The Van Gogh Murder

[Monte Smith]

Oh my stars, Pat Sajak is right. Hollywood needs to buy a vowel.

A Hush Over Hollywood
by Pat Sajak
Posted Nov 30, 2004

Picture this:

Somewhere in the world, a filmmaker creates a short documentary that chronicles what he perceives as the excesses of anti-abortion activists. An anti-abortion zealot reacts to the film by killing the filmmaker in broad daylight and stabbing anti-abortion tracts onto his body. How does the Hollywood community react to this atrocity? Would there be angry protests? Candlelight vigils? Outraged letters and columns and articles? Awards named in honor of their fallen comrade? Demands for justice? Calls for protection of artistic freedom? It’s a pretty safe bet that there would be all of the above and much more. And all of the anger would be absolutely justified.

So I’m trying to understand the nearly universal lack of outrage coming from Hollywood over the brutal murder of Dutch director, Theo van Gogh, who was shot on the morning of November 2, while bicycling through the streets of Amsterdam. The killer then stabbed his chest with one knife and slit his throat with another.

The presumed murderer, a Dutch-born dual Moroccan-Dutch citizen, attached a 5-page note to van Gogh's body with a knife. In it, he threatened jihad against the West in general, and specifically against five prominent Dutch political figures. Van Gogh’s crime? He created a short film highly critical of the treatment of women in Islamic societies. So, again I ask, where is the outrage from Hollywood’s creative community? I mean, talk about a violation of the right of free speech!

Perhaps they are afraid that their protests would put them in danger. That, at least, is a defensible position. If I were Michael Moore, I would much rather rail against George W. Bush, who is much less likely to have me killed, than van Gogh’s murderer and the threat to creative freedom he brings. Besides, a man of Moore’s size would provide a great deal of “bulletin board” space.

Maybe they think it would be intolerant of them to criticize the murder, because it would put them on the side of someone who criticized a segment of the Arab world. And, after all, we are often reminded that we need to be more tolerant of others, especially if they’re not Christians or Jews.

There’s another possibility; one that seems crazy on the surface, but does provide an explanation for the silence, and is also in keeping with the political climate in Hollywood. Is it just possible that there are those who are reluctant to criticize an act of terror because that might somehow align them with President Bush, who stubbornly clings to the notion that these are evil people who need to be defeated? Could the level of hatred for this President be so great that some people are against anything he is for, and for anything he is against?

As nutty as it sounds, how else can you explain such a muted reaction to an act that so directly impacts creative people everywhere? Can you conceive of a filmmaker being assassinated because of any other subject matter without seeing a resulting explosion of reaction from his fellow artists in America and around the world?

As I said, it’s a nutty-sounding explanation, but we live in nutty times.

[mke]

I don't know about Hollywood, but there was a fair amount of reaction here. I hadn't heard of T. Van Gogh prior to his death, but from what has been insinuated, he wasn't exactly the most open-minded individual.

Things carry on as usual, the Belgian state continues funding a party the courts have declared racist, ho hum.

[Root Doctor]

Pat needs to buy a clue.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by mke

I hadn't heard of T. Van Gogh prior to his death, but from what has been insinuated, he wasn't exactly the most open-minded individual.

But he spoke his mind. Before he was slaughtered for it, I mean.

[Enforcer]

All I know is, I'm waiting for Hollywood actors and actresses to tell me how I should feel about all this. And I'm getting really impatient waiting, so I hope someone famous says something soon.

The Van Gogh murder has ignited a thorough debate in Europe about the uses of "multiculturalism" and "tolerance," and I say it's about time.

This should give pause to all the nitwits who were inclined to view September 11th as a misguided cry for love by the oppressed wretched of the earth, rather than the opening salvo in a war against the Enlightenment and every positive gain of Western humanity during the past 500 years.

It's about time that people realized that political Islamists mean business, and playing the cool, tolerant, cosmopolitan isn't going to save your ass from the barbarian hordes.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by Ed the Happy Clown

The Van Gogh murder has ignited a thorough debate in Europe about the uses of "multiculturalism" and "tolerance," and I say it's about time.

I don't know how thorough it is. The Dutch police forced an artist to remove a memorial mural to van Gogh which contained the phrase "Thou shalt not kill," because an official at a nearby mosque found it offensive.

Yeah, they get it alright.

[Rob C]

Funny how Pat isn't leading the protests, either, preferring instead to villify "Hollywood".

[tippy]

Monte: "Ich bin ein Dutcher"

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by tippy

Monte: "Ich bin ein Dutcher"

Me too.

[tippy]

maybe an industry that produces gems like The Swan and Extreme Makeover doesn't care too much about women's rights. fattening up tits really opened up a whole can of worms.

[Enforcer]

Originally Posted by tippy

maybe an industry that produces gems like The Swan and Extreme Makeover doesn't care too much about women's rights. fattening up tits really opened up a whole can of worms.

I don't know, tippy. I mean, is there really a smarter man than Bruce Willis? I mean, this guy blew away bad guys left and right in Die Hard, and he did it with hardly any resources at his disposal. And consider Colin Farrell. Sorry, but you doubters can go your own way. I'm taking my cues from the real heroes of America, Hollywood actors. If they don't know what they're talking about, why are they so rich and so pretty? Don't have an answer to that, do you? I didn't think so.

[tippy]

That post is very organic, Larry, and evocative of Goodspeak but in an authentic way that is totally your own. I didn't know you were a thespian. I nominate you for an Oscar, hero.

[Darryl G. Thomas]

Time out.

Pat Sajak?

To paraphrase Allen Iverson, "We're talking about Pat Sajak. PAT SAJAK!".

But I get his drift. I guess Hollywood just hates our freedoms.

[Monte Smith]

No one turns heads like Pat Sajak.

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

I don't know how thorough it is. The Dutch police forced an artist to remove a memorial mural to van Gogh which contained the phrase "Thou shalt not kill," because an official at a nearby mosque found it offensive.
.

You have quislings in every situation, but at least there is a debate, and one being led by people other than the usual xenophobic subjects.

Cosmopolitanism, yes! Multiculturalism, no!

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by mke

...he wasn't exactly the most open-minded individual.

I still find that comment a little crass. Well, a face to go with the mind.



And the butchered neck.

Viva van Gogh!

[Dennis Gonzalez]

Originally Posted by Pat Sajak

Besides, a man of Moore’s size would provide a great deal of “bulletin board” space.

I hope Moore sits on Sajak, the cold blooded asshole.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by Dennis Gonzalez

Sajak, the cold blooded asshole.

Cold blooded? Maybe towards anti-Americans, but he shows some sympathy for van Gogh.

[tippy]

I don't know why Dubya's sitting on his ass wasting political capital when he could be reinstating the Sedition Act. Long holiday for him I guess.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by tippy

I don't know why Dubya's sitting on his ass wasting political capital when he could be reinstating the Sedition Act. Long holiday for him I guess.

The Alien and Sedition Acts? Probably because that is ridiculous and a couple hundred years old. Hard to reinstate. Now what he could do is comment on the van Gogh murder and deplore it. And tell the Netherlands that they ought to be careful that they don't tolerate themselves into a jihadic grave. I mean, ya oughta be able to spraypaint a memorial on the wall without a mosque getting say so. But W. probably never heard of van Gogh.

[tippy]

Pass the Dutchie on the left hand side.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by tippy

Pass the Dutchie on the left hand side.

Hahaha!

[LeMo]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

I still find that comment a little crass. Well, a face to go with the mind.



And the butchered neck.

Viva van Gogh!

It's funny how you know nothing about what you're talking, Monte.
Van Gogh (related to the painter, by the way) was a filmaker (and to the little that I've seen from him, not a good one) and an extreme right activist in his way.

The film he was going to finish was about his friend "don't know his name anymore", that gay who was the leading head of the extreme right in Neederland (another proove, by the way, that the homosexuals are like everybody else: they can be as racist and as dreadfull as the next heterosexual. So, let them get married if it's what they want. Why forbid them to enjoy the pleasure of the divorce?) and has been killed not long ago.

And the fact that Van Gogh was slaughter(ed?) in an horrible way by an islamist butcher, doesn't transform him in a "martyr" for that.

The two of them are just representative of two fanatism fighting each other to add a little more to the global confusion of the world.

Between European racist and islamic fascist there is no choice possible here.

By the way, the murder of Van Gogh have caused some reprisals against the muslim community in Holland.

But seems you didn't hear about that, Monte.

Or, maybe, that you "choice" carrefully what you want to hear and what you want not.

[crawjo]

Interesting how most of the posts in this thread have chosen to attack Pat Sajak personally, rather than the content of what he is saying.

Well, let me start. I think that the one theory Sajak proposes that is most likely accurate is that filmmakers are probably leery of bringing the wrath of Islamic jihadists down on their heads by taking a stand. I imagine that deep down, folks like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese probably abhor the sort of violence that was perpetrated against Van Gogh, but would rather not speak up about it.

The other possibility is that all of Hollywood is so coked up right now that they aren't even aware that any of this is happening.

[crawjo]

Originally Posted by LeMo

Between European racist and islamic fascist there is no choice possible here.

Can you provide any examples of Van Gogh's racism? I'm not familiar with his work at all, so I would be interested to hear what makes you call him a racist.

[LeMo]

Originally Posted by crawjo

Interesting how most of the posts in this thread have chosen to attack Pat Sajak personally, rather than the content of what he is saying.

Well, let me start. I think that the one theory Sajak proposes that is most likely accurate is that filmmakers are probably leery of bringing the wrath of Islamic jihadists down on their heads by taking a stand. I imagine that deep down, folks like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorcese probably abhor the sort of violence that was perpetrated against Van Gogh, but would rather not speak up about it.

The other possibility is that all of Hollywood is so coked up right now that they aren't even aware that any of this is happening.

Martin ScorSese, Crawjo, Scorsese.

[crawjo]

Originally Posted by LeMo

Martin ScorSese, Crawjo, Scorsese.

Edited.

[LeMo]

Originally Posted by crawjo

Can you provide any examples of Van Gogh's racism? I'm not familiar with his work at all, so I would be interested to hear what makes you call him a racist.

Ask to mke, it will provide you the information that you can find by googleing the name of the guy. Or read "Le Monde". Or "Liberation". Or "Le Canard enchaîné". Or "Charlie Hebdo".

[Gordon B]

Originally Posted by LeMo

Ask to mke, it will provide you the information that you can find by googleing the name of the guy. Or read "Le Monde". Or "Liberation". Or "Le Canard enchaîné". Or "Charlie Hebdo".

Sorry, Le Mo, if you are going to call somebody a racist, it's your responsibility to show us some evidence.

Dennis, why is Sajak an asshole? Because he doesn't share your worldview?