Picture it: New Orleans, 1974. My buddy John Anderson and I were in movie theater packed with both black and white viewers watching "Blazing Saddles." The only thing being segregated was our popcorn from our soft drinks. Everyone was howling with laughter as Mel Brooks took racism out back and beat it silly with a comedy stick.
These days? We're so sensitive that even my autocorrect apologizes when it makes a mistake.
The movie's famous bean-eating scene would probably spark a three-week Twitter debate about dietary appropriation and methane emissions. Slim Pickens' colorful language would get him cancelled faster than you can say "cultural sensitivity training." And don't even get me started on Mongo - PETA would have a field day.
But here's the thing: In 1974, that mixed audience wasn't just sharing a theater - they were sharing an understanding that racism was absurd, and laughing at it was a way of taking away its power. The joke wasn't on any particular group; the joke was on the racists themselves. The popularity of "Blazing Saddles" and "All in the Family" helped everyone recognize the absurdity of those views.
Today, we've traded that common ground for separate corners. Social media has turned every conversation into a boxing match, minus the sportsmanship. Post a joke, and someone will explain why it's problematic or try to cancel you. Make an observation, and you'll get a 12-part thread about why you're part of the problem. We're so busy walking on eggshells, we've forgotten how to dance together.
Somewhere between "anything goes" and "nothing goes," we lost something valuable: the ability to laugh at our flaws together. People trying to separate us into ever smaller and more segmented groups show the joke's on us.
Maybe what we need isn't to turn back the clock, but to remember what that New Orleans audience knew - sometimes the best way to deal with society's problems is to face them together, armed with nothing but a sense of humor and a willingness to share a laugh.
Though maybe skip the beans before the meeting.
Remember it and refer to it on occasion as a thought expanding experience. One of not a few in our New Orleans chapter.
Rotary is the perfect setting to befriend and understand someone with a different background than us. Reconciliation is only possible with an open channel of communication, and one that's conducted with civility and mutual respect.