I read an article in the National Post newspaper this 
morning that seemed to me to be one more piece of evidence 
of a disturbing trend in recent years. The article discusses 
the case of a Quebec comedian who repeatedly ridiculed a 
disabled child as part of his routine[1]. Quebec's human 
rights tribunal ordered the comedian to pay over $40,000 in 
damages and the comedian is appealing that ruling.

The subtleties of the legal case were not what concerned me. 
I've noticed that in recent years, more comedians seem to 
have taken license to ridicule people based on their 
appearances. I used to watch Seth Meyers, for example. But 
between the policy critique in his segments, Meyers 
routinely and quite intentionally derides people based on 
their appearances. I know nothing about Eric Trump. Meyers 
seems to know little about him either. But jokes based on 
his appearance and that of Trump advisor Stephen Miller are 
a regular feature of "A Closer Look." Likewise, John Oliver 
often takes shots at the subjects of his stories based on 
their physical appearance. I may or may not like those 
people and their policies, but I don't think it is fair to 
comment on their appearance.

To me, that's crossing a line. While we all have the 
capacity to change our values, principles and beliefs as we 
learn and adapt, there's not much we can do about our 
physical characteristics. That's why I don't have a problem 
with criticizing people's views (which are the product of 
conscious decision and can be altered), but I can't abide 
the ridiculing and humiliation of people based on their 
appearance. So this trend has been bothering me. I've 
puzzled about it and wondered if it has something to do with 
social media and the image-based nature of so much of what 
we consume these days. I'm not sure. Blaming social media 
seems like a reflex action. The causes may be more complex.

Then this morning, as I drove to work, it occurred to me 
that the reason that these comments on appearances bother me 
so much is because they're about white men. Sadly, I could 
really empathize when men's appearances were being 
criticized. Because they're like me. I hate that my ability 
to empathize is that limited, but apparently it is.

It's been normal (not acceptable, but typical) to criticize 
women's appearances for .... I don't know how long. Probably 
forever. Female politicians and executives, for example, can 
expect to have their appearances commented upon. Likewise, 
racial and ethnic minorities have suffered judgment (and 
discrimination and enslavement) based on nothing more than 
appearance throughout history.

What's happening today is the democratization of 
discrimination. Everyone's a potential target. I don't like 
it and I hope you don't either. Maybe -- in a completely 
unintended way -- it will make more of us empathize and 
speak up when we see it in the future.

And like I said, I'm saddened that it took this long for me 
to see it the way that I now do.

[1] https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/quebec-comic-mike-ward-in-court-defending-joke-about-disabled-singer