Charlie Hebdo Massacre Today Was the Twitter Hashtag #Je- of Charles De Gaulle
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reader %6IEWSR4YFPMGEXMSR N .ERYEV] 8LI'LEVPMI,IFHS8VEKIH] 'SRINSXE`(VIEQWXMQIGSQ --22 8,-77-779) ª..IWYMW'LEVVPMI«# ::MSPIRRX6IWTTSRWIWXS3JJIRWMZI7TIIGL ,,EXI 7TIIGL 0E[W -WWPEQMMG7EXMVVI -WWPEQ4VSLMFFMX-QEKIWSJ1SLEQQIH# ;;LMXII,SYWI SR'LEVPPMI,IFHS JJ2544_Newsletter.indd2544_Newsletter.indd 1 11/14/15/14/15 33:04:04 PPMM ‘Je suis Charlie’? No, You’re Not, or Else You Might Be Dead &]1EXX;IPGL 3VMKMREPP]TYFPMWLIH.ERYEV] One of the spontaneous social-media reactions to the cal publication was shuttered for its disrespect at the funeral Charlie Hebdo massacre today was the Twitter hashtag #Je- of Charles De Gaulle. It frequently published stuff that most SuisCharlie (“I am Charlie”). It’s an admirable sentiment, journalists know, but are too afraid to stand by. resonant with the classic post-9/11 Le Monde cover “Nous The cartoonists who were killed today—Wolinski, Cabu, sommes tous Americains.” It’s also totally inaccurate. Tignous, Charb—were some of the most beloved figures If we—all of us, any of us—were Charlie Hebdo, here are in modern French life. Contra some of the nonsense being some of the things that we might do: mouthed today by fools on Twitter, these weren’t some kind * Not just print original satirical cartoons taking the piss of Andrew Dice Clay acts looking for ever-more vulnerable out of Islamic-terrorist sensibilities, but do so six days after minorities to kick; Cabu, for instance, is most famous for you were firebombed for taking the piss creating the provincial, typical-French out of Islamic-terrorist sensibilities, and character Mon Beauf, who he mocks for do so in such a way that’s genuinely fun- being crude and bigoted toward minori- ny (IMO) and even touching, with the ties. My French father-in-law, whose message “Love is stronger than hate.” Gaullist-flavored politics were certainly * Not just print original cartoons of satirized by Cabu over the years, said the Prophet Muhammad—a historical that today felt like being stabbed in the figure, lest we forget—but then defend- heart. ing and winning the right to do so after So no, we’re all not Charlie—few being charged with offensive speech. of us are that good, and none of us are * Not just survive such crucibles, but that brave. If more of us were brave, and stubbornly resist letting them consume refused to yield to the bomber’s veto, and your very being, either by becoming maybe reacted to these eternally recur- an anti-Islamist obsessive, or a semi- ring moments not by, say, deleting all apologetic convert (remember: even the your previously published Muhammad unfathomably brave Salman Rushdie images, as the Associated Press is report- converted to Islam for a while there), edly doing today, but rather by routinely or disappearing yourself in the witness posting newsworthy images in service protection program, a la the Seattle alt- both to readers and the commitment weekly cartoonist Molly Norris. Charlie %PI\7GSXX`(VIEQWXMQIGSQ to a diverse and diffuse marketplace of Hebdo kept being what it has always been—a satirical, juvenile, speech, then just maybe Charlie Hebdo wouldn’t have stuck out and funny check on power and authority and pomposity of so much like a sore thumb. It’s harder, and ultimately less re- all stripes. Do a Google Image search on “Charlie Hebdo” warding to the fanatical mind, to hit a thousand small targets and “Jesus,” and then ask yourself which media entity in this than one large one. Culture-War-scarred country, with its stronger free-speech And it’s not just those of us in the media business who protections, would have the courage and latitude to blaspheme have failed to be Charlie Hebdo. Every person in the broader both major religions. West, whether it be a Financial Times editor or the president Look at the cover of this recent Charlie Hebdo collection, of the United States, who wrongly thinks that speech should which sits proudly on my desk: Those aren’t the heads of not offend, and falsely believes that artistic commentary can ancient religions, those are heads of the French state, dressed somehow incite murderous violence, are also contributing to up like gangsters. The newspaper didn’t just run cartoons, an ever-worsening cultural climate of speech, and therefore it blasted authority and piety of all stripes, beginning with freedom. the pompous asses who tend to run France, and the equally Today is an awful day for the basic project of free inquiry. pompous (but more subservient) hacks in the national press. Do you really wanna be Charlie Hebdo? Then get on out there, The paper actually got its start in 1970 when another satiri- live and speak bravely. And God help you. reader 8,)',%60-),)&(3-779) JJ2544_Newsletter.indd2544_Newsletter.indd 2 11/14/15/14/15 33:04:04 PPMM One-Third of Americans and 51 Percent of Democrats Favor Hate Speech Laws &]2MGO+MPPIWTMI 3VMKMREPP]TYFPMWLIH.ERYEV] Today we are Charlie Hebdo. But what about tomorrow, Patton Oswalt Supporting Rape? ” They already know the answer, and the day after tomorrow? but they know by feigning ignorance they can create all this debate I think most observers would agree that over the past 20 about it. It upsets me because I used to really, and still do sometimes, years or so, we’ve been witnessing a paradox when it comes to love the articles Salon writes. They used to have Heather Havrilesky free speech. On the one hand, it’s easier than ever before to ex- and Glenn Greenwald, and now they have become Fox News with all press oneself, especially in a public way (thank you, internet). this look-y look-y shit. It hurts progressives. It’s very personal but the On the other hand there is a huge attack on all sorts of speech fact is that that they want comedians to think twice, three times, four that can in any way, shape, or form be deemed offensive. times about any kind of comedy. From trigger warnings to microaggressions and everything in A YouGov poll taken just last fall found that equal between, all speech is suspect these days. amounts of Americans support and oppose “hate speech In popular culture, there are outliers such as South Park, laws,” defined as laws that would “make it a crime for people Family Guy, and Tosh.O, where the envelope of taste and to make comments that advocate genocide or hatred against propriety is not so much pushed as shredded completely. Just an identifiable group based on such things as their race, gen- in terms of comedy, does anyone think Inside Amy Schumer der, religion, ethnic origin, or sexual orientation.” Thirty-six or Curb Your Enthusiasm’s “Beloved Aunt” episode would have percent said sure and 38 percent said no way. That’s disturbing seen the light of day when Janet Reno, the Clinton adminis- enough on its own, but here’s something even more unsettling: tration, and all of Congress was voting overwhelmingly for Fully 51 percent of self-identified Democrats supported hate- the Communications Decency Act? speech laws. That terrible law would have regulated the emergent web That’s not good. like a broadcast network in the name of protecting kids from I will not be surprised if the Charlie Hebdo massacre has sexual material. It only was gutted after the Supreme Court the effect of increasing support for hate-speech laws in the struck it down in 1997. Christ, back in the 1990s, Bill Bennett United States (as Jacob Sullum has noted, hate-speech laws and Joe Lieberman were giving our “Silver Sewer Awards” are already in place in France and most if not all European to Rupert Murdoch and the Fox Network for airing Married... countries). Many Americans who don’t particularly care about With Children and The Simpsons, and The Weekly Standard was freedom of speech may look on the carnage and conclude it making “The Case for Censorship”! makes sense to avoid such scenes by stifling expression. Social And yet for all our expressive freedom, there’s a huge pushback against speaking freely, especially on college cam- ,EXI7TIIGL puses and in many news platforms. Chris Rock doesn’t play ;SYPH]SYWYTTSVXSVSTTSWIEPE[XLEX[SYPHQEOI colleges anymore because audiences are buzzkills: MXGVMQIJSVTISTPIXSQEOITYFPMGGSQQIRXWXLEXEHS I stopped playing colleges, and the reason is because they’re way ZEXIKIRSGMHISVLEXVIHEKEMRWXERMHIRXM´EFPIKVSYT too conservative.... Not in their political views — not like they’re FEWIHSRWYGLXLMRKWEWVEGIKIRHIVVIPMKMSRIXLRMG SVMKMRSVWI\YEPSVMIRXEXMSR# 6IWTSRWIWMRTIVGIRXF] voting Republican — but in their social views and their willingness ]SYKSZGSQ7ITXIQFIV¦ not to offend anybody. Kids raised on a culture of “We’re not going to keep score in the game because we don’t want anybody to lose.” Or Support Oppose Not Sure just ignoring race to a fault. You can’t say “the black kid over there.” 53 51 No, it’s “the guy with the red shoes.” You can’t even be offensive on 49 your way to being inoffensive. 28 As unimpeachable a progressive satirist as Stephen 27 25 26 21 Colbert was targeted with a #CancelColbert campaign while 20 mocking Redskins owner Dan Snyder’s devotion to his team’s nickname and mascot image. Lefty comic and actor Patton Democrat Independent Republican Oswalt no longer reads Salon because: ...they write articles “Did The Onion Go Too Far?” or “ Is 'SRXMRYIHSR4EKI 8,)',%60-),)&(3-779) reader JJ2544_Newsletter.indd2544_Newsletter.indd 3 11/14/15/14/15 33:04:04 PPMM Does Islam Prohibit Images of Mohammed? Nope. Does It Command Death to Blasphemers? Nope. &]2MGO+MPPIWTMI 3VMKMREPP]TYFPMWLIH.ERYEV] Over at On Faith, American-Iranian Muslim Omid Safi compulsion in matters of faith...