Freedom .. it’s a funny thing.
It’s also something I have been wondering about lately : how and when does freedom need to be limited ?
The most heard reply to this question is that freedom should be limited as soon as it insults, discriminates or hurts others.
But then another question arises : who determines when something is insulting or discriminating ? Who draws the lines where freedom goes from acceptable to discriminating and therefore no longer acceptable.
Obviously not the one who exercises the right – the one who’s the “subject” then ? Now that can hardly be considered an objective party.
The majority ? Very tricky as well since that may give them even more power to control the minority.
Lots of questions, no easy answers ..
I’ve been thinking about this ever since people got all bent out of shape about an episode of this cooking program on tv, ‘Plat Préféré’. For those of you who don’t know this program : each week Jeroen Meus, the cook, prepares the favorite dish of some famous (usually dead) person.
After several episodes, Jeroen Meus wanted to prepare the favorite dish of Hitler. Protest all over the place ! What WAS he thinking ??
Because of all the reactions and consternation, the program finally got canceled.
Why, I ask myself ? Yes, Hitler was an absolutely horrific person but this was a cooking program ffs ! And like it or not, he WAS en still IS a very famous historical person. And it was just preparing TROUT ! I mean, what are they gonna do : ban trout from every menu from now on ?
Now I had barely digested all this, when not too long after that Humo got banned ! And why ? Because they had DARED to publish photoshopped pics (and yes, the photoshopping was as obvious as the reason why she got the promotion) of Sylvie Ricour and her boss Fernand Koekelberg. Now come on .. if you are really upset about these pics, don’t make such a big deal about it ! If you dont want people to see these pics, then going to court and creating a mediacircus around it really is the way to do it.
Now what about blogging … am I free here to vent and to express my opinion ? Or will I get swamped with comments of people telling me off as soon as I write something that they think is about them ? Or when they think its crossing a line or insulting ?
Now as far as my blog is concerned : I will say whatever I feel like. If you dont like what I write, dont read it. And if I dont want people to criticize my opinions, I shouldnt blog about them.
Cause after all : if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
