Westboro Baptist Church proves Muphry's Law

See if you can spot the irony on this hateful little piece of nonsense:

Via Buzzfeed

Muphry's law is an adage that states that "If you write anything criticizing editing or proofreading, there will be a fault of some kind in what you have written." The name is a deliberate misspelling of Murphy's law. - Wikipedia

Westboro Baptist Church gets a fabulous Google Maps makeover

Search for Westboro Baptist Church on Google Maps right now, and you'll see that their avatar has been, well, rainbowed.

Their "about" page has also been updated with some homoerotic imagery:

I don't know who is responsible for this, but just recently a gay rights centre opened up right across the street from WBC.

People are certainly pissed off with "Rec" Phelps and his ilk right now, as they had planned to bring their "God Hates Fags" protest to today's interfaith service for the Boston marathon victims. (They never showed up.)

Thanks to Marco for the tip!

An islamophobic parody of an anti-islamophobia campaign?

In the United States, hate has gone meta.

Back in January, I wrote on Osocio about a campaign by American muslims to promote friendship through a better understanding of what "jihad" really means. A little lightweight, but part of a necessary discussion about the prejudice against Islam that has beed particularly nasty since September 11, 2001.

Part of the impetus for the #myjihad campaign was a reaction against anti-Islam ads run by Pamela Geller's American Freedom Defense Initiative in major American cities. The ads survived a freedom of speech claim, despite advertising space owners not wanting to run them.

Now, the AFDI has used its freedom to get even more nasty.

Via Buzzfeed

Nidal Malik Hasan is a 39-year-old U.S. Army major serving as a psychiatrist. He is charged with  killing 13 people and wounding 29 others at Fort Hood in 2009. Hasan had been in contact with Yemen-based cleric Anwar al-Awlaki prior to the shooting, and witnesses claim his attack was accompanied by shouted religious slogans.

A reasonable person might assume that Hasan was suffering a severe mental illness. It's what we usually assume when an individual suddenly turns on familiar people as a raving mass murderer. But the AFDI would like the people of Washington DC to believe that Islam caused the murder. Worse, by association it implies that the nice people in the #myjihad campaign are just like him.

Who are the evil ones here, again?

Tip via Copyranter

It's all fun and games until someone is dehumanized

Reader Warning: This post contains extremely misogynist language and images. 

There was quite a stir online this week after popular web comic The Oatmeal compared a computer key, humorously, to a terrified rape victim. I'm not going to go on about that. Facing massive online protest, he removed the offending panel and apologized. Time to move on.

Except that his self-styled "free speech" supporters won't let it go. They accused people who took to the author's social media feeds to tell him why they were so upset about the joke of "censorship". They're probably still at it.

But there is a big difference between criticism and censorship. The former is also part of freedom of speech. The latter is legislative.

I am against censorship, but I will certainly speak out in public when I think something is not okay. For example, racism is not okay. Anyone who spews racism in public deserves the social sanction of people who are not racists. That's a pretty mainstream, accepted, thing now.

But what about misogyny? As the Oatmeal incident shows, it is both embedded in our popular culture and an issue that is becoming increasingly hard to "let go". In the recent United States election, many sexist or even openly-misogynist politicians and pundits were brought down by changing mainstream sensitivity to women's issues. Then again, many still stand.

Which brings me to today's topic: The most asinine tee shirts I have seen this year. 

This collection of shirts is brought to you by an online retailer called Spencer's. It's obnoxious, dehumanizing and dumb, and somebody must be buying the damn things.

But it's just a joke, right? Sure. Racist jokes are just jokes too. The problem with them is that they also serve a social purpose: they both reflect and reinforce a culture of exclusion, where one group is assumed to be superior to another. (The last US election also showed that racism is still very much with us.)

Believe it or not, I have a sense of humour. And I actually make lots of "inappropriate" jokes. But these are made in mixed company, with women who are my friends and my equals. Nobody is calling anyone a fuck puppet.

You might ask yourself whether Spencer's are equal opportunity sexists. There are, in fact, a few women's shirts that have a sexually predatory slogans on them. While this is bad, it's not quite the same problem. Not at this point in history.

Lots of really awkwardly and outrageously sexual things are funny. These tee shirts are not. They simply communicate an attitude that women are things that lack agency or independent sexual desire. They show women as breathing sack-of-meat masturbation devices, for men to enjoy and dispose of.

That's bad, and the people at Spencer's should feel bad.

But I am not trying to censor them. On the contrary, I want as many people as possible to see these shirts and form their own opinion about just what kind of person chooses to design, sell, and wear stuff like this.

Form your very own democratic, free market, free speaking opinion about what these shirts are telling you about what Spencer's thinks their target market likes. A target market of young men who could be strangers or could be among your family, neighbours or friends. Or who could be dating your family or friends. 

And on this day, which here in Canada is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, decide how you want to feel about that.

For more information on rape culture, visit FORCE.

Tip via Buzzfeed

Ellen DeGeneres, 1; One Million Moms, 0

From One Million Moms:

Recently JC Penney announced that comedian Ellen Degeneres will be the company's new spokesperson. Funny that JC Penney thinks hiring an open homosexual spokesperson will help their business when most of their customers are traditional families. More sales will be lost than gained unless they replace their spokesperson quickly. Unless JC Penney decides to be neutral in the culture war then their brand transformation will be unsuccessful. 

Their marketing strategy is to help families shop and receive a good value for their money. Degeneres is not a true representation of the type of families that shop at their store. The majority of JC Penney shoppers will be offended and choose to no longer shop there. The small percentage of customers they are attempting to satisfy will not offset their loss in sales.
JC Penney has made a poor decision and must correct their mistake fast to retain loyal customers and not turn away potential new, conservative shoppers with the company's new vision. 

"Importantly, we share the same fundamental values as Ellen," said Michael Francis, president of J.C. Penney Company in a press statement. "At JC Penney, we couldn't think of a better partner to help us put the fun back into the retail experience. Moving forward, we'll be focused on being in sync with the rhythm of our customers' lives and operating in a 'Fair and Square' manner that is rooted in integrity, simplicity and respect. We're thrilled that she's joining our team to help convey the exciting transformation under way." 

"They have an incredible vision for the future and are completely re-inventing themselves to become America's favorite store," said DeGeneres in a press statement.

By jumping on the pro-gay bandwagon, JC Penney is attempting to gain a new target market and in the process will lose customers with traditional values that have been faithful to them over all these years. 

TAKE ACTION
Make a personal phone call to JC Penney's customer service department. Their numbers are 972-431-8200 (customer service) and 972-431-1000 (corporate headquarters).
Ask JC Penney to replace Ellen Degeneres as their new spokesperson immediately and remain neutral in the culture war. 

"Neutral"? Hilarious! Neutrality would mean accepting that sexual orientation has nothing to do with the issue.

But I love the way OMM quote JC Penney and DeGeneres as if we're supposed to be outraged. JC Penney has made an excellent move in striking up a partnership with a celebrity who gay and straight people alike love for her humour and intellect.

According to Reuters:

"DeGeneres' daytime talk show has more viewers than the American Family Association has moms. Between January 16 and January 22, "Ellen" averaged 3.38 million viewers -- or 2.38 million more people than the AFA has moms."

And then she totally owned them with this statement:

Give it up, one million morons. Your relevance has passed.

In times like these, comedy means war

The escalating tensions between Israel and Iran have been a concern for some time now. In the midst of this, the Israeli cable company, HOT, produced an ad featuring a comedy team from the popular sitcom Asfur being summoned to Iran by an undercover Mossad agent.

The video is subtitled, and the YouTube post contains a glossary of all the cultural context, slang, and double meaning used in the ad.



You might put this down to typical culture-bashing between enemies, which Iran must be used to by now. But the video also featured a Samsung tablet. And that, to Iran, means war. With South Korea?

According to Haaretz:

"On Thursday, a top Iranian lawmaker said Iran's parliament was considering to cut the country's trade ties with the country, over what he said was an "insulting" commercial, over the depiction of Iran as a "primitive society" and of insinuating that Israel was 'powerful enough to easily destroy Iran's nuclear facilities or assassinate the country's nuclear scientists.'

Head of Majlis Energy Committee Arsalan Fat'hipour told Press TV that Samsung chose to forget the high volume of trade it shares with Iran in its attempt to move closer to Israel, adding that Samsung's apology to Iran, 'though necessary', would not be enough to patch things up with Tehran. 

In response to Iran's claims, Samsung released a statement condemning the production of the commercial by the firm's Israeli branch, with Samsung's Tehran office saying that the spot had nothing to do with the firm and that it had been produced by HOT. "

Silly comedy segments starting trade wars. These are truly very tense times we are living in. The spot has the same cultural arrogance and casual racism that we see in American lampoons of the Middle East, but Iran seems more pissed off by the implication that Israel can wipe out its facilities so easily. I wonder if this is what the international mood was like back in the summer of 1914?

Thanks to Tatjana for the tip

History repeats itself. History repeats itself. History...

Mexico City's Museo Memoria y Tolerancia is an interesting idea. In a place founded on genocide and the clash of ancient empires, the museum stands "to warn about the dangers of indifference, discrimination and violence for generating, instead, responsibility, respect and awareness in each individual."

These ads, by Mexico's Made agency, paraphrase the George Santayana  quote "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" and matches it with iconic images of war and violence to amplify the message.

The effect is not subtle, and you could accuse the campaign of relying too much on borrowing interest from some of the world's great tragedies. But the message is, at least, clear. and as important now as it was over 100 years ago.

Via I Believe in Advertising 

Happy New Year... WTF?

I found this postcard in a box of old family records a few years ago, and just stumbled upon it again in my New Year's cleanup:

Yes, that's what you think it is... but it's also not what you think it is. Here's the back:

Many of you will already be aware that the swastika is a very ancient symbol that was appropriated by the Nazis. That had already happened before 1922, when this card was sent, but it was much better known at the time as a charming old "good luck" symbol.

Here are some other examples:

The innocence of the symbol would soon end, in the west anyway. The swastika is still a popular religious and folkloric insignia in Asia. You can even see it on packaged goods at the Chinese grocery store.

But it still freaks me out. It's just a symbol, but it's one that we've been raised to have a visceral reaction to. From health, wealth and happiness to hate, genocide and war. It's amazing that a little cross could carry so much baggage.

Here's to a year ahead with as little evil as possible.

The anti-gay-marriage movement in New Hampshire needs a better agency

Just some thoughts...

Whose values will I embrace? I don't know... which one of these groups thinks people have a right to be different from them? I pick that one. I also pick the one with better slogans.

Erosion can be a good thing. We wouldn't have the Grand Canyon without it. Or George Takei.

Tip via Buzzfeed

Florida Family Association wishes American Muslims a Hateful Christmas

OMG TERRURISTS!

Jezebel writes that American home-improvement chain Lowes has pulled its advertising from TLC's reality show All-American Muslim after complaints from the Florida Family Association.

According to TLC's online preview:

"All-American Muslim follows the daily lives of five American Muslim families in Dearborn, Michigan, one of the most established and largest concentrations of American Muslims in the country. Each episode offers an intimate look at customs and celebrations, as well as misconceptions, conflicts, and differences these families face outside and within their own community."

 In other words, it is offering a peek beyond the xenophobia, to portray the diverse people behind the faith.

This infuriates the Florida Family Association, who sent out an alert to all their members to e-mail TLC with complaints:

"The Learning Channel's new show All-American Muslim is propaganda clearly designed to counter legitimate and present-day concerns about many Muslims who are advancing Islamic fundamentalism and Sharia law.  The show profiles only Muslims that appear to be ordinary folks while excluding many Islamic believers whose agenda poses a clear and present danger to liberties and traditional values that the majority of Americans cherish."

My. Oh. My. Can't you just feel the love of Jesus Christ throbbing in their veins? The FFA's mission statement is to "educate people on what they can do to defend, protect and promote traditional, biblical values." (Apparently, "love thy neighbour" ain't one of these.)

Lowe's gave the lamest excuse ever for giving in to fundamentalist pressure:

"Individuals and groups have strong political and societal views on this topic, and this program became a lightning rod for many of those views. As a result we did pull our advertising on this program. We believe it is best to respectfully defer to communities, individuals and groups to discuss and consider such issues of importance."

Way to go, asshats. Spineless and callous is no way for a brand to go through life.

Predictably, some public figures are calling for a boycott of the cowardly brand, including Democratic Senator Ted Lieu, who is calling for a Christmas boycott of Lowe's. He says, "The show is about what it's like to be a Muslim in America, and it touches on the discrimination they sometimes face. And that kind of discrimination is exactly what's happening here with Lowe's."

LOTS of room for improvement in this brand.

Related: Buzzfeed's 25 Dumbest Comments On Lowe's Facebook Page About “All-American Muslim”

Tea Party politician's ad says all Muslims want to kill Christians

“Do you really want someone representing you who swears an oath on a Quran? A book that undermines our Constitution and says you should be killed?”

These are the words of Gary Boisclair, who is running against U.S. Representative Keith Ellison in Minnesota's 5th congressional district. Ellison was the first Muslim to be elected to the United States Congress.

Boisclair allies himself with the Tea Party and the anti-abortion movements, and calls himself a Christian.

Here is his press release:

“It is common knowledge that Ellison is proud to publicize his devotion to the writings
contained in the Koran. 

This TV ad references several verses in the Koran which call for violence against Jews
and Christians. 

The call to violent acts against Christians and Jews within this ‘holy’ book should alarm
every American. The fact that a U.S. Congressman swore an oath on a book that calls for
most of us to be persecuted is an outrage. 

The Koran is a pillar in Islam’s ‘Sharia Law,’ which is a comprehensive code of ethics
governing both the private and the public behaviors of all ‘good’ Muslims.  Sharia law—
as seen in dozens of Muslims nations—leads to the oppression of its non-Muslim
citizens, and the loss of fundamental human rights for all.  

The fact that Ellison swore an oath to uphold the Constitution on a book that would
destroy the Constitution is as ludicrous as it is absurd. 

We did not pick this fight; Islam’s war against Christianity and human liberty has raged
against us for 1400 years. We are merely responding with the truth."

The truth... hmmmm.

Wikipedia has Ellison saying, "The district I represent is the kind of district where you can have a Member of Congress stand up for religious tolerance and against religious bigotry, against anyone, but also stand up for the rights of gays too." Not exactly out to kill, is he?

On the other hand, if we're going to accuse people of blindly following every policy in their religion's holy books, let's accuse Boisclair of supporting things like this:

"And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males. And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.

And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire. And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts. And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.

And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp. And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle. And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves."

"I approve of this message"

 Okay, then.

Jamaica's fear of a gay island rears its ugly head in PSA ban

Jamaica has a problem with gay people. At least, that's what I've thought since Time Magazine called it "The Most Homophobic Place on Earth" in 2006 because of the shocking amount of violent hate crime committed against homosexual men and women there (and which, it claims, is often ignored by police).

Male homosexuality is still a crime in Jamaica, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Surprising, from the country that gave us Bob Marley's "One Love"? Ironically, some point to the new generation of Reggae performers as the problem:

Jamaica's popular culture has a strong tradition of music, particularly reggae and dancehall. As a consequence performers are high profile, either (depending on perspective) seen as influencing popular opinion or reflecting it. Artists such as Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Vybz Kartel, Mavado, Elephant Man, Sizzla, Capleton, T.O.K., Anthony B and Shabba Ranks, write and perform songs that advocate attacking or killing gays and lesbians.

Apologists argue that these artists are simply championing Rastafarian values in contemporary reggae music by recording material which is concerned primarily with exploring Rastafarian themes, such as Babylon's corrupting influence, the disenfranchisement of ghetto youth, oppression of the black nation and their abiding faith in Jah and resistance against perceived agents of oppression. Homosexuality is enmeshed with these themes.

One of Beenie Man's songs contains the lyrics: "I'm a dreaming of a new Jamaica, come to execute all the gays." Lyrics from Sizzla's songs include: “Shot batty boy, my big gun boom” (Shoot queers, my big gun goes boom)."A Nuh Fi Wi Fault" by Elephant Man rants: "Battyman fi dead!/Please mark we word/Gimme tha tech-nine/Shoot dem like bird".

Wikipedia goes on to point out that The Canadian High Commission in Jamaica requires "performers who wish to tour in Canada to sign an Entertainer Declaration that states that they have read and fully understand excerpts from the Criminal Code of Canada, Charter of Rights and Human Rights Act and "will not engage in or advocate hatred against persons because of their... sexual orientation."

Yeah. It's that bad down there. And in that context, you will surely not be surprised that this ad by JFLAG, about acceptance, has been refused play on Jamaican television:



The Jamaica Observer reports (with the unfortunate headline "Blow to gay ad - TVJ rejects J-FLAG’s PSA"):

"The PSA, which features former Miss Jamaica World and Miss Jamaica Universe Christine Straw and her gay brother Matthew Straw encouraging Jamaicans to show love to their family members and friends who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, was launched last month. J-FLAG was hoping to have the PSA aired on national TV this month.

However, Television Jamaica (TVJ), one of the island's major television stations, says it will not be carrying the PSA at this time, citing concerns about the structure of the announcement, among other things."

Broadcasters cited complaints from church groups. Associate pastor of the Tower Hill Missionary Church in Kingston, Mark Dawes, gives a typical comment:

"As innocuous and as innocent as that public service announcement might appear, it is part of a wider plan by militant homosexuals to gradually desensitise Jamaicans to homosexuality, so that homosexual behaviour and practice can become mainstream in Jamaica."

Fortunately, the internet is less afraid of catching the ghey than Mr. Dawes...

Tip via Joe My God.

Erin Andrews faces the hatelust of the internet

Erin Andrews is a sports reporter at ESPN. She is also an attractive woman. Good for her, right? Making it in a male-dominated profession.

But, rather predictably, her sex and her appearance have inspired the legions of losers on the internet to stalk, threaten and abuse her. She has even received death threats via e-mail.

Perhaps the worst attack she has endured was having a stalker actually shoot secret video of her nude in her hotel room. The so called "peephole video" became such a viral success that it has since become a popular lure for malware sites.

Is this fan love, or fan hate? Frighteningly, for all female journalists, it's a dangerous mix of both.

Check out this "fan" video, posted just this week:


(Skip to 2:10)


The "kid" (who does not sound like one) yells at her from the stands at the NCAA College World Series, demanding an autograph. When she says "no" rather sternly, he yells "I’m gonna watch your video tomorrow!"

This is what these "sexy" celebrity pictures and videos are really all about: power. By bringing up the video, he is threatening to rape her privacy. Out of anger.

Am I reading too much into this?

Here are some comments from the YouTube page:

"lol whoever shouted about the video is a champ. If she's gonna get offended by stuff like that then she shouldn't be such a bitch in the first place."
- jediknight328

What a big bitch. She's not doing jack shit and she can't sign a fucken ball. I would have been like I'm gonna watch your video tomorrow and J/O to it even though I disagree with what the guy did. She's not even that hot. Looks like a fucken witch
- GrammatonCleric24

"lol, what a whore."
- plzenjoymybigolpenis

Granted, YouTube comment threads are the sewer of social media, but they are also a peek into the dark side. You could call it sexual sour grapes—the unattainable woman is a bitch and a whore who is "not even that hot,"  and she deserves to be pseudo-raped.

This is not appreciating a beautiful woman. This is sexualized hate. And it is something to think about next time you check out that celebrity nip slip, upskirt, or sexting link you see online. Are you aroused by the idea of seeing beautiful people naked, or is it the opportunity to participate in humiliating a person more popular or famous than you that really turns your crank?

In Erin's own words, "Man up!"

F'd Ad Fridays: Dead OBL as infantwear brand

These onesies are for sale at Australia's redbubble.com, just in case you want the joy of your life associated with terrorism, death and patriotic bloodlust:

"We got him, didn't we sweetie? Oh, yes we did! Koochie-koo!"

To be fair, redbubble is an Australian cafepress-type vanity shirt e-commerce site. That means all the designs are member submitted, and sold on consignment. According to news.com.au, they say they removes "offensive" designs if they receive complaints (as they did with the Hitler and serial killer onesies...)

Set phasers to "douchebag"

George Takei, Star Trek's Mr. Sulu and human rights activist, has a message for Clint McCance, an Arkansas School Board member who made international headlines for spewing hate at gay students. (He later resigned.)



Takei makes his rant in context of YouTube's "It Gets Better" channel, in which celebrities and others are adding their words of support for gay youth and The Trevor Project.

My question is, how appropriate is it for an activist — gay or straight — to use the classic attack of "if you're so anti gay, you must be gay yourself"?

I'm never particularly surprised when a vocal homophobe is revealed as a self-loathing closeted hypocrite. But in these cases, suspected homosexuality seems like it is being used as an insult.

Regardless, the use of insulting language like "douchebag" is well deserved.



Kick his ass, Sulu!

Thanks to FB friend Noah for sharing the link.

Legalize Gay

I'm not going to beat around the bush: I think American Apparel is a sleazy advertiser. But I love their t-shirts. So I'm both impressed by, and suspicious of, this little piece of corporate social responsibility:

The ad was run in AA's newsfeed, with the following explanation:

"Last week, American Apparel was contacted through Facebook and informed that a student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater was physically and verbally assaulted for her sexual orientation. The victim was wearing one of the company's Legalize Gay t-shirts at the time of attack. Hate crimes such as this are abhorrent and we deeply condemn them. Despite the unfortunate event that triggered it, the immediate response of this young woman's fellow students to hold a campus wide rally as a show of unity was incredibly inspiring. In response, we have run the following full page advertisement in the university newspaper offering free Legalize Gay t-shirts to any member of the student body who can put it to good use."

So good for them. But can they stop sexually abusing their employees now?