Should we boycott Vice next?

Recently, The Independent published an article with the headline: "Louis C.K., Ricky Gervais, and Chris Rock condemned over use of n-word in resurfaced video," before that VOX had the following headline: "YouTube’s most popular user amplified anti-Semitic rhetoric. Again."

Both of these articles had a similar effect, creating social media drama, much of which was centered on whether users should boycott their respective favorite personality due the problematic nature of their content.

Following that same logic, I present this video from Vice put online in 2014.

The video shows Vice staff clearly leading a child along a fairly dirty script, joyfully laughing along at some of the most cringe-worthy moments.

If we where to follow the general norm, you'd now be expected to stop watching Vice, because of a piece of fairly low quality content.

Should we though?

I really hope not, as it does not take much work to find dated content, or a joke made in bad taste.

For example here is another terribly dated piece of Vice content titled: "The VICE Guide to Anal Sex," which includes the subheadline f*gs go home.

Even papers of record such as The New York Times can be found too awkward or cringe worthy content such as their release of a cartoon in 2018 which depicted Putin and Trump as gay lovers, that release led to accusations of homophobia.

Investigators, online sleuths, and media organizations would all serve the public far better if they focused their attention on the problems which actually affect the lives of their readers on a daily basis instead of attempting to police comedians and entertainers at large.

It seems extremely bizarre that comedians are now expected to suffer far worse consequences for a bad joke or a personal choice, than news anchors such as Brian Williams for literally making up the news about a war zone.

Brian notably received six months suspension without pay for that lie, and is actually already back on TV.

When will we learn? We all live in glass houses.

Soon enough, one of two things will happen.

Modern outrage culture might leave us with no more risk-taking or interesting websites to visit, no more celebrities to celebrate, nobody left to run for office, and maybe even nobody left to start businesses.

Or perhaps we will live our whole lives watching our backs.

Censorship in this manner curbs creativity, it eliminates the freedom necessary for good content to be created. When we place boundaries on something as liberating as art we are curbing the human capacity for infinite creativity.

We are creating a generation of humorless and bland individuals with a puritanical notion of what is acceptable in the sphere of comedy, art and entertainment.

Comedy that doesn't break taboos is like christian rap, it simply doesn't ring true.

Journalists should be the first to know the necessity of crossing certain lines regardless of people's opinions or diktats. Certain work requires necessary freedom. If we held journalists or corporations to the same standards as comedians, we would find that some of the biggest names have a dirty record waiting somewhere to be discovered.

Our parliament will be filled with individuals who have been plotting since the age of 13, and our society's mental health will go into the gutter from the hostility of the social environment we ourselves created.

I suggest that in 2019 we make a new choice, to focus our attention on the stories that actually matter, instead of drudging up every random esoteric issue which requires cultural policing.

What do you think? Join the conversation by commenting below!