Poking fun at other people's beliefs, while it may seem frivolous and offensive, is a non-negotiable right. It is a principle that underpins free speech, the basis for progress.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I think to simply make fun of something isn't particularly interesting. I try to not just do a parody of something or belittle something or disparage something.
There's nothing more fun than making fun of what's sacred.
Eddie Murphy said once in an interview that nothing is offensive if it's funny. I sort of agree with that, but if something's funny and you're the subject of it, sometimes it's more offensive. If someone's insulting you, you want them to sound like an idiot.
It's not nice to make fun of people with issues.
The clear problem of the outlawing of insult is that too many things can be interpreted as such. Criticism, ridicule, sarcasm, merely stating an alternative point of view to the orthodoxy, can be interpreted as insult.
If you say, 'I don't want to offend anyone,' then don't get on stage. Just ask yourself, 'Do I think it is right? Do I think it is offensive? And do I think that everyone is okay to hear this? If I truly believe this, then I should go and do this.'
If a person says or does something that we consider offensive, our first obligation is to refuse to take offense and then communicate privately, honestly, and directly with that individual. Such an approach invites inspiration from the Holy Ghost and permits misperceptions to be clarified and true intent to be understood.
I enjoy upsetting the right people. I love poking fun at earnest censors. I want to push the bounds of what can be said on the Internet.
The idea of what's acceptable and what's shocking, that's where I investigate. I mean, you can't be on 'Top Gear,' where your only argument is that it's all just a joke and anyone who takes offence is an example of political correctness gone mad, and then not accept the counterbalance to that.
One of the problems with defending free speech is you often have to defend people that you find to be outrageous and unpleasant and disgusting.
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