Tina Fey Won't Be Explaining Her Jokes To Politically Correct Millennials Any Time Soon
/Tina Fey Is 'She Who Dares' In Sebastian Kim Images For The Edit December 16, 2015 AOC Fashion & Style
Comic writer and deliverer of a priceless Sarah Palin rendition on Saturday night Live in the 2008 election campaign, Tina Fey sizzled in sleek and sultry looks for The Edit Magazine December 17.
Funny woman Fey also debuted her movie 'Sisters' this weekend with Amy Pouhler and returned as Sarah Palin for a brilliant post Democratic debate SNL hookup with Poehler as Hillary Clinton 2008 then and Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton 2016.
You could say that Tina Fey has taken the internet by storm this weekend, although unlike Kim Kardashian, on one is saying that she actually broke the internet. In fact, the acerbic wit funny woman suggests that one might consider staying clear of the internet and "you'll live forever" and so will your jokes.
'Opting Out' of Apologizing for Controversies
Last spring Netflix bingewatchers devoured 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt', Tina Fey's next big thing after ''30 Rock. The show is the completely fearless story of a woman who follows her dreams to New York after being kidnapped and held in a cult for 15 years. Kimmy, played by Ellie Kemper, doesn't shy away from finding humor in Kimmy's trauma -- although some kidnapped victims might not find the storyline hilarious.
The big trouble around 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' is Jane Krakowski -- another member of Fey's SNL and 30 Rock vet -- in a brief episode in her role of Kimmy's socialite boss Jacqueline Vorhees. Kimmy becomes a nanny to Vorhees' son. The humor of the rich-woman Vorhees flashing back on her Native American woman heritage from Bear Creek, South Dakota was soon accompanied by charges of racism against Tina Fey. The controversy seems to center more on Krakowki the blond who couldn't possibly be of American Indian heritage because she factually looks damn white and of Polish ancestry.
Confronted about the sub-plot at a Television Critics Association panel, series co-creator Robert Carlock explained; "We have a couple writers on staff with Native American heritage (. . . ). "So we felt like we had a little room to go in that direction . . .
Tina Fey, on the other hand, says she will not engage on the subject, telling Net-a-Porter in her interview:
Steer clear of the internet and you’ll live forever. We did an Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt episode and the internet was in a whirlwind, calling it 'racist,' but my new goal is not to explain jokes. I feel like we put so much effort into writing and crafting everything, they need to speak for themselves. There’s a real culture of demanding apologies, and I’m opting out of that.
Why Do Millenials Love Political Correctness?
Writing for Forbes, Neil Howe addresses the exponentially growing American trend towards political correctness. He also cites major tomes written on the subject this year:
Not a Very PC Thing To Say New York Magazine
In College and Hiding From Scary Ideas New York Times
I'm a liberal professor, and my liberal students terrify me VOX
"Emotional discomfort is [now] regarded as equivalent to material injury, and all injuries have to be remediated." Hurting a student's feelings, even in the course of instruction that is absolutely appropriate and respectful, can now get a teacher into serious trouble.
This entire topic of political correctness is absolutely out of control, although Donald Trump's way of addressing the topic and mine are light years apart. Authors Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt write that the ultimate goal of today's college campuses is to create 'safe spaces' where students are shielded from words and ideas that may make some uncomfortable.
Howe argues that political correctness is particularly tied to the rise of social media and its "bottomless outrage cycle" that rewards the most strident voices. Additionally, widespread disaffection with the political establishment's obsession with the right words and terminilogy versus getting anything done. Essayest Jeet Heer cites the newfound focus on emotional well-being and knowledge that PTSD is real and lasting. It's best then, not to trigger traumatic memories.
The most powerful driver, however, may be generational change. Where Boomers once sought to promote progressive values, Millennials want to minimize hurt feelings. Where Gen Xers once touted resilience and grit, Millennials tout tolerance and inclusiveness. Young adults’ lifelong reliance on institutional support, combined with the formal implementation of two decades’ worth of P.C. thinking in curriculums and classrooms, has also led them to expect those in authority to help them in their quest—an impulse that prompted a Times columnist to remark, “[It’s] disconcerting to see students clamor for a kind of intrusive supervision that would have outraged students a few generations ago.”
Ultimately, Millennials view political correctness not so much a partisan stance as it is a way of life. Their crusades for emotional security in the classroom are a symptom of the much bigger movement underway to push the culture at large in a kinder, gentler direction. The sensitivity training sessions and less edgy comedians seen so often at schools today haven’t been forced on students; theywant them. After a recent visit to the annual convention where college student representatives evaluate potential comedy acts to bring to their campuses, author Caitlin Flanagan noted that the selection process—for better or worse—seemed “wholly animated by kindness.” What a difference a generation makes.