• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Missouri State Fair goes too far

Lutherf

Lutherf

DP Veteran
Joined
Sep 16, 2012
Messages
48,248
Reaction score
53,918
Location
Tucson, AZ
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Conservative
This is ridiculous. A rodeo clown at the fair came out dressed like Obama and asked if anyone wanted to see Obama get run down by a bull. Because of that the clown got banned for life from the fair. It also seems that some of the local democrats want an investigation and financial penalties for the fair.

Are you freaking kidding me!!!????

Since when is making fun of the president cause for bans, investigations and financial penalties? Every president I've been around for has had jokes made about him and I've seen plenty of political cartoons from well before I was around so it's been happening, folks. What makes current asshole in charge special? Why is he off limits?

The MO state fair folks need to pull up their panties, apologize to this guy for being idiots and apologize to America for being a general disgrace.

Mo. State Fair bans rodeo clown who mocked Obama
 
Because its only ok when they do it.
 
I suppose I can see why some would be offended at the cheering for the idea of a likeness of the President being trampled, but in reality, it's a rodeo clown. Low brow humor is quite literally their occupation. According to the article, there's also a solid precedent of clowns imitating famous figures and sitting Presidents, so I can't say I understand the outrage.
 
Lutherf said:
This is ridiculous. A rodeo clown at the fair came out dressed like Obama and asked if anyone wanted to see Obama get run down by a bull. Because of that the clown got banned for life from the fair. It also seems that some of the local democrats want an investigation and financial penalties for the fair.

Are you freaking kidding me!!!????

Since when is making fun of the president cause for bans, investigations and financial penalties? Every president I've been around for has had jokes made about him and I've seen plenty of political cartoons from well before I was around so it's been happening, folks. What makes current asshole in charge special? Why is he off limits?

The MO state fair folks need to pull up their panties, apologize to this guy for being idiots and apologize to America for being a general disgrace.

Mo. State Fair bans rodeo clown who mocked Obama
Click to expand...

I think the fact the clown was running around with a broom handle shoved up his ass was one of those "some truth in comedy" moments. The ones looking to penalize the fair financially should work on removing their own brooms first.
 
And now the announcer is getting death threats.
 
And the same thing happened to Bush over and over and over again all through is 8 years. And wasn't there even a Hollywood movie made about assassinating Bush?
 
Josie said:
And now the announcer is getting death threats.
Click to expand...

Of course.

What is this, freaking North Korea? If you dare to make fun of "Dear Leader" it's off to the camps for you. What kind of precedent are we setting by allowing this crap to happen? How the hell is punishment for making harmless fun of an elected official anything close to Liberty?
 
It's a terrible over-reaction to a harmless bit of fun like this...


 
a351 said:
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Dixie Chicks 'get death threats'
Click to expand...

I was at the gig in the Shepherd's Bush Empire when Natalie Maines made that statement. It went down very well, but no one could predict the s***storm that was to follow. It was a great, great gig that night though, I remember. I think to an extent she was jazzed by the fact that she was clearly amongst HUGE country music fans and yet also a HUGELY sympathetic left-of-centre political vibe at a time of huge political side-taking.

Still, could be worse. Not Ready To Make Nice and that whole album was perhaps their best-ever piece of work.
 
a351 said:
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Dixie Chicks 'get death threats'
Click to expand...


So what? Is that supposed to be some kind of justification for this crap? Is that the way you see the world? If somebody else did something stupid then it suddenly becomes a good idea?

The Dixie Chicks are a commercial endeavor unto themselves and their actions determine their financial viability. If they piss a bunch of people off then that's on them. This guy was just doing his job...the same damned thing that's been done at rodeos for decades but some idiot gets their panties in a twist and he gets canned. That's absurd.

If the fair didn't like what he did they could have simply asked him not to do it again but they didn't. They went to the other extreme and flat out banned him. That's about as far off from the American way as it gets.
 
Lutherf said:
So what? Is that supposed to be some kind of justification for this crap? Is that the way you see the world? If somebody else did something stupid then it suddenly becomes a good idea?

The Dixie Chicks are a commercial endeavor unto themselves and their actions determine their financial viability. If they piss a bunch of people off then that's on them. This guy was just doing his job...the same damned thing that's been done at rodeos for decades but some idiot gets their panties in a twist and he gets canned. That's absurd.

If the fair didn't like what he did they could have simply asked him not to do it again but they didn't. They went to the other extreme and flat out banned him. That's about as far off from the American way as it gets.
Click to expand...

Bit of hypocrisy going on there. The parallels between the Dixie Chicks and this guy are pretty close.
The Dixie Chicks are a commercial endeavor unto themselves and their actions determine their financial viability.
Click to expand...
And this guy wasn't? He was working as a charity? He wasn't being paid? He was a public servant? No, I don't think so.

Didi I think the treatment of the Dixie Chicks was ridiculous and disproportionate? Hell yes! Do I think this guy being banned for life from the MO State Fair is ridiculous and disproportionate? Hell yes! Does that make what he did any more tasteful? Nope. He took sides and got burned. Just as the Dixie Chicks did. They survived, so will he.

/thread.
 
Andalublue said:
Bit of hypocrisy going on there. The parallels between the Dixie Chicks and this guy are pretty close.And this guy wasn't? He was working as a charity? He wasn't being paid? He was a public servant? No, I don't think so.

Didi I think the treatment of the Dixie Chicks was ridiculous and disproportionate? Hell yes! Do I think this guy being banned for life from the MO State Fair is ridiculous and disproportionate? Hell yes! Does that make what he did any more tasteful? Nope. He took sides and got burned. Just as the Dixie Chicks did. They survived, so will he.

/thread.
Click to expand...

There was no institution that penalized the Dixie Chicks. It was just their fans and if the next day nobody came back to the rodeo because of what this guy did then THAT would be equivalence. Did the Dixie Chicks label drop them? That would have been equivalence. Outrage alone isn't equivalence.
 
Lutherf said:
There was no institution that penalized the Dixie Chicks. It was just their fans and if the next day nobody came back to the rodeo because of what this guy did then THAT would be equivalence. Did the Dixie Chicks label drop them? That would have been equivalence
Click to expand...
Um, no. The equivalence would be both parties suffering financial harm from each incident, which has occurred in both cases, a loss of a performing venue in the case of the clown, and being dropped from various radio stations and purchasing boycotts in the form of the Dixie Chicks.
 
Lutherf said:
So what? Is that supposed to be some kind of justification for this crap? Is that the way you see the world? If somebody else did something stupid then it suddenly becomes a good idea?
Click to expand...
Nah, just thought you might find it interesting, given your insinuation that these types of antics began with the current Administration.

If the fair didn't like what he did they could have simply asked him not to do it again but they didn't. They went to the other extreme and flat out banned him. That's about as far off from the American way as it gets.
Click to expand...
Yes, they banned a single rodeo clown from performing at a single venue. Let's curb the "un-American" dramatics a bit.
 
This guy is an entertainer. So are the Dixie Chicks and countless other acts such as John Stewart, Bill Maher, David Letterman, and Stephen Colbert. It is not just the MO state fair that fired this guy. The media including CNN and MSNBC attacked him. Also Politicians are going after this guy. Its like they smell blood or something. The guy is a rodeo clown, the crowd loved him. In fact they cheered him on. Missouri is middle America. Obama is not very popular with the people. They should cut this guy a break just as people do for the entertainers who ridiculed Bush for 8 years and beyond.
 
a351 said:
Nah, just thought you might find it interesting, given your insinuation that these types of antics began with the current Administration.

Yes, they banned a single rodeo clown from performing at a single venue. Let's curb the "un-American" dramatics a bit.
Click to expand...

Why is that OK with you? Would you be OK with your boss firing you because you have an Obama bumper sticker? That's what this is about.
 
god, people overreact to everything nowadays.. it's ridiculous.

Americans, put on your big people pants and grow the **** up.
 
Lutherf said:
Why is that OK with you? Would you be OK with your boss firing you because you have an Obama bumper sticker? That's what this is about.
Click to expand...
No it isn't. Your analogies are piss poor. No one was fired in this case, but rather banned from future gigs at a singular venue through his contractor, his actual employer. This isn't a matter of free speech but rather a matter of what behavior the fair officials find acceptable.
 
a351 said:
No it isn't. Your analogies are piss poor. No one was fired in this case, but rather banned from future gigs at a singular venue through his contractor, his actual employer. This isn't a matter of free speech but rather a matter of what behavior the fair officials find acceptable.
Click to expand...

the Mo. state fair commission is a state government commission... free speech most certainly comes into play here.
if the rodeo clown chooses to seek redress on those grounds, the government will have to defend itself.

I did get a chuckle at folks thinking this was racist though.... like the term "racist" has any meaning anymore
 
Thrilla said:
the Mo. state fair commission is a state government commission... free speech most certainly comes into play here.
if the rodeo clown chooses to seek redress on those grounds, the government will have to defend itself.

I did get a chuckle at folks thinking this was racist though.... like the term "racist" has any meaning anymore
Click to expand...
He'll lose handily. The state is under no obligation to allow any individual rodeo clown a venue for content they feel is inappropriate. :shrug:
 
a351 said:
He'll lose handily. The state is under no obligation to allow any individual rodeo clown a venue for content they feel is inappropriate. :shrug:
Click to expand...

I won't venture a guess as to his success or failure ( way to many details i don't know), i'm just saying this is a state sanction against the guy, it's not a private employee matter.

I don't know what the standards of conduct are.. or if they are published... if he is in clear violation, he would be screwed.. if there is no clear standard, he would have a case for rescinding this summary ban
 
Thrilla said:
I won't venture a guess as to his success or failure ( way to many details i don't know), i'm just saying this is a state sanction against the guy, it's not a private employee matter.

I don't know what the standards of conduct are.. or if they are published... if he is in clear violation, he would be screwed.. if there is no clear standard, he would have a case for rescinding this summary ban
Click to expand...

They don't cite any rules in the decision -

August 12, 2013
At its meeting this morning, the Missouri State Fair Commission was given a report by Missouri State Fair Director Mark Wolfe on actions taken as a result of unacceptable behavior during the Missouri Rodeo Cowboys Associations Finals Rodeo this weekend on the fairgrounds.

Commission Motion
The Missouri State Fair Commission unanimously approved the following motion at its regular morning scheduling meeting. 8/12/13

The Missouri State Fair Commission ratifies the firm action already taken by the Fair director to permanently ban this rodeo clown from ever participating or performing at the Missouri State Fair again.

Furthermore the MRCA must hold all those responsible for this offensive stunt accountable.

In addition, before the Missouri State Fair considers contracting with this association again for future rodeos, they must provide evidence to the director of the Missouri State Fair that they have proof that all officials and subcontractors of the MRCA have successfully participated in sensitivity training.
Click to expand...

Press Releases | Missouri State Fair

It looks like it was just a straight up mob action.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom