Dr. Badmittens and the swelling glove

So last night I'm sitting in a family-style restaurant, eating my medium-rare beef sandwich and lobbing dreams and ambitions through the air with some old improv comedy chums of mine. As is usually the case when several comedians converse, the discussion eventually degenerated into a "riffing" session - one in which the only intent behind speaking is to say something really funny. It was through this conversation that I realized that my graduate education (coupled with my delicate liberal arts undergrad schooling) has rendered me easily shocked and embarrassed by politically-incorrect humor.

Can I take this moment to point out the troubling nature of the term "politically correct"? Correct? As opposed to incorrect? I can understand grammer as being a case of correct vs. incorrect, but as for opinions or hurtful words how can one's point of view be either correct or incorrect? Shouldn't we call biggoted language "politically undesirable"? Of course, that would be un-PC because it would be discrimination against the discriminators. But that's what political correctness is trying to do anyway. Although in my opinion, using "benign" terms to label a group of people is still labelling them and forcing them to be considered as separate from the whole of society. Politically correct language, therefore, aids in the segregation of our nation. Boo to that.

But I digress!

My point is that a lot of comedy nowadays is based on the delicate exploitation of sensitive subjects. I argue that those outside of academia are less likely to feel shocked and astounded by the racey things that comedians say. Maybe I've just been walled-up in my ivory tower too long to know what those outside of it think. Ba ba ba, who cares anyway?

Sometimes I want to be Peer Gynt.

Markre