Patterico's Pontifications

5/17/2011

Everyone Draw Mohammed Gets Help From a Familiar Source

Filed under: General — Aaron Worthing @ 8:25 pm



[Guest post by Aaron Worthing; if you have tips, please send them here.  Or by Twitter @AaronWorthing.]

As some of you might remember, we went through a bit of a saga about a year ago.  In my opinion, it truly started with the first time South Park confronted the controversy regarding depictions of Mohammed, with this speech:

It starts after the 1:10 mark, and for those who can’t watch for any reason, it features on character (I think Butters’ father) saying:

Freedom of speech is at stake here, don’t you all see? If anything, we should all make cartoons of Mohammed and show the terrorists and the extremists that we are all united in the belief that every person has a right to say what they want. Look people, it’s been really easy for us to stand up for free speech lately. For the past few decades, we haven’t had to risk anything to defend it. One of those times is right now. And if we aren’t willing to risk what we have now, then we just believe in free speech, but won’t defend it.

But of course in an example of bad irony and meta-humor, when the time came for them to actually put Mohammed on screen in that episode, Comedy Central refused to air it.  Seriously, watch it.  Kyle urges the fictional network executive to air it, and its like Matt Stone and Trey Parker talking to the suits as Comedy Central.  In the cartoon, freedom wins.  In life, not so much…

Then a few years later South Park brought the issue up again, and this time faced direct death threats as a result.  And Comedy Central buckled, again, so that even a speech about the importance of free speech was censored.  It was shameful.

Disgusted by all of this, a Seattle Cartoonist drew a cartoon declaring May 20, 2010 to Everyone Draw Mohammed Day.  And then suddenly she called it off.  I have evidence I won’t disclose that she was simply frightened away from it.  People on Facebook tried to take up the flag, and then put it down.  Others on Facebook stood up, and a number of bloggers did too.  And I started my own blog, yes on Blogger, called simply Everyone Draw Mohammed.  And I considered the movement as a whole to be a success.  Over 100,000 people were posting on the big Facebook page before Islamofascist hackers put a stop to it.  And we published over 700 cartoons at my site.  And a year later and I think it has been a success.

But since May 20 of last year I had frankly been too busy and neglected the site.  Every now and then I would post something, especially cross posting stuff from this site, but mostly I left it alone. And then I started getting people asking if we were going to have another Draw Mohammed day, and even sending cartoons.  I couldn’t just let them down.

So I sent out a call for help to some people I know.  Do I have to tell you that regular commenter JD leapt at the chance to help?  And likewise Dustin did as well.  And so I have handed the keys over to them and now are running it.  They are doing most of the work, frankly, and I greatly appreciate it.  They have even both contributed drawings to this site, JD being the one who drew the first of the “Dreaded Stickfigures of Blasphemy.”

Now there have been people who have objected to this all along.  I think many of the objections were addressed here and if they are not, I suppose we will just have to agree to disagree.  I think I can speak for all three of us when I say we understand where many of you are coming from and we simply don’t agree.  We weigh the factors you are considering differently than you do.

But on the other hand you may want to strike a blow for freedom yourself.  Let me assure you that it is easy.  No artistic ability is required.  Seriously, look at some of the crap we put up:

That took no talent.  But it did take courage.

And when we have a government that itself endorses Pakistan’s blasphemy law—that would be the same laws that demand death for blasphemy that this man died fighting to tear down…

…when the pillars of the media that you would normally expect to stand up for freedom of speech do not stand up, then who is left?  No one, but “we the people.”

So if you want to draw, we have only two rules:

1) You have to depict Mohammed in some way. (And taking an arrow and pointing it at something and labeling it “Mohammed” counts.)

2) It can’t actually be porn. (We don’t want the site caught in any porn filters.)

And that’s it.

So if you are interested in submitting something, go here and submit and you will see some fairly simple instructions.  And thank you in advance.  If you could get them in by the 20th that would be ideal, but I suspect JD and Dustin will accept them at any time.

[Posted and authored by Aaron Worthing.]

21 Responses to “Everyone Draw Mohammed Gets Help From a Familiar Source”

  1. Terrorism doesn’t work if we don’t let it work. Comedy Central still has an embargo on an uncensored display of the South Park episode that Revolution Muslim demanded be censored.

    I don’t take pleasure in making someone miserable for its own sake, but those who demand I abide by their religious rules do not get my respect. In fact, if they demand this with violent threats, I think we have to make sure they know that these threats won’t work.

    This seems like a basic argument. The more we have responded favorably to violence, the more these threats have grown in use. What else would you expect?

    Anyway, thanks Aaron for standing tall on this issue.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  2. I am trying to clear my mind for so inspiration can come pitter-pattering in and then I will make the arts

    it may not be tonight cause of I got home late

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  3. The Seattle cartoonist was Molly Norris. Remember her name. Why? Because she doesn’t have it any more. After her attempt to get “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day” started, she was, as Aaron notes, persuaded to back down.

    Ultimately, the FBI recommended that she go into hiding and change her identity, presumably because of serious threats to her health and well-being. She did so. Molly Norris no longer exists. But we exist, under our own names, and we can make sure that whoever Molly Norris is now, she can see the fruition of her idea and understand that her complete sacrifice of identity was not wasted.

    Remember Molly Norris. Draw Mohammed.

    Stoutcat (fa51b7)

  4. I am not a fan of South Park or Parker & Stone, but unlike their Hollywood counterparts, they aren’t frauds and hypocrites who pick and choose when they defend free speech. They trash Mormonism in a new Broadway musical (or so I’m told — I really don’t pay attention to legit theatre until the Tony Awards), but they can’t be criticized for picking a safe target. A 21-year-old Al-Awlaki fan who threatened their lives over Mohammed is now in prison for aiding a terrorist organization.

    IMHO, the second clip is the greatest single example of political satire in the history of television and one of the greatest in the history of concept, up there with Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal. Why? It’s three-dimensional. The story is fact-based, but crosses over into real life when Comedy Central cowardly censors a benign Mohammed image, but then allows Jesus Christ to be covered in excrement. Point proved: Parker & Stone say that making fun of all of it is permissible, even if it’s dangerous; Comedy Central picks and chooses depending on the risk to itself.

    On top of that, the countdown to air produces real tension, something rare in an animated show.

    L.N. Smithee (482b02)

  5. Stout

    yeah, i kind of left her name out of it, because i didn’t want to stir things up against her again, even if she is in witness protection.

    L.N.

    i like the way you put that, esp. Paragraph 2.

    And the hypocrisy part is real. For instance, i think the same clip shows AQ’s retaliatory cartoon. That aired. G.W. Bush and Jesus crapping on the American flag aired. but not mohammed. very meta.

    and as if that isn’t bad enough comedy central has ordered a weekly show mocking jesus. we had a post on it a while back and they were all about how “courageous” they were… for offending christians.

    quick. tell them muslims don’t like people depicting christ either.

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  6. L.N.

    Here’s that post about the show mocking jesus.

    http://everyonedrawmohammed.blogspot.com/2010/05/un-fraking-believable.html

    i would think it should have aired by now, so maybe they quietly ditched it.

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  7. That is because Christ is an infidel in their eyes.

    DohBiden (15aa57)

  8. While most [cartoonists] vigorously support free speech, many are uncomfortable with the idea of provoking the anger of devout Muslims with no other intent than to provoke anger. -Ted Rall

    That after a career of “comparing U.S. soldiers to suicide bombers; mocking widows of terror victims; profiting from Pat Tillman’s death; assuming the voice of Iraqi soldiers talking about killing American soldiers; making leftist political hay out of the Nick Berg beheading; lying about lefty blogger vitriol; and suing a guy for making him appear to be a “rude, petty, self-absorbed writer/cartoonist” (which is what he is).” (Patterico’s summary).

    What a total hypocrite and coward.

    And there are so many of them who pose as brave for bashing Jesus or even the freedom preserving troops. When there really is a need for confronting evil with a cartoon, they get politically correct real quick. L.N. is right that Trey and Matt are cut from a different cloth. Their show isn’t for everyone, but I think it’s often great.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  9. Dustin

    i didn’t know rall said that. why… why… that might even make for a good post at a site concerning the clash between freedom of speech and islamofascism…

    hint… hint…

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  10. btw, you might want to incorporate some of the whining rall is engaged in right now.

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucru/20110517/cm_ucru/riseoftheobamabots

    i especially love it when maher is claimed to be on the right.

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  11. Aaron,

    I think Molly Norris deserves credit, and I think her name deserves–no, needs–to be remembered, even if she is no longer using it.

    Stoutcat (fa51b7)

  12. Can someone tell Ted Rall to go F*ck himself.

    DohBiden (15aa57)

  13. Can someone tell Ted Rall to go F*ck himself.

    When folks asked cartoonists to stand up for free expression, especially the ‘hard hitting’ and self styled courageous ones like Ted Rall, ‘Go F*ck yourself’ was their response. You see, Ted Rall complains about cartoons that “provoke anger” from Muslims, even though provoking anger is a consistent goal of his work.

    It’s just that he’s either a coward (Americans don’t kill anti Americans for speech) or he’s on the other side.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  14. well, i will note a few famous people did stand up for everyone draw mohammed.

    chris muir did, very early. and the guy who did over the hedge. they did that publicly and its somewhere on the site i created.

    also a man very plausibly alleging he is brad thor, the author, sent a cartoon.

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  15. So when will we hear about Ted Rall’s secret love child with Helen Thomas?

    DohBiden (15aa57)

  16. Rall is for the other side. Whatever side hates America, regardless of why, Rall is for them.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  17. I will note a few famous people did stand up for everyone draw mohammed.

    True.

    I don’t know why I generalized them all. There’s a big difference between Ted Rall and a bona fide hard hitting cartoonist, and there are plenty of good examples.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  18. Mohammed was a war criminal a pedophile and a womanizing child felcher.

    DohBiden (15aa57)

  19. Gay rights advocates mistook Newt Gingrich for Bawney Fwankfurter so maybe they can help us draw mohammed.

    DohBiden (15aa57)


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