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This is an artist you are standing with when you say “Je Suis Charlie”. The New York Observer published an interview between American cartoonist Robert Crumb (who lives in France) and NYO writer Celia Farber about the Charlie Hebdo shootings, who instead of criticizing or even noting Crumb’s controversial presence in the cartooning world, she flatters and agrees with the 71 year old. The most troubling statement by Farber was, "These guys were not trying not to offend, and that’s what an American media-conditioned mind cannot understand. The idea that yes, you offend those who abuse power.”
Charlie Hebdo’s incessant depictions of Muslims and their faith is not a satirical comment of those who abuse power; Muslims are a marginalized group in France, and Hebdo is the white industry that holds and abuses power via the media. Crumb and others have been writing off Hebdo’s legacy of islamaphobic content as ‘traditional satire unique to French culture’. It is too common for white artists and writers to justify their racism by claiming an activism against terror and “totalitarianism” in a postmodern culture through attacking the systematically oppressed with “satire”.
Crumb later notes how in response to the shootings and his solidarity with Hebdo, he created a special drawing titled “The Hairy Ass of Muhammed”, which will be published in Liberation, as well as another drawing by his wife Aline. Farber called the acts “brave”, whereas his caption for the drawing was “A Cowardly Cartoonist”.
Robert Crumb has never had an interesting or informed comment about art, his own art, or politics in his life. As seen above, his ‘revival of folk art and culture’ is a sorry excuse to draw out the most hateful, racist images, and I am sad that he was even contacted from his mindless hole in France for an interview.
2:36 PM on Sunday 11th January 2015 with 1 note
"Charlie Hebdo’s incessant depictions of Muslims and their faith is not a satirical comment of those who abuse power"
Which has nothing to do with your point, which is that Robert Crumb is racist. Islam is not a race. No matter how much you seem to wish it was.
If you wish to argue the point that " depictions of Muslims and their faith is not a satirical comment " then you have to show those depictions. If you are afraid to do so - then you have no case.
" Muslims are a marginalized group in France, and Hebdo is the white industry that holds and abuses power via the media"
Really? And your evidence is?
So far, I've seen Muslims slaughtering Hebdo. Seems to me this 'power struggle' is rather one sided.
Since you don't seem capable of presenting any evidence to back up your rant, I'm just going to dismiss it.
"Robert Crumb has never had an interesting or informed comment about art, his own art, or politics in his life. "
Not interesting? So those people who experiences the emotion known as interest upon encountering his work were... ghosts? Holograms? What? Because a metric fuckload of people have done so, to the point where his stuff is always being reprinted. Yours? Nope.
When you die, you will be forgotten instantly. In fact, when I finish this post, it will be like you never were. Like a fart in a lift, you were unpleasant - but mercifully brief.
A hundred years from now, people will still be talking about him.
"As seen above, his ‘revival of folk art and culture’ is a sorry excuse to draw out the most hateful"
Actually I'd regard those as loving - since they parody the old racist depictions, making them absurd and ridiculous.
This is Mr Crumbs ideal. Notice the emphasis on the muscular legs, the large rounded buttocks. He is a fetishist, a lover of dominance and submission. He wants to dominate a dominant woman - to ride her.
He's obsessed with it, and it constantly is expressed in his art, which you would know if you weren't a low rent fascist with a yearning for atrocity.
You don't draw that which you hate with ideal characteristics.
Robert loves art that shocks - that is beautiful, that is ugly, that is carnal and fearful. He is fascinated by emotion - by imagery that pushes buttons.
These figures are greatly distorted, yes - but racist? How does it show him? As a tiny boy-man with an inflated head and an absurdly large hat. And how does he draw her? with hate?
No, that's lust!
His depictions of sexuality are often bestial and disturbing.
(A symbolic depiction of his wife is usually the object of his desires in his artwork - they have a really complicated relationship, and I have to admit I'm envious of it. It's a kinky love, and it's been their since they were young, so many years ago. It's... passionate.)
But is Crumb racist?
A racist person exaggerates the beauty of their own kind and the ugliness of others. Crumb?
He twists everyone and everything, to show the absurdity of it all. It's a joke - but it's life, it's wonderful.
Compare that to genuine racism.
Here, the 'aryan' figures are stylised as beautiful and perfect...
and ever so fucking bland.
Only the enemy is distorted.
Crumb's not a racist. He's as ruthless with himself as he is with everyone else. White, black, whatever.
Note where he clings - as the black man was doing?
One thing i have noticed about racists - not only do they not usually want to fuck the people outside their race - but they don't usually imagine them as GOD...
He does both, with cheerful obscenity.
And when he's not joking?
He draws black people as... people. Lively, thoughtful, diverse.
Admired.
Heroic.
" I am sad that he was even contacted from his mindless hole in France for an interview. "
No doubt free speech makes you weep and rend your garments - or does it make you reach for a knife, a gun or a bomb? And what will you do to me, now I have disagreed with you? Will you cut off my head, and present it as a trophy?
Fuck you, vile tape-worm, burrowing into dung. You think you can kill me too?
See you in Hell.Je suis Charlie
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