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The Dragon's Eye View: Draw Mohammed Day
"Draw Mohammad Day" offends me, despite the fact that I read Gods Playing Poker, which depicts Mohammad in every single strip.
GPP is irreverent and snarky, but it isn't in the least mean-spirited, and this "crusade" most certainly is.
(Of course, it's in "defense" of one of the most mean-spirited shows in U.S. television history, so yeah.)
This little stunt offends me because it's not just aimed at the Fundamentalists; this is a deliberate slap at moderate and progressive Muslims, as well (not that many of the Draw Mohammed Day crowd actually bother to acknowledge that there's a difference). It's a wide-sweeping smackdown of an entire group, and it's saying the same damned thing that the real offenders keep saying: "all of them hate all of us."
Gods damn it, people. how hard is it to grasp? If you're really opposed to an ideology, don't let its adherents frame the argument.
I'm not saying "don't do this". I'm not saying "it shouldn't be allowed". I am saying that we need to examine the motives and sincerity behind it. So much of the output is a tedious repetition of hackneyed Prophet-As-Terrorist memes that it's hard to see it as a statement of "artistic freedom".
If this were really about "free speech", we'd be following it with "Draw Christ Getting Raped In The Nail-Holes Day".
Wow. I think that's the most Regrettably Appropriate use of the word "crusade" I've invoked in a long time.
GPP is irreverent and snarky, but it isn't in the least mean-spirited, and this "crusade" most certainly is.
(Of course, it's in "defense" of one of the most mean-spirited shows in U.S. television history, so yeah.)
This little stunt offends me because it's not just aimed at the Fundamentalists; this is a deliberate slap at moderate and progressive Muslims, as well (not that many of the Draw Mohammed Day crowd actually bother to acknowledge that there's a difference). It's a wide-sweeping smackdown of an entire group, and it's saying the same damned thing that the real offenders keep saying: "all of them hate all of us."
Gods damn it, people. how hard is it to grasp? If you're really opposed to an ideology, don't let its adherents frame the argument.
I'm not saying "don't do this". I'm not saying "it shouldn't be allowed". I am saying that we need to examine the motives and sincerity behind it. So much of the output is a tedious repetition of hackneyed Prophet-As-Terrorist memes that it's hard to see it as a statement of "artistic freedom".
If this were really about "free speech", we'd be following it with "Draw Christ Getting Raped In The Nail-Holes Day".
Wow. I think that's the most Regrettably Appropriate use of the word "crusade" I've invoked in a long time.
no subject
This. What I wish I'd said about it.
I put Mohammed in a cartoon once, in the days before Arthur, King of Time and Space (though still a cartoon with Merlin and Arthur in it). It was some years before the hulabaloo over the Danish cartoons, and I remember being confounded at not finding any images of Mohammed at Google.
My initial reaction to the hulabaloo over the Danish cartoons was to feel left out for never having generated any controversy - but then I realized their motivation was very, very different: i.e., to generate controversy.
Later when, as I often do with older gags, I reused the gag for Arthur, King of Time and Space, this time I did it without actually picturing Mohammed, because my intention had never been to show disrespect for Islam or any of its beliefs - but rather, ironically, to poke at the many, many people on both sides who prefer to look at the differences between us instead of the similarities.
no subject
Dang kids. Git offa my lawn.