My thoughts on THAT skit

In response to a sketch involving terminally ill children being forced to lower their standards of what they can wish for, the nation has unleashed its collective rage upon the Chaser. My response to the incident is "why is it that a somewhat tasteless sketch draws near-universal outrage, yet spectacular human rights abuses draw near-universal support? WHERE THE FUCK OUR PRIORITIES?? GET A COLLECTIVE LIFE, YOU CIRCLE-JERKING CUNTBAGS."* However, a much better response was in today's Age:

IN THE midst of near-universal condemnation of The Chaser team's skit, it might be worth considering a few things.

A friend who worked for years at the Children's Hospital once told me there were times when it was difficult to get work done — the Good Friday television appeal and the period immediately before an election were particularly worrying. Corridors, waiting areas and bedsides would be crammed with politicians, AFL footballers and media celebrities, along with the inevitable TV cameras, sound equipment and the rest.

Shortly after the Black Saturday fires, members of the Australian cricket team visited the affected areas and mingled with residents, relief workers and others. It was a lump-in-the-throat moment until it was later revealed that the cricketers had been instructed to wear the official team tracksuit, emblazoned with the names of sponsors. In other words, an occasion to bring comfort to victims was also an opportunity to fly the sponsors' flag.

Maybe the Chasers were attempting, in a ham-fisted way, to send up this cynical tendency to take advantage of people in traumatic situations.

An excellent point indeed.

*Hat tips to Sarah for her human rights archives and Club Wah for insult-inspiration.

UPDATE: How is the Make a Realistic Wish Foundation any worse than this? I could equally argue that the skit is a tasteless 'satire' of 21st century slavery; appalling working conditions in third world factories in which employees are often killed because of the lack of safety conditions whilst being paid pennies for their work. The only difference is that one sketch features cute, innocent-looking children.

UPDATE 2: Why is it that if lefties think something is crude and damnable, it's the self-righteous PC police intruding in on our lives, telling us what we can and cannot do, and they should all get a sense of humour-but if it's righties** thinking something is crude and damnable, that's perfectly OK?

**Yes, both lefties and righties have been outraged by the sketch. However, it does appear that more righties are outraged.