The Swamp

Pruitt wrote:I agree that the classroom is the place for creativity - and I stress this in my class.

But I also stress (in accordance with school regulations) that there can be no racist, homophobic, sexist materials produced in the class.

If that is the rule, that is the rule. Don't get me wrong, I am neither arguing for unlimited free speech, nor for expanding freedom of expression beyond clear and reasonable guidelines. I'm concerned about too much punishment, and it sounds like that is not at issue. I'm bringing with me baggage of other incidents elsewhere, I don't mean to inflict that on the discussion.

And bottom line, it is your fucking class. Maybe if he had drawn a sketch of a bug-eyed big lipped negro chomping of fried chicken and grape juice, I would've reacted differently.

howard wrote:

Pruitt wrote:I agree that the classroom is the place for creativity - and I stress this in my class.

But I also stress (in accordance with school regulations) that there can be no racist, homophobic, sexist materials produced in the class.

If that is the rule, that is the rule. Don't get me wrong, I am neither arguing for unlimited free speech, nor for expanding freedom of expression beyond clear and reasonable guidelines. I'm concerned about too much punishment, and it sounds like that is not at issue. I'm bringing with me baggage of other incidents elsewhere, I don't mean to inflict that on the discussion.

And bottom line, it is your fucking class. Maybe if he had drawn a sketch of a bug-eyed big lipped negro chomping of fried chicken and grape juice, I would've reacted differently.

Oh, I understood completely, and I also feel that there shouldn't be too much punishment for what will not end up offending any members of the student population.

My supervisor is a big hearted earth-mother type who bends over backwards for the students. Even going so far as to refuse to expel a kid caught plagiarizing, so I am not concerned that this student will be punished severely.

And maybe he'll think twice somewhere down the road about making a joke that could get the side of his head caved in, or could cost him a gig...

What is the school policy on posting a student's paper online?

howard wrote: And bottom line, it is your fucking class. Maybe if he had drawn a sketch of a bug-eyed big lipped negro chomping of fried chicken and grape juice, I would've reacted differently.

Howard, the script calls for using "grade" soda. Does that change your analysis?

Interesting debate, but I think it's obvious the kid isn't promoting racial stereotypes or racism, but trying to ridicule racist stereotypes. Ballsy move on a college paper. Not as ballsy as Ari Shaffir or Rex Kramer, Danger Seaker.

The Sybian wrote:What is the school policy on posting a student's paper online?

howard wrote: And bottom line, it is your fucking class. Maybe if he had drawn a sketch of a bug-eyed big lipped negro chomping of fried chicken and grape juice, I would've reacted differently.

Howard, the script calls for using "grade" soda. Does that change your analysis?

Interesting debate, but I think it's obvious the kid isn't promoting racial stereotypes or racism, but trying to ridicule racist stereotypes. Ballsy move on a college paper. /quote]

No, he is not bright enough to be writing satire. Trust me, I know this kid.

Pruitt wrote: No, he is not bright enough to be writing satire. Trust me, I know this kid.

OK, can't debate that. Tough to turn the kid in, but you have to protect your job. Let the administrator make the call.

There's a lot of hills I'd die on professionally but covering up for a possible racist ain't one of them.

There's at least a decent chance the kid is just stupid, right? That he THINKS he's doing satire, but he really isn't pulling it off.

That's my take. "I'm writing this to be funny ... I mean, of course they love grape soda and basketball. That's why its funny."

If what you're saying is something you'd also say serious, its not satire, its being racist.

I wrote a satire piece as a submittal to get into a summer program my Junior year. I shudder to think how unfunny it would be if I were to go back and read it these days. I figured it would separate me from people writing straight essays. But I have two things going for me: 1) I am super funny 2) the people grading it knew they were looking at a 17 year old's work.

I got into the program, if you were wondering.

Just curious does Neal Brennan get a pass because he was successful (i.e. actually funny)?

Like I think Pruitt was saying there's a fine line you can walk and make jokes that could be construed by some as racist or offensive, but it's really difficult. You have to be really funny and sell it the right way.

One of my favorite David Cross bits from his old standup is after he gets done complaining about something for like 10 minutes and he's starting to segue into another bit and he says...

"You know what else is really bothering lately"...(pause)...and then said really fast and almost under his breath...."is fucking n----s".

The audience gasps and then laughs because of the way he says it and because they know that David Cross obviously isn't a racist. And then of course, he goes into a bit about how it would be funny to be onstage and then turn on the audience like that, etc., etc., etc.

Louis CK handles it great in both his "n-word" and "being white is better" pieces.

The best part about the Ari Shaffir video is seeing a guy who could easily pass for Woody Allen's son in a Klan outfit.

mister d wrote:That's my take. "I'm writing this to be funny ... I mean, of course they love grape soda and basketball. That's why its funny."

If what you're saying is something you'd also say serious, its not satire, its being racist.

Spoke with the student yesterday morning, and this very neatly sums up his attitude.

I spent 20 minutes with him detailing why it was offensive, why I couldn't allow him to pitch the idea to the classes and why I shared the assignment with my Supervisor.

He said that since Adult Swim shows and "Family Guy" do jokes like this, it should be okay for him. I carefully explained that those shows typically have the person making the racist remarks end up as the butt of the joke. I explained to him how he could have presented his material in such a way that it would have been "controversial" instead of "offensive." I also explained why it is acceptable to make fun of people such as hipsters or LARP-ers as that is making fun of the choices the people have made as opposed to the way they were born. I was actually quite pleased with the way I explained things, and I THINK he understood the concept, but clearly didn't agree that the black students would be offended because he was writing it to be funny.

As I was explaining point by point why it was offensive, he actually smiled at the scenes he wrote - thought it was hilarious that the black guy's being petted like a pacified animal at the end.

He wrote an episode outline for the series - he decided that he had a better idea for the pilot. It's called "Asians." I told him that his script (the final assignment of the year, worth 20% of the course mark) can not be about an ethnic group, Gays, religion etc., or he will get zero.

Anyway, he'll get his wrist gently slapped and in a few weeks I won't have to deal with him again.

Real excited for when his dominant parent decides to get involved. I'll chip in for a stenographer so we don't miss anything.

Probably working on his "Jew teacher" bit now.

P.D.X. wrote:Probably working on his "Jew teacher" bit now.

Of that I have no doubt.

Pruitt wrote: He said that since Adult Swim shows and "Family Guy" do jokes like this, it should be okay for him.

Pruitt: "Sure, but those writers have talent."

The Sybian wrote:

Pruitt wrote: He said that since Adult Swim shows and "Family Guy" do jokes like this, it should be okay for him.

Pruitt: "Sure, but those writers have talent."

Don't get me started. It's that time of year when I have to shepherd 60 kids of varying levels of literacy through the writing of a 10 page script... which I then have to read and mark.

Pray for me.

This shirt is outstanding and I want it:

Are those popped collars?

Brilliant.

The student in question took one of my bits of advice and came up with another series idea, and has submitted an outline that, while derivative and lame, is completely inoffensive.

I bought that shirt Bomani Jones is wearing from eBay.

Bill O'Reilly out-racists Donald Trump

But how are you going to get jobs for them? Many of them are ill-educated and have tattoos on their foreheads, and I hate to be generalized about it, but it's true. If you look at all the educational statistics, how are you going to get jobs for people who aren't qualified for jobs?

Tattoos on their foreheads? Is this a new thing?

I assume he took care to point out he's NOT advocating for education reform and "those people" are merely reaping what their parents and their 8 year old selves sewed.

DaveInSeattle wrote:Tattoos on their foreheads? Is this a new thing?

C'mon. It's a great way to espouse your philosophy, or show what you love.

Why in the hell can otherwise intelligent people still not discern the difference between a black guy killing another black guy AND GETTING ARRESTED IMMEDIATELY and cops shooting unarmed people AND NOT BEING PROSECUTED. This baffles me.

Guess that's more of a random thought.

mister d wrote:I assume he took care to point out he's NOT advocating for education reform and "those people" are merely reaping what their parents and their 8 year old selves sewed.

Exactly. And stop giving out free school lunches to kids who can't afford to eat. If those kids like food so much, let them get a job rather than sponging off of my hard earned money. That reminds me, what happened to the Republican hardon for repealing Child Labor laws a few years back?

Gunpowder wrote:Why in the hell can otherwise intelligent people still not discern the difference between a black guy killing another black guy AND GETTING ARRESTED IMMEDIATELY and cops shooting unarmed people AND NOT BEING PROSECUTED. This baffles me.

Guess that's more of a random thought.

Why do you hate the police?

China doing their part.

Shirley wrote:China doing their part.

And they take the opposite approach with their ads in Italy.

I was expecting Johnny to pop out of the Italian commercial.

I will never forget when I was travelling in China and a university student ran up to us and kept asking us where the nigger was. I was with a group from Ball State and we had one black guy with us. He wasn't with the group I was with at the time, but we were all taken aback. The Chinese kid just wanted to rap for Rassan. And since most of the rap this kid listened to called black people niggers, he assumed that is what they were called. We tried to explain it to him, but not sure how much he understood. When we told Rassan he thought it was hilarious that the kid wanted to rap for him. Rassan said he would have been happier if the kid wanted to sing Michael Jackson.

duff wrote:rap for Rassan.

I donated $100 to that charity. How is Rassan, did he pull through?

That is me, actually. Except I have blonde hair and blue eyes.

And I never expected a detergent commercial to remind me of this scene. What a time to be alive.

An independent candidate for Congress from Tennessee has been swept up in a wave of criticism for his campaign billboard vowing to “Make American White Again.” Rick Tyler, who is running for the 3rd Congressional District in the northeastern part of the state, said he put up the billboard alongside Highway 411 in Polk County to make a point that “the ‘Leave It to Beaver,’ ‘Ozzie and Harriet,’ ‘Mayberry’ America of old was vastly superior to what we are experiencing today.”

In a Facebook post Wednesday night, Tyler wrote: “It was an America where doors were left unlocked, violent crime was a mere fraction of today’s rate of occurrence, there were no car jackings, home invasions, Islamic Mosques or radical Jihadist sleeper cells.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the ... es-uproar/

The victim of the mosque shooting in Houston, his brother works with me.

My team runs these quarterly forums at work called Unplugged sessions, where a senior manager is highlighted and people sign up and can ask them anything they want. It's really for younger people to get some career development insights from people who've had a lot of success but they are supposed to be really informal and you can talk about anything. Unfortunately, you can be a complete dope and still succeed.

So the LaCrosse coach at Bryant which is directly across the street, used to be the coach at Duke during that stripper rape thing. The guy being featured was at a lecture that this coach gave on our campus earlier that day. So he starts off "Not sure if everyone knows the story but in a nutshell, 3 Duke LaCrosse players were falsely accused of rape by an, uhhh...(raises eyebrow, nods affirmatively)...African-American woman."

Fucking mortified. 25 white people and 1 black woman in the room.