This is the talkback thread for Feds Arrest Man Behind 'South Park' Threats.
Holy Crap.
That's all I have to say.
Holy Crap.
That's all I have to say.
Toon Zone Talkback - Feds Arrest Man Behind 'South Park' Threats
- Thread starter Kunmui
- Start date
Well, my props to law enforcement. I sadly can't say I'm surprised about this guy being ready & willing to go beyond writing vapid, extremist nonsense on a blog. Hopefully the case is solid.
Meanwhile, the wait continues to see how long censorship goes on before a major cable network stops submitting to the rantings of a 20-year-old.
Meanwhile, the wait continues to see how long censorship goes on before a major cable network stops submitting to the rantings of a 20-year-old.
ILY & I know you love me
New member
Here I thought the kid that made the thread would have gotten away with it for years to come. But man, sounds like this kid had some real problems judging from the fact that he was trying to join Al Qaeda.
Bozo the Flying Monkey
New member
You gotta love karma! :anime:
Gherkinhead
New member
The benefit of someone writing vapid, extremist nonsense on blogs is that I believe he already declared his violent intentions, repeatedly, in public, in a medium that is preserved at dozens to hundreds of locations even if he changes or deletes the originals 
. I imagine his writings are why the Feds got an arrest warrant in the first place, and I'm sure his writing will be Exhibit A for the prosecution. I expect he's going to aim to be a martyr for the cause like the Times Square bomber guy, though, so it's not like the Feds will have to work very hard to get a conviction. It does definitely throw cold water on the theory that he was some kind of anti-Muslim sock puppet, unless you want to fall back on the usual conspiracy theory nonsense about "that's how deep the conspiracy goes, man!"
That being said, I don't know that this arrest makes it more likely that the banned episode will air now. It's true that the immediate threat (such as it was) is gone, but the fact that he was about to leave to go join a known terrorist organization could just as easily be used to justify the censoring and its continuation. This guy was not just some fool posturing for the Internet, he was apparently the real deal: an honest-to-goodness, "I wanna kill infidels" extremist. If Comedy Central were going to explain itself (and they haven't so far, so I don't see why they'd start now), I'd expect them to fall back on a "dodged a bullet" defense and say they did the right thing by acting defensively in the first place.
I still think that's totally bogus and that the episode itself is winning the battle to lose the war, but I wouldn't expect the status quo to change just 'cuz the Feds made an arrest.
. I imagine his writings are why the Feds got an arrest warrant in the first place, and I'm sure his writing will be Exhibit A for the prosecution. I expect he's going to aim to be a martyr for the cause like the Times Square bomber guy, though, so it's not like the Feds will have to work very hard to get a conviction. It does definitely throw cold water on the theory that he was some kind of anti-Muslim sock puppet, unless you want to fall back on the usual conspiracy theory nonsense about "that's how deep the conspiracy goes, man!"That being said, I don't know that this arrest makes it more likely that the banned episode will air now. It's true that the immediate threat (such as it was) is gone, but the fact that he was about to leave to go join a known terrorist organization could just as easily be used to justify the censoring and its continuation. This guy was not just some fool posturing for the Internet, he was apparently the real deal: an honest-to-goodness, "I wanna kill infidels" extremist. If Comedy Central were going to explain itself (and they haven't so far, so I don't see why they'd start now), I'd expect them to fall back on a "dodged a bullet" defense and say they did the right thing by acting defensively in the first place.
I still think that's totally bogus and that the episode itself is winning the battle to lose the war, but I wouldn't expect the status quo to change just 'cuz the Feds made an arrest.
It absolutely doesn't. As I wrote months ago Comedy Central compromised out of the very idea that the consequences of airing the complete "201" might be bad, operating on the same thin and inane rationale that motivated the censorship of Yale University Press regarding visual portrayals of Muhammad.
On winning the battle only to lose the war, I saw your post in the blog talkback at the time and it was really thought-provoking. Ultimately though, I think it's actually the other way around. Realistically, culture will never be fully accommodating to practitioners of Islam just as it isn't fully accommodating to Christians or members of any other religion today. It isn't as if anything goes necessarily, but the excessive taboos of today are an obstacle to acceptance of Islam, to its practitioners' own tolerance of modernity, and to religious pluralism in our society. Misplaced sensitivity doesn't solve anything so much as it merely defers the issue. That cannot go on indefinitely.
On winning the battle only to lose the war, I saw your post in the blog talkback at the time and it was really thought-provoking. Ultimately though, I think it's actually the other way around. Realistically, culture will never be fully accommodating to practitioners of Islam just as it isn't fully accommodating to Christians or members of any other religion today. It isn't as if anything goes necessarily, but the excessive taboos of today are an obstacle to acceptance of Islam, to its practitioners' own tolerance of modernity, and to religious pluralism in our society. Misplaced sensitivity doesn't solve anything so much as it merely defers the issue. That cannot go on indefinitely.
By that logic, Cartoon Network would have stopped airing live-action shows/movies ages ago.
Kidding aside, I hope he goes to jail. You can say some things, but you don't try to follow-through on death threats. Sadly, his actions will be viewed as a positive as the extremists will turn him into a "martyr", a symbol of awesome that, in reality, he isn't.
Speaking of censoring, has "Cartoon Wars Part 2", which had an image of Muhammad in the final scenes before CC censored them, been uncensored on the DVDs and digital downloads? I don't know/forgot.
Kidding aside, I hope he goes to jail. You can say some things, but you don't try to follow-through on death threats. Sadly, his actions will be viewed as a positive as the extremists will turn him into a "martyr", a symbol of awesome that, in reality, he isn't.
Speaking of censoring, has "Cartoon Wars Part 2", which had an image of Muhammad in the final scenes before CC censored them, been uncensored on the DVDs and digital downloads? I don't know/forgot.
stargirl@night
New member
If they don't release 200 and 201 on the season 14 Blu-ray and DVD uncensored (meaning that in "201" they say but don't show Muhammad and have the ending speech unbleeped), then I personally will be boycotting it and will encourage others to do so too. And I've had that stance since before this development.
Well, here's some more info about him...
The original article is well worth a read. Especially this line from former club president Ibrahim Al-Khalaf:
Also, thanks weirdojace about the DVDs that I don't have. I thought they would show it since, you know, have to pay for it. But, then again, covering your back is covering your back, since it's censored in the SPS stream and probably censored in the digital download release (which I don't have as well). And, 200 and 201 will most likely have the tv edits. The whole censoring of the image of Muhammad in 201 worked well for comedic effect and plot pacing. But, sadly, the "I learned something today" speech may still end up being censored.
The original article is well worth a read. Especially this line from former club president Ibrahim Al-Khalaf:
Also, thanks weirdojace about the DVDs that I don't have. I thought they would show it since, you know, have to pay for it. But, then again, covering your back is covering your back, since it's censored in the SPS stream and probably censored in the digital download release (which I don't have as well). And, 200 and 201 will most likely have the tv edits. The whole censoring of the image of Muhammad in 201 worked well for comedic effect and plot pacing. But, sadly, the "I learned something today" speech may still end up being censored.