverb



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