A lot of people are disturbed by comedienne Michelle Wolf’s speech at the White House Press Corps Dinner. I didn’t watch the speech, but I’ve read the entire transcript. Frankly, I found it mostly boring. She had a few funny zingers. She made one salient point that stepped on every toe in the room. However, most of her speech was a rehashing of the same tired critiques played endlessly on any one of a number of twenty-four-hour news shows.
Nothing New
In terms of her comedic attacks on the Washington politicos and those in the media, I didn’t find her work to be any different from those who have come before her. Her approach was predictable and she hit both sides of the aisle. Of course, the current administration got the worst of it – but that’s always the case. I don’t think she was nearly as funny as past performers Leno, Kimmel, or Colbert, but that’s probably more a reflection of my particular tastes.
In terms of her attacks on Trump, Pence, and Huckabee – it was typical stuff – crude, hard-hitting, with a touch of mean. If she was crueler than most, it was a matter of shades of a degree. I don’t care much for this type of humor, but if the politicians can’t take it they probably need to find another line of work.
Beyond the Pale
There is, however, one place where Wolf went over the line. I’ll quote it straight from the transcript:
Mike Pence is very anti-choice. He thinks abortion is murder, which, first of all, don’t knock it till you try it. And when you do try it, really knock it. You know, you’ve got to get that baby out of there.
And yeah, sure, you can groan all you want. I know a lot of you are very anti-abortion, you know unless it’s the one you got from your secret mistress. It’s fun how values can waver, but good for you.”
It’s not her attack on Mike Pence that bothers me. He’s a big boy; he can take it. It’s her attack on innocent babies that I find cruel, soulless, and the opposite of funny — tragic.
I get that Wolf doesn’t agree with my view of abortion. Interestingly, some of her sharpest critics have been pro-choice advocates who feel that abortion is no joking matter.
I don’t mind her taking shots at my view. And I understand that she was attacking the hypocrisy of some who “knock” abortion.
A healthy debate about abortion is a good thing. However, joking about abortion is as horrific and inexcusable as joking about the Holocaust.
Whether you are pro-choice or pro-life, you must recognize the horrible violation of making light of such a heavy and tragic subject.
The Tragedy of Joking About Abortion
What is terribly detrimental about her attempts at humor (and the only reason I am blogging about it) is that her rhetoric dehumanizes the issue, and then attempts to justify the violence of abortion with a tired diversion (i.e., some who are anti-abortion have forced their mistresses to abort their babies — as if that makes all abortions okay. Obviously, it doesn’t).
In other words, the main reason joking about abortion is inexcusable is that it trivializes something that is arguably the greatest tragedy in American history (if not all of human history).
- It is estimated that 6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust.
- It is estimated that 2 million were killed in the Cambodian genocide of Pol Pot.
- It is estimated that 200,000 died in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
- It is estimated that 50 million died in World War II.
- There have been more than 60 million abortions in America since Roe v. Wade.
Few comedians would ever make jokes about the first four cases. Why is it okay to joke about the last one?
If Ms. Wolf wants to make a joke about hypocrisy, why not choose the hypocrisy of those who would fight for the life of helpless baby whales (which I think is a good thing), but turn a blind eye to the right to life of helpless baby human beings?
That’s a hypocrisy worth pondering.
