Chilling effect
Now it's personal. According to this fine news source, the Danish cartoon controversy has led to the cancellation of an upcoming "Simpsons" episode.
In the cancelled episode, entitled 'Don't Have A Pig, Man', Mohammed was to have appeared to Homer in a dream, converting him to Islam with a promise of 770 donuts in the afterlife.Groening said that the decision to produce the episode starring Mohammed was not taken lightly. "We suspected there would be an adverse reaction if we drew the Prophet," he said. "But we had no choice. He's the only celebrity guest we haven't used before."
Heh.
(Hat tip: Scott)
Comments
DOH! This is war!
Posted by: Paul Moore | February 8, 2006 04:49 PM
The whole thing is insanity. Essentially all American media have been terrible dealing with the issue and they are extremely scared to stand up and protect freedom of speech. Pathetic. Viva Denmark :)
Posted by: Blue Wind | February 8, 2006 05:58 PM
Shoot, I hope they run that episode soon.
Posted by: Motor | February 8, 2006 09:32 PM
My god...Blue Wind, I agree with you to the letter.
Never thought I'd see the day :)
Posted by: Adam | February 9, 2006 08:30 AM
"The whole thing is insanity. Essentially all American media have been terrible dealing with the issue and they are extremely scared to stand up and protect freedom of speech." (Blue Wind)
Well, that is true, in that it IS insanity!
After all the NY Times never misses an opportunity to laud virulently anti-Christian art, like Jose Sorano's "Piss Christ," or the "artist" who covered a picture of the Mary (Mother of Christ Mary) in elephant dung.
In fact, they call those who peacefully protested against that sort of "art," "religio-fascists" and "hatemongers." Of course when REAL "religio-fascists," in the form of Islamo-nazis/Islamo-cultists, ACTUAL "hatemongers" then threaten people's lives over art THEY find offensive, then it's no longer art worthy of defending, but an "outrage" and "gross insensitivity" on the part of the artists.
After witnessing that kind of absurd reversal on "artistic expression," it's hard not to ask, "Is it possible that all that those Christian protestors had to do was break a few Liberal heads to get the same result the Muslims got?"
I wouldn't bet against it.
More and more that showdown between Fox's Bill O'Reilly and the NY Times' Paul Krugman shows the above dynamic in stark detail. Krugman jumped at the opportunity to confront "that bully" O'Reilly" on a neutral venue (Tim Russert's Show), but when O'Reilly jumped in Krugman's face over a disparaging remark made about Fox News, looming over Krugman and bellowing in his face, instead of "standing up to the bully," Krugman cowered, shoulders haunched, unable even to make eye contact with the guy he came to take on.
You could literally turn the sound off and see who won that day and who lost.
Even though I despise Krugman and revile the Left, I saw that as a very sad day. It showed clearly that American Liberalism/European Socialism IS, just as the Arab Street claims, "a hollow man," soft and weak and unwilling to fight for even the things they claim to cherish most.
As much as anything, THAT is why American Liberalism CANNOT be allowed to even be part of the voice that represents America or the West.
Posted by: JMK | February 9, 2006 09:57 AM