The comedian Michelle Wolf is the toast of the town. She really got a rush from beating the crap out of Trump and his minions last Saturday night. In particular, Wolf (an appropriate name) viciously attacked Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House Press Secretary.
The Correspondents’ Dinner is an annual event where hired comedians and journalists poke fun at the sitting president, his staff and each other. Note: President Trump boycotted the affair and spoke at the same time to a large rally in Michigan.
This year the 800-pound gorilla in the ballroom was free speech. Every American has the right to say whatever she or he would like to say- it’s constitutionally protected. And, the Correspondents’ Dinner is a forum where the Washington political elite has been roasting each other for years. In the past it was good fun, but bad feelings arose in recent years after Republican presidents were lambasted excessively – the liberal press loves to see conservatives get their comeuppance. It’s sad Democrats haven’t been as successful in the voting booth.
The remarks by Wolf were cruel, especially those directed at Huckabee Sanders, who in all fairness is in a position that puts her at odds with journalists every day. Witty and acerbic commentary is to be expected, and the targets should let it all roll off their backs. But, on Saturday, Wolf’s obvious attempt to belittle and beat down another woman, who has the dubious honor of representing a mercurial president, went over the line.
Many have lauded Wolf because she got the best of Huckabee Sanders, who sat on the dais and was visibly upset. It was a one-way assault that clearly made some empathetic attendees cringe. Was it necessary to make fun of Huckabee Sanders’ physical appearance?
Many are supporting Wolf’s “constitutional right” to crap all over any other human being for the fun of it. Judd Apatow, another comedian, was quick to point out that the right of free speech protects Wolf. You may be wondering if Apatow ever took a constitutional class in college, and received a passing grade.
We can only wonder whether Wolf attends social events with her free speech license in hand, and eviscerates other invitees she disagrees with. If there’s a conservative in the room, does she stalk her and look for an opportunity to embarrass the person? What a lousy houseguest she must be.
And then there’s the selective perspective of liberals who demand the right to say whatever’s on their minds. Unfortunately they too frequently are not so accommodative to opposing views.
Every time this commonly held hypothesis arises, I feel harken back to the fact that too many liberal universities are reticent about conservative discourse on their campuses (the hell with academic expression). In 2017, Berkeley, the home of free speech dating back to the 1960s, rioted to ensure that a conservative commentator would not be heard. The rioters destroyed property and people were injured.
Roasting famous people in a congenial way is good fun. Belittling them in a vindictive manner may be constitutionally protected, but it’s rude and obnoxious.
If the liberal press and their advocates can’t control themselves when they’re speaking into a microphone, then the stupid affair known as the Correspondents’ Dinner should cease to exist. Comedians don’t have a 007 license to crush and demean others. This get-together only served to do more harm to the already toxic political environment that exists in the country.