The unofficial online home for fans of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/...texas?lite

So, are we that PC that we can't make fun of politicians anymore? I wasn't the least bit offended that this clown made fun of Obama. Was it over the top? Maybe. Was it threatening? No.

It's time to step back, assess and let common sense, balance, and fairness play a larger role in our policies and our reactions to edgy situations. I'm glad that the congressman invited the clown to Texas.

There seems to be a lot of overreaction to racial "incidents" these days, inlcuding Oprah's Switzerland encounter.

On the contrary, I am disappointed by the entire mess. We as a society are too quick to disrespect people in authority. I understand poking fun at and making jokes of and about politicians (many are a joke themselves). There have been a lot of great jokes at the expense of presidents and other people in authority. But to sanction, at a professional sporting event, a clown running around with a broom up his arse mocking the president of the US crosses a line in my opinion. Even sadder that opposition politicians encourage this behavior.

My take away is, what lesson are we sending to our kids by condoning this type of public ridicule?

All for freedom of speech, but there needs to be some discretion applied by the general public.

Those are our rights too, we can't police bad taste. To cry race in an attempt to do so undermines the real issue.

My comment has nothing to do about race. More to do with respect.

You really should not try to legislate respect. Respect should be a civil issue, not a legal issue. While I am all for respect, we should not legislate against people's disrespect if that's how they choose to believe. My reaction, is not about his apparent disrespect toward the president, my reaction is about what I consider to be a violation of American principles and values toward freedom of speech.

OMG! For years we were inundated with Nixon "Tricky Dicky" masks, Ronald Regan and Bill Clinton masks. Getting a little touchy aren't we?

The media and their selective outrage. Is it any wonder papers like the Boston Globe are being sold for 10 cents on the dollar.

Heck, we even had a Broadway play on the assassination of George Bush while he was in office. Not only was the media not outraged, they actually reviewed it as if it were legitimate entertainment. It ran for 5 days.

(08-15-2013 02:55 PM)Chipdip2 Wrote:  The media and their selective outrage. Is it any wonder papers like the Boston Globe are being sold for 10 cents on the dollar.

Yeah, that's exactly it, champ.

(08-15-2013 04:52 PM)Charm City Bronco Wrote:  

(08-15-2013 02:55 PM)Chipdip2 Wrote:  The media and their selective outrage. Is it any wonder papers like the Boston Globe are being sold for 10 cents on the dollar.

Yeah, that's exactly it, champ.

True, sometimes they fail because the journalists are incompetent

Yeah, it was at a state fair which is tax payer funded hence the comments from state elected officials. The fact that the right is trying to make a hero out of a rodeo clown is just playing to their ever shrinking, election losing base. The "support" for the clown is far stupider than any initial knee jerk liberal outrage but as Dip consistently demonstrates these people are petty and quick to side with anything anti-obama.

Guess I am in the minority here, but that's ok.

The level of disrespect for the Office of President is disgusting, and it isn't all that new. When the candidates would rather disparage each other than put forth reasonable proposals, it is no wonder the lack of respect by the populace continues to grow. Pandering to the lowest intellect does have consequences.

Been happening since the 1800's guys. Nothing new.

That's true DB, but it gets a lot more press now. Sometimes things just hit you wrong, and that is how I perceived the clown.

Back to CD's comments, I never minded the term Tricky Dick, or when people were making fun of Clinton for not being able to keep his pants zipped. But I remember back in the 70's seeing Kissinger being portrayed as the ant-Christ. Hated that one too. The man was a great secretary of state in his day. He and Nixon helped move US foreign policy forward, during very trying times for our country. Yet certain groups wanted to make him out as a villain.

This is a free and open society, which allows each and any of us to make fun of our leaders, no matter how distasteful. I roared with laughter when I watched a scene from Harold and Kumar smoking a joint with George Bush. They portrayed Bush as a slacker druggie.

I found that portrayal of Bush as disrespectful towards Bush as the clown was toward Obama. If we're going to be a free and open society we're going have to accept some uncomfortable moments. If as a liberal learning American I gleefully laugh at Bush, I've got to be ok with poking fun at Obama.

By in large poking fun isn't the issue. The issue in this case its a tax payer funded event so probably a better idea to leave political comedy/ minstrel show routine out of it when it isn't a private event. Otherwise its a matter of taste and experience, some people are quick to take offense at what they perceive as race based mockery. I'm not one of them but then again I'm not as sensitive to those types of things as others. But when you do this at a taxpayer funded event its open to be interpreted by different people and groups with their own agendas. On the up side the clown can probably be a regular guest on Fox & Friends now. We might be looking at our next Joe the Plumber.

I know that some people have an irrational fear of clowns, but this is ridiculous.

The problem here exists with the east coast media elites.

Dana Perino (Bush's press sec.) who grew up in Wyoming and attended many rodeos explained it yesterday.

The rodeo clown is supposed to be a dummy, a stooge, much like a scarecrow, which is what the broom up the back represents. He is supposed to come to life when the bull is released. It is very common for the clown to wear a presidents mask.

Of course the east coast elite dopes in the press took it literally as a broom up his azz, and a white guy dressed in black face.

It reminds me of when NASCAR comes to New Hampshire, and the drivers appear with Matt Lauer. It's just really uncomfortable. Matt doesn't get them, and they have to talk slow so he doesn't come off like a dumb city slicker. The east coast elites are out of their element, and the drivers are out of theirs.

The dad in Duck Dynasty was in NYC last week to promote the start of their new season. The guy has a bachelors degree, was a high school science teacher, started at QB ahead of Terry Bradshaw at LA Tech, and runs a multi million dollar biz. He asked an employee of the hotel where he could find a bathroom. The employee took him to the front door and pointed him down the street. He jokingly called it a "facial incident" and didn't do an Ophra over it.

Point being, this was more about the elitist snobs not understanding the traditions of rodeos than it was their idiotic perceived racism that they are always fishing for.

Not really. It's about a taxpayer funded state fair hosting an exhibition that mocked the president and which got caught on tape prompting a bipartisan response from elected officials in Missouri and then the usual tit for tat on the ideological blogs. The reaction both for and against is partisan and ideological and thus cuts across class and geography. This is not an "elite media" story its a social media and blog driven story, hence the silly season.