When one thinks of a government regulating art or media and dictating what can and cannot be shown in museums and other public forums, one thinks of socialism, of countries like China or South Korea. However, these acts of censorship are happening today, and in the U.S.The situation: In late November, 2010, the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. removed the video A Fire in My Belly by David Wojnarowicz from their National Portrait Gallery Exhibition. The video was part of a gay-themed exhibit and briefly featured ants crawling on a crucifix. Incoming Speaker of the House John Boehner, responding to pressure from right-wing coservative and religious groups, dropped some not-so-subtle hints that if the museum didn't remove the video, its federal funding could be in jeopardy. This is a catastrophic threat to the Smithsonian, as over 2/3 of their $1 billion budget comes from the federal government. So, Museum Secretary G. Wayne Clough folded under the pressure and removed the video, spurring many protests from the general public.
This entire situation seems like something that should never be happening in the 21st century. Shouldn't we be more advanced by now? Instead, we are still stuck in the "Culture Wars" of thirty years ago, with no progress made toward acceptance of art, no matter how controversial its subject. This act of censorship also brings up the question: Was it censored for the images of the crucifix? Or because of the gay-themes contained in the rest of the video? Was this an act by someone trying to protect their religion, or a display of homophobia?
Would the issue of censorship come up if the video contained relics from another religion? Also, how is this not a violation of the first amendment?
ReplyDeleteI understand the idea that public money shouldn't be spent promoting ideas or images that a large part of the public has a problem with. I don't necessarily think it's correct, but I understand the viewpoint.
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