TheAgitator.com
I’m an Ass
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2004Commenter Mark Fulwiler writes in response to this post:
Radley, your comment was in really poor taste. The poor child’s condition is nothing to laugh at. She’s lost her teeth, is blind in one eye and could very well die someday because of her inability to feel pain. Shame on you!
He’s spot-on. Truth be told, I really only read the headline, and posted the smug comment without much thought (obviously). But even without reading the article, just a little forethought and common sense would suggest there are probably some pretty terrible circumstances that come with Gabby’s condition.
At any rate, it was a pretty thoughtless and schmucky post.
My regrets.
I’ve emailed the story’s reporter to see if there’s a fund to help out with Gabby’s medical bills . If so, I’ll donate, and post info on how you can, too.
Incidentally, after reading the article following your post, I was inspired to write a blog post of my own about it, which I decided to turn into a full article instead. The article will be published on TCS later this week.
But one of my worries was that I was using this story to make an ideological point, and it doesn’t feel quite right. I mentioned this apprehension in the article itself, and I hope it doesn’t offend anyone or hurt Gabby or her family in any way.
Classy response, Radley.
Yes, the fact that you responded and the way in which you did is what is lacking in politicians and authority figures all over the US. I think it’s called humility. God bless you.
When I read your column about Gabby I was shocked and felt that was a very cold thing to say. I’ve been following your writings for a little while now and I’ve really come to enjoy them, and agree with you quite often. After I read the full article about Gabby I was afraid I had misjudged you.
And then this morning I check your blog and see you have balls enough to admit you said a stupid thing, apologize and try to make up for it. I wish we had leaders like that. You have my respect.
I totally disagree.
You did not make fun of the poor little girl. Of course, we all feel badly for her. She and her parents are obviously going through hell. I have kids of my own and would be crushed if they were stricken by any disease. But, making fun of the disease is not something to be sorry about. How many leprosy jokes are there? How many cancer, heart attack, etc.
You made fun of the disease, not the little girl. Don’t feel bad. But, do find out about the fund. I’d donate to something like that.
“Chris Farley”, that’s like saying it’s not unkind to make fat jokes because your not making fun of fat person, just their fat.
… or that it’s ok to make momma jokes because you’re not making fun of the momma, just her… uhhhhh, mommaness. Ok, bad example.
I do think that fat jokes will still be acceptable for a couple of years.
Radley has the maturity to make amends for his inappropriate comment. Clearly, there are others here who have more growing up to do.
OK Radley, I like you again.
You are incorrect Chris.
For example, if someone posted, “Hey, when she’s older she can always give you a hand” with a link to a graphic & sad story of a child with leprosy I would think it was just as tasteless.
Or “Just think how many NEW people he meets!” with a link to a sad story of a real person with Alzheimers.
Understand the difference?
I don’t think Radley should be too hard on himself. He didn’t know the details of the girl’s situation, and has clarified this for people who would reasonably assume that he’d read the article he linked to.
But, I’m a little tired of people who are so quick to get offended at every opportunity. Some people seem to choose the worst possible intentions and motives of people telling jokes. We should be allowed to make fun of things without being considered indifferent to the plight of actual people experiencing problems.
I remember some funny tree jokes after the deaths of Michael Kennedy and Sonny Bono. I never thought that the tellers were happy about the deaths, or even insensitive. They are separate issues.
Some ideas are funny, even though there are often actual victims related to the idea. Why assume the joke implies that the teller doesn’t care about the victim’s problems?
Although, Tom’s examples are kinda funny, too.
Grow some balls.
Tom,
I don’t understand the difference. The article was linked to because of the disease, not the victim. I’m going to have to agree with Gil. I understand, Tom, that you don’t find this funny in the least. I’m sorry that you are offended, but you aren’t going to convince me I am wrong. I feel badly for the little girl and her parents, just like I felt badly that my grandmother had alzheimers, just like I felt badly when my father died from a heart attack or when my sister got breast cancer. But, I’m not going to be offended by jokes about heart attacks, alzheimers, breast cancer or any other strange disease - even if my family member’s story was linked. If Radley had specifically made fun of the girl, I’d be all over him. He meant nothing malicious towards the little girl, obviously. There is nothing to feel guilty about.
Kudos to Radley, Gil, and Chris. The rest sound like feel-good, liberal wimps.
What a bunch of real neat guys!
Hey, feel free to laugh your ass off at the next disfigured person you see on the street. If they take offense, you can always use that story that you aren’t laughing at them as a person; you’re laughing at their disfigurement. They’ll understand.
I have no doubt that some of you find diseases to be a barrel-of-laughs. The question is, what is the mental age of a person who is so tickled by other peoples’ personal tragedies? Fourteen, maybe?
Larry T,
Maybe an example would help:
Just because I might laugh at a joke about poor reading comprehension, doesn’t mean I’m laughing at you.
i found a few good things here, thx for the information