Monday 11 February 2013

Are My Funny T-Shirts Too Offensive For Normal People?

By Nicholas Ladd


Look what came in the mail today! Your super-awesome set of funny t-shirts that you've ordered from the Internet just showed up and you couldn't be more excited! There is nothing you can't do! You are King of your Domain, and you will march forth into the wilderness to conquer all with the hilarity of your funny t-shirts! You decide that the ground of your first comedy conquest will be at the vegetable stand of your local Farmer's Market, because you are in dire need of fresh veggies for the stew you are making later that evening.

You no sooner walk up to the farmer's stand and notice that the booth attendant is reading your shirt. You smile broadly, getting ready to accept your due admirations for your excellent choice of t-shirt. Instead, you find yourself getting yelled at. Oh no! The woman at the booth thinks your shirt is offensive! She's mad and refuses to sell you her delicious wares! You leave in hurt confusion, your recipe is ruined, and no one likes your funny t-shirts. What happened?

The problem lies with a generational gap the size of the Grand Canyon. You grew up nursing from the Internet like a calf from an udder. You have learned much of what you know from things you saw on the Web. The older generations only know of the Internet as a place to check your bank account. Think of all the terrible, profane things you've seen on the Web. Don't you think that may have blurred the lines of what is offensive and what is not within your own mind? The word "jaded" does not even begin to touch upon how you view funny t-shirts. You don't even know what "offensive" means any longer.

There are just a few things you have to remember in order to avoid wearing one of your funny t-shirts in a place where people may find it offensive. Look very, very closely at your new funny t-shirts. Try to put yourself in the shoes of a stranger in order to judge these shirts as appropriate. If I were a devout Christian or Muslim, would my shirt upset me? If I were a young woman who had undergone the difficulties of an abortion, would I find my t-shirt hard to look at? See how that works? Just try to think about the feelings of others.

The real bad thing about all of this is the lack of freedom we have in a country that is founded on free speech. Political Correctness has eroded away our ability to say whatever we want, and that's a real shame. When people are afraid to speak their mind because someone else might get offended, then we've only succeeded in silencing new ideas. So what is worse, a generation that doesn't care about being offended or a generation that imposes its will on others?




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment