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trotsky

(49,533 posts)
Mon Apr 6, 2015, 04:58 PM Apr 2015

Spotlight needed on Trevor Noah's anti-atheist bigotry

http://www.mndaily.com/opinion/columns/2015/04/06/spotlight-needed-trevor-noahs-anti-atheist-bigotry

Trevor Noah, the replacement for Jon Stewart on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” was recently found to have made some tweets a few years ago that some people have interpreted as misogynistic and anti-Semitic. There has been much news coverage of this controversy, but the mainstream media missed the harmful tweets that Noah aimed at atheists.

Various secular bloggers unearthed and promulgated many of Noah’s 140-character criticisms of atheism last week. Unfortunately, these tweets were neither humorous nor thoughtful critiques — the posts merely lambasted atheists.

For example, shortly after the famed journalist and atheist social critic Christopher Hitchens died in 2011, Noah wrote that atheists “worship him” and therefore, “#WeAllNeedAGod.” He also claimed that “Without God, atheists wouldn’t exist” and asked why “atheists don’t spend as much [time] questioning satan’s existence.”


Disappointing. Yet not all that surprising, after all we're one of the last groups it's OK to hate.
21 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Spotlight needed on Trevor Noah's anti-atheist bigotry (Original Post) trotsky Apr 2015 OP
I won't be watching him. F4lconF16 Apr 2015 #1
I see those as more cluelessness than bigotry. It's curious, though, that these weren't jokes. arcane1 Apr 2015 #2
But atheists have it coming. beam me up scottie Apr 2015 #3
You're a prognosticator. You should make money off that Heddi Apr 2015 #7
Stop using those big words, I'm not a language scholar or a therapist. beam me up scottie Apr 2015 #8
Here, I have some reccommended reading for you Heddi Apr 2015 #9
Do those have colour pictures? beam me up scottie Apr 2015 #10
De facto means Heddi Apr 2015 #11
I thought a defacto atheist meant skepticscott Apr 2015 #14
De facto. I think what it means is LiberalAndProud Apr 2015 #15
I just got done baking some bread so I put it in the oven instead. beam me up scottie Apr 2015 #16
Dear Muslima... Act_of_Reparation Apr 2015 #12
Bingo. AtheistCrusader Apr 2015 #19
There's probably not a comedian alive who hasn't been completely mountain grammy Apr 2015 #4
I tend to give comedians a pass since their goal is often to be funny instead of insightful* EvolveOrConvolve Apr 2015 #5
Well, I would submit that the best humor is funny skepticscott Apr 2015 #6
And I would agree that the best humor is... well... funny. Act_of_Reparation Apr 2015 #13
Without god, atheists wouldn't exist AlbertCat Apr 2015 #17
Ah, so that's what Stewart was talking about at the opening of tonight's show. progressoid Apr 2015 #18
Let it go man. Just let it go. AtheistCrusader Apr 2015 #20
I agree, and Brainstormy Apr 2015 #21

F4lconF16

(3,747 posts)
1. I won't be watching him.
Mon Apr 6, 2015, 05:27 PM
Apr 2015

The sexist tweets pissed me off already--there was no justification for them. They weren't debatable, they were flat-out sexist, and should never have been posted. I get that as a comedian you take risks, but they were way over the top.

Just one more reason.

 

arcane1

(38,613 posts)
2. I see those as more cluelessness than bigotry. It's curious, though, that these weren't jokes.
Mon Apr 6, 2015, 05:54 PM
Apr 2015

Certainly no more bigoted than anything I've said about religious belief. Then again, I don't really apply that term when it's directed at beliefs; only when it's directed at people.

Come to think of it, I have no idea what Jon Stewart's beliefs are

beam me up scottie

(57,349 posts)
3. But atheists have it coming.
Mon Apr 6, 2015, 06:15 PM
Apr 2015


I'm sure that'll be the reaction elsewhere on DU.

Of course you'll never see them saying the same thing about uppity women and lgbt people.

Heddi

(18,312 posts)
7. You're a prognosticator. You should make money off that
Mon Apr 6, 2015, 09:18 PM
Apr 2015

Just a mere 50 or so minutes after you post comes this wordvomit (in another place....) that basically says that here is real violence and violations of civil rights in other countries towards atheist, but there is nothing like that here. To say such hyperbolic bullshit as atheists are 'hated more than gays' is insulting.

That person then goes on to notice that all of the prominent atheists claiming that they are a persecuted group in need of massive civil rights are mainly white, male, affluent, highly educated, and straight? There is always a need to maintain the separation of church and state that is the foundation of our country. The freedom to worship as one chooses and the freedom to not do so are inviolate. Secular and religious organizations can agree and work together on that.

They then state that these asses need to focus some of that anger, resentment, money, and time on helping atheists in other countries who truly are persecuted and less time listening to themselves speak on the internet and at circle jerk conferences."

Pearls of wisdom, even more pearly when they fall from the gaping maw of an Atheist, But!

Remember--it's not discrimination if you're not being beheaded.

Where have I heard that before....

http://www.politicususa.com/2015/04/02/sen-tom-cotton-thinks-copacetic-arkansas-hang-gays-iran.html
Arkansas Republican U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, the infamous author of the seditious Iran letter, thinks discriminatory “religious freedom” laws in the United States are no big deal, because at least we aren’t executing people for being gay.

Funny how those Atheist But's just love right-wing arguments. Discrimination isn't discrimination if you're not beheadded....gay marriage is just like marrying a bicycle or a hamster....who needs comprehensive health care and access to contraceptions when you can just buy rubbers at the 7/11 like the "rest of us"....

strange bedfellows, no?

beam me up scottie

(57,349 posts)
8. Stop using those big words, I'm not a language scholar or a therapist.
Mon Apr 6, 2015, 09:30 PM
Apr 2015

I saw that.

And about those bad atheists, many of them have the loudest voices, but who do they really represent?

And how about those uppity women? They're not even a minority!



Heddi

(18,312 posts)
9. Here, I have some reccommended reading for you
Mon Apr 6, 2015, 09:40 PM
Apr 2015

Now, for someone of my mental caliber and, well, let's be honest, my unmatchable pedigree of knowledge, these are more along the lines of "bathroom reading," or pamphlets...that kind of thing. But for a mental midj like yourself, you might have to take some time. Keep a dictionary handy for those $0.50 words :condescending smile:

À la recherche du temps perdu
Zettels Traum
Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady
Poor Fellow My Country
Sir Charles Grandison
(War and Peace)

...

now most of these I can thumb through in a matter of minutes, if I read real slow-like and take my time.

Once you get thse under your belt and write a 24-page essay on each, THEN maybe perhaps perchance we can talk. I think it's TRULY unfair to burden my awesome brain with your...shall we say...kindergarten-level treatise on life. Ahem.

Now, remind me what I was saying about arrogance and privilege? Oh wait...Jeeves...please bring me my monocle....

beam me up scottie

(57,349 posts)
10. Do those have colour pictures?
Mon Apr 6, 2015, 10:08 PM
Apr 2015

The other classics I have on my Nook (I'm poor so I download everything from Project Gutenberg) are in black and white. Every time I'm done with one I have a bitch of a time getting all of the crayon marks off the screen.

What's a "de facto atheist"?

Heddi

(18,312 posts)
11. De facto means
Mon Apr 6, 2015, 10:16 PM
Apr 2015

Duh. Of course. so a de facto atheist means duh, I'm an atheist but....

Oh and if you put your nook in the microwave for 30 seconds on medium it will take the crayon off. Promise.

 

skepticscott

(13,029 posts)
14. I thought a defacto atheist meant
Mon Apr 6, 2015, 10:40 PM
Apr 2015

"I'm so much more sophisticated a thinker than THOSE atheists that I can barely stand to use the same label as they do"

LiberalAndProud

(12,799 posts)
15. De facto. I think what it means is
Mon Apr 6, 2015, 10:45 PM
Apr 2015

truly don't like the word as it doesn't encompass what I truly think, know, and believe


As opposed to like, you know, when somebody says Christian ...

Act_of_Reparation

(9,116 posts)
12. Dear Muslima...
Mon Apr 6, 2015, 10:24 PM
Apr 2015

...because there are greater injustices abroad, don't you dare complain about lesser injustices here.

For a person who so dislikes Richard Dawkins, it would seem they both share an affinity for the same fallacy.

mountain grammy

(26,656 posts)
4. There's probably not a comedian alive who hasn't been completely
Mon Apr 6, 2015, 06:38 PM
Apr 2015

inappropriate at times in their career. Without twitter or other modern media tools, the insults faded away. I don't think comedians should be hung out to dry for every remark they ever made unless they are consistently mean and insulting, and then I think they will lose their audience. Trevor Noah will be judged for his work and, if he's good, he'll be accepted for who he is.

His atheist remarks seem more ignorant than mean. Some of his other stuff is really mean, but I've read a lot about this man and have decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. I want to see the Daily Show continue. It's important. It tells the truth.

EvolveOrConvolve

(6,452 posts)
5. I tend to give comedians a pass since their goal is often to be funny instead of insightful*
Mon Apr 6, 2015, 07:15 PM
Apr 2015

But I won't be watching Noah's Daily Show because he's just not that funny.

* - although both Colbert and Stewart were both funny and insightful, I think it's a rare combination of traits that doesn't happen all that often.

 

skepticscott

(13,029 posts)
6. Well, I would submit that the best humor is funny
Mon Apr 6, 2015, 09:05 PM
Apr 2015

because of how true it is, in ways that people generally don't recognize or acknowledge until confronted with it. George Carlin was a master.

Act_of_Reparation

(9,116 posts)
13. And I would agree that the best humor is... well... funny.
Mon Apr 6, 2015, 10:26 PM
Apr 2015

"Atheists need GAWD!"

*crickets*

"I said, Atheists need GAWD!"

*crickets*

"Is this an audience or an oil painting?"

 

AlbertCat

(17,505 posts)
17. Without god, atheists wouldn't exist
Tue Apr 7, 2015, 01:10 AM
Apr 2015

Y'know.... there's something Lewis Carroll-ish appealing about this statement.

progressoid

(49,999 posts)
18. Ah, so that's what Stewart was talking about at the opening of tonight's show.
Tue Apr 7, 2015, 01:52 AM
Apr 2015

He mentioned a twitter controversy and then threw his support toward Noah.

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)
20. Let it go man. Just let it go.
Tue Apr 7, 2015, 10:28 AM
Apr 2015

Get the amazing writers assigned to new shows, and let it go out on a high note. You can't replace Jon Stewart. It's the end of an era. Appreciate what we had, do a giant, incredible, fuck off amazing last show, and let it go.

Brainstormy

(2,381 posts)
21. I agree, and
Tue Apr 7, 2015, 11:37 AM
Apr 2015

you know that all of Stewart's writers will not be staying. The Daily Show, as we knew it, is over.

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