SHS

Y’all. The video of this “comedian” roasting Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been popping up in my timeline over and over the past three days. And every time it does, I cringe. I watched it one time. Just a clip. That’s all I needed to see to get me all kinds of riled up.

Look. I know it was the White House Correspondents Dinner. And I know that the WCD is jokey and comedic and it is traditionally a big old roast. Trust me, I can take (and crack) a joke with the best of them. I like to think I have a decent sense of humor.

Usually, the jokes are made in good spirits. The roastees are laughing right along. It’s funny for everyone in the room.

Nope, not this time.

Ms. Sanders appeared both uncomfortable and unamused while it was happening. The way she was “roasted” was anything but light-hearted or all in good fun. It was mean spirited, intentionally cruel and over the line.

And, of course, the internet trolls showed up for it with their tongues good and sharp.

Ms. Sanders doesn’t need me to defend her. Whether you like her or not, she’s a tough-as-nails brilliant working mom at the peak of her career. A woman doesn’t get where she is by being an overly sensitive pansy. She’s is probably over it. She’s too busy in her bad-ass job at the WHITE HOUSE to care what some ruthless, pandering comedian has to say about her. The White House Press Secretary eats people like Michelle What’s-Her-Face for breakfast.

But here’s what I’m getting at…

The hypocrisy among women in this country is laughable.

LAUGH. A. BLE.

All this talk about women not tearing down other women. And mothers not judging other mothers. And women demanding equal treatment in equal jobs. And screaming at the top of our lungs that bullying of all kinds is absolutely intolerable—HA. FREAKING. HA.

Apparently, it’s conditional.

If you deem another person inferior because of her politics, then evidently she’s fair game to verbally eviscerate in a public forum; it’s okay to make fun of the way she looks and speaks.

It seems this kind of cruelty has become perfectly acceptable as long as you think your political beliefs are more valuable than hers because you are liberal and she is conservative.

It’s totally permissible because she works for a man you don’t like or respect, even though that man happens to be the President of the United States, to bully and belittle her (and other women).

That kind of bullying toward another woman—another mother—is apparently socially acceptable just so long as the target is a politically conservative woman with whom you don’t share core values.

Then it’s game on.

I mean WHAT THE EVER-LOVING WHAT?!???

Why do we act surprised when kids are such assholes at school? Why do we act surprised when kids are so cruel to other kids that middle schoolers are committing suicide? Why do we act surprised when “different” kids are insulted, humiliated, rejected and ostracized?

I guess it’s because we’re living in a “do what I say, not what I do” kinda world. And also because apples don’t fall far from the tree.

Being kind and accepting to all means BEING KIND AND ACCEPTING TO ALL. Not just the ones you feel are deserving of your kindness and acceptance. Not just the ones who think the same as you. Isn’t that what we all say we’re telling our kids? Well, it applies to adults too, people.

You don’t get to pick and choose. That’s not how it works. You don’t get to decide which people should be respected at your command, and which can be shamelessly ridiculed based on your own arrogant opinion. That defeats the basic premises of kindness, tolerance and acceptance which, incidentally, is SO ironic in this particular situation.

So please just get outta here with that utter hypocrisy. It’s truly unbecoming behavior.