Obama on jay leno: special olympics joke - Page 2

I don't normally participate in threads like this because, for the life of me, I can't figure out why people are arguing about any of this stuff. I mean, what is the point?

I guess I will say something this time... (I am so asking for it )

I LIKED President Obama's appearance on Jay Leno. I was excited to watch it, and I didn't care about (didn't even think about) the fact that it was on a comedy show. I was so happy just to see someone in a position of such responsibility actually take the time to to sit there and say a few things, whether serious or not, to reassure me that he doesn't think he is so far above normal American people that he can't have a laugh. It was even more special because he made the time to do that during such crappy economic times.

When he made the joke about the Special Olympics, I wasn't offended at all. I will admit (crude though it is) that I thought it was funny. He was making fun of himself, being such a terrible bowler! I would not be surprised if he would eagerly bowl with the Special Olympics bowler who bowls 300's, and laugh when the handicapped fellow beat him. I make tasteless jokes all the time, and it tickled me that the President made bad jokes too.

I'm sorry but EVERYONE makes bad jokes or tasteless remarks sometimes, whether you work at McDonalds or Microsoft, whether you are on the city council, the Mayor, the Governor, a Senator, whatever, a celebrity... Everyone does. How many times have you seen an article in the local paper, Mayor such and blah says crappy remark about Catholics! Or Mel Gibson hates Jews! Etc.

Yeah, it was probably "inappropriate," but just because he is the President, how can you expect him to be perfect all the time? I like seeing him talk in a way that isn't scripted. It made him seem more human. I don't want the people running my country to be so far above normal people that they have no idea what it is like to be embarrassed. President Bush couldn't pronounce the word Nuclear (nuc-u-lar!) and many other words besides, but that doesn't make me dislike him, despite his many verbal faux pas! He is human, too.


So basically... Why is this such a big deal to you guys? Or to anyone? Maybe I am a horrible person because I thought it was funny, and because I paid more attention to the remarks he made about energy, education, and the economy than exactly how he called himself a terrible bowler.

Actually, several parents of Special Olympic particpants that I know, myself included, found NO offense in the President's remark but DO find it annoying and sad that being considered to be in the Special Olympics is an insult

As for being on Leno, it was an execllent forum for the President to reach the general American public - sort of a "fireside chat" that is 21st century! I'll bet more people watched him on Leno than watched his latest speech on TV. Right now, America is in a real crisis and he was able to reach the citizenry in a very approachable mode.

Me personally, I don't think it's that big of deal, except the President should watch his words more carefully then that.

But, you have to admit, if a conservative politican or or Bush had made that comment, they would have been tarred, feathered and crucified.

i don't think he's used to the scrutiny, yet.

my mom said the same thing tonight. she also said that she gets the feeling he thinks he's a celebrity.

I have to admit, this toppled Obama from the tiny pedestal I had him on. Joking about the Special Olympics is pretty common, many people do it every day. When I hear jokes like that in my daily life, the speaker slips a few notches in my eyes.

Along those lines, the word "retarded" gets tossed around constantly - one of my pet peeves. When I hear it, I remind the person they are one head bump away from the same existence; one car accident, one stroke. When did retardation become funny?

When we have to make fun of the way other people are (size, weight, race, class, gender, ability) to make it "funny" that shows a lack of intellect to me. It is possible to be funny without denegrating others. Leno still makes fun of fat people - that's about the only acceptable sector of humanity left for comedians. Can't wait until that is unacceptable. Have never heard Leno poke fun at Special Olympians.

Perhaps this simply shows Obama is just a man who doesn't know everything. I hope he does get to meet and know some Special Olympians. He will never joke like this again.

Yes, he still has my support.

I dont think it was offensive but it was inappropriate because of the position he holds and because he was on national television. It would have been inappropriate for anyone to say on tv. It is different when you are with a group of friends.
I don't hold anything against him for it. It really could happen to anyone. Not with the same situation but it really could happen to anyone.

I have to laugh here. As a person with a disability (for those who don't know, I am profoundly deaf) - I find the word "handicapped" that some of you have used here more offensive.

Do you think that "disabled" is a better word or, "physically challenged", I am asking in all seriousness because I honestly want to know.

In all honestly - I prefer to be called Deaf, but otherwise, its disabled and not physically challenged.

I think a US President shouldn't have even been ON a talk show to begin with!

He took time out of what he should be doing to go on *tv* ... Grrr

** bites tongue **

His wife and him did a lot of Freudian slips that were offensive while on the campaign trail. People just CHOSE to ignore them. But they showed who they TRULY are and now we're seeing it more.

*shakes head*

Although there's a tinge of hypocrisy that surrounds your logic, I nonetheless wholeheartedly agree with you. Reality, and the reality that we try to project, are sometimes two very different things. Not that it's right, but good intentions are usually the driving force behind such disparities.

In truth, it would be no different than him comparing himself to the bowling exploits of, say, a (average) 5 year old. There's no disparagement meant to the child, but he's merely comparing his performance "bar" vs. that of someone not capable of heightened athletic skills.

So, yeah...in logical terms, what he said wasn't insulting, really; he was comparing apples to apples (bowling scores), whereas the reach would be to say he was making an analysis on a grander scale (I suck at bowling, a special olympian gets comparable scores at bowling, therefore I'm proclaiming that special olympians suck (at bowling)). That's not really whats he's doing, but it's an easy trap of perception to fall into.

But no, he shouldn't have said it.