ATTENTION: I HAD BEEN CENSORED BY THE "BEGINNER'S EXPRESSIONS" GROUP!
To whom this may concern: I HAD BEEN CENSORED BY THE “BEGINNER’S EXPRESSIONS” GROUP! I am angry as I am writing these words. A couple of days past I joined the “Beginner’s Expressions” group. At first, my three pieces of politikal shit weren’t accepted. So both artists by the names of “Moonlight1” and the (I suppose) preceding owner/moderator (whose name isn’t important nor relevant) wrote to me and apologized for presumably their “mistakes” with “accidentally” NOT accepting my politikal shit. So I re-submitted newer images. Again, my shit were REJECTED for the second time. I proceeded to emailing “Moonlight1” and asked for an explanation. THEN I GOT A RESPONSE BACK FROM SOME INDIVIDUAL WHOSE NAME IS “Pilgrim”-s/he wrote the following censorial bullshit of an email…-
-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
Phillipe
Moonlight has asked that you not submit your political work to the groups she moderates “Beginner’s Expressions”, “Human and Nature” and “Passions”.
We give the volunteers who moderate the groups a great deal of freedom about what work they feature as they are not compensated in anyway for their moderation. Please respect her views.
We are also pretty tolerant of different political art at RedBubble and I think you are finding other groups that are very open to your work (if not let me know).
Thank you for being a part of RedBubble
Very best
Martin
(cofounder)
—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--
I cannot believe these “artists” whose actions CONTRADICT their philosophy of their version of “TOLERANCE” of different “politikal views.” But the way I see this censorial bushit is this: I AIN’T JOINING A GROUP WHERE I AIN’T WELCOMED. Simple as that. IF THIS ISN’T CENSORSHIP, THEN PERHAPS I AM “SEMANTICALLY CHALLENGED” AS TO THE REAL MEANING OF “CENSORSHIP” AS I UNDERSTOOD IT TO BE. Whatever is clever with me. I ain’t wasting my time with aesthetik fascists like these fukkin’ haterz.
Pissed-off,
Phillipe
helene ruiz
i am on ur side phillipe…...i agree….as a person who is ALWAYS censored at exhibits…free country huh? hahahahaha….some shit huh
H M Bascom
Phillipe, I am also on your side regarding censorship. Usually the only reason someone’s work would be censored is because it is violent or incites violence, or is defamatory to a race or group of people. Additionally, anything of a pornographic nature would be subject to censorship.
However, I can see no reason for any of your work to be censored and/or rejected by a group unless it is simply a matter of that moderator disagreeing with your political views. Disagreement with a political view is no reason to reject someone’s art. I see art on this site every day that I disagree with, but I just move on.
As Moderator of a group which encourages political debate and politically inspired art, I would never reject a piece of art simply because I disagreed with the message. You know that your work and your messages are welcome in Current Issues whether anyone agrees with you or not.
PHILLIPEDOAN
Thank you for your emphathy. Perhaps they are “beginners” per se. LOL.
Pilgrim
Phillipe
It is not censorship to allow group moderators to determine what goes in their groups. That is their absolute right. If you want to moderate a group then you also will have the right to determine what goes in it. It is as simple as that. Freedom of expression does not mean that everybody should be forced to listen (no matter how abusive the communication is).
H M Bascom
Oh well. I don’t agree with absolute power to moderators. I would like to see groups be inclusive not exclusive.
PHILLIPEDOAN
Martin: Furthermore, just put yourself in my position. How would you feel then? Have you ever in your life been censored by anyone? Have your aesthetiks ever been censored by another so-called “artist” for whatever reason(s)? Moonlight1 [a] did not possess the audacity to be honest with me via her first email; [b] she lied about her feelings and apologized to me through fakery; [c] she had somone else, you, doing her dirty deed and [d]. neither one of you ever gave me a legitimate reason as to why my acceptance was negated. But you know what? Perhaps I should feel delighted that my aesthetik propaganda offended someone like her. Because this validates my art even more. Freedom of expression means just as that: to express oneself freely without arbitrary and/or illegitimate authority dictating what is “acceptable” versus “unacceptable.” When it comes to freespeech, one is either for it or against it. Just because I am for the messenger, doesn’t mean that I automatically agree with the message. Vice-versa, just because I am against the message doesn’t mean I am also against the messenger. The point being: IT IS NOT LIKE I AM YELLING ‘FIRE’ IN A CROWDED THEATER WITHOUT EVIDENCE OF EITHER [a] SMOKE OR [b] FIRE. To add salt to the wound, it weren’t just my politikal propaganda that were rejected by her. My best and favorite original abstract painting was also rejected by her. Why? I mean seriously, does Moonlight1 have something against me? Because for a moment, I thought she was ONLY against my politiks. I do plan on starting a group of my own so that I will include fellow artists instead of playing the cards of elitist exclusionary politiks.
John Martin Sain
I am waiting for the United States to evolve one day into a country like China when all the censoring can be done for us.
Pilgrim
Just to repeat myself, the group moderators have the right not to accept work. They own the groups in much the same way as they would own a website. And like a website owner (or owner of a gallery, or indeed owner of a house) they have the right to decide what goes on the wall. Calling this censorship is like saying it is censorship that I refuse to put paintings I don’t like on the wall of my home.
Michelle422
Phillipe, I took a quick look at your art and I liked what I saw.
Can I urge you to begin and moderate a group. I would if I were you. I would say “stuff them! I will create an open-minded group where people like me are welcome.”
Please do that. Best wishes, Michelle.
helene ruiz
phil….unfortuantely there will always be “so called artists” who like to kiss ass (as wei say in the bronx )who censor works because they, like most, aRE INTIMIDATED by the facts….i personally have no ” pretty little scenic pics on my walls, nor would i paint any nor would i buy any….to each his own i guess, but it is ridiculous for a site intended for ARTISTS to have “censorship” at all….still by ur side here phillipe….and i CAN relate!
helene ruiz
I think Helen Bascom said it best…..perfect wording Helen!
Pagly2
Philip….. Please do start your own group…I think you will have many clamering to join you.
Freedom of Speech should be just that….....along with freedom of expression…... **
” Freedom of expression does not mean that everybody should be forced to listen (no matter how abusive the communication is).”
No one is ‘forced ” to listen or read…if we do not like what we see..simple…we move on to the next one…....or are we to be treated like ‘Children’ ..and our reading censored…???
PLEASE go on Phillip…...there are many here with open minds and even bigger open hearts….........who look forward to your writing and Art work…..
PHILLIPEDOAN
I REALLY REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORDS OF PRAISE AND ENCOURAGEMENT Pagly2. I shall do just that: start my own group…
Kmuzu
Actually, I think being censored is actually a compliment in a way. They aren’t rejecting your art because it is bad, instead you are invoking negative emotion. You’re art skates the very edge of acceptability. You’re going to find those who love it and those who hate it. Doesn’t matter which way. Your doing your job as an artist. Art is supposed orbit around reality, pulling on our memories and emotions. So, I say congratulations.
PHILLIPEDOAN
I never thought about in this respect. So thank you.
John Douglas
Phillipe am with you on this. The group you mention has no policy of not accepting political art, only no porn, as you are a new member and fit within the group criteria I am a loss as to why they would reject your work.
In this instance I don’t agree with Pilgrim, as the moderators are flaunting their very own guidelines.
Good luck with staring your own group, let me know when it is up. I love your work and look forward to seeing much more.
PHILLIPEDOAN
Thanks John.