Principled Morons
Make a low bid for high ideals, after losing their fight for their right to be dolts. Independent:
Rio de Janeiro - A group of gagged people, beheaded dancers and a bloody giant baby closed the first of Rio’s world-famous carnival parades early on Monday, injecting considerable controversy and questionable taste into the otherwise joyous event.The bizarre sights were thought up by the Unidos do Viradouro samba school, and were carefully engineered to contrast with competing schools that had entered more traditional animal effigies and semi-nude dancers.A shroud-covered float carrying the motionless group wearing cloth across their mouths was Viradouro’s protest at a judge’s order last week prohibiting what would have been its most shocking display: a platform of skeletal Holocaust victims accompanied by a dancing Hitler.Viradouro’s creative director, Paulo Barros, had complained that the Rio Jewish group behind the ban misunderstood the intent of his theme, which was to shock, through depictions of death, fear and cold.
It shocked all right. The slogan only added to the effect, “It Gives You Goose Bumps.” Seems like their hearts were in the right place, even if their brains weren’t. Re free speech, apparently they don’t have it in Brazil, much like large parts of Europe, where speech that is offensive can be banned. Allowing someone to run any kind of float they like in a parade seems like a separate matter, though. A matter of parade governance. OK, here’s the speech:
More speech:
Here’s what they did instead:
You know, I wonder if Ahmadinejad would host that float in Iran’s carnival. A’jad’s big on the Holocaust. The dancers of Tehran’s Mahdi Gras samba team should be along soon.
No, hang on …
Wait a minute …
Nope …
That’s not them … Wait, here they come!
Ooooh! 
Aaaaah!
Nice dance moves.
Cool floats!
Great message. This year’s theme. “It Give You Radiation Sickness.”
Topics: free speech
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 11:59 pm on Monday, February 4, 2008
2 Responses to “Principled Morons”
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February 5th, 2008 at 7:04 am
Let’s see… dancing Hitler, bloody babies, or incredibly hot, semi-nude dancers? Tough choice.
February 6th, 2008 at 12:29 am
At this rate you’ll be giving Theo Spark a run for his money.
I wonder if they gave those burka’d babes any ammunition? That might be a bit imprudent, I should think, for guys who hang girls for the crime of being raped.