I read an article in the National Post newspaper this
morning that seemed to me to be one more piece of evidence
of a disturbing trend in recent years. The article discusses
the case of a Quebec comedian who repeatedly ridiculed a
disabled child as part of his routine[1]. Quebec's human
rights tribunal ordered the comedian to pay over $40,000 in
damages and the comedian is appealing that ruling.

The subtleties of the legal case were not what concerned me.
I've noticed that in recent years, more comedians seem to
have taken license to ridicule people based on their
appearances. I used to watch Seth Meyers, for example. But
between the policy critique in his segments, Meyers
routinely and quite intentionally derides people based on
their appearances. I know nothing about Eric Trump. Meyers
seems to know little about him either. But jokes based on
his appearance and that of Trump advisor Stephen Miller are
a regular feature of "A Closer Look." Likewise, John Oliver
often takes shots at the subjects of his stories based on
their physical appearance. I may or may not like those
people and their policies, but I don't think it is fair to
comment on their appearance.

To me, that's crossing a line. While we all have the
capacity to change our values, principles and beliefs as we
learn and adapt, there's not much we can do about our
physical characteristics. That's why I don't have a problem
with criticizing people's views (which are the product of
conscious decision and can be altered), but I can't abide
the ridiculing and humiliation of people based on their
appearance. So this trend has been bothering me. I've
puzzled about it and wondered if it has something to do with
social media and the image-based nature of so much of what
we consume these days. I'm not sure. Blaming social media
seems like a reflex action. The causes may be more complex.

Then this morning, as I drove to work, it occurred to me
that the reason that these comments on appearances bother me
so much is because they're about white men. Sadly, I could
really empathize when men's appearances were being
criticized. Because they're like me. I hate that my ability
to empathize is that limited, but apparently it is.

It's been normal (not acceptable, but typical) to criticize
women's appearances for .... I don't know how long. Probably
forever. Female politicians and executives, for example, can
expect to have their appearances commented upon. Likewise,
racial and ethnic minorities have suffered judgment (and
discrimination and enslavement) based on nothing more than
appearance throughout history.

What's happening today is the democratization of
discrimination. Everyone's a potential target. I don't like
it and I hope you don't either. Maybe -- in a completely
unintended way -- it will make more of us empathize and
speak up when we see it in the future.

And like I said, I'm saddened that it took this long for me
to see it the way that I now do.

[1] https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/quebec-comic-mike-ward-in-court-defending-joke-about-disabled-singer