iCarly's Sorry About Making Fun Of Homelessness

Well, iCarly didn't literally say "I'm sorry," but Nickelodeon, the network that airs the popular teen show, responded by pulling all references to "hobo" off their online media outlets and has committed to no new episodes referring to "hobo."

A few weeks ago, Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom urged me to respond to iCarly's "hobo" references. So I wrote a piece on Huffington Post called, "iCarly, Homelessness Is Not A Joke," and set up a Facebook campaign. I also wrote a letter to Nickelodeon explaining the reasons why making fun of "hobos" is an affront to those struggling with homelessness.

I recently received a telephone call from a Nickelodeon executive who was responding to the appeal letter. She told me that they spent some soul-searching discussions on their "hobo" episodes. She explained that homelessness was never their target, and never wanted to promote comedy at the expense of hurting homeless people.

I believed her.

There was once a famous American comedian who used to put on knee-slapping comedic routines using characters like: George Appleby, The Mean Widdle Kid, Willie Lump-Lump, and San Fernando Red. His name was Red Skelton.

For those of us who are too young to remember his impact on American society, we should understand that his slapstick comedy was the genre for a previous generation. One of his characters was Freddie the Freeloader, a "happy hobo clown."

Red, as Freddie the Freeloader, once joked that he was never totally alone because he had fleas. Not something that I would laugh about, and in fact would be offended, but a whole generation worshipped Red's humor.

iCarly's "hobo" episodes were based on this type of classic humor that is certainly not justified, but is understandable. It reminds me of the old "blackface" humor used in minstrel shows that were stereotypical caricatures of African Americans. They were perhaps funny a generation ago, but are now offensive.

Looks like Nickelodeon understands that such humor has crossed beyond the line of acceptability in today's society. A gracious offer to pull "hobo" references and even an offer to support homeless services is my kind of healthy comedy.

I think many compassionate Americans who struggle to battle homelessness can now breathe a sigh of relief.

(Note: I was told past syndicated episodes cannot be changed.)

 

 

 

Follow Joel John Roberts on Twitter: www.twitter.com/joeljohnroberts

Comments

[TeValereJubeo]

05:23 PM on 03/17/2011

how offensive it is would only matter; Was the hobo a hobo by choice or a hobo by misfortune?

[RosslynRose]

09:53 AM on 03/17/2011

iCarly is one of the best shows around these days for kids/pre-teens. It's one of the few shows I allow my daughter to watch. I'm even more impressed that they decided to pull the word, even though I'm quite sure there was no malice involved in their using it in the first place. What a terrific, talented cast.

[Franken Stine]

06:14 PM on 03/15/2011

This pales in comparison to the time Doug joked about his friend Skeeter's addiction to meth.

[TeValereJubeo]

05:20 PM on 03/17/2011

Haha. I think they are doing a live action Doug movie.

[Reilly Patrick]

05:23 PM on 03/15/2011

Personally, I think you made a mountain out of a molehill. There are a lot bigger issues and offensive jokes/comments out there to worry about, rather than a silly television show. How about the people that think Obama isn't an American? And the people who makes death threats against him? C'mon people.

[CitizenPane]

01:56 PM on 03/15/2011

If a CEO like Mr. Roberts has the time to make an issue and comment on the iCarly use of the word "hobo" he has too much time on his hands. I don't believe in recent times I have heard a child say "look mommy it's a hobo". By bringing attention to the term "hobo" Mr. Roberts has added a new level of ridicule to the same group he is trying to help - the Homeless. Again, we are being politically-corrected to death. Mr. Roberts - redirect your energies.

[gingersaff]

01:29 PM on 03/14/2011

Does anyone realize that we're talking about several different groups of people here? There are the homeless (those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves without shelter or stability or food security), those who, by their actions, have chosen to live on the street (runaways, addicts, and the criminal element), those who might be called actual "hobos" (people who have adopted the life of odd jobs and riding the rails), and those who are homeless as a symptom of a larger problem such as mental illness. To lump them all together and to declare that the term "hobo" is actually referring to them all is remarkably silly. Each group requires a separate call to action to deal with them, and wagging a finger at a kid's show is hardly the place to start. This article and the one that preceded it only serve to make me take the author less seriously than I would otherwise; it seems to me that all they've accomplished here is to make yet another perfectly acceptable vocabulary word verboten. Congratulations to the thin-skinned: another victory for the Politically Correct.

[roseau]

12:13 PM on 03/14/2011

You know what's even more shameful than making hobo jokes? Creating homelessness. Let's stop persecuting this teenager and put a real face on homelessness. BoA Chairman? Alan Greenspan?

The hobo controversy has been an opportunity to talk about homelessness in my household. We live in a place with real hobos, men who travel along the rails and camp out on the edge of town. My kids are aware of this reality because we don't live in a world of plastic fake happiness. For everyone who wants to sanitize the airwaves and then wonders why their kids don't care about anyone but themselves, why not consider this opportunity to help them develop some awareness and empathy for our society's castoffs? And if your kid is too young to know about it, then then word 'hobo' will go right over their head until it's time to have that discussion. Yes, these things are unpleasant, but your privilege and mine (if you're home watching icarly with your kids, you're privileged) is built on the backs of the unfortunate ones - whether it's the mentally ill we choose to neglect, or the kid who made your kid's sneakers.

[sandystranger]

12:02 PM on 03/14/2011

I always thought that hobos were guys who liked to "ride the rails" and move from town to town because they didn't want to settle down. I never felt that iCarly was making fun of homeless people.

[voiceorason]

04:25 PM on 03/14/2011

I think those are "Okies"

[Yalegirl03]

11:48 AM on 03/14/2011

"It reminds me of the old "blackface" humor used in minstrel shows that were stereotypical caricatures of African Americans. They were perhaps funny a generation ago, but are now offensive."

I would submit to you that blackface humor as well as "hobo" humor was always offensive to those at whose expense the "joke" was made. Perhaps blackface humor was not offensive to Caucasians, but those caricatures were always offensive and degrading to blacks.

I am sure the author of this article did not intend to reply that they were never offensive to blacks, but I am always struck by these statements because it is clear they are written from the standpoint of the privileged dominant class without any thought that others viewed things quite differently and that their POV might be very valuable when one decides what is or was offensive.

[SilGal]

11:06 AM on 03/14/2011

I saw this episode with my girls, and was unsettled by it. and though I do not believe it was meant to be hurtful or malicious, I used it to open up a dialog about homelessness, and being callous about a truly serious subject. As a parent i do accept her apology and appreciate Nick's efforts to change this.

[Coffee4Me]

10:23 AM on 03/14/2011

Nickelodeon's ICARLY should know it is governments job to make fun of the homeless.....State Rep. Martin Harty of Barrington said he was kidding around with an unidentified woman caller who supported funding for the homeless when he raised the issue of eugenics and the world's population growth.

"I was kidding with her and it kind of got away from me," he said of the conversation. "It was a girl that wanted money for the crazy people, the people ... a good percentage of the homeless people are mentally disturbed."

[Exhaust]

07:52 AM on 03/14/2011

We are living in a Nation of wimps. Instead of eliminating the word or words like it from your show, why don't you donate money every time it is used. What...does saying the word "Hobo" make a Hobo feel down and out? Or...does everyone else forget they are here, by not saying the word(s)? Homeless shelters help the homeless, but also hide the problem from the rest of the populous. The "Language Police" should do something to help instead of worrying about the words people use.

[cabinetmaker]

07:48 AM on 03/14/2011

liberal = regulator

[Gerald Ward]

02:45 AM on 03/15/2011

I think you need a new dictionary, maybe one with pictures.

[cabinetmaker]

07:46 AM on 03/14/2011

2061: she tried to be funny like cobert, but...

[Sam Damon]

07:21 AM on 03/14/2011

We are approaching the zenith of our political correctness now. As soon as we develop the technology we can establish the “thought police” and really have an impact on all these haters.