Political commentator and comedian Bill Maher has had enough because people seem to care more about hurting someone’s sensibilities way more than free speech to he had a lecture to drive home the point: Explaining Jokes to Idiots!
The ”Real Time” host used a blackboard and a pinter to demonstrate how speech is not just on the chopping block but is already done. After Chris Rock was assaulted for speech at the Oscars by Will Smith, a new precedent has been set.
Bill made his point clear that the joke about Jada Pinkett Smith looking like Demi Moore wasn’t even a joke about her hair loss, OR alopecia,
“It wasn’t an alopecia joke any more than the chicken crossing the road is about bird flu.”
Bill Maher Thinks The ‘G.I. Jane 2’ Joke Was The Last Nail In The Coffin For Jokes And Free Speech
He even pointed out Will Smith’s initial laughter at the joke, then realizing her had to ‘conform’ to what someone else was feeling and he a did a complete 180 from laughter to blind rage. Maher continued that, “comedians have been under attack for some time. So I must defend my tribe. This war on jokes must end.”
Maher pointed to a Vice study that certain colleges now screen prospective comedians they think about bringing onto their campuses to make sure they aren’t telling ‘offensive jokes’. Bill says that colleges used to be a place to lose your virginity but now it’s a place to lose your sense of humor.
While there is a group that claims freedom of speech isn’t freedom from consequence, the moment we start reacting to speech with violence is the moment free speech dies. If you can choose to react in any manner you want because of someone else’s words, we’ve already lost.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQTkDPhg1lI
What do you think? Do you agree with Bill Maher and do you think comedians and the freedom of speech are being assaulted? Let us know in the comments below.
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