First off, I didn't write this story, just the headline. Click it.
Pissed off French Catholics act like assholes
My fellow Catholics in France, knock it the hell off.
I'm at work and busy so I'll make this bullet points and quick.
* Stop pelting people attending this blasphemous play with eggs or anything else. Just stop that, right now.
* Protest if you like, and pray. But recognize that if you aren't standing outside most movie theaters doing the same thing, you're being pretty inconsistent. I am NOT saying you need to be outside most movie theaters, but if you start that shit, keep it civil.
* You lose this battle of ideology just by showing up. The artists behind this work are probably just trying to provoke a reaction. You're giving it too them. Good work.
* You're intentions are good, but you're still making the rest of us look like idiots, and we have enough bad press without attacking non-believers. How many of them will convert with eggwhite on their face?
* And my last complaint is against the author of this article. If they worst thing the protesters did is throw eggs, then it is probably not fair to call it a sometimes violent campaign. This is France….they have riots in protests like four times a year….this is nothing. I'm not excusing idiot protesters throwing the first egg, but violent is the wrong word.
They're French. They're merely imitating the physical comedy of their idol, the late Jerry Lewis. What? He's not dead? Are you quite sure? Well, have you checked?
ReplyDeleteHere's an open question: Is it ever in good form to protest a piece of art that you find offensive? I'm struggling to find a secular example. Transformers? Transformers 2? Transformers 3: Transformers on the moon?
I don't think that most of the time it is in good form. I think I could make an exception for art/performances performed in a public setting where people are "forced" to see it, though.
ReplyDeleteAnd that distinction also needs to be drawn to whether it's intended as art or a purely political/ideological motive (KKK cross on Fountain Square for example). If it's art, best to let it go.
But I'd say with near absolute certainty that is only being seen by people paying money to enter a theatre who are going in because they want to see it is something that should be let go. Free expression is a good, even when it goes against The Good.
Yeah. I agree. I think the distinction that I want to make is between the reaction of saying "this sucks" (transformers) and "this is a threat to me, because of etc, etc" Vietnam, TeaParty, Occupy protests.
ReplyDeleteIf it's not a threat, but is just an offensive piece of expression, then protest doesn't seem appropriate. The response to stuff you disagree with is to actively choose not to participate. Censure, boycott essentially. When it's a threat, the response seems more like a counter-attack.
It seems to me like an important distinction that people seldom make. Instead they sanction protests for whatever, but just ask that protesters "keep the volume down" by protesting in moderation, don't get crazy with it. Nuts to that.
If Transformers reaches a fourth film though....in that case it might be worth revisiting this concept....we shouldn't let that happen lol
ReplyDeleteIf they make another Transformers movie, America should die in a purging fire.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiE1C_wNG6Y
ReplyDeleteWhen David Hasselhoff speaks to you through a poster - you've had enough drugs.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwr6sWK-_w0
...The more you know.