Guys
the internet did something so I guess that makes it okay
It's not like stupid people ever use the internet
Nep, my bottom line is this: I'm all for comedy taking on controversial subjects; it's an important component in shaping public attitudes, and those attitudes ultimately determine quality of life for various groups of people. Also, y'know, it's funny.
My issue with Charlie Hebdo isn't that the magazine publishes comedy adressing racism, my issue is that they publish racism and label it as comedy. Diagram:
Those cartoons have no subtext, no satirical intention, no deeper meaning that reveals the racial caricatures as themselves symbols of the backwards fools who maintain them. There's no setup, no punchline, no topical observation: It's just foriegners and their kin being depicted as universally freakish and unpleasant.
Forget finding it funny: unless you harbour racist views, that's not even a joke. It offends me both as an opponent of racism and lover of comedy.