German Comedian Faces Jail Over Lewd Poem About President Erdogan - Polidicks

While Böhmermann is a fuckin idiot this free speech restriction is undefendable. Cant say im surprised though, with the crackdowns on so called "hate speech" against illegal immigrants. Disgusting.

I appreciate that it probably doesn't translate well and it's kind of out of context but from a purely humour-based perspective I don't see why saying someone loves to repress minorities, kick Kurds and beat Christians while watching child porn is funny. It just sounds like the rantings of a delusional madman, but whoever said free speech had to be funny

Germany has comedians?

[QUOTE=Alex-Weazel;50107585]Germany has comedians?[/QUOTE] I know this is a quip, but I'll dispense some quick info anyway: Believe it or not, political satire is a [I]huge[/I] part of German culture. Not only is it a staple of TV comedy (next to sketches), [URL="https://archive.is/WzI2D"]but it also features prominently in our version of the carnival[/URL]. Political spoofs are also common on the radio. I think there are two or three reasons why Germans are seen as humourless elsewhere: - Our sarcasm and expected punchlines sometimes work differently, so cross-cultural jokes may fall flat (or may translate really badly into other languages, or may require knowledge of local politics as is often the case with political satire). - Germans tend to separate business from leisure pretty seriously (though that has been weakening recently I think). - People make bad nazi jokes to Germans way too often. We tend to be really quite educated on the topic, and it's mostly [I]not funny[/I]. (Hitler or nazi comparisons do appear in politics or protest relatively often here, but they're [I]a lot[/I] more subtle than what foreigners usually come up with.) [editline]11th April 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=MaGGiFiXXX;50104765][...] The poem itself is of course pure slander/defamation. But the whole thing as an act really is criticism, and in my eyes at least, it's satire.[/QUOTE] Oh wow, that poem was nastier than I expected. This is really interesting though: Considering he framed it like he did and said multiple times this wasn't acceptable, it may well be ruled protected expression under the existing laws (or at least I hope it will be, but I think there's a good chance). As an aside, if I'm not mistaken someone removed the disclaimers around the poem and uploaded in that form to YouTube. It's quite possible at least a few of the complaints stem from that shortened version, since that one would indeed be illegal by quite a margin.

[QUOTE=Senscith;50099433]I'm more curious why this is a law in the first place.[/QUOTE] ~diplomacy~ (in all seriousness, this is most certainly the reason Böhmermann is under investigation. Germany technically also has a law against insulting our own head of state, but it's never applied. People got really upset about our last president, and eventually he [I]referred[/I] to said law, but less as a threat and more of a "what you're doing is wrong and you're hurting me please stop"). [QUOTE=Tamschi;50108020]- People make bad nazi jokes to Germans way too often. We tend to be really quite educated on the topic, and it's mostly [I]not funny[/I]. (Hitler or nazi comparisons do appear in politics or protest relatively often here, but they're [I]a lot[/I] more subtle than what foreigners usually come up with.)[/QUOTE] Subtle? I'd say they're simply considered more effective. Godwin's Law does not apply in Germany; if you can find a way to compare your opponent to Hitler, no matter how tenuous, you've got good chances at winning that debate. Also, German Nazi humour tends to rest on making Nazis and especially Hitler himself look like Producers-esque incompetent sissies.

For the people here who don't speak German, I have translated the poem to the best of my ability for your convenience. [quote]Dumb as balls, cowardly, and uptight, Erdogan is the president. His dick smells horribly like kebab, Even a pig fart smells better. He is the man who beats girls, While wearing rubber masks. His favorite thing is fucking goats, And pressuring minorities. Kicking Kurds, beating Christians, All while watching child porn, And even in the evenings, instead of sleeping, Fellatio with a hundred sheep. Yes, Erdogan is completely and totally A president with a little dick. You hear every Turk playing the flute, The stupid pig has testicle shrinkage. From Ankara to Instanbul Everyone knows this man is gay, perverted, lice-ridden and a zoophile, Recep Fritzl Priklopil. His head so empty like his balls, The star of every gangbang party, until his dick burns when he pees. That is Recep Erdogan, the Turkish president.[/quote]

oh sweet fuck this is bad I thought this was in Turkey but after reading it and finding out he would be in Germany prison the Fuck

[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36055488[/url] [url]http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/angela-merkel-accepts-turkish-request-to-seek-prosecution-of-german-comedian-a6985686.html[/url] [url]http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/15/angela-merkel-agrees-prosecution-comedian-erdogan-poem[/url] [url]https://www.rt.com/news/339710-germany-turkey-comedian-prosecution/[/url] [quote=The Guardian]Angela Merkel, has been criticised by members of her cabinet after acceding to a request from Ankara to prosecute a comedian who read out an offensive poem about the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The German chancellor insisted her government’s decision did not amount to a verdict on whether Jan Böhmermann was guilty or not, but should be understood as a reaffirmation of the judiciary’s independence. “In a constitutional democracy, weighing up personal rights against freedom of the press and freedom of expression is not a matter for governments, but for public prosecutors and courts,” Merkel said in a press conference on Friday.[/quote] [quote=BBC]Mrs Merkel stressed that the courts would have the final word, and it was now up to prosecutors to decide whether to press charges. The chancellor added that her government would move to repeal the controversial and little-used Article 103 of the penal code, which concerns insults against foreign heads of state, by 2018.[/quote] I think it's worth mentioning that this has now been allowed to go through.

[QUOTE=Erfly;50136978][url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36055488[/url] [url]http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/angela-merkel-accepts-turkish-request-to-seek-prosecution-of-german-comedian-a6985686.html[/url] [url]http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/15/angela-merkel-agrees-prosecution-comedian-erdogan-poem[/url] [url]https://www.rt.com/news/339710-germany-turkey-comedian-prosecution/[/url] I think it's worth mentioning that this has now been allowed to go through.[/QUOTE] fuck merkel, this is absolutely disgusting

Germans should flood Facebook and other media sites with filthy poems/jokes about Erdogan or other politicians.

[QUOTE=Tamschi;50108020] Oh wow, that poem was nastier than I expected. This is really interesting though: Considering he framed it like he did and said multiple times this wasn't acceptable, it may well be ruled protected expression under the existing laws (or at least I hope it will be, but I think there's a good chance). As an aside, if I'm not mistaken someone removed the disclaimers around the poem and uploaded in that form to YouTube. It's quite possible at least a few of the complaints stem from that shortened version, since that one would indeed be illegal by quite a margin.[/QUOTE] Well if the ZDF wouldn't have had it removed from their media library people could have easier watched it with full context.

[QUOTE=Thlis;50137713]Germans should flood Facebook and other media sites with filthy poems/jokes about Erdogan or other politicians.[/QUOTE] Guess what's already happening.... [url]https://www.facebook.com/NICHTLUSTIG/photos/a.186737799993.155561.131582549993/10154258375649994/?type=3[/url] [t]https://scontent.ftxl1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t31.0-8/s960x960/12983240_10154258375649994_5663852853920327907_o.png[/t]

[QUOTE=Alex-Weazel;50107585]Germany has comedians?[/QUOTE] Hey! German humor is no laughing matter!

Several parties in the Dutch parliament want to scrap a similar old law in the Netherlands, so something like that can't happen here. [i]"Our freedom of speech must never be called into question by a foreign leader like Erdogan. Humor, satire, ridicule and offense are a part of our free and open society."[/i] Translated quote of Joost Taverne, VVD. [url]http://www.nu.nl/politiek/4247659/kamer-wil-af-van-wetsartikel-beledigen-bevriend-staatshoofd.html[/url]

Oh, look. How surprising. [URL="http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/german-prosecutors-drop-probe-comedian-erdogan-poem-42553795"]German Prosecutors Drop Probe of Comedian Over Erdogan Poem[/URL]

[QUOTE=I Am A Rock;50099494]Sounds like Merkel is a cunt[/QUOTE] Last time I suggested Merkel was no good people instantly thought I was hopping on the refugee thing

[QUOTE=SonicHitman;50100984]germany needs reforms to their laws. it's very troubling to see a developed first world country with laws that deem freedom of speech irrelevant.[/QUOTE] It's worrying as they seem to be the spokescountry of Europe.

[QUOTE=Svinnik;50137696]fuck merkel, this is absolutely disgusting[/QUOTE] Not really? It's an outdated law yet one that has to be executed if triggered and pursued in court and has to be done by the courts and Merkel + government are the ones seeking to repeal the law by 2018. Doesn't mean I agree at all with the law existing in the first place but Böhmermann knew his poem was going beyond satire.

[QUOTE=Svinnik;50137696]fuck merkel, this is absolutely disgusting[/QUOTE] i mean she also has to follow the law thats already in place... notice she left it up to the courts but it cant be completely ignored because it is a law, sadly [editline]4th October 2016[/editline] still good to see it was dropped though, really dumb law