In the words of Stephen Fry- “I find that offensive, that phrase has no meaning, it has no purpose, it has no reason to be respected as a phrase.” I am offended by that. “Well, so fucking what?”
Offensive media, in certain contexts shouldn't be pulled because some people find it offensive. If it is in a context in which it is not taken to be a factual representation of an event or group then I think it's safe to say that it shouldn't matter what is being said. I understand being pissed off if the news portrays a group or event unjustly, then that's fair enough.
Like, what might be being said might be shit or unfunny, but who cares. With TV especially like if you don't like a programme and you find it offensive then there's this really cool new solution I figured out. Change the channel. Being offended by something on television is similar to somebody with nut allergies entering a peanut butter factory, they know there's a risk and if they start feeling repulsed by what's around them they can simply leave.
“I want to live in a liberal society with the right to free speech, but don't want to ever be offended again.” - Well then you're a fucking idiot.
Maybe I should try to understand this from a psychological perspective. Perhaps it's a narcissistic compulsion to demonstrate how much more thoughtful and sensitive you are than the ignorant ass who offended you? An earnest belief that a better world will only be reached after several thousand hours of angry dissent over absolutely every linguistic transgression ever made? A cathartic howl of vague personal unhappiness disguised as a campaign of improvement? Or maybe just something for them to do between bowel movements?
Some people feel obliged to immediately run around honking on about how offended they are, as though this is some kind of devastating eureka moment that absolutely must be shared with the rest of humanity. It isn't. Fuck off, please.
As Frankie Boyle (a comedian) once said, “I like offending idiots, I like being hated by morons. I like the idea that there is a line of people that are waiting to dance on my grave and if I get buried at sea they'll all fucking drown.”
Often I find that people get offended on behalf of other people, now I very much do appreciate people's empathy for others feelings so thanks for that. But unless you are made uncomfortable or angry by what is being displayed then you don't find it offensive. So being offended on somebody's behalf is quite ridiculous.
Maybe I have more faith in humanity than these people because I tend to believe that if for example a stereotype is being portrayed in a Hollywood film, that the majority of people won't go outside with a completely new perspective on the group that's being stereotyped... unless they're a bit ignorant, in which case I would feel bad for them and wish to educate them.
I don't think the majority of people with a brain stem left the cinema thinking, “well thanks to Aladdin I have a completely new and factual perspective on Arab people.” Even if that is the case and they later on that day they do make a stupid assumption, I would believe that somebody civil could argue back, correct them and move on.
Is this another shill for that Brickleberry show?
In all seriousness, it sort of depends on what you're referring to. On the end of whoever was offended, it's one thing if they want to censor it, but it's another if they're just firing back their opinion, which you can't really blame anyone for doing. If someone walks up to you and starts saying disgusting things about your mom, yes, the good, optimal reactions are to be tactful or walk away, but the instinctual reaction is to punch them in the face, which they either should have known or did. Entertainers can think whatever they want about themselves or their material, but their job revolves around their audience; one portion of the viewers can't tell the other what they can or can't enjoy, but it's not bad to represent those who think the material does everyone a disservice, throwing that into the ring for consideration.
From the other end, if you're crossing a line to create something "edgy," sure, go ahead if you really think you've got something (and are willing to risk making people want to hit you). But if you're being amoral, and only because you don't care, there's no reason for people to accept it. The worry with stereotypes isn't that they're going to somehow reeducate the population on what's PC; it's just a matter of respect. Movies and shows have a pretty wide circle of people for whom they set an example, and presenting ignorant disrespect based on race as acceptable plays against the standards people have worked towards since forever. Some things are either common decency or aren't.