[ExI] riots again

[Charlie Stross]

On 24 Sep 2012, at 19:35, Giovanni Santostasi <gsantostasi at gmail.com> wrote:

> Was not LoB banned in Italy by the catholic church for a long time?
> Giovanni
> 
> On Mon, Sep 24, 2012 at 12:10 PM, spike <spike66 at att.net> wrote:
> 
> >…When Monty Python insulted the most sacred cultural symbol of the West 30 years ago with their movie "The Life of Brian" … anybody on this list who has not seen that wonderful movie should hang their head in shame.  …  John K Clark

Also note that Monty Python's "Life of Brian" was:

* Banned by 39 local councils in the UK, or given an 18 certificate (preventing screening)
* Shunned by BBC and ITV in the UK (network channels who'd usually buy broadcast rights two years after box office release)
* Banned by Norway
* Banned by Ireland
* Screenings in New York picketed by religious demonstrators (Christian *and* Jewish)
* Widespread picketing of screenings in the UK by Mary Whitehouse's NVLA
* An attempt at private prosecution for blasphemy in the UK failed only because the last previous blasphemy trial had more or less brought that law into disrepute (it was finally abolished in 2008 but continues to be an offense in Northern Ireland)

We in the west are not as far removed from this shit as we like to think we are.


-- Charlie