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Everybody Draw Mohammed Day
“The Washington Post” took the publishing world’s fear of Muslim extremism one step further on Sunday by pulling a cartoon about Muhammed in which he does not appear.
By passing up on the rare opportunity for to print a non-abstract, actually funny cartoon, The Washington Post not only enraged bloggers worldwide, it also staunched the only artistic medium that still inspires my generation — comedy.
Wiley Miller’s single panel cartoon imitates the classic children’s book “Where’s Waldo?” by depicting a grassy park teaming with activity—animals frolic, children buy ice cream, adults stroll and sunbathe—and the caption reads: “Where’s Muhammad?”
It’s funny, right?
First, “The Post’s” fears are legitimate. Under FBI direction, Seattle-based cartoonist Molly Norris changed her name and went into hiding this summer after publicly encouraging a worldwide “Everyone Draw Muhammad Day,” in protest after an episode of “South Park” depicting Muhammed was censored last year. “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have received death threats.
Muslim extremists are terrifying, but Miller is still disgusted with his newspaper. The award-winning cartoonist said that it was meant to satirize “the insanity of an entire group of people rioting and putting out a hit list over cartoons.” His anger is justified, but I think he’s missing something by belittling the social role of funny cartoons to make his point.
Despite pissing off Joan Biaz by emphatically denying any political motives, Bob Dylan famously wrote songs that personalized the 60s youth experience. In doing so, he, along with a few other bands and a lot of unprotected sex, helped hippies process their anger.
My generation is deeply confused and angry about Islamic extremism as well as the West’s reaction to it. I know I personally can’t decide if Burqas are oppressive or not and if banning them is Constitutional. I think Terry Jones’s Quran-burning plan was despicable, and that Islomophobia is not only real but extremely harmful. But I’m also scared shitless of flying, and I feel sick when I think about Sakineh Muhammad Ashtiani being sentenced to death by stoning for allegedly committing adultery.
These aren’t feelings that I talk about over beers with my friends—we’d rather discuss whether or not “The Social Network’s” portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg was “scathing.” I also don’t go to concerts where musicians are singing songs about the war in Afgahnistan, and if my favorite bands started doing that unironically, I’d probably roll my eyes so far back into my head I’d go blind. Whatever the reason, music doesn’t cut it for my generation.
My feelings, mostly fears, about radical Islam are something that I almost exclusively laugh about while watching “The Colbert Report” every evening. And I think that’s what most of my generation is doing too. Stephen Colbert is our Generation’s Bob Dylan. Same role, different medium.
In protecting themselves and their cartoonist, “The Washington Post” did something worse than cower in fear of overly-sensitive Muslim terrorists. It deprived its younger readers of a laugh.
Enjoy:
