http://www.tfp.org/TFPForum/Tendential_Revolution/controversy.htm
Are Protests Against Blasphemy Effective?
The Other Side Speaks
by John Horvat
Accept that you are not going to win. There is no win
in such a controversy. You're just going to survive. Those are the facts.
It's not pretty, but those are the facts. 1
Such was the counsel of journalist Hollis Walker to museum directors and curators
regarding protests against blasphemous art. Her comments run quite contrary
to what protesters are frequently led to believe.
Indeed, Catholics who protest blasphemy are often told that they are ineffective
since the offending piece is rarely removed. At best, they are told, their
anti-blasphemy efforts are but symbolic gestures. Others dismiss all protesting
as free publicity for the offending work.
The arts establishment pretends not to notice protesters and makes it seem
that the protesters efforts are of no avail.
Rarely does the protester see what actually happens on the other side of the
museum doors when blasphemy is displayed. Piercing the silence, however, can
be quite revealing.
Piercing the Silence
The American Association of Museums (AAM) held its 96th Annual Meeting in
Dallas on May 12-16, 2002, at the Dallas Convention Center. More than 5,000
museum professionals representing approximately 1,000 museums from every state
and 30 foreign countries convened in what was termed the largest cultural
gathering in the world.
This august forum was the scene of a panel discussion that shows just how
seriously the arts establishment takes anti-blasphemy protesters.
I felt I was at a secret meeting of the opposition, said TFP observer
James Miller, who attended the event. I couldnt believe how they
just said everything. It was like being on the other side of the museum door
during the protest.
Panelist John McCarthy told the audience that only 300 appeared at the TFP rally. However, TFP members collected over 600 signatures.
Even more revealing was the fact that the panel focused on
the controversy surrounding a blasphemous portrayal of Our Lady of Guadalupe
in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in February of 2001. The American Society for the
Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) and its America Needs Fatima
campaign worked together with local activists to protest the portrayal. The
rally gathered nearly a thousand Catholics.
Our Lady of Controversy
The true image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Our Lady of Controversy: The Cyber Arte Exhibition
at the Museum of International Folk Art was the very suggestive title
of the panel discussion. Various experts from the museum field were selected
to speak to the audience on how to deal with protests against blasphemy.
As the title suggests, the panels purpose was to discuss the controversy
that surrounded Alma Lopezs Our Lady at Santa Fes
Museum of International Folk Art. Press reports described the exhibit as a
computer collage portraying a bikini-clad Virgin of Guadalupe held aloft by
a topless female angel.
For months, this artwork divided the community. The June 30 rally
in front of the museum united offended Catholics from all over New Mexico
and at least seven other states. The America Needs Fatima campaign mobilized
tens of thousands nationwide to send Enough is enough! protest
postcards. The TFP website asked supporters to send instant e-mail protests.
The effort received letters of support from bishops, priests, and national
conservative figures, including congressmen.
Completely Vulnerable
The panel speakers stressed that controversy is extremely upsetting and outlined
some tactics for dealing with the problem. Above all, it became very clear
that they do not view protests as free publicity.
I was amazed to hear them confess how utterly vulnerable they felt,
reported Mr. Miller. They really take protests seriously.
Indeed, the panel moderator complained that museums are naïve about their
work and totally unprepared to deal with such controversies. Panelists reported
their own helplessness in explaining to the public their reasons for airing
blasphemy. They noted how one scene of a protester praying a rosary on the
evening news had the effect of erasing any sympathy for the museum from the
viewing public.
They were especially exasperated by the fact that the museum was constantly
on the defensive and could never break out of the media siege.
How Effective Protests Are
Ironically, all the myths about blasphemy protests were destroyed by the very
people who display such works. They testified that protests are not just symbolic
gestures or free publicity but effective statements that echo throughout the
arts community.
Alma Lopez, creator of Our Lady, speaking on the panel, admitted
that it was difficult and hard to go through all this. She received
hundreds and hundreds of e-mails per day from offended Catholics and even
from children. The controversy surrounding her unpopular work left her perplexed
and marginalized. People are really paying attention to
them, she complained, and our voices are not being heard at all.
The press with the twenty-second sound byte just kills you, commented
John McCarthy, deputy director of the Folk Art Museum. There is no way
you can present your story.
Because of the work of a few dedicated protesters, everyone from the governors
office to the museum regents were suddenly concerned. The controversy became
national and even international news.
Uncompromising Protest
Panel speakers were also impressed by the organization of the protesters.
They presented slides and video clips to illustrate the point.
They were surprised by the fact that the protesters were more coordinated
than they were. Everywhere they turned they met opposition and organized
loud protest.
Deputy Director McCarthy showed the national projection of the controversy
by admitting that the museum received over 65,000 Enough is enough!
protest postcards from the TFP effort. They were still coming months after
the exhibit came down.
The museum directors had hoped to diffuse the controversy by entering into
dialogue and compromise with protesters. The unbending attitude of the protesters
left them empty-handed.
In fact, it was the directors who eventually made concessions. They canceled
the four-month extension they had planned for the exhibit, closing it on the
originally scheduled date. Even so, the protesters were still not satisfied.
How serious do you take these people? Mr. McCarthy asked, then
answered himself: Very serious! He further noted that the museum
was always unprepared, especially since the protesters never, never
gave in on any point.
It is important to note as well that the panelists acknowledged how important
it is for the local bishop to speak out against blasphemy. The fact that Archbishop
Michael Sheehan of the Santa Fe Archdiocese condemned the work at the beginning
of the showing caused irreparable damage to the museum public relations campaign.
If only bishops and priests realized just how effective their protest
could be! commented Mr. Miller after the session. He observed how panelists
qualified the Archbishop of Santa Fe as one of the most powerful people
in the state of New Mexico. His condemnation was hardly free publicity.
Journalist and panel member Hollis Walker bluntly told the audience that blasphemy
protests are no-win situations for museums. Their best policy is defense and
damage control.
At the very beginning, if you see something like this erupting, my best
advice to you is to go hire the best public relations crisis consultant you
can find, she stressed, because the internal public relations
and marketing people at museums are not equipped to deal with this kind of
issue.
Long-term Consequences
The consequence of a blasphemy protest goes beyond the time the exhibit is
displayed. Controversy sends shock waves throughout the arts community. The
ugliness of blasphemy is such that people tend to disassociate themselves
from it when it is exposed.
Dr. Joyce Ice, director of the Folk Art Museums Office of Cultural Affairs,
told the audience how controversy affects the judgment of museum directors.
She pointed out that the danger now lies not so much in being silenced
but to censor ourselves in the future.
Journalist Hollis noted that the large art community in Santa Fe remained
silent during the controversy. While Catholics united and proudly stood behind
Our Lady of Guadalupe, the local arts establishment did very little to come
to the aid of their fellow artist.
Museum Director Tom Wilson pointed out that the controversy created a rift
with the local community. Months after the exhibit came down, the wounds were
still open. We have not completely finished the healing process, or
maybe in some ways you can say we havent really begun it, he said.
Nearly a year after the whole controversy, the reverberations of the protest
still linger. One of the questions posed to gubernatorial candidates this
fall was how they would have handled the Our Lady of Guadalupe controversy.
Even the long-term future of the exhibit itself was affected by the protests.
When asked by TFP observer James Miller about the future of the exhibit, panelists
did not know, although they assured the audience that it presently had a home
in the Museum of International Folk Art safely stored in the basement.
Why Protests Are Necessary
Perhaps one of the most influential panelists was Jim Fitzpatrick, a lawyer
from the Washington, D.C., firm of Arnold & Porter. Mr. Fitzpatrick has
defended many offensive art pieces in what has come to be known as the cultural
wars. He also outlined the chilling perspective of what museum will
try to show in the future.
Make no mistake about it, the issue is more than just art. Mr. Fitzpatrick
correctly classified the controversy surrounding these exhibits as religious,
political, and ideological clashes. From the very beginning, the flashpoint
of cultural wars has been art-termed-blasphemy and it will continue to be
so in the future.
Mr. Fitzpatrick called upon the arts establishment not to cave in to protesters
who oppose what they consider blasphemous portrayals. Rather, it must redouble
its efforts and present things that challenge or even violate society standards.
The standard of universal decency and acceptability in a society like
ours, he claimed, is simply meaningless.
Moreover, Mr. Fitzpatrick outlined the areas of art where the
museum community must defend itself.There are three areas where I think museums
are going to be subject to attack: Images of gay sex will be a problem because
society has still not broadly accepted that way of life. Second, kiddy
porn portrayals of young children in sexual situations will continue
to be highly controversial and this is one area where the courts have given
more elbow room to legislators and officials to limit creativity
. Its
clear, Mr. Fitzpatrick continued, that allegedly blasphemous works
of visual art are going to be of continuing concern.
The statements of Mr. Fitzpatrick and other panelists make clear why protests
are so very necessary. Without them, the arts community has a virtual blank
check to push back the standards of decency and morality that still remain
in society.
A How-to Manual in Reverse
Our Lady of Controversy: The Cyber Arte Exhibition at the Museum of
International Folk Art panel discussion was an important look behind
the doors of the arts community.
By outlining their tactics against protesters, the panelists inadvertently
provided a veritable how-to manual in reverse that can help protesters design
a more effective protest.
Indeed, there are several lessons to be learned. First, listening to the other
side should destroy the myth that all protest is useless. Quite the contrary,
protest is the only effective means of defending the Faith and Catholic morality
in face of ever-more-horrific attacks. Protesters must be convinced that blasphemous
portrayals can be no-win situations for museums.
Second, museums and theaters are ill equipped to deal with well-organized
protests. Protesters must be wise as serpents and simple as doves
(Matt. 10:16) and develop peaceful protests that reflect a will never to give
in. They must resist the efforts of museum directors who would lead them to
compromise their principles through dialog in hopes of defusing the controversy.
Uncompromising protests serve to underscore the ugliness of blasphemy and
enlist the sympathy of the public.
Third, clergy should be encouraged to add their voices to this struggle. The
testimony of museum directors leaves no doubt that the voices of bishops and
priests are among the most effective means of protest.
Fourth, since blasphemous art is the flashpoint of the culture wars, protesters
must redouble their efforts and continue to stand tall in the face of adversity.
Protesters are an important line of defense in keeping out a new wave of other
portrayals (such as kiddie porn) that will erode public morality
yet further.
Finally, Catholics protesting blasphemy do more than just preserve public
morality. By protesting, they defend the honor of God and Our Lady. This task
is a right, a duty, and a privilege. Even if protests were less effective,
this defense alone would justify all the effort. Continuing in this struggle,
protesters can be assured that God and the Blessed Mother will bless these
efforts, and they can count on more victories and more strength to carry on
the struggle to defend Christian civilization against an increasingly immoral
and pagan world.
Foot Notes
1. All statements from museum panelists quoted in this article are taken from
tapes 02446-0901 and 02446-0902 of the talk Our Lady of Controversy:
The Cyber Arte Exhibition at the Museum of International Folk Art, recorded
at the Association of American Museums Annual Meeting & Museum Expo
2002. Tapes were produced by Chesapeake Audio/Video Communications, Inc. Elkridge,
Maryland, 2002.