Protest at RIT Over Lampanelli Show?
Commentary: I hope both the deaf students and their hearing peers will stage a civil and peaceful protest over this show.  I am all for Freedom of Speech, however it appears that Lampanelli practices hate speech in her show. I draw the line when an university has a large number of students who are being targeted by this offensive hate monger. Every group being fair game to this unsavory person makes this practice acceptable? The message we are missing is the lack of respect for cultural diversity, especially for the oppressed people who are still rejected to this day by the mainstreamed society and who are not empowered yet. That is the key.
Lampanelli: “God hates deaf people. What’s wrong with you?”Â
Lampanelli: “Don’t you think deaf students could be maybe just retarded, and they’re trying to sneak by saying they’re deaf?”
Where is the humor in these statements? In what way are these acceptable? My response: None.
How would the deaf students feel if the hearing peers approve a show of a hearing person mocking and degrading them? What kind of message is this sent to the deaf students and their families who struggle against discrimination and prejudice on a daily basis? What about the self esteem of these deaf students already demoralized by the extensive audism? To add the salt on the wound, this show is being financed by their money via student activity fees. Lampanelli can practice her hate crime elsewhere, but to do this on campus with one major deaf college sends a very negative message on the value of deaf students. There is no going around this message.
Think about this. Do you actually believe that Howard University or Spellman College will invite this divisive white person to degrade the people of color on campus?   They do believe in freedom of speech, yet they draw the line at hate speech.  What about a non-Jewish person making fun of jewish people in a Jewish university or non-Muslim in a Muslim university? Of course not! Why are deaf people held on a different standard?
Something is very wrong with this society if a lot of people see shows degrading the minority groups amusing.
Deaf students need to examine at what price to their self-esteem and pride in themselves as Deaf people are they being asked to sacrifice when they permit this show to continue on the rights of expresions.  Too high, in my opinion. Personally I find it sad that the deaf people on campus don’t stand up for themselves, even though many hearing peers are appalled and outraged. MZ
P.S. In the light of the recent discussion, I am enclosing a link to hate speech covered by Wiki Encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_speech It covers the social responsibility of universities, workplaces and organizations in protecting their constituents and the public from harm originating from hate speech. After all, RIT promotes cultural diversity, right? MZ
From the newsroom of the Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester, New York, Friday, March 23, 2007 …..
Deaf insult joke riles NTID
Protest likely at comic’s show tonight at RIT
Greg Livadas
Staff writer
Degrading comments about deaf people made by “insult comic” Lisa Lampanelli during a local radio interview earlier this year have sparked controversy at Rochester Institute of Technology, where she’s scheduled to perform tonight.
Lampanelli, who apparently delights in her moniker, “Comedy’s Lovable Queen of Mean,” was interviewed Jan. 31 on WCMF (96.5 FM), where she said God hated deaf people and suggested that deaf students may actually be “just retarded, and they’re trying to sneak by saying they’re deaf.” Stan Main, the station’s operations manager, confirmed Thursday that the exchange took place.
Lampanelli was unaware that 1,100 deaf and hard-of-hearing students attend the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, a college of RIT.
“What I am is an intelligent human being who just happens to hear differently,” said RIT graduate student Joshua Berman, 26, who said he is proud of his deaf heritage.
Berman said Lampanelli should apologize for “her narrow-minded comments.”
In a message to RIT students and staff members Thursday, RIT President Albert Simone said he met with student leaders, including some who are deaf. Refunds will be given if requested prior to the show, but the show will not be canceled. Signs were posted saying her comedy may be offensive.
“There have understandably been a number of people who have been offended by Ms. Lampanelli’s remarks, including myself.” Simone wrote. “At RIT, we deeply believe in treating others with respect. But we also value free speech — and sometimes those principles conflict.”
Lampanelli’s publicist, Liz McComb, said the comic’s entire act pokes fun at stereotypes.
“People who aren’t familiar with her comedy, it’s easy to get offended by it,” McComb said. “She loves everybody. She’s not hateful in her act. The reason she gets away with things like that, people know when you’re hateful about it and it doesn’t work.”
Simone said that while Lampanelli may have crossed the line between humor and hate speech, “at an institution of higher education, however, it is best to allow our community to make that distinction for itself.”
RIT Student Government President Lizzie Sorkin said the show wasn’t canceled because Lampanelli would appeal to “a certain crowd who likes insult comedy. … I do not believe canceling the show would have healed any open wounds; it would have made things worse. It would not have allowed us to address issues that have been brought up; it would not have woken up certain people to voice their concerns.”
Sorkin, who is deaf, said she doesn’t consider insult comedy entertaining but understands that others do and it is Lampanelli’s job to insult.
RIT student Matt Shand, who wrote an editorial about the comments in the March 16 issue of Reporter, RIT’s student magazine, said the College Activities Board, which booked Lampanelli, should have canceled the show. He urged students to tell the board “that you care about the reputation of this institute, and that you won’t allow it to be tarnished by hosting a hate-spewing harlot.” – - – - -
Radio transcript
Lampanelli promoted her upcoming RIT appearance during an interview Jan. 31 with radio personalities Brother Wease and Sally Carpenter. This transcript was written by RIT student Matt Shand, who downloaded the interview from a Web site of WCMF (96.5 FM):
Lampanelli: “I was always (wondering) if God would maybe think my act was awful and make me deaf so I can’t do comedy no more, ’cause that’s why people are deaf. ‘Cause God hates them.”
Wease: “Now listen, Lisa …”
Lampanelli: “God hates deaf people. What’s wrong with you?”
Wease: “There are going to be a lot of deaf people there.”
Lampanelli: “Oh, I hope so.”
Carpenter: “Well there will be. There’s a college within RIT that’s specifically for deaf students.”
Lampanelli: “Don’t you think deaf students could be maybe just retarded, and they’re trying to sneak by saying they’re deaf?”
Wease: “Lighten up a little bit.”
Carpenter: “You can’t make deaf jokes in this town.”
The disc jockeys quickly changed the topic.
Copyright © 2007, The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, All rights reserved.
To read the comments below the article, click on this:http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070323/NEWS01/703230374/1002/NEWS
email contact: mishkazena@aol.com
Mishkazena (TM) 2007
Commentary: I hope both the deaf students and their hearing peers will stage a civil and peaceful protest over this show.  I am all for Freedom of Speech, however it appears that Lampanelli practices hate speech in her show. I draw the line when an university has a large number of students who are being targeted by this offensive hate monger. Every group being fair game to this unsavory person makes this practice acceptable? The message we are missing is the lack of respect for cultural diversity, especially for the oppressed people who are still rejected to this day by the mainstreamed society and who are not empowered yet. That is the key.
Lampanelli: “God hates deaf people. What’s wrong with you?”Â
Lampanelli: “Don’t you think deaf students could be maybe just retarded, and they’re trying to sneak by saying they’re deaf?”
Where is the humor in these statements? In what way are these acceptable? My response: None.
How would the deaf students feel if the hearing peers approve a show of a hearing person mocking and degrading them? What kind of message is this sent to the deaf students and their families who struggle against discrimination and prejudice on a daily basis? What about the self esteem of these deaf students already demoralized by the extensive audism? To add the salt on the wound, this show is being financed by their money via student activity fees. Lampanelli can practice her hate crime elsewhere, but to do this on campus with one major deaf college sends a very negative message on the value of deaf students. There is no going around this message.
Think about this. Do you actually believe that Howard University or Spellman College will invite this divisive white person to degrade the people of color on campus?   They do believe in freedom of speech, yet they draw the line at hate speech.  What about a non-Jewish person making fun of jewish people in a Jewish university or non-Muslim in a Muslim university? Of course not! Why are deaf people held on a different standard?
Something is very wrong with this society if a lot of people see shows degrading the minority groups amusing.
Deaf students need to examine at what price to their self-esteem and pride in themselves as Deaf people are they being asked to sacrifice when they permit this show to continue on the rights of expresions.  Too high, in my opinion. Personally I find it sad that the deaf people on campus don’t stand up for themselves, even though many hearing peers are appalled and outraged. MZ
P.S. In the light of the recent discussion, I am enclosing a link to hate speech covered by Wiki Encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_speech It covers the social responsibility of universities, workplaces and organizations in protecting their constituents and the public from harm originating from hate speech. After all, RIT promotes cultural diversity, right? MZ
From the newsroom of the Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester, New York, Friday, March 23, 2007 …..
Deaf insult joke riles NTID
Protest likely at comic’s show tonight at RIT
Greg Livadas
Staff writer
Degrading comments about deaf people made by “insult comic” Lisa Lampanelli during a local radio interview earlier this year have sparked controversy at Rochester Institute of Technology, where she’s scheduled to perform tonight.
Lampanelli, who apparently delights in her moniker, “Comedy’s Lovable Queen of Mean,” was interviewed Jan. 31 on WCMF (96.5 FM), where she said God hated deaf people and suggested that deaf students may actually be “just retarded, and they’re trying to sneak by saying they’re deaf.” Stan Main, the station’s operations manager, confirmed Thursday that the exchange took place.
Lampanelli was unaware that 1,100 deaf and hard-of-hearing students attend the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, a college of RIT.
“What I am is an intelligent human being who just happens to hear differently,” said RIT graduate student Joshua Berman, 26, who said he is proud of his deaf heritage.
Berman said Lampanelli should apologize for “her narrow-minded comments.”
In a message to RIT students and staff members Thursday, RIT President Albert Simone said he met with student leaders, including some who are deaf. Refunds will be given if requested prior to the show, but the show will not be canceled. Signs were posted saying her comedy may be offensive.
“There have understandably been a number of people who have been offended by Ms. Lampanelli’s remarks, including myself.” Simone wrote. “At RIT, we deeply believe in treating others with respect. But we also value free speech — and sometimes those principles conflict.”
Lampanelli’s publicist, Liz McComb, said the comic’s entire act pokes fun at stereotypes.
“People who aren’t familiar with her comedy, it’s easy to get offended by it,” McComb said. “She loves everybody. She’s not hateful in her act. The reason she gets away with things like that, people know when you’re hateful about it and it doesn’t work.”
Simone said that while Lampanelli may have crossed the line between humor and hate speech, “at an institution of higher education, however, it is best to allow our community to make that distinction for itself.”
RIT Student Government President Lizzie Sorkin said the show wasn’t canceled because Lampanelli would appeal to “a certain crowd who likes insult comedy. … I do not believe canceling the show would have healed any open wounds; it would have made things worse. It would not have allowed us to address issues that have been brought up; it would not have woken up certain people to voice their concerns.”
Sorkin, who is deaf, said she doesn’t consider insult comedy entertaining but understands that others do and it is Lampanelli’s job to insult.
RIT student Matt Shand, who wrote an editorial about the comments in the March 16 issue of Reporter, RIT’s student magazine, said the College Activities Board, which booked Lampanelli, should have canceled the show. He urged students to tell the board “that you care about the reputation of this institute, and that you won’t allow it to be tarnished by hosting a hate-spewing harlot.” – - – - -
Radio transcript
Lampanelli promoted her upcoming RIT appearance during an interview Jan. 31 with radio personalities Brother Wease and Sally Carpenter. This transcript was written by RIT student Matt Shand, who downloaded the interview from a Web site of WCMF (96.5 FM):
Lampanelli: “I was always (wondering) if God would maybe think my act was awful and make me deaf so I can’t do comedy no more, ’cause that’s why people are deaf. ‘Cause God hates them.”
Wease: “Now listen, Lisa …”
Lampanelli: “God hates deaf people. What’s wrong with you?”
Wease: “There are going to be a lot of deaf people there.”
Lampanelli: “Oh, I hope so.”
Carpenter: “Well there will be. There’s a college within RIT that’s specifically for deaf students.”
Lampanelli: “Don’t you think deaf students could be maybe just retarded, and they’re trying to sneak by saying they’re deaf?”
Wease: “Lighten up a little bit.”
Carpenter: “You can’t make deaf jokes in this town.”
The disc jockeys quickly changed the topic.
Copyright © 2007, The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, All rights reserved.
To read the comments below the article, click on this:http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070323/NEWS01/703230374/1002/NEWS
email contact: mishkazena@aol.com
Mishkazena (TM) 2007
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:50 am
I am an ardent of “freedom of speech and expression” all the way.
Laughter is a best medicine!
Stand-up comedy have a history of mocking and tanilizing people in general.
Political correctness is a worst form of oppression itself.
At least, we could protest in civility of letting the general public that we would not let ourselves being degraded and mocked for humorous purpose at our own expense.
Individuals (performers and comedians) would thrive on free publicity like the organized protest(s) against them.
I am not for the organized protest in any way and let the stand-up comedy show go quietly as possible.
The best way is to sit down and take everything in stride and laugh off than boiling mad for all nothing.
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:59 am
I am all for comedy, politically correct or not. However with this so-called comedian, hate speech is practiced. Calling deaf people retarded is equivalent to that comedian Michael Richards who called the Africian Americans Ni**ers. At that point, it is no longer comical, but a practice of hate speech. In that infamous comedy show, a lot of outraged African Americans and others walked out of the show.
One needs to think why hate speech, are prohibited in corporations, public organizations and universities.
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Anybody who remembers Archie Bunker or the Jeffersons on sitcom TV? In both series racist commentary was flung about making the speaker look more ridiculous than hateful. The TV viewers ate it up, which was why the Jeffersons spinoff began.
I believe people took this comedian’s interview comments out of context. She insults different groups of people equally, and included Deaf people too. Why should we be kept out of the target audience? Wouldn’t that be discriminatory? We can handle it just as well as anybody else.
I leave it up to the academic community to evaluate the worth of each joke she aims at Deaf people, and if they are truly academic about it they will weigh them against similar jokes on other groups.
For me, the worth of a joke is the turnabout on people: it forces people to look at themselves, their attitudes, and realize how stupid they sound when they voice similar ideas. Being made fun of as a bigot is far more effective than as a victim. Hopefully this woman will keep that in mind.
Of value is the discussion, however energetic or angry it may be, that results from her performance. Getting these ideas out in the open where they can be criticized and analyzed is healing and empowering.
This is no bigot coming to campus. It’s a comedian. Much different than other campuses inviting certified idiots and bigots to speak on their truly hateful views, as has happened with other speaker engagements.
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Is labeling Deaf people retarded acceptable?
MZ has a good point. Why is it ok for Deaf people to tolerate hate speech against them on their campus when Jews, African Americans, and Muslims don’t tolerate this? I think it has something to do with self respect and dignity.
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:31 pm
It is absoluteBLOODYtely shocking to read something like Lampanelli’s hate speech about deaf people. Beyond my imagination! So unbelievable! She is not in the right frame of mine. She must have been the reincarnated Alexander G Bell!
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:35 pm
Freedom of speech is one of our most precious rights and needs to be honored.
That said, there *is* a big “but.” Court decisions HAVE placed limits on our freedom of speech. We are not allowed to spew hate, nor can we cause danger to others through our freedom of expression. Lampanelli’s words appear to be hate, but I do not know enough about her act to be able to make that determination.
Whether or not Lampanelli’s act is hate-filled, people and places have a social responsibility to choose not to attend nor to host speeches or acts that are hateful. People can simply choose not to attend and make it clear *why* they are not attending.
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Post Scriptum:
The NAD should establish ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE of their own in defence of deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Yay, like Jews’s ADL.
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:42 pm
I disagree with RLM. Hate Speech is not considered as
freedom of speech. No way!
One has to understand what freedom of speech means. I suggest that you do research on the concept of “freedom of speech” on the Internet.
The more educated the less prejudiced.
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:49 pm
I find Lampanelli’s comments too dumb to be offensive.
March 23rd, 2007 at 1:31 pm
It’s interesting to hear different POVs on this show. I don’t think Archie Bunker was that extreme, was he? To be honest, I don’t recall much of his show as I rarely watched it and definitely not for many years. That was back in 70’s and 80’s when bigotry was acceptable. Jenny pointed out when comments are taken out of context like in this article, it can be easy to misinterpret them, which is true.
Of course, people do have their rights of free speech, however many universities are governed by speech codes, just like workplaces and organizations. They are expected to show social responsibility toward their constituents and the public. I still stand that this show is too offensive for a university where a college for the deaf operates, especially when as a group ,deaf people are systematically discriminated and rejected. I feel the same way regarding shows deriding and mocking other culturally oppressed groups, including Native Americans, etc, and disability groups.
Here is a link on hate speech from Wiki Encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_speech
March 23rd, 2007 at 1:49 pm
What if the comic was deaf?
March 23rd, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Dave,
In other words, you imply that people, including KKK who make hate speech or graffitize on walls and cars) against Jews and blacks are “too dumb to be offensive”. If so, your perspective is unusual, in my opinion.
March 23rd, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Archie Bunker is as subtle as Mark Twain; yet, all schools have been condemning Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn since 1970s.
March 23rd, 2007 at 2:24 pm
That Lampanelli fat mouth have the freedom to be a funny bitch….oops am I being too politically correct???
Whatever, but just remember that…a real sad fact…, that many hearing people become deaf overnight. I wonder why? Was it karma?
March 23rd, 2007 at 2:32 pm
Jean,
I find Lampanelli’s specific comments too dumb to be offensive (it doesn’t even make sense to suggest, for instance, that retarded people may be just pretending to be deaf), but citing the KKK does bring up an important point: if a comic or organization displays a pattern of making disparaging remarks about the deaf then a protest would be appropriate; jumping on this one little-known comic over a single instance may be a bit of overkill.
March 23rd, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Yeah, we have some deaf comedians who make fun of hearing people, Lampanelli is a comedian in her own right, she is not serious about what she is saying, she is joking around, playing with words and making people laugh. I often wonder when hearing people go to deaf comedy, how do they feel? I don’t see any hearing people protesting at our deaf comedy shows. CODA people have been known for making fun of deaf people and their voices. I think we are somewhat isolated when it comes to hearing what people talk about and what the fads are nowdays so it is scary when we get people like Lampanelli come in and make jokes like that. Most people tend to forget jokes right away, it is not something you remember for years and years while people who make hate speech is easily remembered and people hold on it. I would be more nervous if Lampanelli was to come to RIT and make a hate speech about deaf people in a very serious tone and expecting people to go after us and maybe kill us. That is much more worse!
March 23rd, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Let me try this from a different angle.
Is it appropriate for RIT to permit a comedian paid with student activity fees to spew hate speech against a good sized segment of the students on its campus, in direct violation of its policy promoting cultural diversity among the students?
March 23rd, 2007 at 3:16 pm
MZ, friends;
Consider this: suppose there were a demonstration outside the comedy show and the newspapers got wind of it.
Boy, the newspapers love this kind of stuff. Immediately there will be coverage of all kinds–from “don’t mock handicapped people” to “deaf people are not only poor tippers, they’re crybabies compared to other groups.” None of this is good for our public image.
Better to grin and bear it, and show everybody that we can take it like anybody else. It blows over quicker that way. And how we handle it in a mature, objective and nonthreatened way will earn points for us from the hearing community.
March 23rd, 2007 at 3:32 pm
I don’t see this as hate speech. It is completely different from comedy. Most people will roll their eyes if we were to protest the comedy show. Best way is not to show up at her show or even more better, interview her and publish it in deaf blog. It would be interesting to see what kind of interview she would give if someone is brave enough to go and talk to her behind the stage.
March 23rd, 2007 at 3:46 pm
Lisa even insults blacks and Jews for “ruining the holidays”. Google Lisa Lampanelli and you will get information abotu her. SHe also does comedy to make everyone laugh at stereotypes and differences.
http://www.ifilm.com/video/2818245/collection/18819/channel/comedy
March 23rd, 2007 at 5:29 pm
What started all this ruckus was ridor. Ridor said he does not have a problem with her jokes about deaf had she said it to his face. It was the medium in which she said it. She said it over the radio where deaf people cannot hear it. Ridor was not offended by the joke itself but rather because it was said over the RADIO. Of course, many people got upset because of what she said regardless of where she said it and the rest is history.
I don’t like her jokes, not on the radio nor in person. I wouldn’t like it with green eggs and ham.
March 23rd, 2007 at 6:16 pm
The fact that individuals have different opinions on whether Lisa Lampanelli’s jokes are hate speech illustrates the difficulty in defining what constitutes hate speech. I did not even consider any of her jokes as hate speech. The reason simply is that these jokes are meant to be jokes, not to be translated into actions. There is no evidence that she is encouraging people to be hostile to other people who are different in any way.
It is people’s right to protest and I respect them. But, I think they go overboard a bit.
Michele gave a good counterpoint. Deaf comedians did make fun of hearing people. I doubt that the Deaf people will ever consider their jokes to be hate speech but I am sure that there are some hearing people who think otherwise. Does it mean that the Deaf comedians must constrain themselves from making any jokes that even one hearing person consider as hate speech? Certainly not.
The transcript of the jokes that appeared in this blog and several other blogs showed only the words that were spoken. There was no information about the tone, giggling, laughter, pause, pitch, facial expression and body language. We are missing a lot of subtleties surrounding the jokes and we are in constant danger of taking jokes out of context.
Joseph Pietro Riolo
josephpietrojeungriolo@gmail.com
Public domain notice: I put all of my expressions in this post in the public domain.
March 23rd, 2007 at 6:38 pm
How can deaf people be ‘cry babies’ if hearing radio jockey was offended by these ‘jokes’, too?
March 23rd, 2007 at 6:59 pm
While I don’t like what she’s saying, she has the right to say them. And like others have said, at least this will make people think about their own prejudices.
IMHO, the best way to deal with this is to not attend her show. No need to protest her show.
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:40 pm
Not acceptable .. I am hurt by Lampanelli’s comment. I think RIT and Lampanelli should apologize to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing students for the unfriendly remark. I remember some Comedians made some racist remarks and apologized to the black community later on. I forget their name thou. It is the same thing.
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:17 pm
I know any minority group is a fair game for this woman.
My point that some of you are still missing is that it is highly improper for an university using student activity fees to sponsor a bigot comedian who ridicule on minorities, including deaf, contradicting the school’s official policy on respect for cultural diversity. I am glad RIT now recognizes its mistake and offers refunds.
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Some comedians slip a Freudian slip, thus revealing about their true dark colors in their comedies caught by an audience. For example, a comedian Michael Richards made news in November of 2006 when he spew racial epithets at hecklers during a comedy club appearance at the Laugh
Factory in West Hollywood; he apologized on the David Letterman show a few days later…” (source: http://www.answers.com/topic/michael-richards.
Too dumb to be offensive. I disagree, forasmuch as he revealed his true colors that he had been a racist, degrading black people.
The same with Mel Gibson for spewing racial slurs against Jews last summer while he was drunk.
Shakespeare puts it best in one of the plays that a drunkard reveals best about his true dark colors.
So, Lampanelli, Richards, and Gibson degraded and demeaned the blacks, the Jews, and the deafies.
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:24 pm
I agree with Jean on number 28.
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:58 pm
Deafness is a protected class within the United States Government. We “Deaf” people have been insulted and oppressed all of our lives and this is no longer funny. I understand comedy but hateful messages towards protected classes are not comedy. Deaf people do not find ‘God hates Deaf people” funny at all.
There are limits where it comes to comedy who uses “hate” messages and anyone who crossed that line is no longer comedy.
March 24th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Comment is deleted because it has nothing to do with the current topic and personal attacks are not permitted here.
Carly, get it through your head that the protest is over. It isn’t healthy to dwell on the past with so much anger and rage. Let it go and move on, just like we all did.
March 24th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
I do not agree with #16 and #22.
You miss a point. Majority is not the same as minority. A group of hearing people is categorised as majority whereas a group of deaf people’ is cagegorised as a minority.
March 26th, 2007 at 10:14 am
Neither Richards nor Gibson were joking when they made their remarks, therein lies the difference.
March 29th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
This isn’t something that should be taken lightly at all – because we already have “poor” views from the general hearing population who have no knowledge of the deaf people or deaf culture. It’s not like they’d laugh, but going, “OMG! I know!!!†or “I know…they talk funny or look weird!!!â€
It is not a laughing matter at all!
We have proficient black and successful leaders that just about everyone can recognize, but deaf?? They are not visible and known other than within us in the community.
I am all for freedom of speech – it’s a wonderful thing in this country, erm – I mean what’s really left of it. *sigh*
But that does not mean spewing something out of your mouth if you know the general population has no clue about the deaf people at all or the general attitude towards us is pity, paternalism, or audism. AND people DO think we lack mentality capabilities of functioning like a “normal†person!
Shame on her!!!
April 18th, 2007 at 2:06 am
nice photos of this blog
August 12th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
I dont understand why people are so thin skinned. This woman says things about different cultures and groups as a joke. I really dont understand why people are upset with this lady. How did any deaf people get offended by this because the last time I check deaf people could not hear what this lady was saying so they had no reason to get offended. The only people who got offended where the people that could hear. These people need to get a life and stop trying to ban someones different views whether they are a joke or not. I get offended everytime I turn on deaf comedy jam on BET because I think what all the black comedians are saying about white folks is racist because white comedians cant make jokes about blacks for fear of being sued. If I get offened I simply turn the channel and I suggest you do the same.
January 12th, 2008 at 2:51 am
Lisa is an amazing person with a lot of talent and your just too jealous to see it. So what if she makes fun of deaf people. She makes fun of everyone. Nobody is off limits. She’s just doing what she does best, being a comedian. If you can’t have a little sense of humor than I feel sorry for you. I’m gay and she makes a million crude jokes towards gay people. I don’t take offense to it. So just GET OVER IT!!!
May 16th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
People in general need to stop taking themselves soooo seriously …I completely agree with #36…..
It’s the people that pretend to treat everyone fairly and pretend to embrace diversity , and will be the first to say..:oh yeah I have black friends, when they don’t actually have one) that you actually have to watch out for…..read beneath the surface people!
I saw her in person and there were black and gay and jewish people in the front rows laughing their you know whats off, get over yourselves!