Debbie Schlussel takes more shots at comics
She’s baaaaaack.
Debbie Schlussel, the woman who claimed you were "probably a moron and a vapid, indecent human being" if you saw Watchmen, now has trained her sights on this Wall Street Journal piece on G. Willow Wilson and her book Air, calling it "ipecac in print". Why? Because Wilson’s a convert to Islam, and Debbie really doesn’t like Muslims. Oh, and according to Debbie, Obama’s a Muslim too. I think she also thinks Obama’s in thrall to his radical Christian preacher, and he’s probably a Marxist. Usually, you can only be one of those things at a time at most, but Debbie doesn’t let things like logic stand in her way.
This quote jumped out at me, though:
I’ve repeatedly written on this site how Marvel and DC–the two major comic book hero publishers–have repeatedly pandered to Muslims of the extremist variety (as if there’s any other kind) in storylines, characters, and even internships at movie studios.
Debbie, Marvel and DC do a lot of pandering, but trust us, it ain’t to Muslims.
Reading through her archives looking at her arguments, you can almost have fun if you do what I do: replace every instance of the word "Muslim" with "Mutant" and pretend you’re reading X-Men. I promise, it makes the reading experience bearable. And comical– you keep waiting for her to announce the Sentinel program to round up all the dirty Muslims. Mutants. Whatever.
There is a part of me that wants to this woman's rantings and another part of me that doesn't want to anything to do with her. I'm going with the latter because I'm in a fairly good mood and don't want to read some dumb bimbo's angry, hate filled rhetoric because she thinks she so is smart and all she does is show how stupid and intolerant the ultra-right conservatives really are.Besides giving her any of more my time, energy, and bandwidth, will only make her into the next Anne Cutler *shudders* which is what she wants.
Part of me agrees, but part of me also looks at her ranting and sees another Wertham on the horizon. Or another Becky Blackburn's mom.
I know the old saying: "Evil triumphs when go people do nothing." but now of days I don't see how another Wertham could hurt comics. I'm not saying it's impossible but it seems very hard to hurt comics (or media in general) now of days much less get it banned.
Really? Ask Gordon Lee. Or Mike Diana. Or Friendly Frank. If you need refreshers on the names, go to http://cbldf.org/casefiles/index.shtml
OK. I was wrong. It's not the first time and it certianly won't be the last.
And you're comments sound sooo coherent?
So, Debbie Schlussel is (in her own words) "probably a moron and a vapid, indecent human being." Is this really a surprise to anyone?Andrew Laubacher
Clearly she hasn't been reading Haunted Tank. ;)To me, the line between art and propaganda is iron-clad. (Frank Miller disagrees, of course, but we disagree about a lot.) I will never write propaganda.
I don't get the "Haunted Tank" reference. And Debbie Schlussel is just a wing nut. Unfortunately this is a style of writing and conservative rhetoric (like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Rielly, Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter) that I don't understand. It's hard to argue with this kind of rabid Jingoism. Ms. Schlussel makes no kind of logical sense and it doesn't help trying to be logical with her. This kind of talk would be funny if it weren't so scary.Ah well, I've added "Air" to my Amazon wish list. Here's a nice review of "Air." http://www.comicmix.com/news/2008/08/21/review-ai…
Here was my comment on Debbie Schlussel's blog:Debbie, you seem to have missed the point entirely. Ms. Wilson was not complaining that her editors are Jewish, gay or atheist. She was rebutting your claim that Marvel and DC are pandering to Muslims. If Marvel and DC were pandering to Muslims, wouldn't there be more Muslim writers than just Ms. Wilson at Marvel or DC? If Marvel or DC were pandering to Conservative Muslims, wouldn't there be fewer Jewish, gay or atheist editors? I think Ms. Wilson was pointing out that Marvel and DC are fairly open and inclusive. Why are the ONLY reasons you can think for a Muslim Woman (a Muslimah with an "H") to keep her maiden name "nothing, except cheating, deceiving, and ultimately destroying the 'infidels'." Seriously, Debbie, are you THAT bigoted? Could it be that Ms. Wilson is a professional writer who had built a reputation and career around her maiden name and didn't want to make her fans or the editors she had worked with learn her married name? Britney Spears remained Britney Spears even after she married Kevin Federline! Are you saying Britney is a Muslimah?I don't see ANYTHING wrong with a woman keeping her maiden name after getting married. That's a personal choice and your reading nefarious motives into Ms. Wilson's choice is just stupid, ignorant and prejudiced. The person who seems militant and spoiled in their writing is YOU, Debbie!Why is does G. Willow Wilson have to be an apologist for all Islamic Extremists? Why would you say, "Yeah, time for one of your religion's ritual "theo-cleansing" jihads on the comic book industry, right Willow?"It appears that you are gearing up for one of your religion's ritual "theo-cleansing" Inquisitions on all non-believers, right Debbie? See, Debbie? Why should you be made to feel personally responsible for the Spanish Inquisition! It just doesn't make sense! It's that kind of logic and rhetoric that makes you come across as a militant bigot, Debbie.
I've enjoyed reading 'Air' since I first picked it up in December. Some how, knowing someone like her hates it makes me enjoy it even more.
How does one argue with such stupidity? Debbie Schuessl doesn't seem the kind of person who understands the meaning of the word "logic" (and from I what I read her blog she doesn't understand the words "reason" and "compassion" either) if she isn't willing to listen then how does people (even moderate conservatives, who might be able to deal with her and her ilk) if she is unable to have a civil discussion.
Hey guys,As tempting as it is to wade into the maelstrom, your time is too valuable to waste on this woman and her cronies. Some people don't deserve the compliment of rational opposition. If they're so married to their hatred that they can't have a real conversation, it's their loss. Thanks for sticking up for sanity…and for me. I really appreciate it. :)
I wonder…Mrs Willow or DC can file a libel lawsuit, correct?
Not unless they can prove that they have been "damaged." How damaging is it to be slandered by a Professional Wing-Nut? Debbie Wilson can claim that her bigoted slander is "just a review" of the work. Blech. Like Ms. Wilson says, her time is too valuable to be wasted on Debbie Schlussel and her ilk.
And to all of you here bashing conservatives, her unsubstantiated, emotional ad hominem attacks are in line with the left. Schlussel is more like a "liberal" satire of a conservative.