Okay, so now we can chat about it AFTER it’s aired. Spoilers, I assume, to follow…
Boy, did I NEVER want to be right as much as when I saw the first minute or so of the episode and thought, “Oh God, they wouldn’t dare.” Happily, I was wrong. Subtext and metatext was everywhere, from Bart Simpson’s joining in the festivities in acknowledgement that “The Simpsons” fired the opening salvo months back by labeling “Family Guy” as a rip off (and “American Dad” as a rip-of of a rip-off) to the stark assertion that Comedy Central wouldn’t let them air an image of Mohammed. Ludicrous considering, as noted, they did it years ago, one wonders if it’s true (I suspect it is) and–if so–whether that bit of interference on the part of CC is what triggered the entire storyline in the first place.
I also loved the subtext of the notion that the “Family Guy” writing staff was more or less the equivalent of the infinite number of monkeys who supposedly could wind up, through sheer happenstance, producing the works of Shakespeare given enough time. And ultimately the biggest joke was that network executives could wind up having courage in the face of terrorist threats–something that, in real life, is in very short supply. The problem is, considering it’s the biggest joke…it’s also the least amusing.
PAD
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It seems kind of fruitless to blame a business for acting like a business.
But it is appropriate to blame the business as part of the reason we’re losing the war against Islamic extremists.
SOMEBODY has to take a stand.
Peter’s right. Given the craven cowardace shown by so many elements of the media, any who stand up for free speech are easy targets.
I don’t know about CC but Borders at least admitted the truth–they banned a magazine because of fear, not because of any belief that satire is inappropriate.
If enough networks and newspapers showed some guts there would be too many targets to hit but s it is…don’t do it, Bill. I’ve just gotten to know you. And if these bášŧárdš were as smart as I am that’s exactky what they would do; kill off a few regular folks. In the words of one of the great would be terrorists “We’ll start with a few murders. Big men, little men – just to show we make no distinction.” (The Invisible Man)
Let’s not just pick on Muslims–others have learned well how to intimidate based on perceived offenses. Check out this astonishing link: http://www.telladf.org/UserDocs/OSUMansfieldletter.pdf
Briefly, a librarian suugests 4 books for a freshmen reading list and is being investigated for sexual harrassment because of it.
One caveat; these stories often turn out to be less than they seem at first. On the other hand, there is no easier place to see what an unholy merging of Mcarthyism and Stalinism would look like than on the campus of far too many colleges these days.
“SOMEBODY has to take a stand.”
Somebody did: The newspapers in Denmark. The riots and destruction were the result, and world condemnation seemed to focus less on the radical extremists and more on the newspapers for provoking it. The message sent was clear: Provoke these nutballs at your own risk.
Tell me where my logic about Comedy Central is off, Craig. I’m happy to listen. Convince me that if you were the head of Comedy Central, you would have given Parker and Stone their head and you would have aired unpixeled versions of Mohammed.
Me, I think it’s impressive that they haven’t recalled the DVD sets with the Super Best Friends. That is out, I assume. I’d buy it now; might become a collector’s item.
PAD
One other reason not to post the comics, Bill–you might lose your job.
A blogger posted a dopey cartoon of a stick figure holding a bomb with the caption “Mohammed Blows”.
It got reported here- http://www.nashvillescene.com/Stories/News/Political_Notes/2006/04/13/A_Political_Web/index.shtml
He later came to an, ahem, mutual parting of the ways, with the University that employed him. Chilling.
But not surprising. I’m glad that PAD has a contract with Marvel now, because how easy would it be for some disgruntled member of the left or right to take something he said as offensive and put the screws on them? (If I were you, PAD, I might be especially careful about any criticism of the Palestinians. The anti-Bush stuff won’t cost you too many points in New York but looking like a tool of the worldwide Zionist conspiracy, well, that can’t be allowed.
Please God, let me win the $220 million dollar lottery. I will use it to become an enormous pain in the ášš to the people who are doing this crap. And I’ll have enough money to build a fortified house complete with moat.
PAD’s right, of course.
I think one of the things I have trouble wrapping my brain around is the difference between pulling a show because it offends someone, and pulling a show because you’re afraid to get blowed up. But aside from the fact that a show is involved, they couldn’t be more unrelated. As long as a show has the audience’s support, they can offend just about anyone… But when blowing stuff up enters into the picture, no amount of audience support will make the difference. It offends our sensibilities as Americans, and we perceive the further decaying of our freedoms, but, well, can anyone deny a certain logic behind the decision to pull a show?
In a blog entry, I made an incendiary post directed at Christians, with a link to a Penny Arcade comic in which Jesus is playing (I think) Quake 3, picking off “chatty b!tches.” I was trying to make a point, but the moment I got a response that upset me, I pulled the darn thing down. So far be it from me to hold Comedy Central or anyone else up to a standard that I can’t maintain for myself.
Should I be ashamed of my cowardice? That depends on how shameful it is to want to live to see old age.
Humans will do everything in their power to avert danger, as long as they anticipate it. It’s one of those miracles of evolution called “survival.”
The anti-Bush stuff won’t cost you too many points in New York but looking like a tool of the worldwide Zionist conspiracy, well, that can’t be allowed.
Actually, in New York City, it’s pretty much the opposite. You can never show too much support for Israel.
Now if PAD lived in Paris, it’d be a different story.
Editorial cartoons, almost by definition, are going to offend SOMEbody.
I’m not sure Family Guy falls into the category of “editorial cartoon,” although they have had their moments of social commentary. If they did use Jesus or Mohammad, it probably wouldn’t be too far off from South Park‘s parody.
I think we can all agree on how things should be. People should feel like they can make a point without worrying about offending anyone, and if they offend someone then they should at least not have to be afraid of violent reprisals.
For that matter, there shouldn’t be any violence at all. Unfortunately, that’s not the world we live in. (And let’s face it, it’s not entertainment without a healthy dose of violence.)
Actually, Jesus has made multiple appearances in Family Guy, as well as God Himself, and Vishnu (if I’m not mistaken) in one episode.
-Rex Hondo-
The riots and destruction were the result, and world condemnation seemed to focus less on the radical extremists and more on the newspapers for provoking it.
Which just goes to show how far off the deep end that we, as a species, have gone.
Bush keeps going on and on about having to fight terrorism at every turn, but everybody else seems to be more than willing to appease the fanatical bášŧárdš out there.
Tell me where my logic about Comedy Central is off, Craig. I’m happy to listen.
If you want to call it logic, be my guest.
I call it total hypocracy on their part.
They allowed the Super Friends episode to air but not this, when this episode is no different in the portrayal of Mohammed?
Thank you, CC, for letting the terrorists win.
I’m sure I’ll sleep well tonight knowing that they’ve helped contribute to the erosion of both my liberty and my safety.
Because, in the end, I sure as hëll don’t feel any safer because CC has no balls to speak of.
Craig? I’d be more impressed with your being offended and everything if you hadn’t kind of skipped over the following:
“Convince me that if you were the head of Comedy Central, you would have given Parker and Stone their head and you would have aired unpixeled versions of Mohammed.”
That’s really the $64,000 question, isn’t it. I put together a logical argument as to why they did what they did. My challenge is simple: If you disagree with the logic, then explain where it’s faulty and how you would have handled it differently. Your response was “If you want to call that logic, be my guest.” Well, I believe it IS logic, and technically, you’re MY guest, what with this being…y’know…my website. But now I’m waiting for the counterargument that undercuts my logic, and I’m afraid moral outrage doesn’t quite get it done.
Slap them around all you want. But your silence in response to the other matter doesn’t convince me that you’d do it any differently if you were in charge. And if you would do the exact same thing…how do you justify calling them hypocrites?
PAD
Mulligan, don’t worry: I’ve decided against posting any Mohammed cartoons on my Web site.
On the one hand, I’m a small fry. Hëll, I’m a speck on a dust mote. I’m not sure that my cartoons would even be noticed by anyone. As I’ve said, my Web site has only 7.3 readers, two of whom are actually dead, but are in denial about it. But, I certainly can’t rule out the risk that I could get noticed, however small that risk may be.
If my life were the only one I’d be putting at risk, I’d like to think I’d be brave enough to risk it for a principle like this. But what if my cartoon attracted enough attention that some Islamic extremists somewhere rioted and killed someone? Or if some terrorist group in the U.S. decided to send me a pipe bomb at work, which killed not only me but some of my co-workers? Or at home, killing my girlfriend and neighbors?
I can’t bring myself to put other people at risk.
I had no right to call the executives of Comedy Central “cowards,” because when faced with the same choice I couldn’t bring myself to act any differently.
What a perfectly vicious little trap the terrorists have put us in. It’s not easy for those with a conscience to fight those without one.
Actually, based on Craig’s posts, I think it’s quite clear he would have let it air, as would have I too.
Thanks for helping the terrorists win again PAD…
Posted by Bladestar at April 15, 2006 05:53 AM
Actually, based on Craig’s posts, I think it’s quite clear he would have let it air, as would have I too.
It’s really easy to say what you “would have done” in a hypothetical situation. And really worthless.
I had a real opportunity to do what Comedy Central’s executives wouldn’t do. I have a Web site. I don’t get thousands of visitors, but I get enough strangers coming by from time to time that a swipe at Mohammed might have attracted a small amount of attention.
I also had a choice to make. Could I risk someone else’s safety to prove my point? I decided I couldn’t.
Bladestar, if you’re so bad-ášš, tell me what you’re going to do to prove how bad-ášš you are. Otherwise, I suggest you step off the high horse.
Thanks for helping the terrorists win again PAD…
How did Peter help the terrorists win? By pointing out how unfair it is to accuse Comedy Central’s executives of cowardice? I’m afraid you’re not making any sense, now.
And if you would do the exact same thing…how do you justify calling them hypocrites?
As I said, somebody has to take a stand.
So, that should tell you what I think of the situation. Comedy Central should’ve run with it.
We, as a country, do things that piss people off every day. It just happens to be in some quarters of the Muslim world, they get pìššëd øff more than others.
Did you know what the first response was by some Muslim groups in Indonesia was over the printing of a sans-nudity version of Playboy?
Violence.
They threatened to go after the people who published it.
There’s no sense bowing down to that, because if it’s not Mohammed, or Playboy, it’ll just be something else.
Do I think Comedy Central would’ve caused riots? Maybe, maybe not. I just don’t know. But it doesn’t matter, because they’ll riot if they want to, they’ll kill if they want to, regardless of what we do.
The Danish cartoons were around 6 months before some extremists went and created a couple of REALLY offensive cartoons that actually got their panties in a knot.
But it’s funny how our media here never really mentioned that. They just talked about the one with the bomb for a turban; of course, the Muslims then obliged to prove the point.
Here, let me give you a link: Mohammed Image Archive.
You can even read some emails he’s received from people. Yep, Islam is really coming across as a religion of love and peace.
But from what I can tell, the site founder hasn’t been executed yet. Nobody’s rioting because he/she’s posting art that has existed for centuries and some of which was created by Muslims.
In the end, yes, your logic is good, PAD. I probably should’ve said that from the start. I just don’t agree with CC’s decision at all.
A couple of things which crossed my mind during watching the episode:
1) I got the impression the different takes on FAMILY GUY during the show might’ve represented a difference of opinion on the part of Parker and Stone. One likes FG, the other doesn’t.
2) I’m wondering, when this season makes it to DVD, if they’ll show Mohammed on it instead of the disclaimer.
Okay. I’m dense. When I first saw the episode, I thought that the CC censorship was a brilliantly ironic coda for the whole story.
And then my eyes were opened.
But you know what? It doesn’t matter. I think that the “censorship” makes it a more powerful statement. (It certainly inspired a lot more debate than the actual visual of a guy handing off a salmon helmet would have.)
Sometimes, Art can come from Commerce.
Isn’t the Muhammad from the Super Best Friends episode in the crowd at the end of the intro sequence, and hence hasn’t Muhammad been in every episode of the last few seasons anyway?
Isn’t the Muhammad from the Super Best Friends episode in the crowd at the end of the intro sequence
That’s what I figured was the case when Luigi said that Mohammed can be spotted in the opening to South Park – he’s somewhere in the crowd shot.
Since I don’t have the Super Best Friends episode on hand, I had to go hunt for a pic of Mohammed from that episode (which was/is still pretty easy to find… found one on a tv show blog talking about the Cartoon Wars episodes), just to make sure I knew which character I was looking for.
With the video I’m working with (on my computer, even at full screen) I just can’t pick him out. It’s like playing Where’s Waldo with a grainy image. 🙂
The fact is that the attitudes of extremist Muslims are ripe for satire, because they embrace the virtues of violence in the name of an individual who believed in peace.
Actually, the true bit of ripeness is that the prohibition exists to prevent Mohammed from becoming an idol (in the sense of idolatry). That Mohammed is held in such grace that even a totally innocent potrayal of him is reason to riot shows that how much some Muslims have become idolators.
I hate to say this, guys…but if I’m CC’s lawyer, I tell them not to air it. If I’m CC’s liability insurance company, I tell them not to air it. If I’m the head of Viacom, I listen to the lawyers and the insurance company and tell them not to air it. If I’m the head of CC, I either listen to all of them and not air it, or I decide to air it and am promptly fired before air date and am replaced with someone else who won’t.
Or you can always do it the Marvel way by trumpeting your progessiveness, then firing everyone behind it, putting a general chill on every product you have.
(I’m thinking of the infamous Northstar “I am gay” bit.)
My favourite part of the episode was just a quick little bit when Cartman pulled the gun on the Network president:
Cartman: “Pull the Mohammed episode. NOW!”
Network President: “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”
Kyle: “No! Wait! You can’t listen to him! He’s a lying monster who only wants Family Guy off the air!”
Network President: “But he has a gun.”
Kyle: “You can’t do what he wants just because he’s the one threatening you with violence.”
Network President: “I can’t be responsible for people getting hurt. Especially me!”