If you can’t make a silly joke on Twitter, that on-line jungle of the trivial, incoherent, moronic, witty and self-promotional 140 word blurb, where can you make it? Designer Kenneth Cold sent out a tongue-in-cheek bit of satirical self-promotion, tweeting:
“Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at http://bit.ly/KCairo -KC.”
Horrors. The Twitter community descended on Cole like he was the Devil incarnate, accusing him of crassness and insensitivity. Cole, predictably (fashion designers are not known for their fortitude under stress), abjectly apologized, thus giving a little more power to those who would make levity, satire, and humor culturally unacceptable. He wrote on his Facebook page:
“I apologize to everyone who was offended by my insensitive tweet about the situation in Egypt. I’ve dedicated my life to raising awareness about serious social issues, and in hindsight my attempt at humor regarding a nation liberating themselves against oppression was poorly timed and absolutely inappropriate.”
Ethics foul on the PC bullies, and also on Cole. If you won’t fight for the right to be facetious and to ignore the offense-mongers, it is irresponsible to step on the battlefield: you just make the problem worse. His tweet may have been an unwise business move, but it was also an obvious joke, and like all jokes, intended for the people who got it. The correct response was to groan, smile, and move on, not to launch an attack on Cole’s character.
What a grim and joyless world these people are creating.
Ethics Alarms 
I don’t know if I would be brave enough to say, “To those who got the joke, Mazel Tov. To those who were offended and could not get the joke, I say, ‘Take some Exlax, Pepcid or Prilosec — you’ll feel better in the morning.'”
I guess I will have to wait until I am put into that position to find out.
Keep in touch. My guess is that I’ll be there sooner or later.
I don’t think I would have responded. Those types of complaints by humorless insufferable fools don’t deserve to be dignified with a response.
At Penny-Arcade, there was a controversy about a comic strip they made, wherein they made fun of the silliness of in-game quest mechanics (“Save 5 slaves.”) The sixth slave to be saved by the protagonist pleads to go with him, saying how “every night, they are raped to sleep by the dickwolves.” (Dickwolves being a fictional mythological creature with phalli for limbs.) Some people took offense at the rape joke (Penny Arcade is an almost perpetually offensive comic) and they were accused of making light of rape.
They made a second comic where they said “If you’re raping someone right now, stop. Apologize. And Leave. Go, and rape no more.” I think that was quite adroit in the silliness of the complaints. Of course, legitimate rape victims wouldn’t find it funny, but we all have that one thing we won’t find funny. For some people, it’s jokes about obesity or baldness or wearing glasses or premature ejaculation or having a back so hairy, when you’re at the gym, people ask you why you’re wearing a brown sweater in the shower.
They then made the perhaps unwise move of making a shirt that featured the “Dickwolves” as if they were a sports team. People complained about that, and they buckled to pressure, mostly because of their convention and the want for everyone to be comfortable. That’s fair enough, I guess. Then, people started complaining and death-threat-ing the people who complained in the first place. Obviously, that’s what we 90’s kids call “super uncool.”
I made a joke in Twitter a few weeks ago: “Charlie Sheen goes to rehab; Michael J. Fox to replace him in 2 1/2 Men.” I’m sure someone could be offended by that, since it’s a joke about Charlie Sheen’s drug trouble and Michael J. Fox sadly leaving Spin City because of his Parkinson’s Disease. But it’s still just a joke.
I think the two words most apt for these serial offense artists are: lighten up.
Those two words don’t work, unfortunately.
I may have to retract my critique of the DirectTV commercials and the Tide ads just to steer clear of these people.
Never, Jack, don’t give in! It’s hard enough making websites and emails that don’t offend anyone; blogs, tweets and facebook posts need to be free to state opinions, sarcasm and jokes, whether people get it or not. Some years ago, people complained about a photo of Marilyn Manson on our site, posted because a member did the lighting and staging. Another company I worked for debated the wisdom of taking tobacco companies as clients when most of the clients were defense contractors. I think Jeff had an excellent point; everybody has something they don’t find funny. I don’t find sophomoric movies that focus on embarrassing people funny, so I don’t watch them. I wince when I see mis-spellings in a book, but I don’t send off a letter condemning the author. I always feel a little sad for people who have nothing better to do that start a controversy over something trivial; personally, I’ve got more important things to do, like napping and painting my toenails.
IS THIS A JOKE?!?
You can’t nap AND paint your toenails!!! You’ll get the polish all over the bedspread! I had an aunt who did that. Not funny, man. Not funny at all.
–Dwayne
Hey, I used to write angry letters to publishers when I found misspellings in books! Those bastards can’t get a decent typesetter? I’d request they send me one correct word. Nobody ever responded.
Then I realized that joke wasn’t even funny to me anymore, and stopped doing it.