been hurled at those of us promoting #CancelColbert? The outrage
surrounding our criticism is about white liberals feeling entitled to
engage in hate speech under the guise of “satire.” These white liberals
are not mad that we pointed out racism, they are mad that they now have
to consider the ways in which they may be racist.

Andy Smith on Twitter argued: “Folks seem to think that you can
effectively address anti-Native American racism by satirically engaging
in anti-Asian or anti-Black racism.” Such an approach presumes
anti-Native American racism isn’t distinct and that it doesn’t need to

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“TwitterPolice” by journalists, even as their hashtag and trend was
immediately trolled and the “ColbertNationers” took it upon themselves
to educate “the others” on the Art of Satire.

We have some tips of our own that we’d like to share:
* Satire Lesson 1: If you need to explain whatever it is that you
were trying to do, it’s not working. Your audience is telling you
that it’s broken, it’s old. It needs to be reworked.
* Satire Lesson 2: Tone is not a shield. “Tone” is one element in a
larger construction.
* Satire Lesson 3: If the only people who “get” your satire are
racists — might we suggest some soul searching on your end?

Satire is not making props and metaphors of the history (is it
history?) of oppression. The problem isn’t that we can’t take a joke.
The problem is that white comedians and their fans believe they are

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standard must be honored or protected.

The guises of “satire,” “irony,” and “humor” are not shields of armor
against criticism. We did not misunderstand satire, “The Colbert
Report,” or white liberals. They misunderstood us, and we fought back.