November 22, 2006
RICHARDS, GIBSON AND JILLETTE
Catholic League president Bill Donohue issued the following remarks today on the reaction to Michael Richards’ racial outburst:
“Michael Richards gets interrupted by hecklers, unleashes a racist tirade, gets blasted by the cultural elite and apologizes. Mel Gibson gets drunk, unleashes an anti-Semitic tirade, gets blasted by the cultural elite and apologizes. Penn Jillette, without any provocation, unleashes an anti-Catholic tirade, gets a free pass from the cultural elite and never apologizes.
“Because the cultural elite did not blast Jillette, it is worth remembering what he said on his CBS radio show on April 5, 2006. He said that Mother Teresa ‘had this weird kink that I think was sexual,’ compared her to Charles Manson, and commented that she ‘got her [sexual] kicks watching people suffer and die.’ This was not the first time he attacked the beloved nun: last year, on Jillette’s Showtime TV show, he branded her ‘Mother F---ing Teresa’ and called her fellow sisters ‘f---ing c----.’ When I complained to Sumner Redstone, chairman of Viacom (which owns Showtime, as well as CBS), he wrote a letter defending Jillette’s ‘artistic freedom.’
“In other words, racism and anti-Semitism are unacceptable, even when expressed in frustration or when inebriated, but anti-Catholicism is okay, even when expressed repeatedly and done intentionally. The problem here is not with Richards, Gibson or Jillette—the problem is with all the phonies who claim to be horrified by bigotry.”
4 comments:
Just a quick point of logic. Racism (and antisemitism which is just another form of racism), is hatred directed towards a group of people who cannot avoid membership. So there is a certain unfairness in attacking them. However you can stop being a Catholic anytime.
Also of note. Penn was not attacking Mother Teresa because she was Catholic. It was what she did with her time and the money she was given that he takes (strong) exception to.
:-Dan
You seem to be missing the point of what the Catholic League is saying. Jillette launched an unprovoked attack against Mother Teresa, one of the most highly regarded Catholics in modern times and he used his show as a venue for entertainment by speaking vile things against Mother Teresa and the MOC sisters. He did this not because they used their time and money to help the least of our brothers and sisters as you allege, but because they were Roman Catholic nuns. Does it make any sense to that in order to stop these attacks on them, the sisters should just stop being Catholic?
You can rationalize these examples but it is quite clear that it was just another attack on the Catholic Church.
Esther, the Catholic League president is right on. It seems that everyone gets a free pass to make fun of Catholics, even saying blasphemous statements about our beloved Mother Teresa. And yet it's NOT OKAY (and shouldn't be) to make derogatory statements against other groups.
There IS a double standard. It brings to mind your son's blog's posts on Defending the Faith.
Logic seems to be failing. Let me try again. I support your being upset with Penn for attacking someone you care about and think was doing good in the world. I just don't agree that there is a double standard. Penn's comments were not comparable to racism. He was attacking her as a person, not as a catholic, or even because she was catholic. THERE IS NO DOUBLE STANDARD.
I think you should engage Penn on this issue and not just complain about double standards. He is usually on live 866-570-PENN 2-3pm EST (sometimes he is too busy talkign to take calls, nothing personal) or you can e-mail him at PennRadio@gmail.com. I have never heard anyone more polite towards people he disagrees with.
:-Dan
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