Offending Offensive

Another off-color joke, another raucous outcry. And this time, Jesus was involved.\nWhen comedian Kathy Griffin won an Emmy for her reality TV show “My Life on the D-List,” she delivered the following acceptance speech: “A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus.” As she held up her statuette, she proclaimed, “Suck it, Jesus! This award is my God now.” The audience laughed; the chorus of offended critics did not.\nThe Catholic League: For Religious and Civil Rights condemned her speech as “obscene and blasphemous.” Catholic League President Bill Donohue dubbed her remarks a “vulgar, in-your-face brand of hate speech.” He compared it to Isaiah Washington’s “faggot,” Don Imus’ “Nappy-headed hos” and Michael Richards’ “nigger”-laced tirade – questionable comparisons in my opinion since these instances involve specific, personal attacks on individuals.\nLauren Green on FOXNews.com became the voice of “millions of Christians” with her criticism of the offensive language. Green went on to demonstrate why, in fact, “Jesus had everything to do with her winning that award.” In short, if Jesus hadn’t died, we wouldn’t have free speech in the United States, so Griffin should thank him. A fine example of fallacious reasoning, but that’s not the point today.\nGriffin was unrepentant: “I hope I offended some people,” she said. “Am I the only Catholic left with a sense of humor?” Don’t worry, Kathy – I thought it was funny social commentary.\nI find it more alarming when prideful people believe their chosen deity pulled strings on their behalves to help them win awards, emerge victorious in football games or bless their countries in war. The implication is that God didn’t smile as fondly on the losers or enemies.\nBut even more troubling is the quick strike to punish those we find “offensive” and to shut down further conversation. After comparing Griffin to recent offenders, Donohue said, “Every time a celebrity offends a segment of the population, he pays a price, in one way or another. The question now is whether Kathy Griffin will pay a similar price for her outburst.”\n“Pay the price?” Why such vengefulness? Personal offense should not mandate harsh punishment and discipline. Censorship and demands for blanket apologies will not get us very far. If we respond to “offensive remarks” with attacks that aim to cover-up and obliterate the original ideas, then we often end up deeply entrenched in narrow, warring factions. We miss learning opportunities that could help us think more deeply about our beliefs, our relationships and our world. We’d do better to stumble through these disagreements together rather than strike back and squash the offensive enemy.\nWe face a complex world with an endless amount of “offensive” material regarding race, spirituality, sexuality and so on. So be offended, but let’s choose positive ways to react and respond.\nAnd to those who go on the offensive when offended: Suck it.