French Catholics arrested for protesting theatre performance that defiles Jesus

Brown Bomber

A number of Catholics in Paris have been arrested for interrupting a French theatre production where the representation of Jesus is covered in excrement. This I think has paralells with Muslim protests over the Muhammed cartoons for example. Personally I think their actions are brave and admirable.

More info (French)
http://www.soutienauxmilitants.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuPCF238ejI

PseudoFamous

There can be no reason to cover a representation of Jesus in faeces other than to deliberately cause offence, so I think the protesters are completely in the right in this situation. Unless, of course, they're going out and stretching this character to be considered an extremely abstract representation.

PatricaMcKay2

Pity though that Renouveau Francais are a fascist grouping who merely use Christianity as a political weapon.

http://www.renouveaufrancais.com/new/index.php

Brown Bomber

PseudoFamous wrote: »

There can be no reason to cover a representation of Jesus in faeces other than to deliberately cause offence, so I think the protesters are completely in the right in this situation. Unless, of course, they're going out and stretching this character to be considered an extremely abstract representation.

well here is better information:http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/apr/19/romeo-castellucci-concept-face-son

A sort of prayer . . . On the Concept of the Face, Regarding the Son of God. Photograph: Klaus LeFebvre



In the backstage prop kitchen of the National Theatre in Oslo, Italian firebrand director Romeo Castellucci and his stony-faced assistants are busily stirring the ****. There is nothing metaphorical about these stomach-churning preparations. Loftily entitled On the Concept of the Face, Regarding the Son of God, the show in question – which opens at the Barbican in London tomorrow – is a wrenching piece about the metaphysics of excrement or, as the director elegantly puts it, "the spirit of the ****".


It's told through the relationship of a son forced to look after his senile father, who graphically – and all too regularly – spills the contents of his adult nappy all over the pristine white stage. Looking on serenely from the backdrop is a huge portrait of Christ, who at one point in the proceedings, begins to cry viscous tears of slurry.

jimi_t2

PseudoFamous wrote: »

There can be no reason to cover a representation of Jesus in faeces other than to deliberately cause offence...

Its in the guise of a theatrical production so the possibility of metaphor seems a distinct possibility. One that would immediately spring to mind would be the perceived treatment of Christianity in the media - ''mud flinging'' et al. Given that the scene in question involves a boy clearing the same faeces off his elderly father, as well as how deliberately blunt and intentionally evocative the imagery is - balanced in light of the considerable scatalogical precedent already established in art - I believe the benefit of the doubt is more than warranted.

In relation to the Guardian article - I'd consider it a bastion of decent journalism, especially in relation to the arts. That said, art is the single most subjective thing I can think of. One mans metaphor is another mans ****.

Similarly, this could be a viral marketing stunt falling outside of the remit of either art or offence. Considering that there would have been next to no chance I'd have heard of an obscure french play centered around theological imagery I'd surmise that its quite an effective way of free advertising.

In relation to the go-to 'Muhammed' argument, does this differential insinuate that the Judeo-Christian body of worshippers is viewed more favorably or less favorably by the media/government/secular society than their equivalent group in Islam - more to the point, why would you care?

PDN

jimi_t2 wrote: »

In relation to the go-to 'Muhammed' argument, does this differential insinuate that the Judeo-Christian body of worshippers is viewed more favorably or less favorably by the media/government/secular society than their equivalent group in Islam - more to the point, why would you care?

I think the point is that those who deliberately seek to antagonise others with these kinds of stunts, know that they won't get away with it with Muslims. After all, look at what happened to Theo Van Gogh.

Christianity is considered a soft touch, in that adherents of a religion that preaches about turning the other cheek are unlikely to cut your head off if you deliberately rile them up.

So, if you want the reputation of being edgy and courageous, but are really too cowardly to risk offending anyone that might actually turn out to be dangerous, it makes perfect sense to throw crap at an image of Jesus.

antiskeptic

PDN wrote: »

So, if you want the reputation of being edgy and courageous, but are really too cowardly to risk offending anyone that might actually turn out to be dangerous, it makes perfect sense to throw crap at an image of Jesus.

Or hit the nail on the head.

The Quadratic Equation

As usual, these are talentless nobodies, who can only get publicity for themselves by being as offensively anti Christian as possible. Nice and safe compared to going after Islam or Judaism.
The "celebrity" culture at its worst.

cybercellesta

It goes to show how degenerate society has become without God, animals behave better!

antiskeptic

cybercellesta wrote: »

It goes to show how degenerate society has become without God, animals behave better!

I think flinging a crap at an image of Jesus falls towards the er.. bottom of the scale of degeneracy tbh. And I think Jesus would agree with me.

Keaton

I admire these French Catholics for what they did. Can you imagine if this was a play about homosexuals? Can you imagine if they threw crap at an image of a prominent homosexual? It would be immediately labelled (and rightly so) as a hate crime, but because this is Jesus Christ, it is OK.

If a picture of the Islamic prophet had crap thrown at it, many people would be killed.

But because it is only Jesus Christ, it is all OK.

Newsite

Keaton wrote: »

I admire these French Catholics for what they did. Can you imagine if this was a play about homosexuals? Can you imagine if they threw crap at an image of a prominent homosexual? It would be immediately labelled (and rightly so) as a hate crime, but because this is Jesus Christ, it is OK.

If a picture of the Islamic prophet had crap thrown at it, many people would be killed.

But because it is only Jesus Christ, it is all OK.

Well they'reare foaming at the mouth over on the LGBT forum over a perfectly reasonable article written by a man upholding the institute of marriage - so yes, we shouldn't be surprised.

Manach

On one hand the French have a long and proud history of freedom of expression and artistic licence. However, they also have strict laws against anti-semitic behaviour, which Mr John Galliano has recently discovered - which to me suggests that the route the protesters should have followed-through.