(This post may contain disputed claims. We make no assertions as to the validity of the information presented by our Opinion Columnist. We are an opinion blog, not a traditional news outlet, and this post should be treated as such. Enjoy.)A group of college students at Columbia arranged a night of comedy. They went to great lengths to book a Saturday Night Live writer and stand-up comedian to perform before the student body. But only minutes after taking the stage, the comedian was shocked by what happened. All hell broke loose after he told one joke that was deemed racist and homophobic.
Things on college campuses are getting out of hand. Over the last few years, we’ve learned about colleges that issue “trigger warnings” to students before covering sensitive material. Students who feel overwhelmed by basic facts and information flee to “safe spaces,” where they can use coloring books and hold puppies.
The future of our country is being treated like pre-school students. Instead of being prepared for the real world, they are being told that the real world must bend to meet their fragile egos. Anything they don’t like, they deem hateful—and they shut it down.
Young adults, who don’t mind screaming their opinions at you, can’t take the views of someone else. It has been clearly documented how college-aged Americans have a meltdown when things don’t go their way. But we didn’t think it would go this far.
A group of students at Columbia organized an event called “cultureSHOCK: Reclaim.” Just from the title, you’d think they were hoping to encourage content that would upset some people but spark conversation. They invited writer and comedian from Saturday Night Live, Nimesh Patel, as a special guest.
That probably took more than a little planning to make happen. Not to mention a considerable expense, given Patel’s experience.
But soon after he took the stage, the very people who invited him, shut him down. In fact, they stormed the stage, took away his microphone, and demand that he leave!
So much for culture shock, huh?
Saturday Night Live writer and comedian Nimesh Patel was pulled from the stage by event organizers after telling jokes that were criticized as racist and homophobic during his performance at cultureSHOCK: Reclaim, an event held by Columbia Asian American Alliance on Friday night.
Patel, 32, was the first Indian-American writer for SNL, and has since been nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing. Patel has previously performed on Late Night with Seth Meyers and opened for comedians such as Chris Rock.
During the event, Patel’s performance featured commentary on his experience living in a diverse area of New York City—including a joke about a gay, black man in his neighborhood—which AAA officials deemed inappropriate. Patel joked that being gay cannot be a choice because “no one looks in the mirror and thinks, ‘this black thing is too easy, let me just add another thing to it.’”
About 30 minutes into Patel’s set, members of AAA interrupted the performance, denounced his jokes about racial identities and sexual orientation, and provided him with a few moments for closing remarks. Compared to his other jokes, ones specifically targeting sexual orientation audibly receive less laughter from the crowd. [Source: Columbia Spectator]
This is pretty sad. Patel is the first Indian-American writer for SNL. He should be a poster child for diversity groups and liberals. Like all comedians, he’s not afraid to broach controversial subjects, to rattle a few cages and get laughs.
But the snowflakes at the AAA were so thin-skinned, they had to stop his performance. Who are they to judge the comedy of an experienced, Emmy-nominated comedian?
Yet this is how college campuses are run in America today. Students, who know nothing, pretend like they can dictate the speech and behavior of the rest of us. Many of these students aren’t even paying for their own tuitions. They enjoy going to a university in one of the most expensive cities in America, on their mommy and daddy’s dime.
They haven’t held down a real job yet. Nor have they had to shoulder the burdens of paying taxes, providing medical care, or supporting a family. Yet they think they know better than the many people who have.
It’s particularly disgusting how this group treated their invited guest. Did they not bother to watch Patel’s comedy beforehand? Did they never watch him at local clubs or catch a YouTube video of a set? They should have known his brand of humor before inviting him. Or, at the very least, respect him enough to let him finish.
No, this group probably just looked at his race and invited him to virtue-signal to the rest of the student body. When he told jokes that these snowflakes didn’t like, they were embarrassed and had to throw a hissy fit. Like most babies.
Patel pushed back on the officials’ remarks, and said that while he stood in solidarity with Asian American identities, none of his remarks were offensive, and he was exposing the audience to ideas that would be found “in the real world.” Before he could finish, Patel’s microphone was cut from off-stage, and he proceeded to leave. [Source: Columbia Spectator]
How insulting. How utterly unprofessional. This college group better issue an apology to Patel and the rest of their guests for behaving this way.
This, by the way, is why top comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock refuse to perform at colleges anymore. The wimpy student bodies are triggered far too often. It’s a crying shame.
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