Jim Treacher's Blog That Is on the Internet

And speaking of the "Pink Mafia"

Check out the harrumphing about the "extremely offensive hate literature" of cartoonist Johnny Ryan. The strip in question is here and here. Some gay comics fans hate it, and if he's lucky, some Muslim comics fans will go after him too. (Are Muslims even allowed to read comics? Just kidding.) The gist of the whining is: "How dare Fantagraphics Books publish something that offends me personally?" Well, because it makes them laugh? Not everybody has the same sense of humor as you? Let's just hope those guys don't see any of these sketches!

Courtesy of TCJ's Dirk Deppey, who notes:

Suffice it to say that given the choice of protesting either (A) a Congressional attempt to limits my rights as an American gay man with a Constitutional Amendment forbidding me access to the same rights and privileges other citizens take for granted, and (B) Johnny Ryan looking at me cross-eyed, I think I'll go with the former, thank you very much.

Update: Sam Henderson, who knows a thing or two about humor, puts it best:

The difference between Johnny Ryan's work and gay-bashing is context. He doesn't sit down thinking "How can I put the gays in their place?" The mythical oversexed, limp-wristed, mincing sissy-boy is used in the same way an 8'x10' desert island would be used. Like any other stereotype, Johnny debases it so far beyond its limits that anyone trying to find an agenda is missing the point. His gay friends don't have a problem with his humor and he doesn't hide it from them. I'm not going to say that anyone offended should sit back and take it, but neither should they impugn the creator and everyone associated with him.

Posted by Jim Treacher at August 4, 2003 06:06 PM