Decline of Artistic Freedom in America?
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Background
Please watch this video of comedian Hasan Minhaj as background:
Many of us may find this biting satire from a popular stand-up comedian to be poignant and on point, but the Saudis were neither amused nor touched by it. Indeed, they forced Netflix, a U.S. company, to carry out censorship on their behalf. See this report on the Free Speech Tracker of what happened next:
Netflix pulls critical comedy episode from Saudi platform — December 2018
Not every American producer has yielded to foreign pressure:
Incidents of censorship are actually quite common on U.S. college campuses and
in civil society. See these examples from recent years on the Free Speech Tracker:
Theater
Cancellation of satirical play at university in California leads to resignation — September 2016
Brandeis University in Massachusetts postpones play after complaints about its depiction of black characters — October 2017
Knox College in Illinois cancels theater production after accusations of ‘whitewashing,’ racial stereotyping — November 2017
Syracuse University in New York bans fraternity and suspends members for offensive skit; adjunct professor loses job after opposing decision — April 2018
Art
University of Southern Maine removes artwork by sex offender from campus exhibition — April 2018
Artist claims censorship after removal of portrait at Massachusetts private school — October 2018
DC arts agency issues, then quickly retracts, restriction on artistic expression — November 2018
Mary Baldwin University in Virginia removes art exhibit on Confederate monuments — November 2018
San Francisco high school’s Depression-era murals spark censorship debate — August 2019
Sacramento teacher censors students’ Black Lives Matter artwork — November 2019
Similar Incidents on the Free Speech Tracker
The restriction of Free Speech cuts across other genres and venues:
Pro-Trump mural at University of Minnesota painted over with ‘Stop White Supremacy’ — October 2016
Critical of Trump, student’s graduation poem prompts university apology in California — May 2017
Coffee shop fires two employees after Duke University official complains about music — May 2018
‘Roseanne’ reboot canceled after star’s racist Tweet — May 2018
Federal appeals court rules that Christian videographers can refuse service to same-sex couples — August 2019
SNL hires, then fires, comedian Shane Gillis over racist remarks — September 2019
Georgia college students protest author’s message by burning books — October 2019
National Archives altered signs critical of Trump in 2017 Women’s March photo — January 2020
Publisher of video game Call Of Duty wins lawsuit confirming its First Amendment right to depict Humvees — March 2020
The Role of Free Speech
Is Artistic Freedom a Lost Cause?
Inside Higher EducationHow art can shape America’s conversation about freedom
Dread Scott’s TED Talk
Point/Counterpoint
Choose a debate from the options below and use them to articulate both sides of the issue. Do these points of view change yours? Complicate it?
Brandeis Play
University’s statement related to the Creative Arts Award and ‘Buyer Beware’ BrandeisNOW
- versus
Open letter to Brandeis FIRE
ROSEANNE BARR
Why Roseanne Barr’s Twitter rant is not a free speech issue Independent Minds
- versus
Were Roseanne Barr’s free speech rights violated when Disney fired her? The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some Strong Opinions
As the readings below make clear, many see Free Speech as an inalienable right, while others hold it to be more conditional: desirable, so long as the views expressed do not promote hatred or bigotry. To whom do the authors assign the responsibility for Free Speech? What do they say about the social function of artistic expression on campus? Are there utilitarian arguments that can be made for or against artistic censorship?
The Rise of Artistic Censorship on College Campuses Should Worry the American Public
Artsy“One man’s vulgarity”: Art censorship on American campuses – Full Text
FIREThe New Censorship on Campus
The Chronicle of Higher EducationArt Censorship
The First Amendment EncyclopediaCampus Censorship Breeds Societal Dysfunction
Forbes
Discussion Questions
- Is this kind of censorship a uniquely American problem? Do you have any thoughts as to why this would be the case?
- Consider the censoring of the Minhaj episode in Saudi Arabia again, and read this article about the ethics of American and international business. What is the responsibility of U.S.-based companies to uphold Free Speech/the First Amendment abroad?
- What is the public responsibility to separate admirable art from an offensive artist who created it? This clip of Pete Davidson from “Saturday Night Live” makes the point.
- Check out this statement from American Theatre: “Schools have the right and responsibility to determine what is appropriate activity and speech under their control, and just because students are exposed to all manner of content in the media and even in their day-to-day lives doesn’t mean that schools can or must permit it, either in classrooms or performance.” Do you agree, and if not, why not? Whose interests should school theater, or for that matter, campus coffee shop playlists, serve?
- Will there always be a problem in the United States that we don’t mind censoring certain things done by others but don’t want them to censor what we do? How many people are truly opposed to all forms of censorship?
Activity
Click on these themes below: Artistic Expression + Hate Speech
Discuss: What does this confluence of stories with these filters tell us about the threat to artistic freedom and personal expression in the United States?