Oh, man.

I just got a press release from a pro-life group condemning Chris Rock and calling for him to be ditched from the Academy Awards for his abortion remark during one of his stand-up acts.

That’s a mistake.

Many people e-mailed me yesterday with the Drudge link about abortion, presumably to blast him. But why would I?

First off, he was doing a joke routine—vulgar, inflammatory, and in terribly bad taste, but it was comedy, not a political treatise.

His joke was that he likes knowing which women are probably game for one-night stands. Better go to an abortion rally than a Bible study if that’s what you’re into. Actually, he has a true-enough point there.

As for him being delighted abortion is legal–thinking it’s “beautiful” (and yeah, it makes me shiver just hearing that, of course, regardless of the context): I have no idea what Chris Rock’s real views on the matter are. He couldn’t care less for all I know. (And I would not be screaming for his ouster as Oscar host if I found out he supported legal abortion.) But what I do know is that he was making a joke, not a political statement–that’s what he does. And to take Chris Rock too seriously here is probably a mistake. Especially when there are actually serious fish to fry when it comes to cultural battles.

(A little more on the Rock thing tomorrow on your favorite website, btw.)