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'Political Correctness Has Ruined Country Humor'

Jacob Sullum | August 28, 2008, 3:34pm

At a Harlan, Kentucky, grocery store last week, perennial gubernatorial candidate Otis "Bullman" Hensley encountered a woman with her two nieces, ages 11 and 13. He offered to trade a "fattening hog" for the girls, a variation on an old Appalachian joke meant as a compliment. The woman evidently didn't get it. A.P. reports that "the family obtained a warrant for Hensley's arrest from the local prosecutor, claiming the comment was intended to entice the children into illegal sexual activity." Hensley—who earned his nickname by traveling the state with "a giant Fiberglas bull on which he attached a sign proclaiming that, if elected, he would 'chase the bull out of Frankfort'"—spent three days in jail before the girls' father decided he was willing to accept an apology in lieu of a 10-year prison sentence.

"He absolutely meant no harm," the prosecutor says. "It was a joke to him." Appalachian scholar Loyal Jones complains that "political correctness has ruined country humor."

If the hog-for-girl swap is representative, I won't mourn the loss of country humor too much. I'm more worried about the way sex crime hysteria has perverted the law. "In Kentucky," A.P. explains, "citizens can obtain arrest warrants simply by filing a complaint with local prosecutors," and "no investigation is necessary for police to make an arrest when the charge involves an alleged sexual offense." 

[via The Freedom Files]

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Comments to "'Political Correctness Has Ruined Country Humor'":

J | August 28, 2008, 3:42pm | #

That's retarded.

Shirley Knott | August 28, 2008, 3:47pm | #

Gotta wonder how long it would last if all the peace and freedom loving types starting filing complaints against all the politicians and candidates.
Citizen action at its finest, use the law against itself ;-)

no hugs for thugs,
Shirley Knott

Episiarch | August 28, 2008, 3:50pm | #

I initially read that as "Political Correctness Has Ruined Country Music", but that didn't make any sense, because how do you ruin something that's already terrible?

Elemenope | August 28, 2008, 3:55pm | #

"How much for your voomen?"

"What?!"

"Yezzz. How much for the little onezzz?"

ClubMedSux | August 28, 2008, 3:57pm | #

Only in Kentucky could references to fattening hogs qualify as "entic[ing] the children into illegal sexual activity."

TrickyVic | August 28, 2008, 3:59pm | #

So if someone filed a sex complaint on a cop, would they still arrest without an investigation?

Pro Libertate | August 28, 2008, 4:01pm | #

So, if this view had been prevalent in the 70s, the Blues Brothers would've had their mission from God aborted when Jake was arrested for offering to purchase a girl.

I hate Illinois Nazis. Even when they are in Kentucky.

J sub D | August 28, 2008, 4:11pm | #

So if someone filed a sex complaint on a cop, would they still arrest without an investigation?

Sure. Cops are treated like everyone else in the criminal justice system. Politicians too. Everybody knows that.

JW | August 28, 2008, 4:15pm | #

Political Correctness Has Ruined Country Humor

I regard this as a feature, not a bug.

Insofar as this current case goes, it's only further proof that unless you have children along with you physically, never speak to mothers with children in tow.* At least not anything beyond the time and weather. It will just end badly for you.

*I can attest the to the power of mutal parenthood. A couple years ago, I ran into a very attractive mom at a local playground. Her kids hit it off with mine. Turns out that she was a local sportscaster (some grandpa type said "Hey! You're that Redskins lady! He was very excited.). I was probably the only guy in the metropolitan area who didn't know her. But alas, nothing more came of it than a pleasant conversation.

If I met her on the street without the youngins, she probably would have crossed to avoid me.

SugarFree | August 28, 2008, 4:18pm | #

Oh, Kentucky. Why must you shame me here among my people?

Episiarch | August 28, 2008, 4:19pm | #

If I met her on the street without the youngins, she probably would have crossed to avoid me.

But that's because you look like Gary Busey after 6 lines of coke and half a bottle of tequila.

Isaac | August 28, 2008, 4:21pm | #

Well, the politicians have been using children as a blank check for power expansion for years, it was only a matter of time until it came around and bit them. This is good news, maybe more pols will get hit with this kind of stuff and realize the error of it all... hey, at least I can dream...

Colonel_Angus | August 28, 2008, 4:26pm | #

I misread the joke as trading a "fattening log". Who hasn't said something stupid like that? People wonder why I don't talk much.

Off Topic: Socialist security numbers are free speech. Just in case this one gets missed.
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/08/28/1536249&from=rss

P Brooks | August 28, 2008, 4:26pm | #

Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke.





Hey! What the? Who are you guys? Let go of me!

What do you mean, "child rape? That's not what I meant- I was kidding.... Are you people crazy?

Haaaaaalp!

Don Mynack | August 28, 2008, 4:29pm | #

Tater Salad!

Vlad Drac | August 28, 2008, 4:31pm | #

"If the hog-for-girl swap is representative, I won't mourn the loss of country humor too much."

Humor is so subjective.

Stick to the law. Your culture sucks.

Seitz | August 28, 2008, 4:43pm | #

So if someone filed a sex complaint on a cop, would they still arrest without an investigation?

Maybe. Just make sure you don't file it against this guy's partner (I know it's the Onion, but this cuts a little too close to reality).

Cop Vows To Hunt Down Punk Who Successfully Pressed Brutality Charges Against His Partner

StupendousMan | August 28, 2008, 4:51pm | #

I think a proper response is for some to obtain an arrest warrant against this for an innocuous statement. You want me to supersize it?! That sounds like you want to touch my children! Arrest her!

StupendousMan | August 28, 2008, 4:52pm | #

Someone... woman...

rana | August 28, 2008, 4:54pm | #

"I initially read that as "Political Correctness Has Ruined Country Music",..."

Me too. But then again, I seem to have this problem with misreading titles.

"...but that didn't make any sense, because how do you ruin something that's already terrible?"
Heh, my thoughts exactly.

Reformed Republican | August 28, 2008, 4:55pm | #


But that's because you look like Gary Busey after 6 lines of coke and half a bottle of tequila.

Which is still better than he looked before she had the coke and tequila.

Invisible Finger | August 28, 2008, 5:02pm | #

"If the hog-for-girl swap is representative, I won't mourn the loss of country humor too much."

I don't see a "country humor" exception in the first amendment.

JW | August 28, 2008, 5:06pm | #

But that's because you look like Gary Busey after 6 lines of coke and half a bottle of tequila.

You say it as if there's something wrong with that.

Invisible Finger | August 28, 2008, 5:06pm | #

It's not so much political correctness being the problem as a controlled media. When the state licenses the press, the press is not apt to investigate misdoings of the state. But the media exists to report misdoings, so they inevitably play up the angle of "sexual predators amongst us" to 100x the actual rate. A state-educated populace swallows this shit up.

Episiarch | August 28, 2008, 5:10pm | #

You say it as if there's something wrong with that.

Shit, I admire it.

Les | August 28, 2008, 5:15pm | #

You country music haters must have only heard Toby Keith and/or Big and Rich. There's a great big, beautiful world of real country music out there. Don't let the country-pop fool ya!

Mr. Joshua | August 28, 2008, 5:17pm | #

My name is not important, but you may call me Mr. Joshua.

libertymike | August 28, 2008, 5:22pm | #

SeitZ-4:43

Do you know if the partner has been charged?

Justin Wilson | August 28, 2008, 5:32pm | #

I guar-annnnnnn-tee!

Emeril Lagasse | August 28, 2008, 5:33pm | #

Bam!

Clemsonuee | August 28, 2008, 7:16pm | #

First they came for the Country Humor and no one said anything.

Then they came for the Suburban Humor and again no one said anything.

What will you say when they come for the Cosmotarian Humor?

Seitz | August 28, 2008, 10:02pm | #

Do you know if the partner has been charged?

Umm, it was an Onion article.

Anti-Globalism | August 28, 2008, 11:49pm | #

What doesn't Political Correctness ruin?

It's hysteria.

Author of the Reason article just had to make his comment showing he was above such country humor... I find that immature, no offense.

Jimmy Dean | August 29, 2008, 10:55am | #

http://www.ajokes.com/jokes/411.html

Country humor - hog joke.

Gary Busey | August 29, 2008, 12:06pm | #

Fuck coke and tequila!! All you have to do is fall off your bike and rap your head on the curb. If you live, you get to be stoned-for-life. Very cost-effective in the long-run, and easier on the liver.

Salvius | August 29, 2008, 1:32pm | #

"In Kentucky," A.P. explains, "citizens can obtain arrest warrants simply by filing a complaint with local prosecutors," and "no investigation is necessary for police to make an arrest when the charge involves an alleged sexual offense."
Really?

G. W. Bush once groped me in Lexington!

(Doesn't matter if it's true or not - no investigation is necessary to make the arrest!)

12-year-old middle class white girl | August 29, 2008, 3:45pm | #

You gots groped by President Bush? Why, that's an honor! All I ever git felt up by is my uncle Jim when he gits back from Warshington. He says them steroids hearings makes him horny.