Raise your hands if you're a bigot.
Aargh. The webosphere is all aflutter about Tracy Morgan's bitterly homophobic rant during a stand-up performance in Nashville. People are outraged. People are virulent. This is fine, but let me explain something to you all: Mr. Morgan is not behaving badly in order to hurt you. He's doing this to hurt me, personally.
A few years ago Mr. Morgan was caught up in similar scandal. That is, acting like a tool about gay folks. I had a dark night of the soul where I considered no longer watching 30 Rock - then my very favoritest show. But then came the apology. It seemed sincere. Or maybe I just wanted it to seem sincere. Because I got to keep watching my beloved show, without any heavy guilt weighing down on me.
But it's deja vu-time. (What's that famous George W. Bush proverb? About the fool who can't get fooled again?) I can't be that foolish, can I? Because I still love you 30 Rock. Admittedly not as much as I love Community or The Good Wife, but still oodles and oodles.
I guess I could compartmentalize. I could rationalize. Like when you watch Triumph of the Will, and think it's okay to acknowledge that this is superlative filmmaking. I'm just responding to the aesthetics, not the message or the meaning is what you say, you know, at parties. But I don't really want to do that here. Sitcoms should be fun and easy, not demanding. I really shouldn't have to work to suppress feelings of rage or anger. That's why I won't watch anything called Two and a Half Ann Coulters.
Tina Fey, I bought your book in hardcover (something I do so rarely - because I'm nearly out of shelf space). So you know I support you, but...
Here comes the classic break-up line: I want to tell you Liz, Jack, Jenna, Kenneth, Frank, Pete, and Danny - It's not you, it's Tracy.
