Being PC Sucks

February 22nd, 2010

While doing the interview with MediaPost about OF COURSE, Laurie Sullivan said something to the effect of, “You guys are just having a grand ol’ time, aren’t you?” The truth is…we are. We’re about to launch our first Web series on FoxSports.com. We’re about to launch the second year of the inspiring “aha moment” campaign. And then there’s the 530 Therapy Savings Plan.

Just for fun, we created this mock commercial – our first of many. (We need a name for this. It seems that everyone is making up names for crap these days. If a Web series can be called “transmedia,” we’ll call this mock commercial a “mockmercial.”) The premise was simple; parents are bombarded with messaging about 529 College Savings Plans. And, while that’s great, what parents really need to save for is the therapy that their kids will need later in life. We called it the 530 Therapy Savings Plan.

(Motherf*cker, the lede has been buried on this post. Geezus!)

Long story short (or longer if you’re bored already), our mockmercial contains the vaunted “f-word” in it (a few times). Prior to releasing it on the Interwebs and showing it to a few mommy bloggers, we had an internal discussion as to whether the video would be offensive because of the language. We went back and forth between what we were really trying to say and how badly we wanted people to watch it. Would more people watch it because of a bleeped out f-word? Would it be less offensive, potentially? Finally, we just put it out there as nature intended – f-words intact and in all their glory.

This was all on the heels of changing some other content in the piece that we thought might be deemed too offensive. Now that we’ve posted it for the world to see, it has dawned on us that it just sucks that such a conversation even happened.

And, all of THIS was on the heels of our Twitter “debate” with PGA Tour pro Bubba Watson. The guy told us that OF COURSE is terrible and that he’d never watch it because he’s Christian. Then, in typical, hypocritical fashion, he posted his own video, which showed him hitting a golf ball at a bird. Excuse me, but what’s worse, an animated, fictional program, or live video of a man hitting a golf ball at one of God’s creatures? At the time, we backed off really ripping him, as we didn’t want to offend any spiritual folks. It sucks that we did that. We should have ripped him then. So, we’ll do it here, but it has far less impact, as it’s out of context.

Our point is that people, in general, need to lighten up. People need to learn to laugh again. It used to be funny to talk of the PC Police, but we’re starting to think that such a thing actually exists. And, we’re running scared of them.

The fact is that not all content is for everybody. The fact is that some content is offensive to some. But, why do we all have to be so freakin’ sensitive to everyone? Why do we have to worry so much about offending some people? Isn’t that their problem? Can’t they just not watch? We’ve gotten to the point where showing an image of a dog pissing on a rug will warrant a press release from the National Carpet Manufacturers association denouncing the dog, the breed and the owner for desecrating the hard work of a fine craftsman. Check that…craftsperson. Would hate for the female carpet manufacturers to get upset and have to issue a second press release.

Look, there’s offensive and there’s OFFENSIVE (which is filled with spite and hate). We all know when someone is truly racist or is trying to be hurtful. That ain’t right. What happens when the PC Police go overboard, however, is that nobody is allowed to laugh any more. Sarah Palin starts going after Family Guy. Bubba Watson starts Tweeting. I had a friend once who LOVED South Park right up until it mocked Jews for the first time. It shouldn’t work that way.

What is this rant all about, anyway? Right. Back to Laurie Sullivan and MediaPost. We’re indeed having some fun. And, in doing so, we’re probably going to offend some people. Lighten up.