8 ms·
Sarah Silverman is brilliant
I so wish I could have seen this talk @ TED.
- dantheman 17y agoWas this a joke or did someone earnestly write this: http://twitter.com/gaberivera/status/8976199410 http://twitter.com/gaberivera/status/8976199410 I find Sarah Silverman to be hilarious.
- barredo 17y agoFrom it's Twitter Bio "Sometimes I say what I mean. Sometimes I say the opposite." — That's a good alibi.
- adamhowell 17y agoGabe is the founder of Techmeme and, from what I've read of his, both heavy on the sarcasm and a little anti-Valley. I'm sure that was how this was intended.
- barredo 17y agoIt's very interesting. It reminds me that here in Spain, we use 'f-words' constantly. We say "negro" (black) to our black friends and is nothing bad. Why would I say the ultra-political-correct "african" or "afroamerican"? Same with gay, homosexual, etc. Doesn't mean anything bad. I'm quite surprised with all the videoclips/songs, tv shows and videogames that avoid f-words or are edited (with noises). People sometimes want to harm with words, words themselves mean nothing.
- gcheong 17y agoReminds me of this: http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/2008/09/12/louis-ck-hates-the-n-word/ http://ccinsider.comedycentral.com/2008/09/12/louis-ck-hates... As far as censorship goes, look what we can do now thanks to years of bleeping and blurring: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8Vh9_Hi1kY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8Vh9_Hi1kY
- philwelch 17y agoAnd then there's this old classic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXFz7vqbk1o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXFz7vqbk1o
- qeorge 17y agoI end up having an if-by-whiskey argument with myself about this, especially regarding the "n-word." If by saying the n-word casually, you mean removing the hatred and power behind a word which has divided our people for centuries by giving it a new and friendly connotation, then of course I am for it. If by saying the n-word casually, you mean flippantly dismissing decades of institutionalized enslavement and murder, and a constant reminder that for all our progress we are still very much two nations, then I despise it. Its clear to me though that the n-word still causes a great deal of pain to many of my brothers and sisters, and I want no part of that. So even though I hope that someday the n-word will lose this meaning, you're not going to hear it coming out of my mouth.
- axod 17y agoI don't think being offended by any word is rational. Be offended by actions and events. The list of outlawed words is growing by the day which is just ridiculous. Nigger is used in rap music all the time. You'd hear it come out of my mouth: 1. If singing along to R&B Rap etc 2. If quoting some comedy or trying to be funny Certainly wouldn't use it in an aggressive/hateful way, and that's what you have to always bear in mind - context.
- philwelch 17y agoWatch out. White people saying the word "nigger" because they're trying to be funny end up being this guy: http://www.tmz.com/2006/11/20/kramers-racist-tirade-caught-on-tape/ http://www.tmz.com/2006/11/20/kramers-racist-tirade-caught-o...
- poppysan 17y agoI am offended at people using it even on this board. Yes, I am a rational person and words shouldn't affect me, but the fact of the matter is that there are deep seeded emotions behind the usage. Whats so wrong with saying n-word when referring to it?
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- jff 17y agoIn the US, "negro" was once the accepted term; you'll hear it in old TV and radio or in literature, and all in the same tone as one might say "caucasian" or "asian". Eventually, we decided it wasn't so great and switched to "black". When you, in Spain, say "negro", it's the equivalent of us saying "black". I don't think any of us say "afroamerican", but we do use "African American" even when the person in question is not American--it's kind of silly. And yes, we say f*ck (censored because I don't remember the HN rules) constantly here too, but that's generally in a specific context: working on something with friends, out with other college students, etc. My friends and I, and most people I know, tend to not swear much around our elders or children; it's censored on TV because the audience is much wider than the couple friends you're hanging out with.
- philwelch 17y agoSpain is a bit further down the euphemism treadmill than we are--calling black people "negros" (btw, in America calling them "black" is acceptable) is okay because the actual racists still go to soccer matches and make monkey noises and throw bananas on the field whenever an African player has the ball[1]. In America, racism is taboo and that kind of nonsense will get you kicked out of the stadium (plus it makes no sense to heckle the majority of the athletes), so the actual racists can only act a little coy, forcing the rest of us to be extra polite, just so we don't seem racist. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Etoo#Racism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Etoo#Racism
- narag 17y agobarredo, I'm very surprised you say this. I don't use to watch TV, but every time I do, I find the politicians are noticeably more politically correct in their language than the previous time: "subsaharianos", "ciudadanos y ciudadanas" (even if Spanish, unlike English, doesn't ask for this kind of distinction), "discapacidad", "etnia"... IOW se la cogen con papel de fumar :-)
- pistoriusp 17y agoI wish I could see her performance for myself, as I find her hilarious, but the description of Sarah's performance made me cringe. Not because of the word "retarded," but because she said she would adopt a terminally ill person. I struggle to see how she could make light of something like that...
- ErrantX 17y agoI think it was actually a really good. It was pushing poltically correct ideas to the extreme. Comics like this are meant to shock and disgust us with what they say if nothing else to throw our own thoughts into perspective.
- gojomo 17y agoShe makes light of everything. The things that make you cringe are her favorite topics. You can get a sense from her movie, 'Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic', or Comedy Central TV series, 'The Sarah Silverman Program'. If TED organizers didn't expect as much, their planning was performed in an intellectually-disabled manner. (Is that phrasing R-Word-campaign-approved?)
- Devilboy 17y agoTED has special needs
- retro 17y agoThe claim about Sarah Silverman's 'brilliance' seems to be this: "Saying the word 'retarded' can only have extreme negative power if you let it and Sarah Silverman is brave, because she got on stage in front of some global minds and dropped it over and over and over." To call Sarah Silverman 'brave' for repeating this naughty word in front of a TED audience really is retarded. If this is what it means to be a subversive comedian in 2010, Richard Pryor must be turning in his grave.
- grandalf 17y agoWhat's subversive about it is that if she'd not used the word "retarded" her routine would not have had impact. There is a sense in which PC language suppresses the real struggle that comes with difficult social issues, sterilizes them for us, and makes them into abstract problems that everyone can claim to care about but do nothing about. Silverman's insight was that by breaking out of the PC mold she was able to shine the spotlight on a difficult social issue. Is it the highest level of subversive comedy? Probably not, but it's certainly a courageous form of activism.
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- shib71 17y agoYou have simultaneously missed the point of the article and demonstrated it. From the descriptions, there is no question that Sarah used the word 'retard' in the technically correct context, and NOT as a derogatory term. Sarah's brand of humour is based on shock and blatant unabashed selfishness. It clearly shows the difference between using a 'politically incorrect' word a few times and being genuinely offensive. Using the word 'retard' as an insult (the way you just did) doesn't just insult the person being referred to - it implies that people who are actually retarded have something to be ashamed of. I understand why the audience may have been outraged by the jokes (i.e. adopting a vulnerable child for self-aggrandisement). YOU have also managed to be offensive.
- dwwoelfel 17y agoMaking fun of mentally retarded people isn't funny. They are victims of circumstance, and its sad that they'll never be productive, self-supporting individuals. Making fun of people like Sarah Palin, who believe that they are virtuous because they choose to bring mentally retarded people into this world, is funny. In this case, the comedian attacks a cruel ideology that puts pain and suffering on a pedestal. Sarah Silverman should have made it more clear who she was making fun of. Her audience was uncomfortable because they thought that she was making fun of retarded people.
- dwwoelfel 17y agoTo anyone who down-voted, I'm curious to know why. There have been at least 5 down-votes, but no replies.
- fnid2 17y agoMy guess, no one thinks she was making fun of retarded people and everyone knows she was making fun of Sarah Palin and her campaign to neuter the english language.
- dwwoelfel 17y agoI think that she was making fun of both people like Sarah Palin and retarded people. See this quote: "The only problem with adopting a retarded child is that the retarded child, when you are 80 is well, still retarded"
- skybrian 17y agoHow is that making fun of anyone? It's true, and people who actually take care of retarded children and adults have to come to terms with it. Who's going to take care of them when you can't anymore? The shock comes from finding selfishness in something that isn't selfish at all. How many people would volunteer to take care of retarded children they don't know for even a day?
- gojomo 17y agoAn interesting question is: will the TED video of Silverman's talk be made equally available as other talks? There's a spectrum of things the organizers might do to try to distance themselves. Most extreme would be to not put Silverman's video up at all, or bleep it. Milder options would be hiding her talk from indexes, demoting it in search results, or wrapping it in disclaimers. (I hope they treat her talk exactly the same as every other TED talk, but they may not be able to resist the strong social pressure to show 'sensitivity' and thus shun Silverman at some level.)
- __david__ 17y agoWell I read an interview with the founder guy and he indicated that only 66%-75% of the talks ever make to videos on the site. Given that 25% to 33% of talks never make it up then even if Silverman's doesn't appear it's not necessarily been "singled out" or treated specially.
- amohr 17y agoGiven the amount of press around this particular talk, I'd say it's too late to claim that it's not being singled out. But there is a delay, and they might be able to give it a soft veto if all this blows over.
- faryl 17y agoI seem to remember a talk about Abu Ghraib where the TED folks tagged a warning about the disturbing nature of some of the photos to the beginning of the video. I think they also censored the more disturbing photos (omitting them completely). I'd hope, at a minimum, they post a bleeped version! People are going to be asking to see it after all the attention it's received. Plus it sounds like a number of folks gave her a standing ovation - so it's not exactly like it was a complete disgrace. Kind of bad enough for Chris Anderson to slam an invited speaker so publicly - hopefully TED doesn't act petty about it. TEDtalks are licensed under Creative Commons. Anyone know if speakers have the right to obtain a copy of their individual talks to share, even if they don't make the site?
- antidaily 17y agoWhile I agree with the headline, the word "brilliant" isn't used in the article.
- jonmc12 17y agoBest line in article: "The world needs to take many things seriously and many things less seriously. The world needs to get its sense of humor back. It needs to allow people to express themselves without feeling the overwhelming pressures of society bearing down and being a social pariah."
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- psawaya 17y agoIt doesn't matter if you're a fundamentalist Christian or a liberal progressive, the temptation to take something at face value and act morally superior is stronger than the one to interpret the intent behind what's being said.
- jcmhn 17y agoNow I'm just plain confused. I had finally figured out that the tooth fairy, bigfoot, jimmy carter, and women with a genuine sense of humor were all just made up by my parents. And now you tell me that at least some of them are real?
- protomyth 17y agoSeason 1 - Episode 4 of Dinner for Five has Sarah Silverman as one of the guests. One of the "segments" has a discussion of a similar incident with Sarah Silverman and another word. Kevin Pollak and Ron Livingston's commentary is pretty interesting.
- callmeed 17y agoPersonally, I can't really stand Silverman. She seems like more of a "female shock jock" than a "brilliant comedian" to me. Maybe I don't know enough about her, but I really have to wonder: (a) why was she even invited to TED to speak? and (b) what on earth did people think she was going to talk about–world hunger and infant mortality? Furthermore, was Silverman really making a statement about political correctness and free speech–or was she just going after Palin? On the actual issue, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, it bothers me when kids use "retarded" or "gay" or "fag" as an insult. On the other hand, everyone is way too sensitive about language and being a victim any time someone else says something careless.
- nfnaaron 17y ago"everyone is way too sensitive about language and being a victim any time someone else says something careless." I'm still thinking in my own mind about the other points you raised, but +1 for exactly this. Kids (and sometimes adults) should be taught or reminded that it's careless and insulting to use words like "retarded" and "gay" and "fag" in a careless or insulting way. It's a matter of good manners, not a March on Washington.
- amohr 17y agoExactly, it's not whether or not a word is universally hurtful, it's just that some words are only acceptable when you are talking to an audience you're comfortable with. I have close friends to whom I can say pretty much anything - that doesn't make everything I say to them ok to say at christmas dinner. I can call my friend a 'retard' (I don't, as a result of habit/upbringing) but I had a professor once who had a daughter with CP. I would never DARE say that word in his classroom (or any other, really) not just because of the offense it would cause, but because it has no place in a scholarly discussion. Know your audience - trying to make a splash by saying something crass or unnerving just to watch people squirm is a fun game and it has it's place - but that's not really what the TED stage is for. Granted, I'm not qualified to make that distinction, but I think Chris Anderson (if anyone) probably is. The tone at TED is generally challenging, but tempered with a good dose of respect, which Sarah notoriously lacks.
- gridspy 17y agoAmazing comment from original post (BenT): " Oh for pete’s sake it’s Sara Silverman! She’s a shock and insult comic! WTF did they expect!? Had they never seen a show of hers? "Oh my god I bought this grenade pulled out the pin and it totally blew up my house! This grenade sucks!" "
- fexl 17y agoretard, v. To slow the progress of; impede or delay retarded, adj. Slow or backward in mental or emotional development Those sound innocuous enough to me, but "challenged" is the vogue and should be safe for 20 years or so.
- sgoranson 17y agoIMO, Silverman had less of a chance of getting away with this at a TED talk because she's really not that clever. Her schtick is: cute innocent jewish girl + naughty words = hilarity. I cringed when the article compared her use of the word 'retard' to Colbert's routine where he calls Palin a 'fucking retard'. Here's the difference: Colbert spent about 10 minutes building up to the slur. The political allusions, the searing sarcasm, and the final shockingly unsubtle slur was brilliant. And made me cry from laughing. Silverman, OTOH, has reached the level of humor that I got bored with in 7th grade. If her routine actually had some intelligence to it, she probably could have gotten away with much worse.
- leftnode 17y agoEveryone needs to lighten up. I like Sarah, I think part of her standup is funny. The joke isn't that she's using the word retarded, the joke is the utter ridiculousness of her approaching an adoption agency and saying, "please give me your most retarded baby, but I also want them to be terminally ill." Maybe I'm insensitive or too immature, but that makes me laugh like crazy. Just imaging the look on the adoption agency person's face is hilarious. Here's a similar clip of Evil Dave Letterman from the Howard Stern show calling an adoption agency asking for a black kid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXrhI2q-EeI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXrhI2q-EeI
- rogermugs 17y agodisagree. words have power, and that aint going anywhere.
- joe-mccann 17y agoThere are essentially two types of comedians: "intelligent humor" and "dick and fart jokes". Silverman falls into the latter; Bill Hicks in the former...
- covercash 17y agoBased on the reaction Sarah Silverman got, I'm pretty sure the TED audience would have lynched Bill Hicks.
- scythe 17y ago>It pisses me off to no end that I can’t use that word out of fear for my own life This is easily the most offensive sentence in the article. Black people are not mythical stabby monsters.