- 31,32. 2,3,6,13. 36. 53. For those engineers out there already working on some algorithm to figure out the code, please stop, get a life. Okay, continue reading. Those numbers were for those of us who live off campus, and represent the basic necessities of life. HBO, ESPN 1 AND 2, the four major networks, Comedy Central and MTV. My name is Tal, and I am addicted to television. (This is going somewhere legit, I promise.)
TV has been at its best recently. Reality game shows are at their peak with Survivor All-Stars, MTV's Real World and the Challenges, American Idol and The Apprentice. (Some of you sick bastards even enjoy Average Joe.) We are halfway though the best season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Chapelle Show is back in full force, and Tony Soprano comes back in less than two weeks. Not to mention that with DVR (bootleg Tivo) I always have two new games of Jeopardy, today's Daily Show, a Family Guy and a Southpark in the bullpen. Life is good. (Before I get all serious, for those of you who liked the movie American Beauty, try Six Feet Under. TRUST ME.)
In case you don't know these shows, or somehow don't find them funny, let me give you a taste of what's popular with the kids these days. On the latest Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry mistakes a black man in a suit waiting outside a restaurant for a Valet. In the "Racial Draft" on Chapelle's Show, the Asians took the Wu Tang Clan. The boys from South Park are the originators of this type of humor (taking the Simpsons two steps over the line), this past season informing us that due to illegal music downloading, Lars Ulrich cannot afford his gold plated shark tank until next month, and Master P's son won't be getting that island he has always wanted for Christmas. And then there is Family Guy.
I would be doing it a disservice by trying to describe the show in a mere sentence or two. But here's a shot. There is a "Family Guy" episode, "When you Wish Upon a Weinstein" which was once considered by FOX too "edgy" to air. Apparently a father wishing his son could "be the Jewish" and thus smart and successful is much worse than Midget Bachelor. Nothing is sacred on the show. What most people don't know is that The Family Guy episodes were the #1 selling TV-to-DVD series of 2003. That's more than Alias, my precious 24 and the Sopranos. You want to know why? Because people find it extremely funny. Does that mean racism and prejudice is rampant among owners of DVD players? No. It means they can take a joke.
These shows are funny because they say things we all know shouldn't be said. My best friend from home has given this type of humor a name: Subversive Stupidity. I don't know if it's a perfect fit, but it definitely sounds good. Basically, we laugh because we know we shouldn't be. People get very very VERY heated over the N-Word, but when Larry David refers to Krazee Eye Killa as "My Caucasian", how many of us ever thought that was offensive? These shows shake the very essence of political correctness. This type of mentality is all around us. Hell, even the all-wise Coach K makes fun of his Polish background.
Right now, you all are thinking, "cop out column." Not a chance. What I'm getting at is that at this point we all have a pretty good idea of what can be said in what settings, and what words or phrases you use only in the company of those you feel most comfortable with. So when Matt Sullivan compared Luol Deng's arms to those of a monkey, how can any of you truly think he had any ill will towards Luol? Writing for The Chronicle is not writing for the New York Times. We do not get paid. We do not get credit. The story appeared on the front cover, so Sullivan obviously has proven himself to be serious about this journalism thing. Ask yourselves this: Would a Duke student take time out of his busy Duke schedule to write about the men's basketball team (predominantly African American) for two years, just to use his position to issue racist statements? Does that sound logical to any of you?
And why is it offensive? I understand the human/animal aspect, but it could be much worse than having your arms compared to those of an orangutan. A few months ago Duke couldn't wait to brag about how it had a monkey that could control a robotic arm. Hell, if a monkey can go to space and come back, he's chill by me. And, if you compare the purely physical characteristics of the arms of any 6'-8'' 220 pound 19 year old, black or white, with those of most primates, I don't think it's such a stretch. I've said worse things about people in my column, and no one's asked for my resignation (yet). No, I would not have chosen Sullivan's wording, but mistakes have been admitted, so lets let the kid live. No one read that article and suddenly thought, African Americans climb trees and hang by their tales.
Offensive, maybe, but definitely not racist. And even if you still think it is, where is the up-roar when they play White Men Can't Jump on television. How many of you mind that Israel is constantly bashed in The Chronicle? Why does no one ask for heads to roll when a white kid gets beat out of a spot in a University simply because of the color of his skin? (And yes, I am ranting.)
We let Billy Packer come into Cameron without even a mention of how he once described Allen Iverson as a "Tough Monkey." Firing Sullivan, or even the editor (who deserves any blame) over a questionable simile would be making all the wrong statements. It would declare that we in the Duke Community aren't diverse, have no chance of becoming diverse, and most likely don't want to become diverse if we cannot forgive one of our own for a simple slip-up.
How 'bout instead of the rest of us feeling outraged, let's ask Luol what he thinks. Does he even care? He's been through war. Sticks and stones can break his bones, but words will never harm him.
Tal Hirshberg is a Trinity senior. His column appears every other Tuesday. His opinions do not represent those of The Chronicle and its staff.
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