re: #263 SidewaysQuark

Sure. For those who prefer commentary, Scorcese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” was great. “The Life of Brian” was good, too. Similar movies focusing on Muhammad and Islam would be entertaining.

For those who prefer outright mockery, South Park does a pretty vicious hack job on Jesus on a regular basis. It’s usually pretty funny. They even showed Muhammad once, but wussed out the last time ‘round. They shouldn’t have.

Thanks, I get your idea now. Those are good examples, and great movies, but one of the things I’d add on is that those movies came out of a whole film tradition made in a Christian culture for a Christian audience. There isn’t a Muslim ‘Last Temptation’, but there’s also not a Muslim “Jesus of Nazareth”, or a Muslim “Seventh Heaven”, or a Muslim “Greatest Story Ever Told”, or a Muslim “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”.

There is a developing film tradition in Iran, at least, and certainly many movies made that are critical of things in modern Muslim society. “Osama”, “The Stoning of Soraya M.”, that sort of thing.

But some British guys from Christian backgrounds making a “Life of Brian”, feels really different from the same guys making a Muslim equivalent. It feels more like an attack from outside. Because it would be an attack from outside.

Also, I don’t know if these movies would be of immediate interest to Westerners. I mean, I would totally go to see a biopic about Aisha, controversial or no, but I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be financially or artistically successful in the West outside of the small-film indy world that liked the ones I mention above. And I wouldn’t go to a rollicking edgy comedy about how funny Islam is, made by non-Muslims, because that would just be jerky.

So the question is, who would make these movies, and what for? Something made just to get Muslims used to watching non-Muslims making funny jokes about Mohammed is just going to piss everyone off, and be a bad movie. Muslims will hate it because it’s disrespectful. Non-Muslims will hate it either because it’s disrespectful, or because they don’t get the jokes, or both. And Pam Geller will hate it because INTERNATIONAL JIHAD ISN’T FUNNY, GOD DAMN IT!!!!

I have to note in passing, the fact that a number of wingnuts really hated the infamous Doritos as communion ad earlier this year. I didn’t care for it myself, but many of them felt that the maker should have made one about Islam instead, or said no one would have dared. That may be true, but also, no one would have got it. So it didn’t get made. Instead, a devout Catholic made one about a church. Because it’s funny if you’re in the culture, and you get it.

Please note, I have written this entire response without using the term ‘bombing at the box office’ once. This took some doing. Praise me.