War On Cartooning
Lots of outrage these days over editorial cartoons. This Tom Toles cartoon prompted a letter from all six members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:
Reprehensible?! Are they trying to be ironic? Do they understand the reason people have life altering wounds is because they sent them into a war based on lies? Tom Toles is one of the most brilliant cartoonists working today. Sadly, he is already the target of a right wing smear campaign.
Read the E&P article here.
In other news the Muhammad comic crisis has redefined ridiculous. If you aren't aware, a few comics printed in a Danish paper depicted Muhammad in a not so positive light. One of the drawings had him with a bomb in his Turban. They have sparked outrage in the Muslim world, boycotts, withdrawing of Ambassadors, etc.....read the Wikipedia entry here (currently it is being "vandalized", presumably by these same muslims).
Unfortunately, these people can't be reasoned with...because their entire belief system is not based on reason, but fear and control. The very act of depicting Muhammad is a sin. An invisible man in the sky will send you to hell if you do. What is it with Muslim countries and not being able to even enter the 18th century? Every country's leader is like a damn Pat Robertson.
It's OK to draw shit! Allah doesn't care because he doesn't exist! It's OK to think. Try it sometime. Read a book about evolution, it's fascinating. Really. You may find out that chopping people's heads off, killing homosexuals, oppressing woman, then setting them on fire after they are raped by some sexually repressed fanatic are the real problems in your culture NOT SOME FUCKING COMIC!
...you and Mr. Toles have done a disservice to your readers and your paper's reputation by using such a callous depiction of those who have volunteered to defend this nation, and as a result, have suffered traumatic and life-altering wounds. ... As the Joint Chiefs, it is rare that we all put our hand to one letter, but we cannot let this reprehensible cartoon go unanswered."
Reprehensible?! Are they trying to be ironic? Do they understand the reason people have life altering wounds is because they sent them into a war based on lies? Tom Toles is one of the most brilliant cartoonists working today. Sadly, he is already the target of a right wing smear campaign.
Read the E&P article here.
In other news the Muhammad comic crisis has redefined ridiculous. If you aren't aware, a few comics printed in a Danish paper depicted Muhammad in a not so positive light. One of the drawings had him with a bomb in his Turban. They have sparked outrage in the Muslim world, boycotts, withdrawing of Ambassadors, etc.....read the Wikipedia entry here (currently it is being "vandalized", presumably by these same muslims).
Unfortunately, these people can't be reasoned with...because their entire belief system is not based on reason, but fear and control. The very act of depicting Muhammad is a sin. An invisible man in the sky will send you to hell if you do. What is it with Muslim countries and not being able to even enter the 18th century? Every country's leader is like a damn Pat Robertson.
It's OK to draw shit! Allah doesn't care because he doesn't exist! It's OK to think. Try it sometime. Read a book about evolution, it's fascinating. Really. You may find out that chopping people's heads off, killing homosexuals, oppressing woman, then setting them on fire after they are raped by some sexually repressed fanatic are the real problems in your culture NOT SOME FUCKING COMIC!
posted by Matt Bors at
8:21 AM
3 Comments:
Mikhaela, I think it is a freedon-fighter cause because I think this gets to the very core of artistic expression and religion.
During the 20th Century in America artist ridiculed Christianity. They were censored and protested and called insensitive. Now we have artists who drew a one panel comic and have to worry about being murdered until they die. I don't care if they are right wing. It's bigger than my disagreements with them.
And isn't the cause of those outrages also from right-wing extremists? The muslim leaders going insane are theocratic facists! A cartoon has driven them into a frenzy. they are so close minded that any inkling of something rivaling their absolute world view demands an apology.
Say what you want about the Toles cartoon - I've seen worse and it wasn't the biggest issue in the world to me - I think it's more than fair to say that it's inappropriate. There were a million more effective ways to make the point he wanted to make, without turning the amputated soldier into a punchline - that's what the cartoon did, it did make a punchline out of it.
BTW, just a note about your cartoon today in CampusProgress; why'd you draw 50 Cent as if he were Mexican? I mean, that's like drawing Donald Rumsfeld as if he were Malaysian or something - it smacks of an "everyone who isn't my color looks the same" mentality.
It was well-written, though.
Last note; why don't you post your blogging on Campus Progress' group blog? You'd get more comments. Or are you not really looking for feedback?
Joe,
I have to take issue with you saying my comic smacks of an "everyone who isn't my color looks the same" mentality. If 'Fiddy' doesn't look accurate it's my failure as an artist to depict him correctly, not because I think blacks are all the same. How do know what race I am anyway?
On Toles, I can see why military families or anyone else would find it unsettling, but I think he is bringing attention to the fact that Rumsfeld is unsettling. That and the Joint Chiefs of Staff writing a letter before the comic was printed smacks of intimidation.
As for why I don't post this on CP I don't know. Anyone can post there, so why doesn't anyone with a blog, I guess. Maybe I should, but I look at my blog as a place post personal rants. CP has well written posts...I don't have time for that, nor the ability. People reading my comics is the most important thing.
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