Our critique of Comedy Central really touched a nerve with readers. In less than 24 hours, our new Facebook group is at nearly 1,000 members, with plenty of comments. There's also more reader buzz on Backspin here, on YouTube (one place hosting our podcast), and on HonestReporting's Facebook page.
I'd like to respond to three points readers are raising.
1. Comedy Central's game is a joke. HR should lighten up.
I strongly disagree. I find this argument dismissive of the fact that Comedy Central's game perpetuates a stereotype of Israel as kid-killers. The Comedy Central name on an online video game creates an aura of cool around some very offensive humor and inaccurate stereotypes. This comment posted on Backspin by Jay highlights the point:
Oh I get it, they're alluding to the fact the idf killed many innocent children during the gaza siege right?
2. Jews aren't the only people offended by Comedy Central. They knock everyone.
After sending out the critique, it was brought to our attention that the game, I.S.R.A.E.L. Attacks, is in the context of a crude Comedy Central animated TV show called Drawn Together. Although that show was cancelled in 2007, a Drawn Together movie was released in April. Normally, I'd link to the show or the movie so readers can see and judge for yourself, but they're too crude and explicit.
The argument that "they offend everyone" really means "they're offensive." It doesn't mitigate Drawn Together's painful stereotyping, whether we're talking about Jews, Catholics, Muslims, blacks, gays, etc. I can only imagine the Christian reaction to another Comedy Central series under consideration: JC.
Let's keep some perspective: We're not asking Comedy Central to have thought-police monitor their own content, we're not condemning the network as a whole, nor are we calling for a boycott. We're simply asking that I.S.R.A.E.L. Attacks be removed from Comedy Central's web site. On this point, I'll give the last word to John in Michigan, who wrote on Backspin:
The video game suggests to me that the Drawn Together producers were desperate for publicity, and will try anything to attract controversy.
3. HonestReporting is silencing dissenting views.
Not at all. The podcast began with Yarden Frankl describing how his wife's car was stoned by a Palestinian last week. I'm going to elevate Penparc's comment on YouTube:
The guy lives? in a West Bank colony and he complains about Palestinians throwing rocks at his car. Weird!!
Human rights doesn't stop at the Green Line. Stoning an Israeli car ain't mitigated by which side of the border it takes place on.
