Monday, September 29, 2008

A man who tells lies, like me, merely hides the truth. But a man who tells half-lies has forgotten where he put it.

The talk yesterday around my house was why in the hell the Oregonian had agreed to distribute copies of the anti-islamic video Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West to it's subscribers.

(This DVD video now serves as a coaster on our coffee table by the way. )

Apparently we're a little late to the party on this video as it appears this controversy's been brewing for a while nationally and locally. In Portland the mayor actually asked the publisher of the Oregonian Fred Stickel not to put the inserts in the paper.

The mayor's office said he wrote to the publisher of the paper: "The Mayor reviewed the video and personally asked Fred Stickel, Oregonian publisher, not to distribute it in next Sunday's issue. The Mayor felt that the tenor of the video contributes towards a climate of distrust towards Muslims that holds the entire Muslim community accountable for the actions of a dangerously misguided few. Distributing with the Oregonian lends the video an impression of objectivity and legitimacy it does not deserve."


Of course Stickel refused and published the paper with the video advertisment anyway--

The report by Bill Graves revealed that Fred Stickel, publisher of The Oregonian, said the newspaper is treating the DVD as it does other paid advertising or product inserts.

"I've always felt we have an obligation to keep our advertising columns as open as possible," said Stickel, after viewing the DVD. "Our acceptance of anything -- our acceptance or rejection -- does not depend on whether or not we agree with the content. . . . There is a principle of freedom of speech involved here. I could find no reason to reject this."


With this in mind I'm sending the following letter to the advertising editor at the Oregonian--

To Whom It May Concern:

I am a filmmaker that has recently completed my first feature length film entitled "Hitler Was Misunderstood, But Even If He Wasn't He Was Right Anyway." The video is entirely educational. I would like to include free DVD copies in the Sunday edition of the paper. What would be the cost of that? Also; I see from your website that you have no restrictions on content. Nevertheless I will keep the swastikas on the video cover small.

Yours under the First Amendment,

Feldwebel Wormer


If you want a serious response to this garbage check out this website.


UPDATE: PJ points out there was also attack against a mosque this last weekend. I suppose that's another example of Stickel's Free Speech.

15 comments:

Fran said...

You have rendered me speechless with this one.

In the Sunday paper?

WTF???

Fran said...

And then there is this...

Dean Wormer said...

I know it's pretty crazy.

Apparently there's a protest outside the newspaper office which is within walking distance of my office.

If I can get away I just may go...

pj said...

Hi, FranIam sent me.

Apparently, the company that produced this DVD (the Clarion Fund) is a 501(c)(3) organization. They're blanketing newspapers in the "swing states" with these things.

Despicable.

I like your letter, but I know from experience that the people who book ad space for newspapers are not always the sharpest knives in the drawer. I'd send it to the editor instead. ;)

DivaJood said...

Dear Feldwebel,
I would love to see your doctorementary, because, geeze, I can see Russia from my house and all.

XXOO
Sarah Palin

+++++++++++++++++++++++

And in Oregon, an effigy of Obama was hung from a tree.

Perhaps America really is at the end of its run.

Overdroid said...

That's funny.
And by funny I mean that we are all fucking doomed.

Dean Wormer said...

pj-

Welcome!

I saw the political aspect with the swing states but it's odd to pick Oregon. Usually we're a swing state but it's Obama by 11 at the moment. McCain ain't taking the Beaver state.

divajood-

Dear Sarah-

Thank God their are good Alaskamericans like u. Of korse you can have my video.

Feldwebel Dean

Overdroid-

You are always the voice of happy, fairy unicorn thoughts.

Life As I Know It Now said...

I thought Oregon was a liberal like state and not inhabited by wingnuts like we have here in my state. guess those idiots live everywhere in the country.

Dean Wormer said...

liberality-

That's the strange thing about it- we are a very progressive state, especially in the cities and burbs where 80% of the Oregonian's readership reside. Our lone state paper has done some strange stuff in the past such as endorse Bush against Gore but this is out there.

Pilar Penobscot said...

The Oregonian is so shitty it makes the Times-Picayune look reputable. That Mosque attack was horrifying. The only upside is that at least it wasn't leveled as it probably would have been if it was one Islamic faction duking it out with another. Christians are just as bad, historically, of course. God bless our religions of peace.

Now help me file these papers declaring the archdiocese bankrupt so those damned molested children stay away from our golden chalices.

crallspace said...

Hey, they gotta appeal to the lowest common denominator somehow.

Randal Graves said...

Every state has it's share of loons. I feel bad for jokers who have to share space with those mosque attackers - what? Dammit.

The average tool is so fucking stupid, he or she can be deluded by that DVD.

mwb said...

It's like finding oil company propaganda ads in my science magazines - which has happened more than once and drives me nuts.

Ubermilf said...

I am glad we're not swingers around here.

Dean Wormer said...

pilar-

The Oregonian is so shitty it makes the Times-Picayune look reputable.

It really is a sad rag. As I mentioned to liberality I just don't get that the Big O tries the standard "objective" media thing of reporting both sides when one side is insane and the vast majority of their readers are liberal. They seem to WANT for people not to buy the paper.

crallspace-

I think you're right.

randal-

My theory is that the attackers share your disdain of the Browns and somehow blamed the attendees of the mosque. I haven't been able to connect all the dots but they are there.

mwb-

Same here. I hate finding company ads in my Juggs magazines.

ubermilf-

We're tire-swingers. We love to swim.