DC In Atlanta

A friend recently told me the whole "sticks and stones" thing is wrong--calling someone names is very hurtful, worse than physical pain.  I told him I would send someone over to his house and he had a choice--the person could either berate him for an hour or stab him once, up to him.

Dave Chappelle has a new Netflix standup special called Sticks And Stones that was shot in Atlanta.  In it, he takes on what we used to call political correctness, but we now call life as we live it.  Among the targets are the #MeToo movement and the LBGTQ community.  He also gives his take on names in the news such as Louis C.K., Jussie Smollett and Michael Jackson.

I won't discuss how good the material is, though the audience certainly eats it up. I'm more interested in how Chappelle openly says things you're not supposed to say any more, things that might even destroy a career (especially if you're not well-established).

Predictably, he's received a torrent of criticism--just Google to find out--only proving his point.  While there are some thoughtful takes, most of it is simply about how it's wrong to make fun of certain people, or have certain attitudes.

I know it's no fun to be mocked, but it's also good to have the ability to laugh at yourself.  It's a sign of strength, not weakness.  I should add that, actually, about half of Chappelle's special is quite PC, with the proper attitudes and insults, but since the demand is for 100% fealty to the cause, no one seems to have noticed.

To those who want to shut him up, I can only say: you're in charge, act like it.  Be tolerant of your opponents, because some day you might not be in charge any more, and you'll want your opponents to be tolerant of you.  And if you think you're not in charge, then why is it you believe (with justification) that you can tell people what to say to begin with?