The Cleveland Cavaliers apologized for this video
Do you think they were right?
Not even basketball is immune from feelings these days. There’s an entire discussion to be had about the wussification of sports, but we’ll save that for another time.
According to CNN, the following video was played during a time out at Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Bulls. A poorly produced spoof of “Dirty Dancing,” the video certainly elicited a reaction. Though probably not the one producers were going for.
Remember this scene?
Right before attempting the iconic “Dirty Dancing” lift, the gal in the video removes her apron revealing a Chicago Bulls t-shirt. Rather than catching and lifting his girlfriend, the guy tosses her to the side and says, “Bulls fan?! I didn’t know you were a Bulls fan!”
Take a look:
To some, the video made light of domestic violence. After the Twitter outrage brigade launched a full frontal assault, the Cavs apologized yesterday saying:
“We ran a 1-minute in-arena video that was intended to be a humorous spoof on a popular commercial centered on a song and dance from the classic movie ‘Dirty Dancing.’ While the video was not intended to be offensive, it was a mistake to include content that made light of domestic violence. Domestic violence is a very serious matter and has no place in a parody video that plays in an entertainment venue. We sincerely apologize to those who have been affected by domestic violence for the obvious negative feelings caused by being exposed to this insensitive video.”
ESPN discussed the hubbub in a surprisingly weighted manner:
After watching the video, my takeaway was that it was cheesy, kind of lame, and poorly produced. If there was anything offensive, it didn’t register with me. Granted, I am from the land of sports rivalries — the great, magnificent even, Republic of Texas. Down here, we take team loyalty pretty darn seriously.
Being an Aggie, if my man suddenly lost his everlovin’ mind and decided to wear a Longhorn t-shirt, he wouldn’t be stepping across the threshold until he’d removed, shredded, and burned the blasphemous garb. The shredding might be overkill, but you get the point.
All of that to say, I’m not so sure a lamely executed movie spoof constitutes “making light of domestic violence.” But then I’m (thankfully) not a victim of physical abuse so I’m not sure what might aggravate that trauma.
What about you, what do you think? Is the negative reaction justified, were the Cavs really being insensitive towards victims of domestic violence? Or is this simply the politically correct outrage brigade making a stink over nothing?
What say you?
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Comments
Grievance activists can turn any event or phrase into an egregious example of that which they protest. This was a funny bit, and the Cavs caved to the grievance mongers.
I think we have become a nation of weenies. The spot was poorly produced but other than that I don’t see anything to get all that upset about. Boy, “The Honeymooners” would be banned today and Jackie Gleason run out of town on a rail – “To the moon, Alice, to the moon!”
https://youtu.be/98qw86DsdZ0
Was I supposed to be offended?
I’m offended that they think I should be offended.
And also by ESPN, but as part of ABC they are already PC morons.
I pretty much said what I think about this kind of stuff last week at Ace of Spades: http://minx.cc:1080/?post=356490
This spoof makes much more sense when you know that it is spoofing this United Healthcare commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9YiTIYO-2A
Making fun of domestic accidents is never okay. I can’t believe they would be so insensitive in this time and era.
Each year, more and more health care claims are submitted for victims truly hurting that now have to relive this experience thanks to your commercial and the internet.
When does the whining stop??? When we all live in personal physical bubbles?
Nope. Wait. Then people will still complain about bubbles bumping each other.
If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out!
The only thing offensive to me, was the insult to my intelligence.
I disagree with the acceptance of this video.
When you create a work of art or a cheesy commercial, you should care about the implication. The people who wrote the original United Healthcare commercial were quite concerned that neither of the two characters was being abused by the other — the woman was being sexually feisty and went overboard.
That’s a lot different from the male adolescence of throwing the girl to the side in a way that would cause physical damage.
I am a man and am all in favor of returning to traditional gender roles and even using the word “girl” without apology. But I am not in favor of gratuitous violence.
The apology was right; and traditionalist conservatives should say, “That kind of interplay between men and women is not what we want.”
Interesting take. I can’t disagree with anything you’ve mentioned.
It is a jooooke, people, a spoof, even!
Anyone who takes it literally is full blown brainwashed in the liberal mantra that we are not responsible for our own actions and decisions. That’s the only way a video like this could cause someone to replicate the act but with ill intentions.
I think this ‘outrage’ is overkill as usual but I think it would be have been better and funnier if he just dropped her or missed her, rather than throwing her against the wall.
Completely agree.
I would like to make clear that I agree that the video come off looking abusive. I just wanted to make sure everyone had the reference of the United Healthcare ad to see what they were going for.
Anyone who hadn’t seen that and thought they went directly to this from “Dirty Dancing” would be even more incensed. I just don’t think they put that much thought into it. Perhaps they should have.
Someone on twitter recently made the point that many of these phony outrage episodes are 21st century agitprop. I think he’s onto something. They are left wing political theater intending to manipulate our thoughts and change how we see the world.
Example: Say a woman was an actual victim of domestic violence several years ago. She got over it and now leads a normal, stable, balanced life. She saw this video and it did not “trigger” her to re-live any bad memories. She saw it for what it is: a goofy gimmick to promote Cleveland Cavalier team loyalty. That’s it.
Then suddenly a bunch of left wing Feminist Studies majors start talking about how women who have been victimized ought to be re-living the memories that they’d put behind them.
In other words, the video may not be causing much psychological damage to victims of domestic violence. But the DISCUSSION promoted by left wing feminist zealots who want people to think a certain way may be causing them to re-live the memories.
What in the world were they thinking. It was terrible idea to portray such violence and insensitivity in ……..
Oh crap, it’s 4:30. I’ve gotta get to the bar for the midget tossing contest.
We have become the United States of the Perpetually Offended because in the PC culture in which we live, the victims are given the power.
Good lord, lighten up America.
So the habitually offended are habitually offended….Surprise!
What’s a man supposed to do when he is assaulted by a sex crazed woman?
The low grade acting makes it look like he’s intentionally throwing her across the room instead of just missing the lift. Funny concept poorly executed.