Saturday, September 15, 2012

What Happened to Freedom of Artistic Expression??

So, I haven't seen this so called film about Muslims that has been the "cause" (honestly it is deeper than a film) of all this violence.... But, while the filmmaker is being demonized, I wonder where all the free-speech and free-expression activists and celebrities are that defended installments like the Crucifix in urine as art and other things that Christians view as blasphemy and so loudly proclaimed it was art and nothing to get offended over ... Where are those people? Because if this video really is the cause of this outbreak of violence, we have a lot of easily offended people in the world who are being stroked and told they have a right to be offended by that mean film. Does anyone else see the hypocrisy in this? Shouldn't artistic liberty apply to all no matter what religious beliefs it offends??? If not, then artistic liberty should be limited when it causes offense to ANY religious belief, INCLUDING Christianity!
One thing about studying art in college. In order to be successful, your art had to basically at the root of it mock Christianity an traditional ideals, had to present the shift in gender roles and lifestyles (homosexuality, lust driven art, etc) as normal and beautiful, present the "glory" and "beauty" of religions like islam and Buddhism and basically had to violate everything a strong fundamental Christian believes in. I won't even describe the pieces I saw constructed or photographed by classmates who were deemed successful artists and the push there was to go down that path if you wanted to truly be a success in the field. I often wondered what the reaction would be if I did similar art of religions I didn't believe in and artistically presented a piece that showed a lack of respect for the people of that religion...... Well, I guess we are seeing the reactions to such a stance artistically in the world today... And we are seeing how there is a blatant double standard.

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