Utah Free Press

What has happened to our sense of Humor?

By Richard Okelberry (Note: This essay was originally published at KVNU’s, For the People Blog.)  

The other night, my wife and I sat down and watched the Family Guy Almost Live Comedy Show.  At one point they did this little gag about deaf actress Marlee Matlin singing a pop song.  To be honest, my wife and I could not stop laughing.  When I went to look up the video on the web, I found a barrage of critics calling the bit insensitive towards the deaf.  (Marlee Matlin spoofs self on Family Guy’s ‘Almost Live’ special: Funny? – EW.com) Worse, it appears that Microsoft was equally offended and decided to pull it’s advertising after viewing this bit. 

 Is there something wrong with me or have we as a nation begun to lose our sense of humor in a cloud of political correctness?

I can only imagine what the critic would have thought of Eddy Murphy doing Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood on SNL or God forbid the widely popular antics of Archy Bunker back in the day as he talked about homosexuals.  As for me, I am going to keep laughing at ourselves.  In my opinion, these types of comedic routines do more for breaking down stereotypes then any amount of guilt driven political correctness.