Black and Jewish writers are often not shy about representing their people’s interests in the media. <\/p>\n
I have an Orthodox Jewish friend who writes and produces TV and he says he gets asked to approve jokes about Jews on a show to make sure they don’t go too far. <\/p>\n
From Deadline.com<\/a>:<\/p>\n Fox News was already on Stewart\u2019s case over the offensive impression. In response, Stewart was planning a segment entitled \u201ceverything I do is racist.\u201d When Cenac heard this, he raised his objection over the whole bit in an email to the Daily Show staff.<\/p>\n \u201cI was the one black writer there. It was this thing where it\u2019s like, when you\u2019re the one \u2014 whether you want to or not \u2014 you\u2019re speaking for everybody. I felt like I had to speak for all the minorities, because there\u2019s nobody speaking for them,\u201d Cenac told Maron.<\/p>\n When Cenac emphasized his reservations again during a writers meeting, Stewart blew his lid:<\/p>\n \u201cHe got incredibly defensive. I remember he was like, \u2018What are you trying to say? There\u2019s a tone in your voice.\u2019 I was like, \u2018There\u2019s no tone. It bothered me.\u2019 \u2026 And then he got upset. He stood up and he was just like, \u2018Fuck off. I\u2019m done with you.\u2019 And he just started screaming that to me, and he screamed it a few times. \u2026 \u2018Fuck off! I\u2019m done with you.\u2019 And he stormed out. I didn\u2019t know if I had been fired,\u201d remembered Cenac.<\/p>\n Following the incident, Cenac had an emotional breakdown.<\/p>\n Added Cenac, \u201cI represent my people, and I try to represent them the best that I can. I gotta be honest if something seems questionable, because if not, then I don\u2019t want to be in a position where I am being untrue not just to myself but to my culture, because that\u2019s exploitative.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n COMMENTS:<\/p>\n * Are we supposed to care about this overly sensitive \u2018writer\u2019? Ok, he\u2019s had his 15 minutes, now he can shut the f*** up. It must be horrible carrying the weight of the entire black community on your shoulders. As a black woman, dude, I don\u2019t need you to look out for me. Get a grip\u2026..and, a job that won\u2019t hurt your \u2018feelings\u2019.<\/p>\n * \u201cIn May 2014, Cenac sparked controversy during an appearance on This American Life by joking about the speech patterns of people with Down syndrome.\u201d<\/p>\n Guess it\u2019s okay to make fun of people who have trouble representing their group.<\/p>\n * Wow. Being a writer is still a job. Sounds like he is just over sensitive and mad because Jon wasn\u2019t his friend but his boss. Newsflash: being a writer is still a job and your not always friends with your boss.<\/p>\n * Toughen up cupcake.<\/p>\n * Cenac also had a run in with Norm MacDonald \u2013 another guy who is regarded as extremely nice. Maybe the problem lies with Cenac? Sounds like the guy is just walking around with a chip on his shoulder.<\/p>\n * Was Stewart\u2019s imitation of Cain accurate or not? When he imitates Southern white politicians with a broad Southern accent is that also offensive?<\/p>\n * So comedy is funny when it generalizes and lampoons groups other than your own? You get to dictate the place that comes from and join in the fun in that case. But, of course, not your group. Your group is off limits. The lesson here is that we now know why Wyatt Cenac is not funny. He doesn\u2019t understand comedy.<\/p>\n * How many time has Jon Stewart done accents of leaders and groups of people (jewish people included). I could seriously see the skit in question being done about G.W. Bush with an accent and no one bating a fucking eye.<\/p>\n * Cenac had the career opportunity of a lifetime and blew it. Now he hosts a standup comedy show, one night a week, in a hotel in Brooklyn, according to his own website. Stewart may be a difficult boss but who of us has not had to take s##t from one of those when we were trying to get ahead?<\/p>\n * After hearing about Cenac\u2019s own Down Syndrome voice joke, it\u2019s tough to look at his statement as anything but hypocrisy and an attempt at getting some publicity for himself off of Stewart\u2019s final run. Looking at the comments below, it\u2019s sad to see how sensitive the world has become\u2026 I guarantee: everyone who feels hurt, or thinks Stewart did something wrong with this bit, has also laughed at a joke at some point in their lives that would offend someone else somewhere in the world. Hypocrites \u2013 just like your pal, Cenac\u2026<\/p>\n * Stewart uses the same sort of identity politics against his enemies, but isn\u2019t man-enough to take it when it\u2019s dished out to him. Typical liberal hypocrite.<\/p>\n The P.C. crowd is eating itself, and it\u2019s kind of fun to watch.<\/p>\n * Wyatt said that he viewed Stewart as a father figure. This sounds more like an employee who wanted attention from someone they admired but were angry with because they didn\u2019t have the relationship they wanted. So any attention is good\u2026.even negative attention. Throughout the interview, Wyatt came off as a child. Hurt feelings, father issues, expectations of his employer. And he\u2019s no saint himself having made fun of people with Down\u2019s Syndrome by using a funny voice. And what shitty timing to ruin Jon\u2019s last two weeks. Wyatt Cenac is a child.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Black and Jewish writers are often not shy about representing their people’s interests in the media. I have an Orthodox Jewish friend who writes and produces TV and he says he gets asked to approve jokes about Jews on a … Continue reading