A Blog Not Far Enough
I wanted to take a second look at how my ethics hinder the kinds of stories I can write. In real life, some people are racist, sexist, closed-minded, or overtly offensive. Most of the time, we ignore these people, but sometimes we must confront them, and even stranger, we celebrate them. For example, the obnoxious talk show host Howard Stern has a large following, despite often making offensive comments.
In my case, I put great effort into creating works that do not create controversy. I cannot stand the idea of intentionally offending somebody, especially somebody I have never met. To me, that is the mark of a poorly raised individual. The world certainly has enough in-your-face material that it does not need anything from me. Yet, to be noticed, I must push some boundaries.
Let’s examine this from a high level. I write a funny, offensive statement X, and there are four likely outcomes. A percentage of readers will like X, a portion will not care, and a portion will dislike X. Lastly, a portion will take great offense. Thus, I could offend or lose two of my four readers.
However, this is not the central issue because in real life, people must be a little offensive. We must be able to survive in challenging situations. The problem is that some people take things a little too far, and sometimes they create offensive material. The result is that a reasonable person must confront offensive material and respond to it appropriately.
This is not my core issue, but we are close. Let’s invent the character, Sally. As a writer, I can write Sally into every situation and make her any kind of person. Of course, I avoid lots of territory because of my ethics. For example, Sally’s dialogue will never contain racial slurs. Granted, I might write, “Sally made a racially insensitive comment about Steve.” That statement completely covers the topic, and the reader understands precisely what is going on. Thus, Sally can successfully be a racist character without offending my readers with offensive statements.
We are now closer to the core issue. In the real world, offensive actions have occurred, are occurring, and will occur. The argument is that unless we explore offensive material, it will continue take hold on our society.
There is another side of this issue. Sally can be offensive, but she can also understand her problems, apologize, and grow. Additionally, Steve can either confront Sally and guide her on the right path or learn to ignore her. This kind of writing should be acceptable, but I still do not wish to explore it.
And there is my dilemma. I disagree with the concept that presenting offensive material is honorable or morally needed. Yet, as I have seen many instances of offensive people and material. Additionally, I have seen positive changes in difficult people.
Here is the heart of my issue. Does maintaining my ethics make me part of the problem? I want to scream, “NO! I am a good person and want to improve this world.” Yet, if we think about this logically, a tiny part of myself contributes to the pain associated with real-world offenses.
Still, I will never write offensive material, so the point is moot. However, a small part of me thinks about being part of the problem, and a different small part of me wants to write more to explore offensive material.
A larger part of me has reacted to the criticism my work has already generated and never wants to offend another reader. Yet, I know people will occasionally get offended no matter what I do. I also know that offensive work has a significant niche in the entertainment world and has been responsible for substantial positive change.
My mental argument is not going away. Yet, I like that I understand and confront my own beliefs. This is how people grow.
You’re the best -Bill
December 08, 2020 Updated June 24, 2025
In my case, I put great effort into creating works that do not create controversy. I cannot stand the idea of intentionally offending somebody, especially somebody I have never met. To me, that is the mark of a poorly raised individual. The world certainly has enough in-your-face material that it does not need anything from me. Yet, to be noticed, I must push some boundaries.
Let’s examine this from a high level. I write a funny, offensive statement X, and there are four likely outcomes. A percentage of readers will like X, a portion will not care, and a portion will dislike X. Lastly, a portion will take great offense. Thus, I could offend or lose two of my four readers.
However, this is not the central issue because in real life, people must be a little offensive. We must be able to survive in challenging situations. The problem is that some people take things a little too far, and sometimes they create offensive material. The result is that a reasonable person must confront offensive material and respond to it appropriately.
This is not my core issue, but we are close. Let’s invent the character, Sally. As a writer, I can write Sally into every situation and make her any kind of person. Of course, I avoid lots of territory because of my ethics. For example, Sally’s dialogue will never contain racial slurs. Granted, I might write, “Sally made a racially insensitive comment about Steve.” That statement completely covers the topic, and the reader understands precisely what is going on. Thus, Sally can successfully be a racist character without offending my readers with offensive statements.
We are now closer to the core issue. In the real world, offensive actions have occurred, are occurring, and will occur. The argument is that unless we explore offensive material, it will continue take hold on our society.
There is another side of this issue. Sally can be offensive, but she can also understand her problems, apologize, and grow. Additionally, Steve can either confront Sally and guide her on the right path or learn to ignore her. This kind of writing should be acceptable, but I still do not wish to explore it.
And there is my dilemma. I disagree with the concept that presenting offensive material is honorable or morally needed. Yet, as I have seen many instances of offensive people and material. Additionally, I have seen positive changes in difficult people.
Here is the heart of my issue. Does maintaining my ethics make me part of the problem? I want to scream, “NO! I am a good person and want to improve this world.” Yet, if we think about this logically, a tiny part of myself contributes to the pain associated with real-world offenses.
Still, I will never write offensive material, so the point is moot. However, a small part of me thinks about being part of the problem, and a different small part of me wants to write more to explore offensive material.
A larger part of me has reacted to the criticism my work has already generated and never wants to offend another reader. Yet, I know people will occasionally get offended no matter what I do. I also know that offensive work has a significant niche in the entertainment world and has been responsible for substantial positive change.
My mental argument is not going away. Yet, I like that I understand and confront my own beliefs. This is how people grow.
You’re the best -Bill
December 08, 2020 Updated June 24, 2025
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