Tuesday, September 11, 2012

On That Cartoon

I glanced at Groundviews yesterday and saw that some sort of girls' fight has broken out between Sanjana, David Blacker and DD. And, when I say "girls'" fight, I really mean a fight that girls wouldn't actually have.

If I've got it right (which is rare) then it's all because Groundviews, in this case the esteemed Mr Hattotuwa, called for the sacking of the cartoonist concerned, possibly his public hanging immediately after having his balls smeared with dog food and set upon by hungry canines.

Why? Because the cartoon has (was) deemed as insulting to women by Groundviews, as well as plenty of others.

Then, quicker than you can go and worship your mother every morning, DB and DD jump on the submit comment button and start a virtual fight with GV, along the lines of "how can you advocate free speech then say that things like this should be censored? And by the way my Mum's bigger than your Mum."

Before we know it it's handbags at twelve yards. If a real fight broke out between Sanjana, DB and DD I reckon Sanjana would emerge victorious. It's obvious really, he's the only one not weighed down by the ink of hundreds of tattoos and could run the fastest. The other two are a bit fat also.

The thing is the original Groundviews opinion wasn't about censorship, it was about taste, sexism and what's acceptable to the public to be published in a national newspaper. And, the cartoonist here just drew the cartoon. It's the editor's judgement that should be questioned.

My already limited understanding of the issue gets even more hazy next, but I think Groundviews then reviews its opinion on the cartoon, deciding that maybe its initial reaction was a bit harsh. I stand to be corrected, but with Tweets, Facebook, blogs and so many different types of media involved I just can't keep up.

If I'm right, then fair play to Sanjana. It takes an intelligent person to look at something and admit that perhaps they were wrong. If I'm wrong, then I won't admit it.

As for the cartoon itself, I just don't understand it. It's not really very funny and I'm continually confused by Sri Lanka's attitude towards gender and women. I mean really, people can leer at women, touch them up and do all sorts of things on buses while going home to worship the matriarch. And just about every Sri Lanka family has some sort of matriarch sitting there at the head, dishing out orders and perceived wisdom. Of course sometimes the matriarch is a man though.

Yes, the cartoon might be seen as degrading to women, but it's not as degrading as half the advertising in SL with its inherent sexism or many of the other behaviours that go on every day.

And strangely there's a whole load of blog posts saying nasty things about Sanjana that all have broken links, or it might be that Kottu's playing up.

Indi's got an opinion, though full of Americanisms like, and if you're bothered, you can read the explanation by the editor of Lakbima here.

I suppose that's it really. Oh I seem to have joined a punk band too, more about that later.

15 comments:

David Blacker said...

Well, RD, it's a bit hard to accept Sanjana's reasoning being based on taste and women's rights when he plainly suggests that DD go look up his mother's sari (also his daughter's and wife's saris). When he suggested that i comply by the site guidelines or bugger off, I asked him if his suggestion to DD complied with those guidelines. Predictably, he censored that question of mine :D Probably thought his fans and ego would find it tasteless.

Rhythmic Diaspora said...

I agree with you there DB. Perhaps he was riled by something?

ViceUnVersa said...

If you had followed the little chat Sanjana and I had online RD, all I actually did was to defend myself when it was inferred I was sexy/sexist. I was also invited to debate with a feminist group for women's rights in SL.
As someone who grew up surrounded by extremely talented women I accepted Sanjana's offer of debate.
Then using my reply to insult my mother, sisters, nieces and daughters, as you British say is not playing with a straight bat eh?
After my subsequent comments again in my defense were not published I took the decision to fly to Colombo to accept Sanjana's offer debating this in person.
As far as I am concerned he just made an enemy out of me for no real reason. I do hope he will meet me one on one when I am in Colombo.
I hope you will allow this matter to rest now, especially as you too are a father. I hold nothing more dearer than my spouse, daughter, mother, nieces and sisters.
The matter is now a personal incident that needs to be resolved between Sanjana and I.
I am sure as a father yourself, you may understand my point of view.
Thanks and enjoy the rest of your week. Stayed up last night to watch Murray - Fabulous. I am non-British and excited, I envy the British (you) for as well as all the Olympians, you now have a grand slam winner after 1936!
What ever hardship I may have gone through to educate my daughter in Britain, I am glad I have given her this wonderful opportunity to not be a loser like myself who now relies on his family to support him. Unfortunately for me I cannot claim benefit as my spouse makes an annual income above six figures.
I must add, I have yet to see her in a Saree after our wedding day!
Cheers
DD

Rhythmic Diaspora said...

DD - Really, I'm not that bothered. I'm standing here on the sidelines laughing at you getting your knickers in a twist.

As a father myself, if someone had cracked that sort of joke mentioning one of my daughters, mother or whoever I'd have simply laughed, not written thinly veiled threatening blog posts about one on ones and the like. But of course we're different people who are perfectly entitled to have different reactions.

The irony is that you commented on GV advocating free speech and lack of censorship etc, then Sanjana cracks a joke about people close to you and you get all uppity about it.

I too grew up surrounded by strong and successful women. But strangely I don't feel the need to go on about it like you do. As for your wife "earning an annual income above six figures", seriously DD, what are you trying to prove?

ViceUnVersa said...

That I am the least most sexist person in this bloody world and quite content to be a stay at home husband RD other than occasionally helping my sis-in-law with her law firm and my friends in cmb. Which generally covers the cost of my airfare.

It's the same thing as the bright red audi car you drive RD. We're all trying to prove something or the other.

RD, unlike you I grew up in thirty years of terrorism with constant suicide attacks in Colombo. Maybe because of growing up in constant conflict I find it harder to forgive someone when they insult my dead mother over a stupid political cartoon.

Your holier than thou attitude is wonderful, but I really do wonder how you will really react if someone did that to you in a public forum.

You seem to have forgotten Mr. Nibras Bawa and how he completely screwed up this cool, mysterious RD persona you built up in this blog before he spilled the beans.

Image I believe from many of your posts is important. To me it's important that everyone knows I am a poor migrant from the third who lives well and that anybody can pursue their dream.

I have not threatened Sanjana. I am not a thug. I just want to meet him and have a chat about sexist behaviour and personal insults on cyberspace. As a TOD fellow I am sure he will have a lot to say to me. I prefer it in person.

Cheers
DD

Invisible Migrant said...

That I am the least most sexist person in this bloody world and quite content to be a stay at home husband RD other than occasionally helping my sis-in-law with her law firm and my friends in cmb. Which generally covers the cost of my airfare.

It's the same thing as the bright red audi car you drive RD. We're all trying to prove something or the other.

RD, unlike you I grew up in thirty years of terrorism with constant suicide attacks in Colombo. Maybe because of growing up in constant conflict I find it harder to forgive someone when they insult my dead mother over a stupid political cartoon.

Your holier than thou attitude is wonderful, but I really do wonder how you will really react if someone did that to you in a public forum.

You seem to have forgotten Mr. Nibras Bawa and how he completely screwed up this cool, mysterious RD persona you built up in this blog before he spilled the beans.

Image I believe from many of your posts is important. To me it's important that everyone knows I am a poor migrant from the third world who lives well and that anybody can pursue their dream.

I have not threatened Sanjana. I am not a thug. I just want to meet him and have a chat about sexist behaviour and personal insults on cyberspace. As a TOD fellow I am sure he will have a lot to say to me. I prefer it in person.

Cheers
DD

Rhythmic Diaspora said...

DD - thanks for the reply.

I have many insecurities, but overall I think I'm quite a secure sort of chap. So I don't proclaim to all and sundry about material possessions, income and the like.

I don't know how i'd react if I were put in your position regarding my mother. However I know how I'd like to react, which is as I explained previously.

I'm flattered that you think I'd built up a "cool, mysterious RD persona" but I don't think anyone else felt that was the case! Regardless of that all Nibras Bawa did was to reveal my name and personal details, most of which was in the public domain anyhow. I hope my reaction was primarily one of dignity.

Finally DD, your multiple deleted blog posts, FB statuses and whatever else, in which you tell all of us how Sanjana has made an enemy of you for life, added to your supposed willingness to fly to CMB and have a chat with him certainly look like threats, whatever your real intention may have been.

Best

RD

David Blacker said...

RD, girl fight, eh? Looks like you've now got into a middle-aged Colombo 7 aunty fight :D

Rhythmic Diaspora said...

I know DB!

realist said...

@DD - I'm really sorry to hear about your mother being killed in a suicide bomb, must be hard to recover from that.

ViceUnVersa said...

RD, I am sure that Sanajana understands I am only responding to his invitation for me to debate this further. My various blog and FB posts are only because he chose to ignore my subsequent comments after he asked me to check under the saris of the female folk in my family.
If any threats were made, it was on his part when he asked me to look under the saris duh duh duh... We're all civilised people, maybe I live in hope.

Realist, you seem to have misunderstood me. My mother died of natural causes when she was 80.

ViceUnVersa said...

PS : I must admit I have achieved some success I believe as an individual responding to a blog in citizenship journalism that insulted my family. My blog stats have gone through the roof!!!

Janusis said...

Dem handbags have migrated!

realist said...

My bad, the statement "Maybe because of growing up in constant conflict I find it harder to forgive someone when they insult my dead mother over a stupid political cartoon." implied some causal relationship between your dead mother and the conflict.

Jack Point said...

You have made a good assessment of the situ. As I have said before, I think you should do more political commentary.