A Brief Comment About Norm MacDonald

Norm MacDonald was a pure comedian who cared about nothing but comedy and clearly didn't give a shit what the rest of us thought of him. He was a misanthrope and not a comedian any of us should feel proud for liking, but we love him anyway and he earned it in spite of barely concealing being a Trumper and indulging in all sorts of cheap shots that clearly stank of bigotry that were nowhere near as funny as his best moments. But no matter how many times the internet yells the contrary at us, genius does matter, and comedy is supposed to be cruel. If you think we can do without the uglier forms of talent, look at all your musician and actor friends. So many of the most talented languish in frustration while so many mediocrities of no demonstrable talent rise to the top who are of no better character than the more talented people whose space they occupy. That's the end result of thinking that genius is a false construct based on individual taste and also of thinking that we should repress people whose essence find objectionable. The only people that benefits is the mediocre exploitative businessmen who can base our cultural products on marketing rather than talent. That doesn't mean the bad behavior of the talented should be excused, but ending their careers is not so easy. Making geniuses into martyrs can be as dangerous as making terrorists into martyrs. You are provoking a hornet's nest of their most devoted followers, all of whom become more susceptible to reactionary views as a result. And removing these 'problematic' figures is no guarantee that they will ever be replaced by anyone more beneficial to the world. So yes, Norm MacDonald was a genius with an ugly side, and yes, that was enough reason to love him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFjEvl43zYY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJN9mBRX3uo