Gutfeld on 'ladies' lingerie' elevator joke uproar
Male professor faces sanction over attempt at corny, dad humor.
Let's say you're in a crowded elevator and someone asks the guy in the back what floor he needs to get off on. In an attempt at corny dad humor, he says, "ladies' lingerie." A joke as old as elevators themselves and, for sure, not as uplifting.
Now, imagine someone registering a complaint against the man for that joke, demanding justice. This actually happened. Richard Ned Lebow, a London professor, was at a conference in San Francisco, in a packed elevator when he actually made that same joke. A female professor was also there, and she filed a complaint. Now, he faces disciplinary charges for what she calls misogyny, an act that I call bitter, sad and humorless.
The offended prof is from Women's and Genders Study Department, whose ultimate goal is to remove any semblance of humor from the universe. Without humor -- without humor, even the lame kind, you cannot communicate. You can only litigate, smear and punish. Humor is the DMZ between people who otherwise would hate each other.
The man defended himself, saying he opposes sexism in all forms, but of course, you know that's never enough. You must beg.
The International Studies Association who held the conference condemned him, claiming he violated their code of conduct. They demand an unequivocal apology, which I translate as: Apologize, quit your job and live the rest of your life in shame. As of today, he's refused -- good for him -- calling this, quote, "a horrifying and chilling example of political correctness." He's actually wrong. It's just a bad joke and a worse reality.
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