You all have spoken, and we have listened. The team and I, as well as Lemmy.world Admins, have come to an agreement that any artist/comic that is deemed to be transphobic, racist, or in any other way demonstrates bigotry toward any group or minority will be removed from circulation. We will keep a list of banned artists in the sidebar and update it as new artists are uncovered.
Now, let’s discuss details:
- You the reporter have the burden of proof for why an artist or comic breaks this rule; ¸ “they’re fascist/racist/sexist/it’s Tuesday” is not sufficient
- Repeated posting of banned artists will result in progressive punishment/moderated actions, up to being permanently banned
- Think Paradox of Tolerance when determining what bigotry means; e.g.,
- Demeaning conservatives or other politicians (e.g., Devil’s Panties) is not rule breaking
- Demeaning women, the LGBTQ+ community, etc is rule breaking
- Anything we consider to be a bad faith post, or trying to skirt the rules because of some perceived loophole
The current list of banned artists include:
- Jago
- Stonetoss
This is not an all-encompassing list, and are subject to moderator’s (and admin’s) final decisions. Questions, feedback, and playful banter are always welcome.
It’s an interesting problem because the Addams Family sitcom from the 60s has a few racist jokes, but… it’s from the 60s. And it was pretty woke for the time, compared to most contemporary media. And I don’t think the racist jokes were mean-spirited the way Stonetoss’ racism is. I know this is comic strips and the sitcom is TV, but it’s an interesting thought exercise.
Then there’s Dilbert, which, wow, a lot to think about there. The comic engages in racist stereotypes about African nations, but doesn’t use them to put down Africans, but the creator was MAGA, but the comic was anti-misogyny and he’s dead… Dilbert is a fascinating case because I’ve no idea what My opinion is now that Scott Adams is dead.
Lovecraft, I know I’m okay with because he died so long ago, everything he made is in the public domain and can therefore be reinterpreted however we please, even though the man himself was far, far more racist than Scot Adams. So it’s wild. But I guess what I think I’ve talked Myself into believing is, how recently the creator died matters.
It’s a difficult path to walk. Even things that were socially okay 5-10 years ago could be abhorrent today. Everything now is especially raw given the current rift between the different groups of certain people. And then there are those who like to poke the proverbial bear for whatever reasons they have, be it for attention, enjoyment, or because they are simply mean spirited. There are also those who do it unintentionally or without malice.
As I said to another commenter, it’s not black and white and will need to be dealt with on a case by case basis.
Personally, I find things like the origins of the Adamm’s Family comics interesting. The TV show and movies are staples of our culture, then and now; even if some of their original content was not up to our current standards. But, I also respect that some people may not feel the same as me, and that’s to be expected.
As long as we all remain respectful, we are encouraged to disagree in this community. It’s the only way we can be a genuine community.
:)
Perhaps it’s not about some source for ultimate truth, and each case could be decided by a vote?
Hrm… although then the posts could be brigaded I suppose:-(. But if we presume friendliness, then it leaves the decision up to the community whether we want to continue to see e.g. Addam’s Family or Scott Adams comics (importantly: not the racist ones, but others!). In that way it would be like Fediverse-style blocking vs. defederation - individual comic posts could be “blocked”, while in some truly egregious cases the entire artist themselves would be banned/defederated, and no comics from them allowed (even the non-problematic ones).
I feel if the disagreement would be encouraged, you would let commics posted, and let us to downvote or upvote if we want to see some artist or commic…
By giving a rule, you are the one who decides what the line is. There is very little room for disagrrement since your opinion will be the one that is to be enforced.
I can assure you, this rule was made from the collective feedback of the community, other mods, and the .world admins.
I strive to take measured moderation actions only after careful consideration and listening to feedback.