what do we make fun of ?

[ratsnake]

Wow easy, easy guys! We didn’t mean to hurt your feelings its just like this once we let go of our independent ideas and points of views to board our society on the first deck and supervise every single movement of ours under the thick magnifier of the Media. So if somebody is a firebrand Moslem whose tragedy is someone making fun of the holy prophet in a skirmish language, he should simply tolerate the matter or else he’s a very very aggressive personality who does not commit to the other’s tolerant ideal open-media environment. One thing he should learn is to check the google if he’s really concerned that it is only his beliefs that are being mocked, and type the title he’s looking forward to see absolutely nothing of: Jesus + Caricatures…. He receives quite a few results unlike what he expects from a totally western media, and he realises that if they don’t show mercy to their own religion why should they do to his? He also realises that tolerance is such an awesome thing even if one is to win a crushing battle on two opposite sides, but what he doesn’t learn is why he should be so much discriminated because of his sympathetic reaction towards a burden of humiliation of his basic ideas upon which he lives a day from today till tomorrow. He definitely lacks a huge amount of culture and courtesy and sure thing, tolerance facing a phenomenon called the free media, a tool which can draw a picture of your 50 year old wife in g-srings sucking a banana on a public tribune if you’re some not beloved politician of a known or un known state who opposes some stuff in some fields…. Maybe this part is a bit more common to senators and former OR current presidents of the world but to the commons? Guess not that easy, still some could do that some not. Here we have a joke on many things and I personally think that if I throw a word on my neighbours daughter’s bootie who resembles a Texan-prize winner melon, should he throw one about my bad eye and I should laugh although deep inside I do wanna punch him in the nose. We some times do forget what hurlings we give to people and still don’t wanna accept its resemblance. If Moslems from all around the world are so much offended because some people like Salman Rushdi from Britain and some Mr. Janssen from Denmark illustrated some of their fanaticism and of course did humiliate their ideological figures partially, something common in the west now adays, do they have the right to ask for a life to be taken or simply to rage out? I say, although being very ‘’ Mediatic ‘’, prefer not to mess with people’s beliefs in masses and large communities. And do ask the question that if some one would have made the same impression about Jesus would it be the least for him to owe an apology if not being terrorized by some really Christ lovers, and ….. Of course he wouldn’t wanna travel to anywhere in south America until he’s publisher’s a name in the course of history!! Do we really have the right to make fun of everything?

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Originally posted by ratsnake:
Do we really have the right to make fun of everything?

Yes. Yes, I do.

Particularly incomprehensible babblers.

[barfle]

Originally posted by Selma in Sandy Eggo:

Originally posted by ratsnake:
[b] Do we really have the right to make fun of everything?

Yes. Yes, I do.

Particularly incomprehensible babblers. [/b]

Unless it's the Virgin Mary in polarizing window tint film, a fence post, or a grilled cheese sandwich.

[treebeau]

Ohhhhh, HIM!
Now I know who Haggis was talking about.

Regards,
Tim "not ratsnake" B.

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Originally posted by barfle:
Unless it's the Virgin Mary in polarizing window tint film, a fence post, or a grilled cheese sandwich.

You forgot the Jesus in the screen door, and the St. Joseph buried upside down by the "FOR SALE" sign, and the magic prayer cloth hankies from the televangelists and all the rest. Wasn't there a cinnamon bun too?

[haggis]

Is there a condensed version of Rat's rant?

"And do ask the question that if some one would have made the same impression about Jesus would it be the least for him to owe an apology if not being terrorized by some really Christ lovers,..."

From that I assume you've never heard of the "pissed Christ"?

Selma succintly summarized it

"Yes. Yes, I do.

Particularly incomprehensible babblers."

BTW Rat, if you're ever on Jeopardy and there's a category called "The Bleedin' Obvious," don't pick it......

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

I wasn't going to go into moneychangers, Pharisees, temple currencies, or theocratic politics. Or military occupation of semi-conquered mideast territories, outraged fundamentalist zealots, or cheese sandwiches. None of which refers to any recent occurence. Except, maybe, the screen door and the cheese sandwich.

[piqaboo]

I once had a grape Good'n'Fruity that looked just like the madonna and child (as interpreted by henry moore).

[OperaTenor]

Originally posted by Selma in Sandy Eggo:
Wasn't there a cinnamon bun too?

No silly, that was in The Tenor Wore Plaid.

[ratsnake]

Hey duuude! All of you who thought I was jokin or selma in sandy eggo who refers to some serious making fun of Christian beliefs and yet haven’t provoked any harsh reaction towards it writer or producer,…, I did know about the fact that if some one draws a caricature of Jesus prayin upside down or someone else goes for: Madonna and the child, there wouldn’t be any unrest in Beverly hills California, or none of the loyal members of the catholic church in New York will threaten to blow his wimples off; still there was a point that I was tryin to make here and that was: no seriously, some one goes like that in a society whose majority are really into what they’re doin about that very religious thingy, or if not in that society though reflecting it to that society….I seriously think you shouldn’t mess around with that ’’Bleedin Obvious’’, if there’s no obvious need to do that. And hey I was askin for a beer in some party of mine right when John Paul the II was hailin god and some Mexican dudes objected : how can u drink when the pope is dyin?? I said what should I do? And they said don tell a joke and don act as though u re havin a lotta fun…… I asked them respectfully to leave my party. Dude don’t tell me that there ain’t no fanatic Christians ….. We have a lotta of em here…..

[Haggis@wk]

tick..tick..tick..tick

[ratsnake]

Boooom?!

[DavidS]

One basic humanitarian tenet is "Do as you would be done by".
I am totally in favour of respecting other peoples' and cultures' sensitivities, but this has to be mutual.
Need I say more?

[barfle]

I'm perfectly willing to leave them alone, but every now and then I can't help but snicker at things other people are passionate about (usually religious but not always).

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Ratsnake, we have trouble figuring out exactly what you're saying. The length and construction of your screeds make your point(s?) unclear. If you want a real conversation, you might work on that.

And I still reserve the right to make fun of anyone and everyone who commits public silliness. If you haven't got a sense of humor, you won't enjoy the crowd around here.

Speaking of mockery, what happened to Henry Rhenals?

[Shapley]

ratsnake,

Legally, we have the right to caricature Mohammed or Allah or Buddha or Jesus, but does that give us the moral right to do so? Is it not unlike yelling "fire" in a crowded theatre? There exists no legal sanction against saying the word "fire", but there are legal repercussions for those that do so in a manner designed to incite unrest. We call throughing gasoline on the fire.

What purpose was to be served by the caricature? I can see that the only intent was to say: "See, I can do this and you can't do a thing about it." (Spoken, apparently, by someone now in the unemployment line.) Inciting a riot is a crime here in America, even if it done in the vein of "free speech". I would think that inciting a Jihad is probably something along the same line.

For those unsure of what ratsnake is speaking of, see this:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11097877/

Meanwhile, on the home front, we have our own effrontery:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,183704,00.html

V/R
Shapley

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Publishing intentionally offensive cartoons is stupid, malicious, and deserves a stiff letter to the editor. Perhaps a package of Limberger cheese delivered by messenger. Public criticism and mockery. Picketing of the newspaper offices might very well be justified.

However, denouncing the publication of the cartoons as "horrific" is stupid. Random bombing is "horrific". Aircraft flying into occupied buildings is "horrific". Cartoons are annoying, perhaps insulting.

Some people have no sense of humor. Or proportion.

[piqaboo]

Well at least today we know what ratsnake was talking about. It appears we're about 24 hours behind on getting news of the comics. Dagnabit, I cant see the actual comics themselves.

Nevertheless, the over-reaction is ridiculous. It reaks of insecurity. My first reaction is to say "get over yourselves". My second is fear. Which of course is probably the one they want. The extent of the virulent reaction is really stunning.

My third reaction is hilarity. Without all the fuss & bother, only the subscribers of one newspaper would have seen those comics. Now the entire world gets to.
For perspective:
Jesus is standing in front of Mary Magdalena, exhorting the crowd. He says to them "Let that who among you is without sin cast the first stone.".
A rock comes whizzing thru the air and hits directly on the Magdalene's forehead. Jesus looks to the back of the crowd, sighs, and in a disgusted tone of voice says "Mother!". :p

<small>[ 02-03-2006, 01:19 PM: Message edited by: piqaboo ]</small>

[Shapley]

Piq,

No problem. I've heard that joke a few times.

I'm not excusing the reaction to the comics. However, given that the reaction was well expected, and given that there seems to be no other reason for running the comics except to get such a reaction, then I think it was clearly wrong to run them.

When Christians are insulted, they respond in a predictable manner. Christians protest art galleries that display anti-Christian 'art', resulting in publicity for both sides of the issue, and usually propelling an otherwise second-rate 'artist' into celebrity status.

When Moslems are insulted, a percentage of them will also respond in a predictable manner. It is wise to consider this response before engaging in offensible actions.

I'm sure I am well within my rights in telling 'Big Karl' on the next barstool that he is full of it. I'm sure it is entirely wrong for him to overreact to my pointing out his error. I'm sure, however, that that will be response, so I sit quietly and let him talk. If I have to disagree, I do it in as tactful a manner as possible, as being dead right has a very specific meaning in this instance.

V/R
Shapley

[Haggis@wk]

Actually, the cartoons have been around since last November, that was the first I saw them.

Ya know how the dumbest things are the precursor to conflict? I'm not so sure that this uproar will be one of those precursors but I'm equally not so sure it won't.

It has the potential for longevity, it has a ready made crowd of self-righteous nut jobs all over Europe and the MEast, it has the element that the European Left love to harp on, freedom of expression, press, yadda yadda yadda, and it has the element the Euro-racists want to see, making fun of the local immigrants.

Remember what it was that set off the car burners in France last year? No? Me neither, but if I lived in Denmark (or France, Germany, Belgium) I'd start looking for a garage to park my car in overnight (or increase the insurance on my clunker in the hopes I get lucky!)

I’d also start feeling nervous around dark complected individuals wearing bulky clothes on the subway……..