There is an interesting free speech controversy in Melbourne and on the Internet. Melbourne street artist, Lushsux, has not only been told by a city council to remove a parody mural of Hillary Clinton but his Instagram account has been shutdown. Once again, the concern is that there remains a overt liberal bias in the sanctioning of comments or images on the Internet. Twitter for example has been repeatedly criticized for its barring or harassing conservative writers. UPDATE: Lushsux has responded to the city demands by painting over the picture to place Clinton in a burka.
Lushsux had more than 100,000 Instagram followers who enjoy his paintings and images — work that extends almost two decades. He noted that “It’s fine to go on and do a mural on Trump, but when I go and do one on Hillary Clinton, my account is gone.”
Notably, there are plenty of suggestive murals splashed across Melbourne’s street-scape, including murals featuring Republican nominee Donald Trump and a topless Melania Trump emblazoned with the Mrs Clinton’s campaign catchphrase, “I’m With Her.” Lushsux has always courted controversy with his political and social satire in street art.
The city council demanded the removal of the mural, though it insisted that it was not due to the political content but the graphic display.
Council chief executive Stephen Wall insisted “We believe it is offensive because of the depiction of a near-naked woman, not on the basis of disrespect to Hillary Clinton, in accordance with the Graffiti Prevention Act 2007.” However, the image itself does not appear particularly graphic in comparison with common advertisements and store images.
Regardless of the basis for the city council action, the Instagram action is extremely problematic and raises, again, serious questions over content-based censorship.
What do you think?
Large corporations are completely intertwine in govts. around the world. Right now, Hillary is their choice and they will do anything to get her elected, keep people uninformed and propagandized.
FB and Twitter were censoring the DNC leaks. They blocked wikileaks on FB.
There is a group starting up a neutral social media site. I think this is a good idea. But we need to understand how closely linked these corpses are to govts. In the US, GS was the HQ for surveillance and police power during the NYC occupy movement. Corporations regularly move arms around the world. They engage in wars to include drones.
We do not understand how much police/military/political power they wield. While Trump will do their bidding, Clinton has greater ties to them and will be more effective on their behalf. That is why they are doing whatever it takes to elect her. FB is pretty much its own nation state, which like other parts of USGinc. has its fingers in pies around the world. These companies need real competition which actually deliver public services. As of now, we really don’t have that. The result is information is very difficult to come by and completely controlled for the benefit of the few.
@Paul
perhaps you are right. Maybe I am hallucinating – I see the TPP everywhere =)
Prof. Turley: I don’t think it’s liberal bias at all. You’re comment is misplaced. How do you know the artist (Lushsux?) isn’t a liberal? I think it’s the politics of money that’s creating this “concern.” They should be distinguished. Whichever candidate’s success will be better for Melbourne and Instagram seems to be the root of the censorship.
Oh, but wait, don’t Liberals clam that there is no Liberal bias in the media, Instagram, Facebook, and government? Any claims to the contrary is paranoia…
I’m against censorship, period. I think the Artist’s response was appropriate.
Paul, the two depictions side by side are awesome! Great find and thanks for posting.
@Nick
There is a reason that the MSM does not mention Tulsi Gabbard. She is fierce, genuine, intelligent and a rebel in the Demoncrat party – not afraid of the Clinton machine. Also, as you mention easy on the eyes. Gabbard has integrity as well – she served in combat in Iraq although she could have gotten an exemption as she was a politician.
We Progressives were hoping for a Sanders/Gabbard ticket.
Paul, you have uncovered the one fact that wasn’t factual in my report!
@paul
I am an artist so maybe I see things differently. Look at her neck – right above the necklace. I think it is a bar code.
Autumn – it is either a window or an air vent.
@Nick
I’m gonna be sexist (hope I don’t stir up microaggressions!) and disagree – I DO think men are wired for appearance and youth. Women overall are more practical. How else to explain the lovely Melania marrying the Donald? =) She wanted money.
RE: Edwards – I saw him, Obama and Clinton when they all campaigned in Charleston. And I was going to vote for Edwards because of his populist message. Too bad he fell for the honey pot.
Ok, so I thought it was all Russia’s fault and then Putin’s fault and then Trump and then McCarthy and so on. I was wrong. It’s really really really, and I mean it this time, Baghdad Bob’s fault.
Yes, the mentor of our new mainstream media investigative reporting model, the technical but rather weak kneed term being, “stenographers”, Bagdad Bob, though his actual job was spokesman for Saddam Hussein, has got to be at the heart of it all. His brief antics were so potent and lasting they have nurtured and inspired almost a whole generation of new age journalists since President, . Mission Accomplished, roared in front of a well paid, well rehearsed and meticulously chosen audience – bristling with flags and lapel pins- that preemptive war with Iraq would take care of all the terrorists and weapons of mass destruction that weren’t even there in the first place. A self fulfilling prophesy if ever there was one and just the sort of thing Baghdad Bob was perfect for in making up stories of heroism that made George smile.
Baghdad Bob epitomized the fawning, crack descending, essence of obsequiousness that has since come to be the model all journalists aspire to and all powerful neo cons and neo liberals of both political stripes require as fealty before granting so much as a how-de-do to them. Indeed it is rumored by anonymous experts of unnamed specializations, that the point of the whole Iraq war was so that President Bush could get Baghdad Bob over to HIS side of the pond and install him in one of the White House rooms for preening exercises before public address. Needless to say this is well established fact from the proof I have just supplied, but I should also mention that Bob was kept on by President Obama, ostensibly to show there were no hard feelings about the noose left in the oval room but again rumor (the fact machine) has it because Obama truly liked this new inspiration for the whole notion of free speech.
Speaking of whole, It’s a whole new world of truth telling. Indeed a whole new definition of truth and it doesn’t include artists who paint non sanctioned versions of our next Queen-A-Dent elected just as fairly and just as democratically as any queen has ever been in the past.
Brooklin Bridge – the Mission Accomplished sign was for the carrier that had just finished it’s mission and was heading home, not for the war.
Autumn, I watched Gabbard’s speech. She is the real deal and quite easy on the eyes. You know us shallow, visual men are suckers for pretty womenm. But let’s be realistic, women are no different. I think both JFK and Bubba were elected by women because of their looks. John Edwards got close because of his looks. His dick got in the way!
@paul
is that a ba rcode on her neck?
Autumn – not sure what you are talking about with the barcode. Can’t see one. I think the mural was causing people to lose their lunch.
@Mike Paranzino
Zuckerberg is pro – TPP The corporations intend to own the world.
PaulS, LOL! A thread winner. You’re not a prude. This really is more flattering than the real Hillary. But, she’s no Melania, even like this!
@joseph
I call NPR Nominally Public Radio. They are all about HRC – although they were the only media outlet to offer a redaction of the “chair throwing incident” in Vegas. Love their features,but not the newz. And BBC is shite as the Brits like to say.
PBS is the same – they only posted 41 seconds of Tulsi Gabbard’s speech at the DNC convention because she nominated Bernie. The only MSM outlet that put it on in full was the LA Times.
http://twitter.com/lushsux/status/760235998353559552/photo/1
What else would you expect from Zuckerberg? I see it daily on Facebook – Clinton’s post get through, but not Trump’s. The entire election is RIGGED!
Reblogged this on Truth Troubles: Why people hate the truths' of the real world and commented:
Excellent article about the end of free speech.
Well, how dare he post anything that is not flattering about the Queen, of habitual liars!