Charlie Hebdo recently gave new meaning to satire when it published a set of cartoons depicting Aylan Kurdi’s death. The illustrations might not be the French satire magazine’s best work – particularly since the death of the child sparked a global outrage like never seen before.
One will remember with ghastly vividness the image of the tiny boy in a red t-shirt and denim shorts lying face down, washed ashore on a Turkish beach.
Charlie Hebdo chose to distort the image to show the little boy lying face down in the sand with a caption above it, that read: “So Close to the Goal”. In the background is a McDonald’s style billboard with the picture of a clown and it declares: “Two children’s menus for the price of one.”
If this weren’t enough, yet another cartoon was published with the title: “Proof that Europe is Christian”. Harbinger of that proof? A picture of Aylan Kurdi partially submerged (head first) in water, with a man who may be believed to be Jesus Christ walking on water. The happy, almost gleeful smile on the supposed Jesus’ face is grotesquely in contrast to the pair of legs sticking out of the water beside him.
As may have been expected, the internet erupted in response. The majority spoke out in anger and outrage, shaming the publication – while also mocking the “Je Suis Charlie” slogan that had become a symbol of solidarity across the world when the magazine’s Paris headquarters had been attacked in January this year.
However, if the internet’s symptomatic of anything, it’s that it never speaks as one. There are counter voices galore who believe Charlie Hebdo wasn’t ‘mocking’ Aylan Kurdi at all.
Instead, it was seeking to use the kid’s death as a symbol of protest (satiric, of course) against the European world and the latter’s sluggish reaction to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Yes, Europe woke up to righteous condemnation – but let’s take a closer look at the lampoons, shall we?
While the first cartoon is anything but tactful or sensitive, it also speaks of a larger message. That it took the death of one child for Europe to wake up to the migrant crisis – and perhaps, look at him (finally) as a potential consumer – for McDonald’s.
The second cartoon is rather ‘out there’, juxtaposing Christianity (as a happy, gleeful ‘Jesus’) and a poor, sinking Islam. But does the cartoon really say something as blatant as Muslim refugees shouldn’t be allowed into Europe? Or can we allow for the possibility that Christianity is that horribly disproportionate majority in Europe who can easily walk on water to get somewhere.
The big question, therefore, becomes just this – are these cartoons justified as means of political/social satire?
Have they taken it too far or must be they be seen outside of the context of political correctness?
The Quint spoke to people famed for their comedy and satire in the country, and had them weigh in.
My belief is, there is nothing like ‘taking it too far’. Comedy/satire is simply an expression of a group of people. While I haven’t seen this particular set of cartoons yet, I am familiar with their previous work – Charlie Hebdo has been doing this for years. They have precedents. I am okay with even hate speech – and this isn’t even that! Because, ultimately, it’s just speech – the onus is up to the people as to how they want to take it. As comedians, we’re not hypnotising you into any action. Your action is your choice.
— Varun Grover, Indian Comedian and Screenwriter
Kunal Vijaykar, meanwhile – of The Week That Wasn’t fame – took a more nuanced and cautious approach:
See, you can’t go berserk insulting people or communities left, right and centre. I completely understand the younger comics doing the kind of comedy they do, using four-letter words, etc., and I wouldn’t change a thing because that’s who their audience is. In case of Charlie Hebdo, I am personally not a huge fan of their brand of humour – but that doesn’t mean i’d sue them or throw stones at them. I think comedy’s two-pronged – if the comedian reserves the right to say what he likes, he/she should also be ready for the brickbats. A little responsibility is required in such matters (the Charlie Hebdo cartoons).
— Kunal Vijaykar, Indian Film Actor, Comedian and Director
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