July 07, 2014
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By the weekend, Cumia had deleted all tweets he’d ever made”everything, throughout his entire history on Twitter. In their stead, he then posted two pictures”one of them with a black friend of his named Carlton and the other with a white tranny who has admittedly amazing breasts. At some point over the weekend and apparently half-shitfaced, he posted a video of himself and Carlton singing a karaoke version of Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder’s treacly ode to interracial harmony, “Ebony and Ivory.”
But these latest gestures seem snide, as if he’s playing it for laughs. If so, good for him. Although he deleted all his tweets even after it was too late for him to keep his job, I have yet to hear the slightest evidence of him flat-out apologizing. For all I know”indeed, for all I hope“he may be sitting in a lawn chair, sipping a martini, and enjoying the sun in his backyard in Racistville, USA. If one day he winds up crying on camera and saying that he never meant what he said, I would prefer that you didn’t tell me.
I’ve often thought that comedians are the last bastion of ballsiness in American media. Last week that old plastic-surgery monster Joan Rivers called Barack Obama gay and Michelle Obama a “tranny,” and I see no hint of her being forced to eat her words. Gilbert Gottfried, fired a few years ago from his gig as the voice of the Aflac duck because he made a joke on Twitter about Japanese tsunami victims, recently penned a brilliant Playboy essay bemoaning “The Apology Epidemic” that he says has destroyed modern comedy. If there is ever to be any significant cultural pushback against political correctness, a few gutsy popular comedians may represent the vanguard. But that’s so foolishly hopeful, it’s comical.
Anthony Cumia’s critics”yea, they are legion, and they all seem to be fat white bearded males who wear glasses, voted for Obama, and collect Star Wars memorabilia”are quick to note that this isn’t a “free speech” or a First Amendment issue. Rather, it’s that ultra-rare occasion where the “free market” does something they like”namely, it strips ideological heretics of the ability to put food on the table. I’d be willing to accept their “free market” argument if they were open to the idea of a true free market”say, one in which employers were free not to hire loudmouthed urban black women for fear that they might call you a “white motherfucker” and repeatedly punch you if you don’t ask them for permission before taking their picture. If we can all agree to that, then let freedom ring!
