Posted by ThatGrrl at internet.lexis-nexis.com on August 02, 2001 at 10:48:20:
In Reply to: Some bad, bad news concerning me and GLAAD posted by Kevin on July 31, 2001 at 17:52:15:
Good art is rarely understood by all. Satire is subtle. Not everyone "gets it." But the solution is not to ban all satire in the name of political correctness, for fear that some morons aren't savvy enough to recognize it when they see it. When the message, at its heart, is truly one about freedom and equality, people should back the heck off and see it for what it is. I'd hate to see what kind of drivel Hollywood would be confined to churning out if directors, producers and writers were forced to take into account only the limited intelligence of the lowest societal common denominator. I too think that, in the end, Seomin saw the references for what they were. I'm just sorry that what sounded like a very productive discussion between you and he has turned ugly in the public eye. Hope that GLAAD goes public with the full story. Don't let it get you down. Satire is tricky. But believe me, you were right to belive that the majority of the public CAN be trusted to get it. GLAAD's initial response is more of an indictment of the abilities and intelligence of the viewing public ("Hey, wait a minute. Didn't they just call me stupid?"), than of you. If you have been insulted, so have we. I'll be writing to GLAAD. You can bet on it.