NEWS: Spurlock: Supersized Ego Or Free Speech Advocate?

Speaking at Hatboro-Horsham High School's first-ever health fair, Morgan Spurlock joked about the intelligence of McDonald's employees, about "retarded kids in the back wearing helmets" and teachers smoking pot in the balcony.

The special education students in the back row were led by teachers out of the hourlong presentation.

"If you put the whole package together, the use of the F-word and poking fun at teachers and the comments about special-needs students, it just wasn't appropriate," Superintendent William Lessa said.

Most of the 700 students laughed, gave him a standing ovation and mobbed him for autographs. A speech Spurlock was to make at the school later Friday night for community members was canceled.

After the talk, others said they did not appreciate the humour of Spurlock putting on an Indian accent and pretending to be a McDonald's cashier. At the end of his hour-long presentation, Mr Spurlock was summoned by the principal and the superintendent of the local school district and told he had crossed a line. A planned news conference was cancelled, as was a second presentation he had been due to give. School officials said they would offer a refund to anyone who felt the $15-$30 they had shelled out was a waste of money.

The film-maker was not entirely magnanimous about his hosts, however, hinting that what might have really given them offence was his attitude to the fast-food business as opposed to his use of language. He said that before his talk he was asked not to talk about McDonald's because a member of a local education board owned a McDonald's franchise - a claim that was impossible to verify over the weekend.

"To think I'm going to give in to that type of censorship is unbelievable," Mr Spurlock said. Not only did he talk about McDonald's, he also ripped into other chains, including the Outback Steakhouse. "No one in Australia has heard of Outback Steakhouse, and everyone who works there is Mexican," he said.

alpha_hazard said:
Would it have surprised anyone if Howard Stern had made the same comments?

Honestly, the guy worked for FX for a season...

Hooraydiation said:

I know you were kind of joking, but his show (30 Days) was abourt fostering understanding and acceptance between people with different backgrounds and ideals (it's not okay to make gay jokes, even if they're just jokes). Given that, you'd expect him to be more respectful.

Margot_Dent said:
doesnt he sound kind of....racist?

mamet said:

Yes, and just generally insensitive. Which is sort of the opposite of what I expected from him.

lilyk said:

Or at least insightful enough to read his audience, as the school is located in a very conservative community.

A Letter of Explanation
To the Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators of Hatboro Horsham High School, the Hatboro Horsham Education Foundation, and anyone else who has now heard of the events of last Friday in Pennsylvania,

Throughout the year, I travel to various colleges and high schools to talk about my experiences in making Super SIze Me, the impact it has had on me and the community, and what kids can do to make a difference in their own lives. That was my goal when I went to speak to the students of Hatboro Horsham High School.

As I told both the principal and superintendent of schools after my lecture, it is never my intent to insult or demean anyone – and I understand how some of my remarks may have offended some in attendance and if you feel they did, then I am deeply sorry.

When I speak at schools, I try to express my views on difficult topics with humor and a joking mannerism. I try to connect with students by conveying my thoughts in an accessible form, using the same speech and tone that they or I would use in any other lively conversation. One student even said to me, “you didn’t say anything that we aren’t going to hear later on TV,” and that was my sole intent.

I do, however, believe it is very important for me to address many of the points made in the media.

First and most importantly, it should be made clear that the only person I called “retarded” was myself when I was unable to hear a question from the audience. Having done work with special needs children in the past, something this hurtful would never come from my lips. I did make an aside about kids sleeping in the back wearing helmets, which was done with no malicious intent (I was playing it as a slacker reference to the Jon Heder character in the upcoming film “Benchwarmers,” a reference which was lost and, as I was later told, there were no actual students wearing helmets in the back).

I have also been portrayed as someone who spewed profanity for a full hour. To set the record straight, I said only five “dirty” words during the entire speech.

The Superintendent said to me backstage that the only words he had problems with were the “F-Bombs,” (of which there were only two) so perhaps I should have toned down even those two uses, but as another student told me, it’s nothing they hadn’t heard before.

It has also been said that I insulted faculty, when in actuality, all I was doing was making a joke at their expense for the enjoyment of the students. While the main floor of the auditorium was full, 7 or 8 teachers sat up in the balcony. During the Q&A after my talk, I asked them if they had any questions for me. They shook their heads no and I said to the kids, “You see, while you guys sit down here and watch, the teachers sit up in the balcony and smoke pot.” The students roared with laughter, and once again, that was all I wanted to do: entertain the kids.

Lastly, in the article it quoted me as saying that the greatest lesson those kids learned was the importance of freedom of speech. When saying that, I did not mean that you have the right to insult anyone at will (as many people have interpreted it.) I was referring to the fact that the group that hired me to speak asked that I not mention McDonald’s in any of my talk because one of their board members owns a franchise. That would be like asking Neil Armstrong to speak but tell him he can’t bring up walking on the moon, so needless to say, I didn’t agree to their censorship.

Please know that any comment I made in my speech was done in a comical tone without an ounce of vindictive purpose. While it may be too late for apologies for many in the community, I hope this in some small way can start to make amends with the rest of you.

As an individual who fights daily for us all to find some common ground in this world, I am hopeful that the work I do can continue to generate a positive dialogue, inspire action and make this world a better place.

Sincerely,

Morgan Spurlock

BetsyGirl said:
I think what he said got blown out of perportion and taken out of context.
Its no worse than the stuff you see on Comedy Central. Look at George Carlin, Sarah Silverman, Bob Saget and every other comedian. Making fun of things that make people uncomfortable helps them swollow it.

Clov said:
Yeah, but at a high school? This isn't cable tv.

s5 said:

And where else would childish, low-brow humor be appropriate, if not a high school? Sounds like Spurlock understands how to reach his audience quite well.

BillHaverchuck said:
It may have been overblown. He sounds more guilty of not being funny than being bigoted.

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