After the Charlie Hebdo tragedy, that left 12 people dead in Paris, the right to freedom of speech has been a very talked about issue. The satirical magazine was attacked by two gunmen on Jan. 7 in response to a cartoon depicting the prophet Muhammad. This was not the first time the magazine had been attacked for its cartoons. In 2011 one of their offices was bombed in response to a prior publication of Muhammad.

The aftermath of the tragedy has garnered a lot of attention as many saw this as an attack on freedom of speech. The murder of 12 people is not and will not ever be justified.  However, with recent backlash on other satirical mediums like the movie “The Interview” and last week’s controversial opening monologue at the Golden Globes it begs the question, when does satire stop being funny?

As non-censorship becomes an increasingly talked about issue, millennials should understand that with freedom comes responsibility — especially in terms of addressing marginalized groups. Satire needs to be about questioning institutions of power, not making fun of those beneath it.

Reception is subjective and we cannot control how others react to our words. But for groups of people who already live under fear or scrutiny, satire is not always the best way to express political opinion.

The Muslim community has faced lots of marginalization in France and the measures to acquire citizenship in France can be even harder for Muslim immigrants. Muslim girls are prohibited to wear their hijabs in French public schools.

In our generation, it seems freedom of speech trumps freedom of religion. The attack may also lead to more discrimination against Muslims in terms of associating all peaceful practicing Muslims with extremists who don’t uphold the values and beliefs of Islam.

Our generation’s need to trivialize oppression and turn it into humor is apparent in the success of movies like “The Interview.” However, proper satire should address issues within systems of political, social and institutional power.

John Oliver, host of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight”, does a good job of satire because he questions those in power rather than bringing the attention to those who are challenged by these powers. In one show, Oliver touched on the problematic aspects of the Miss America pageant. In it he addressed their claims of being an academic scholarship provider for women while upholding sexist values. As opposed to ridiculing contestants, Oliver approaches this discussion by calling out the Miss America organization instead.

All people and publications do have the right and should have the right to voice their opinions. But, there exists a fine line between humor and horror.

Issues of prejudice and oppression are difficult things to discuss and express opinions about, especially from the outside looking in. It is understandable to have a comedic approach to difficult issues, but we need to make a distinction between what is being laughed at versus who is being affected by the laughter.
A lot of good has come from those who were bold enough to be outspoken because they recognized their responsibility to appreciate a great privilege and use it for good. We should recognize that sometimes biting our tongues is not oppression, but a chance to reflect on the silence.

Laritza Salazar is a sophomore newspaper and online journalism major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at lcsalaza@syr.edu.

Published on January 20, 2015 at 1:45 am