Politically Correct: Speak No Evil… Not Even at TED

Do you think we’ve gone just a wee bit too far with our insistence on politically correct speech?

I value respect and kindness. The well-defined social rules of engagement provide structure and everyone “knows how to behave.” Admittedly, a thoughtful choice of words can smote the flames of a heated argument. A series of thoughtful word choices will raise a tolerant child.

And I’m all for “growth throughout our lives.” Here at the official start of middle age, I can reflect on a statistically significant number of previous years of life and say with certainty, there is a longer time span between that which runs through my head and that which gallops out of my mouth.

Verbal Elitism

I don’t know whether this has made me a “better” person. I do know time has made me more comfortable in my own head such that I am able to control my immediate urge to tell someone to find the shortest road to Hades and get on it.

And I admit to an intellectual need to rise above those most common of words that anyone could use. It isn’t that I won’t say “F#ck”; I will when it is the best word for the conversation. But anyone can use that word. In most cases, I believe I have the metal ability to search my cognitive thesaurus for something less common or even more colorful. Call me an elitist.

But even middle age, my verbal elitism and my idealistic, pollyanna outlook on life won’t stop me from calling a spade a spade, a fig a fig or a trough a trough.

And that is where the politically correct and I part ways.

We are NOT All the Same

Our views, opinions and outlooks on life may differ. Our experiences in life are different. Our passions vary. And while I prefer to teach and practice tolerance, my words or the words of others do not always reflect this value. Nor should they.

Anger flowing from the mouth is better than anger flowing through fists.

People do get angry. They argue, fight and agitate for change and they sometimes do so in less than nice ways.

Political Correctness a Form of Intolerance

With good intention, proponents of “correct-speak” have whitewashed conversations both public and private. Some people on this planet are just downright rude at times. We strive for logic and control on top of an emotional form-factor. And we insist other people push their words through a filter so we don’t have to hear them then make a choice to get up and walk away from that which we won’t tolerate! (Better they control themselves, than we control ourselves!)

True, some people make a life of being rude and hateful.

But insisting, at all times, everyone speak to us in the same kind way or insisting, at all times, certain opinions (as uneducated as they may be) or words not be spoken thwarts conversation and understanding. And it removes from view an aspect of another’s personality that having an awareness of may help our own growth and understanding.

Political Correctness and Comedy

And now to the heart of the matter… Apparently the curator/organizer of TED trashed the politically-incorrect Sarah Silverman for her politically-incorrect comedy that he arranged. You can read how TED organizer Chris Anderson trashed Sarah Silverman for her political incorrectness on TechCrunch.

There’s a lesson here for all of us – even Chris Anderson – who is not evil-incarnate, but simply suffering from the temporary condition known as foot-in-mouth disease. I’ve had it and I can attest to the fact that it does goes away.

Well, maybe not so temporary this time since he let his gaff fly on Twitter. Oops.

Demanding political-correctness in comedy is absurd. Comedy is the relief valve of life. It’s hallowed ground where each of us is able to throw off the chains of political correctness and laugh our asses off at ourselves and others.

But no Twitter gaff goes unpunished. Sarah Silverman had to jump in with her less-than-funny limbic response pulling Steve Case’s emotional form-factor into the fray as The TED v. Sarah Silverman Fight Turns Really Retarded.

Suddenly I’m reminded of Rodney King’s words…

People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?