"I'M GOING to f*** you hard." Wow, what? Did you just read that? Yup, you did. Seems pretty offensive and senseless, doesn't it? Anybody laughing? I didn't think so. But wait, let's try this scenario: Add a few inches to my height, subtract about 40 points from my I.Q., give me a penis and a contract with Saturday Night Live, and pretend I am talking to a random female University student whom I don't know. Funny yet? I don't think so, but apparently Tracy Morgan would disagree, and he made anyone who was unfortunate enough to have purchased a ticket to his "comedy" show last Friday night painfully aware of that fact. Morgan's show, above and beyond being an embarrassment to the University, is representative of a dangerous trend that has been developing in recent years. His humor, based solely on shock value, unapollogetically perpetuates a disturbing, thoughtless, and immoral system of "values" in our society, which needs to be quickly recognized and combated.
Within fifteen minutes of being on stage, Morgan had proceeded to swear far more times than anyone could hope or want to count. He also had fallen to the ground to demonstrate sexual positions -- complete with sound-effects -- and make remarks so sexually explicit it would not only be impossible to quote him in any respectable publication, but undesirable to do so in any setting whatsoever.
But wait, it gets better. Just when you thought the show couldn't get any more disturbing, Morgan broke out his material about handicapped people. When questioned about the morality of doing such a horrible, ignorant and insensitive thing, Morgan defensively replied that "[the audience members] all laughed," and that he was allowed to make fun of crippled people because "[his] brother is one" (Funny Business, The Cavalier Daily, Feb. 25). While this argument might have held merit on the elementary school playground, unfortunately for Morgan, this is the real world. Recess is over.
Yet another of Morgan's low moments in the show was the way in which he conducted himself when an offended family rose to leave the auditorium. He openly mocked them, and after the show, stated that he thought children should be allowed to hear anything and everything that any idiot in this world can manufacture. Morgan justifies this statement by saying, "It's about reality. They need to be ready for the real world."
Just in case you needed even more testament to Morgan's ignorance, there you have it. Given all we now know about the importance of environment in the process of childhood development, Moran's "parenting philosophy" is so pathetic and absurd that it would be hilarious if he wasn't serious. Instead however, it is frightening, because not only is this man crude and insensitive and but due to his fame, he is dangerous. Tracy Morgan has a forum for perpetuating his distorted view of the world, and children and adults too young or stupid to know better are lapping it up. Morgan loves to talk about the "real world." If the state of the world really is what he sees it to be, maybe instead of telling everyone about it (and in this way naturalizing it), he should be using his prominence to help make a change for the better.
Morgan rationalizes his totally inappropriate and offensive behavior by saying that the goal of his comedy is to encourage "healthy communication." This assertion is nothing short of absurd. To try to claim that this "comedy" is attempting to serve any purpose higher than that of filling Morgan's pockets with money verges on blasphemy.
|
Both the University Programs Council (which brought Morgan to the University) and members of the student body were, to say the least, dissatisfied with Morgan's performance. After viewing the show, in a personal interview, second-year college student Kurt Rupprecht remarked, "I am a pretty accepting individual as far as comedy is concerned, but I was quite taken aback by Morgan's performance. There are only so many times you can joke about sex and orgasms before it starts to lose its comedic value. The supposed message he was trying to convey about communication and being honest was merely a front to cover up his lack of a real routine." In response to this sentiment, the UPC has issued a statement saying that they were "startled by Morgan's explicit language and offended by [his] actions." They have promised to take more care with their selections in the future.
Unfortunately, in this situation, the damage already has been done. We cannot go back and erase from the history of the University the spectacle that Morgan put on last Friday night. What we can do however, is use this incident to make ourselves aware of the kind of dangerous sentiments that we, as upstanding citizens, need to combat. The University Programs Council needs to remember this episode and make absolutely sure that this never happens again. We need to openly reject not only Morgan, but all that he represents.
After his show, when questioned about jokes regarding the Sept. 11 attacks, Morgan responded by saying that it was perfectly natural and acceptable, because, "without tragedy you can't have comedy." You want tragedy, Mr. Morgan? That show was a tragedy. The fact that there are people in this world so far off the right track to act as you did that night is a tragedy. Should individuals as intelligent as students at the University fail to realize the truth of that fact, it will be the greatest tragedy of all.
(Laura Parcells is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. She can be reached at lparcells@cavalierdaily.com.)
Read More
UPADHYAYA: The Great and not-so-Good sides of U.Va.’s 2030 housing plan
By Apal Upadhyaya | YesterdayInstead of improving the dire state of existing infrastructure, however, the University has shifted attention away from it and chosen to expand.
EDITORIAL: Support low-barrier shelters in Charlottesville
By Editorial Board | 2 days agoInvesting in low-barrier shelters now will pay off in increased stability for the homeless, which will undoubtedly improve the safety of shelters and the community writ large.
SHRAUGER: McIntire’s three-year model limits opportunities for first-year students
By Alex Shrauger | 4 days agoBy pigeonholing students into commerce so early, the University violates its own mission of providing a holistic education that produces students capable of succeeding in a variety of fields.
