More on the Wanda Sykes Faux Outrage

Image from CBCNews

I had another thought on the Wanda Sykes/Rush Limbaugh faux outrage story. While reading some of the ludicrous bloviating on some of the right-wing blogs, I ran across a common theme.

Some would comment that they knew somebody who experienced kidney failure, and how horrible it was of Sykes to invoke these painful realities. To these people--giving them the benefit of the doubt that their stories are true--I cast no dispersions aspersions about their personal stories. I find no humor in actual kidney failure. But their "pain" is felt by countless others for countless reasons.

If you know somebody who has been a victim of heart trouble, cancer, suicide--or hell even something less physically troubling like adultery--you've been in the exact situation. It will suddenly seem like every TV program has a story about it. Even comedy programs, or stand-up specials will suddenly feel like they apply to your situation. It just happens.

Now, Sykes was very likely not wishing an actual physical malady onto Limbaugh. She was completing a joke that was the counterpart to Limbaugh wishing for President Obama's agenda to fail. She needed something about Limbaugh to fail, and she picked "kidney failure" as her stinger. She could have picked anything.

I'm no comedy writer, but I'll take a stab at it:

"Rush Limbaugh wants Obama to fail? Well, I want his penis to fail! Wait, it already did! That's why he needed the Viagra!"

Now tell me honestly, do you really think that would have attracted any more or less faux outrage than Sykes' actual routine?