Recently, a college student was tasered by security guards at a John Kerry speech because he refused to keep quiet or leave the auditorium when asked. In order to prevent the security guards from coming near him with the tasers, the student yelled "Don't tase me, bro" at them. While the debate continued over whether or not the security guards were correct in their actions, the video of the event (and particularly that catchphrase) became a YouTube sensation, and as always seems to happen, the parodies abounded (the above is an example of one of the more hilarious versions.)
While we can all find humor in parodies like these, I think it raises the question of whether or not they serve as a form of rhetoric themselves. Some viewed this event as a serious threat to freedom of speech, but this parody makes it seem less serious, poking fun at the kid that actually was tasered pretty badly for speaking his mind. In lightening the mood surrounding this event, this parody seems to say that it should not be taken as seriously as it was by some, but it also takes away from the seriousness of the free speech debate surrounding it, perhaps also making it a comment on our generation's knack for forsaking concern for the things that matter in the pursuit of fun.
(Update 12/20/07: I just saw on the Today Show this morning that "Don't Tase Me, Bro" was deemed the top catchphrase of 2007. Interesting.)
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