Bas Rutten · @BasRuttenMMA
9th Dec 2011 from Twitlonger
OK, it's getting out of hand again, haha, people don't READ what I say, I didn't say it was, or wasn't funny, let's be very clear about this!
ALL I am saying, is that he made a comment that is wrong to people who have been involved in a rape.
If you say "you are a stupid retard", you better make sure that you don't say that in a group from where one person has a mentally challenged family member, because to them, that comment is not funny, no matter in what sentence you use it.
I wouldn't care less if a friend of mine would say that while we are out with a bunch of guys, but I DO understand that it can hurt people who "overhear" it.
Now other people say, "Oh, they have to lighten up, we don't mean that word (retard) so bad". well, that's for them, if THEY would have a family member who's mentally challenged, they might be thinking different, OR they might not. Because I'm sure that there are people out there, who DO have a family member that's mentally challenged, but don't care when somebody uses the word "retard", but that's THEM, and not the other ones who DO care.
My father told me a long time ago: "If you HAVE to talk bad about a person, make sure that person is not in the room".
With the internet, that "room" becomes the world.
If Miguel Torres would have said that comment in my group of friends, I am sure I would have laughed at it, because I KNOW it's a joke. But if I would known at that moment, that one of my friends in the group had a sister who got raped, I would have not felt so good. But that's me, I care about that, I care about my friends, other people don't care, but that's them, not me.
Another example, if you decide to make a "Hitler joke", (I'm saying YOU, not ME, because many people will say that the word "HITLER and JOKE, don't belong in the same sentence, but I'm trying to make a point), then I hope you make sure you don't do it in front of a Jewish family who lost some of their family members in the Holocaust.
Now if you decide to tweet that same joke to your "followers", you have to understand that can have huge consequences. So all I am saying is, with the internet being the world, and not just your "friends" or "followers", watch out with what you write.
Listen, I laugh about sick stuff, a lot of my jokes are very sick, many of my jokes I can NOT tweet because I know that there will be people, who don't believe its funny.
I understand that, so I really make sure that I don't do that.
In Holland we have a way how we deal with big problems, we make jokes about it, they are so shocking, that it is funny, so "over the top", that people know it's a joke, and we are used to doing that. When I came to the States I found out really fast, that what I think is funny, is not funny at all to other people. So if I crack a bad joke in front of my friends, well, they are my friends, they understand it's a joke, but if somebody "overhears" that joke and is offended, it's on me and I have to apologize. (I can also be an A-hole and say "Lighten up, it was a joke", but I am not, I apologize)
If I decided to "Facebook" or "tweet" that same joke, I am going to have a lot of apologizing to do, so I "filter" my jokes before I make them. I learned this from past mistakes I made, trust me, I'm not perfect.
Ricky Gervais was hilarious at the Golden Globes, I thought he was, but I also understood, (and I am sure all of you do), that many jokes were very HARD to some people, but he's a comedian, he's allowed to do that. If you listen to him and suddenly he offends you with something that "hit home" for you, then you shouldn't be angry at him, because you KNEW that this might happen, that's his job. Now people are gonna say, "I don't think he's funny at all", well, then don't listen to him, flip the channel, we're in a free country.
And I am there with many of you, people SHOULD lighten up a bit, but just see it from the other people's view as well.
If you had a family member who got raped years ago, you might have not mind at all when Miguel made that comment, I mean, I know people who got raped and I didn't think it was bad because I knew it was a joke. But imagine you had a family member who got raped YESTERDAY and this whole "situation" is going on. Police over the floor, your family member is crying, other family members are crying, you are in a nightmare, and THEN you read a comment like that, then suddenly what was considered to be a JOKE becomes not funny funny at all.
(I always use extreme examples, because that works, so don't say "But it didn't happen yesterday, you make that up", because you never know!)
So for the last time, THAT's all I am saying, that's what I meant with "put the shoe on the other foot".
That been said, I do believe that Miguel should get a second chance, I think Rashad Evans comment was way up there as well. We all know that it's a joke, I would have laughed at it as well, like one of these: "Hahaha, WOW!". (Funny because it's shocking)
But if somebody in the audience there was one of those kids who got touched by that coach, (or by any other one in the same situation), or an audience member was the parent of one of those kids, I bet you that HE/THEY wouldn't have thought it was funny.
Hopefully Dana realizes that he acted through emotions at the time. I think he's been very clear, the UFC doesn't like these kinds of jokes, point made, I am sure nobody will do it again. And if they DO decide to make one, they now know the consequences and will get fired, Miguel didn't know this.
Use my fathers advice "If you feel that you have to say something bad about a person, just make sure that the person involved is not in the room".
That counts for jokes as well, and again, the internet is not a closed room.
Last thing, if you have a sick joke for me, don't hesitate to tell me, I love sick jokes, just make sure who's listening.
Godspeed and party on!
PS, I tried to be as clear as possible, that's why all the examples, please don't try to "break it down" and start a discussion, because you know what I mean and I won't go in discussion. I have to say this because if, God forbid, I even put in a grammar or spelling mistake, some people go like "You misspelled this, or your grammar wasn't good", (I'm not kidding, you really have those people) to those people "Lighten up, you know what I mean!"