Monday, September 3, 2012

Tim Minchin and why its only edgy to mock some Abrahamic religions.

Tim Minchin funny guy and does some funny songs. I particularly like the pace of this one. His whole point is that he's under a time limit and I think that makes for a much tighter song.

And yeah he mocks Christianity and much of the standard British/anglosphere "button down" tender sensibilities. But he also omits some other ones. Ones that show there as sensibilities that he at least tacitly supports adhering too.

When I Tweeted this morning in response to this "Really looking forward to hearing Tim Minchin's fearless comedy song about Mohammed", some members of his fan club – including the ephebically pouty-smile-tastic Prof Brian Cox, no less – Tweeted back that he had written a funny song sending up Islam called "Ten Foot Cock And A Few Hundred Virgins."

Actually, though, when you examine the lyrics, you realise that the title is about as daring as it gets. Nor is it directed specifically at Islam. It's an equal-opportunities offence number, which also has a dig at Christianity, rapture-based cults and religion generally. Sure, it's brave even to broach Islam at all. But no way does it criticise Mohammed – or indeed, even mention him – with the same unbridled satirical glee Minchin deploys on Jesus (above) and has done in the past on the Pope. Had he done so, he'd be needing a bodyguard this Christmas.

Again, let me stress, this isn't a plea to Minchin to acquire set of cojones and commit suicide through the medium of satire. I wouldn't write a rude song about Islam if you paid me a million quid. Or even ten million. But what I equally wouldn't do is compromise my integrity by laying heavily into one soft-target religion while treating a rival one, far more ripe for satire, with kid gloves. To do so would, I think, make me look a hypocrite and a fraud.

But hey, why single out Minchin? The problem I describe is absolutely endemic among the liberal left trenderati.

Emphasis added. That kinda says it all. Christianity is mocked. And yeah have fun. Fertile ground there.

But Islam isn't, and why? Fear. Yes there's fear of offering the "ternderati" but there's also fear of being killed.

For making a song mocking a religion. Talk about the elephant in the room.

And one commmenter going by just "Guest" also points out the tightrope of religious satire: "Perhaps Minchin should also sing antisemitic songs as well. And anti-Hindu songs, and anti-Shinto songs, and anti-Zoroastrian songs....."

I dunno, when you mock those religions you seem to have less odds of getting killed for it.

Nice incentives there, eh?

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