Speech Is Free, But So Is Stupidity: Did you hear the one about the CBC and the BBC?
The TV Guide for their 2-part Speechless docuseries is: “Filmed on campuses in the U.S. and the U.K., this evocative two-part documentary brings together years of investigation and on-the-ground filmmaking by director Ric Esther Bienstock to chronicle one of the most polarizing cultural shifts of our time.
Speechless features voices across the ideological spectrum, from progressive organizers and critics of campus orthodoxy to conservative activists and institutional challengers.
The documentary reveals contradictions, blind spots and unintended consequences on all sides. Blending verité filmmaking with raw protest footage, insider testimony, archival material, viral social media and animation, the documentary poses the urgent question:
What happens when a society loses the ability to tolerate disagreement and power decides who gets to speak?”
“The real point is…power.” Excellent quote from the Speechless trailer. Yup.
If you’re dictating what can and cannot be said, then nope…I’m not willing to recognize your power.
If any (any!) speaker is forced to cancel a university gig because a handful of The Stupid got upset, then clearly they’re not promoting inclusivity.
Rather, they have decided to make the rest of us dumber.
Once you deny others access, you instantly cease having intellectual value.
Nobody is under any obligation to listen to any speaker.
As soon as somebody feels comfortable denying others access to ideas, speakers, books etc. they are an intellectual threat.
Their voice/feelings should have no presence in ongoing discussions: Stop Giving Stupid People A Seat At The Table.
And clearly, I’m not making any assumptions about the content of the speech (white people especially jump to bigotry and this’ll harm certain groups!), however the ideas are secondary to access. (Related back to wrestling for power and control.)
My focus is solely access…as soon as you deny others access to any idea of any kind you instantly become an intellectual liability and no longer worth listening to. This is how stupidity spreads.
I’m surprised with flourishing book bans, junk curriculum at schools with deplorable teachers, shouting down campus speakers and boorish political junk that If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next isn’t a big hit these days.
Speechless will broadcast commercial-free on CBC on Tuesday, April 14 and Wednesday, April 15 at 8 p.m. and will also be available to stream on CBC Gem as of 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday, April 14. (Speechless will also premiere in the U.K. on BBC Storyville and iPlayer.)
Sammy Verdict: Freedom is More Fun Than Fundamentalism.
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Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair podcast: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
