I keep hearing people say that we haven't come that far in terms of freedom of speech. Most recently I heard this in a preview for the new Lenny Bruce documentary. Then I finished listening to the latest Doug Stanhope album while wishing these whining idiots would read more and talk less.
They hold up as examples Tracy Morgan or Michael Richards getting in trouble for their speech. What trouble did these rich men get in? Did they lose a big TV contract? Did they hurt their chance of staring in a movie opposite Jennifer Anniston? That's why they apologize. They apologize because WE will use our freedom of speech to say that they're assholes and we don't want to buy what they're selling anymore.
Someone like Doug Stanhope, who chooses to say whatever the hell he wants, doesn't get to be on Good Morning America. Poor guy, he just travels all over the world performing for people who absolutely love him and he makes his living doing comedy rather than digging ditches in the smog and the sun. Mind you Doug isn't the one complaining. Neither is Kat Williams or Jim Jeffries. Its the apologizers, the Michael Richards and Tracy Morgans
who come out weepy eyed and oh so sincere and ready to enroll in sensitivity training so that they can continue to be on Network shows.
What blows my mind is that being in the top bracket of society, the absolute top bracket of SHOWBIZ society even, and having that threatened because we stop liking them, because we start thinking "Hey maybe this guy is a dick.", should be seen as comparable to being thrown in jail, having your shows shut down by cops, being framed and harassed. I go up onstage constantly and say shit that would've gotten Bruce locked up again and all it does to me is take away from the time I am supposed be spending getting my "TV Clean" 5 minutes ready. OH HOW OPPRESSED I AM! We've made no progress!