Writer Michael Ondaatje Boycotts PEN Gala Over Charlie Hebdo Award

[HomeInMyShoes]

Writer Michael Ondaatje Boycotts PEN Gala Over Charlie Hebdo Award

The short summary is that Ondaatje and others don't like the publication's shtick and don't agree with giving the publication an honorary award.

tt certainly makes me wonder what free speech means to people and why some opinions are protected and awarded and others are not.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Writer Michael Ondaatje Boycotts PEN Gala Over Charlie Hebdo Award

The short summary is that Ondaatje and others don't like the publication's shtick and don't agree with giving the publication an honorary award.

tt certainly makes me wonder what free speech means to people and why some opinions are protected and awarded and others are not.

Well, Ondaatje clearly thinks it is just not nice to poke fun at people who have been busy slaughtering as many of their fellow human beings as they can for the last couple of decades. And who marry off children to adults. And who execute rape victims and homosexuals. And who barricade little girls in a burning school because their dress is too immodest to be seen outside the burning building.

Clearly Charlie Hebdo is attacking something this guy thinks should be celebrated.

I support his right to peacefully express his view, the magazines right to express their view, and our right to either ignore the whole thing or pick a side.

[Barcey]

If they're boycotting in hope of getting PEN to not give the award I disagree. If they're boycotting because they would not be comfortable sitting there when everyone is cheering Charlie Hebdo then I understand. Either way I support their right to boycott and speak out against the award BUT I believe that Charlie Hebdo deserves the award. I believe satire is necessary for challenging entrenched ideas and by it's very nature it offends people.

Je suis Charlie

[arjaybe]

Originally Posted by Phogg

Well, Ondaatje clearly thinks it is just not nice to poke fun at people who have been busy slaughtering as many of their fellow human beings as they can for the last couple of decades. And who marry off children to adults. And who execute rape victims and homosexuals. And who barricade little girls in a burning school because their dress is too immodest to be seen outside the burning building.

Clearly Charlie Hebdo is attacking something this guy thinks should be celebrated.

I support his right to peacefully express his view, the magazines right to express their view, and our right to either ignore the whole thing or pick a side.

This is twaddle. Implying that Ondaatje approves of locking people in burning buildings is juvenile rhetoric, and makes a farce of your following paragraph.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by arjaybe

This is twaddle. Implying that Ondaatje approves of locking people in burning buildings is juvenile rhetoric, and makes a farce of your following paragraph.

Since you are painfully unaware of the world around you, let me give you some historical perpective.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...nto-blaze.html

Now you make it clear that unpleasant historical events aren't game for mockery, and you may be as unaware of the past mockery as you are of the events themselves, but that doesn't make your retort valid.

If Ondaatje doesn't approve of the events then there is no reason to disparage parodies there unto pertaining.

Je suis Charlie Martel.

[Rizla]

A journalist for the magazine who made one non-racist and entirely factual comment about the dominance of wealthy Jews in France was fired. Tout est pardonné, but only if you comment on Islam. Judaism is out of bounds. I find it hard to support a magazine that is so unbalanced.

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by Rizla

A journalist for the magazine who made one non-racist and entirely factual comment about the dominance of wealthy Jews in France was fired. Tout est pardonné, but only if you comment on Islam. Judaism is out of bounds. I find it hard to support a magazine that is so unbalanced.

Nope, the reason he got fired was involving jean sarkosy. Else that would have been a total non event.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Nope, the reason he got fired was involving jean sarkosy. Else that would have been a total non event.

Involving the powers that be is ever problematic in France.

Or parts of the deep south in the U.S.
Or in Chicago.

Okay, I guess that happens in a lot of places.

[AnemicOak]

Salman Rushdie slams critics of PEN’s Charlie Hebdo tribute

Salman Rushdie, who spent years in hiding after a fatwa was issued against him, has spoken out strongly against the decision by six of his fellow authors to withdraw from the PEN annual gala in New York over the organisation’s decision to honour Charlie Hebdo with its freedom of expression courage award.


Peter Carey among writers to protest PEN honour for Charlie Hebdo
Read more
“The award will be given. PEN is holding firm. Just 6 pussies. Six Authors in Search of a bit of Character,” Rushdie wrote on Twitter on 27 April, having the day before told the New York Times that the authors – who include Peter Carey, Michael Ondaatje and Francine Prose – were “horribly wrong”.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/201...do-peter-carey

[arjaybe]

Originally Posted by Phogg

Now you make it clear that unpleasant historical events aren't game for mockery . . .

When did I say that? More twaddle.

[fjtorres]

Hmm, somebody decided to take a different approach to the "censorship by violence" issue:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...ontest-n353081

Not getting much play in the media.

Texas police shot dead two gunmen who opened fire outside of a "Draw Muhammad" contest organized in the town of Garland on Sunday.

Seems they got honeypot-ed:

The inaugural Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest offered a $10,000 prize for cartoons of the Islamic prophet — depictions that are considered blasphemous by many Muslims around the world.

The event was sponsored by the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) and attended by its president and co-founder, Pamela Geller — who is also president of Stop Islamization of America (SIOA).

The drive-by shooters might qualify for a Darwin award.

More details:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/official-te...ry?id=30782088

[aceflor]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Nope, the reason he got fired was involving jean sarkosy. Else that would have been a total non event.

+1

Sauf que SarkoZy

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Hmm, somebody decided to take a different approach to the "censorship by violence" issue:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...ontest-n353081

Not getting much play in the media.



Seems they got honeypot-ed:



The drive-by shooters might qualify for a Darwin award.

More details:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/official-te...ry?id=30782088

This has been in the news continually since last night here in Texas.

My favorite drawings were the two chalk ones in front of the building.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Phogg

This has been in the news continually since last night here in Texas.

My favorite drawings were the two chalk ones in front of the building.

Seriously, what did those guys expect?
Picking *that* crowd, in that location?

Not. Soft. Targets.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Seriously, what did those guys expect?
Picking *that* crowd, in that location?

Not. Soft. Targets.

Stolen from a news outlet comments section:

"Texas is where terrorists go to get outgunned at an art show."