Robert Crumb certainly has a way with words. Specifically, his use of the term “Yipe!”
In The Sydney Morning Herald recently he marveled at the media manipulation that led to a heavy-hearted decision on his part not to travel to Sydney to headline the Graphic festival at the Sydney Opera House. He made the decision after starring in this dial-a-quote story courtesy of The Sunday Telegraph.
You know the recipe:
Step 1) snip a candid quote from Crumb used in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald
Step 2) source some links to notionally offensive images by Crumb
Step 3) send images to anti-child abuse campaigner Hetty Johnson
Step 4) press record
Step 5) insert lede:
”Cartoonist Robert Crumb’s visit, funded by the Opera House and endorsed by the City of Sydney, has sparked outrage with s-xual assault groups describing the France-based American artist as ‘sick and deranged’.”
Step 6) simply sit back, relax and watch the comments and follow up copy roll in.
We’ve seen it all before, but that shouldn’t excuse it. Crumb’s words serve as a useful reminder about why this brand of journalism is harmful:
“One can see in this example how skilled media professionals with low standards of integrity are able to mould and manipulate public opinion, popular beliefs and, ultimately, the direction of politics. The majority of the population in most places is not alert to this kind of deceptive manipulation. They are more or less defenceless against such clever ‘perception management’.”
It’s not just about Crumb, his worried wife, the disappointed festival organisers and Crumb’s very pissed off fans. Most importantly, stories like these take the public for mugs.
Note: An original version of this article said The Sydney Morning Herald column was written yesterday. It was in fact written on August 13.
This was in the SMH 10 days ago. The link confirms it.
As an honorary local of deeply conservative north Queensland after nearly 40 years, I’d like to reassure the denizens of Sin City that they have made a mistake. Robert Crumb visited James Cook University in Townsville in the early 1970s when (I would say) he was at the height of his powers. He is an incredibly entertaining bloke and his visit went down a treat.
Mind you, Hetty Johnson would probably go down a treat here too. The whole country benefits from visits by international cultural icons. Please consider coming again Mr Crumb and bring the darling Aline with you.
I empathise with Crumb and his view of the trashy Telegraph, but still feel its disengenuous to use it as an excuse to avoid a trip downunder, and reflects as badly on he and his wifes atittudes to MOST Australians as it does on our trashy tabloid.
Are we considered such red necks as to assassinate an artist? What evidence is there for this?
Over reaction much?
It wasn’t the public that rejected Crumb’s visit. It was Crumb’s wife and Crumb himself. I agree with his attitude about journalism and the lack of integrity shown by the Tele but he was the one most manipulated but what the Tele did.
I’m sorry he’s not coming.
Mugs? ..err..umm.. the general public ARE mugs, otherwise they wouldn’t read, let alone buy or even line their budgie cages with, Mudorc’s tabloid trash.