Old Site


Bookninja 2.0:



.

Hearsay:

May 29, 2006

Indigo vs. Harper’s

Indigo has pulled an issue of Harper’s containing a 10-page article reprinting the infamous Mohammed cartoons, as well as work by Art Spiegelman and two Israeli artists inspired by that cuckoo Iranian call for Holocaust cartoons to “test the limits of Western tolerance of free speech”.

In a memo obtained by The Globe and Mail that was e-mailed to Indigo managers yesterday about “what to do if customers question Indigo’s censorship” of Harper’s, employees are told to say that “the decision was made based on the fact that the content about to be published has been known to ignite demonstrations around the world. Indigo [and its subsidiaries] Chapters and Coles will not carry this particular issue of the magazine but will continue to carry other issues of this publication in the future.”

Harper’s publisher John MacArthur said he was “genuinely shocked” by Indigo’s action, in part because two large U.S. chains, Borders and Waldenbooks, are selling the issue.

“I’d expect an American company to do this, not a Canadian,” Mr. MacArthur said yesterday. “Even though you have tougher libel laws than us and your own versions of political correctness, to my mind [Canada] has always been a freer place for political discourse.”

Not any more Johnny-boy. As per usual, we inherit your political climate about 5 years later. There suddenly are stetsons with fat, old, politically-connected CEOs under them everywhere.

Share the 'Ninja with your 2.0 friends:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • del.icio.us
  • LinkedIn
  • Digg
  • RSS
  • Print
  • email

4 comments on “Indigo vs. Harper’s”

  1. Dave Worsley says:

    Actually, weren’t Heather and Gerry politically connected to both previous Liberal PM’s?
    Not to excuse Harper, (ever) but so far Crapters are the lone nuts, here.

  2. a.berg says:

    Are we serious here? I thought Ben Metcalf’s Notebook “On Simple Human Decency,” spoke to this issue with shocking clarity. Where do you draw the line, Indigo?

  3. Adam says:

    The most disturbing part of all of this is that Speigelman’s article is actually very insightful, witty, and humane. He’s trying to determine what makes for an “offensive” cartoon, and gives numerous examples that he then grades according to a (admittedly unscientific but nevertheless thoughtful) criteria. He’s just as tough on some stupidly hateful anti-Islamic cartoons as he is on some bile coming from the Arab world. But obviously he needs to show us the cartoons in order to discuss them, doesn’t he? The knee-jerk pull of the issue is sadly blind to the real engagement of the piece, but the resulting publicity should go a long way towards boosting its readership in Canada.

  4. Matt says:

    There’s an interview with Art Spiegelman on CBC Radio (archived here as part 2: http://www.cbc.ca/aih/latestshow.html). It was supposed to be followed by a talk with Heather Reisman (Indigo CEO) but she couldn’t be reached.

Discuss

Latest comments:
short term loans on
Comics
payday loans no credit check uk on
Comics
same day loans for unemployed on
Comics
voyance on
Litterati: Sold Out
http://www.paydayonline.webeden.co.uk on
Comics
payday loans for bad credit on
Comics
http://www.cigaretteelectroniquex.fr on
Comics
car hire in france on
Comics
centauro car hire on
Comics
contract car hire on
Comics
easycarhireuk.co.uk/ on
Comics
car hire gatwick airport on
Comics
online pokies on
Causing a Scene - Brenda Schmidt
web hosting on
Comics
website hosting on
Comics
replica rayban on
Discussion: On Sex in Fiction
http://ew67gt7ed5.pixnet.net/blog/post/24207419 on
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Lawsuit
oase solarpumpe on
Impossible to Die in Your Dreams
Hollister Online Shop on
Entitlement: Jonathan Bennett Interview
Hollister Online Shop on
Comics


Search blog:
Archives:
Old site archive:

January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003

Feeds: