posted on August 6, 2003 06:47:35 AM new
i guess the nazis complained enough and are out to destroy freedom of speech, where's the book burning party, so much for living in the land of freedom, i told you, this was going to happen, coming soon to a house near you, secret arrests in the middle of the night
Ebay bans artist for making fun of Bush administration
north.cbc.ca: A Yukon artist has been censored by eBay for making fun of the Bush administration.
Dawson City artist John Steins has been ordered off the popular auction Web site for mocking Bush and other U.S. leaders in a series of hand-painted drawings.
Steins' art project is a parody of the "most wanted" deck of playing cards issued in the Iraqi war.
Ebay apparently banned the cards after receiving complaints from pro-Bush Americans. Since being forced off eBay, Steins has found another Internet outlet for his art. He owns the domain name, "thebushadministration.com" where he's posted the images for sale.
Posted by Ichtaca @ 08/05/2003 02:42 PM | TrackBack
posted on August 6, 2003 06:58:37 AM new
here is some hate mail this artist recieved from ebay members, and it sure sounds fimilar to some of my critics here, hmmmm i wonder if some of this hate mail is from some of the right wingers here, sure sounds and reads the same, Helen i think we are next
Access of Weasels Art Cards
Before these items were banned by ebay I received some nasty messages from irate ebayers. I hope eBay is proud of these members.
Here is a sampling of some.
I find this highly racist and bigoted, I am reporting you to EBAY. By making
him the "QUEEN" of "SPADES" you are demeaning both gays and blacks!
I am highly offended!!!!!!!!!
I see you're still selling the bigot cards you racist canadian puke.
I see you're still selling your raciest crap you magotity canadian lump of
excrement.
Why are you such an ignorant piece of #*!@? Notice how nobody wants
this garbage?
Hey bonehead,
Couple of things to think about while you're slandering my country and
using an "American" company to put a few more bucks in your pocket.
That freedom that you have to express yourself politically on ebay and
other places comes at a cost. Iraqi's today are free to express themselves,
no thanks to the liberals like yourself. Of course we all know that had
Clinton or Gore invaded Iraq in the name of liberating the enslaved and
tormented Iraqi people you and other far lefties would have been singing
praises to what great men they were. I'm also quite certain you didn't open
your mouth when Clinton bombed Bosnia and many innocent people
were killed in the process. And Israel does a pretty good job of taking care
of themselves without our help removing Saddam. The fact is this. There
are evil regimes and goverments in the world and because the rest of you
(Canada included) lack the backbone to do anything about it, Bush went
forward with the support of Britain, Australia and the!
endorsement of most of the European countries. While I'm not a war
monger I do live in the real world where "good" and "bad" does exist
despite your bubble gum world of moral relativism. People like yourself
have no qualms about the thousands of Iraqi bodies uncovered from
mass graves because you're so concretely set in your moral relativism
world. Did you just turn off the TV when family members were uncovering
the bodies in those mass graves? I might add that Saddam had over half a
year to move or remove WMD's while the UN sat around doing their
impersonation of an impotent organization and it wouldn't take even that
much time to shuffle a few WMD's to neighboring countries for
safekeeping. Keep up the lame attempt to convince those of us with a
brain that you and the Hollywood lefties know more than anyone else
about how the world should be run.
Are you French?
it is people like you, that will assist the effort of evil to show up at dawn at
our respective capitols with our enemys in armored vehicles
smiling....there is nothing wrong with being the concience of balance and
fair play...we are in dangerous times here my northern friend....tred lightly
and with common sense.....
You are a pathetic bag of wind. If you think that Donald Rumsfeld is
remotely equivalent to the Taliban you are demented.
You are a complete idiot.
You ba#tard....starving kids in Iraq will finally eat because of Rumsfeld and
no help to sissy Canada....I hope you starve you jerk......RUMSFELD
RULES!!! Canada will always be in the Axis of Weasels!!!
posted on August 6, 2003 07:44:50 AM new
I wonder why this item is being sold on Ebay while the art drawings are banned?
The fact that the artist placed the drawing of Condoleezza Rice on the Ace of Spades card may have generated some complaints and that could be the reason that the cards were banned.
Otherwise, it appears that Bush and Clinton items are being held to the same standards on Ebay.
posted on August 6, 2003 07:48:04 AM new
I think Ebay has gone too far on this one! Maybe they'll start banning Jay Leno and the rest of the commedians who regularly poke fun at political figures as well. Shame on you, Ebay! Just like the "right" to think such a tactic would win points for their side.
Cheryl
Power to the people. Power to the people, right on. - John Lennon
posted on August 6, 2003 08:20:03 AM new
Does anyone have a link to the facts surrounding this. I see the artists site refers to being bannned. Did I miss something there?
posted on August 6, 2003 08:59:55 AM new
One of the letters of support refers to the artists comments. Has anyone seen the actual auction description which was banned. I'm curious as based on the artwork I see nothing that I would construe as offensive. Just some drawings, was wondering what copy was used to describe the pictures, compared to many of political cartoons run on the OpEd page of major newspapers these are tame.
[ edited by davebraun on Aug 6, 2003 09:08 AM ]
posted on August 6, 2003 09:10:35 AM new
i typed in " Deck of Weasels Playing Cards " on ebay search and found another seller selling some other cards, in the completed auctions section, and ebay allowed this seller to sell, wonder why, and not to mention the Iraq wanted cards, i typed in the search on ebay " wanted cards " and look what pops up, why these cards and why the ban on this canadian artist, looks like a double standard for ebay, getting scary
posted on August 6, 2003 02:54:15 PM new
here is more from another source on this story and why ebay banned this artist, sounds 2 face from ebay when they allow other wanted cards for sale and pick on this artist and ban him
EBay turfs man’s anti-Bush regime cards
by Sarah L. Taggart
A Whitehorse Star Archive story originally published August 5, 2003
He might have lost EBay’s millions-strong membership, but if you still want to take a look at what caused all the furor, you’re in luck.
Dawson City artist John Steins has taken his “racist Canadian puke”, according to one not-so fan, and put it up at thebushadministration.com.
Slightly more than two weeks ago, during the Dawson City Music Festival, Steins received an e-mail from the online auctioneers, EBay.
It informed him that his “Axis of Evil & Weapons of Mass Distraction” playing card-like linocut prints had been taken down due to the infringement of the EBay copyright policy. If he wished to dispute the claim, he could reply with his case for reinstatement.
EBay cited a policy that disallows likenesses and signatures of public figures to be posted without that person’s permission.
In his series of playing cards in the spade suit which he’s had been posting since April, Steins takes a shot at several members of the George Bush administration. They include Donald Rumsfeld, press secretary Ari Fleischer and the president himself.
Bush is the Ace of Spades while Rumsfeld is the Queen. Dick Cheney plays the deuce while Condoleeza Rice is represented by the 10.
Steins took inspiration from the United States military playing cards, which identified its most wanted Iraqi leaders during the Iraqi war.
Steins had no problem with the policy. If he was infringing on company policy, he would resign himself to that, he said.
However, having taken a quick browse through the millions of products available through the service, he learned that policy wasn’t being applied to everyone.
“It’s prejudicial in my case,” Steins said in an interview today from his Dawson home. “Under copyright law, there is a provision for fair use; it allows for political parody.”
That’s one reason magazines and newspapers, for example, can caricature political figures in editorial cartoons.
“What I’m doing is very evident,” said Steins. “It’s not like I’m trying to sell a verbatim image of Rumsfeld.”
In fact, Steins has created “silly” renderings of his subjects.
“If I go and list those items again, they’ll boot me, remove me completely as a member,” said Steins.
He believes EBay dropped his cards after receiving e-mailed complaints from other users.
He himself received eight abusive, threatening and harassing e-mails from the same Kansas man, who turned out to be an avid seller of high-powered weaponry on the very same site. Said man was the gentleman who called Steins a “racist Canadian puke”.
In addition to the cards, Steins had posted some words of his own to state plainly and clearly how he felt.
“There’s no subtlety in what I’m saying on America’s presence in the world,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to be the mother waiting for my son to come home in a body bag” after being killed in an “unnecessary war.”
Steins posted the cards less to make a few bucks from sales than to use the massive audience to share his views.
“(EBay) is one of the largest flagships, the world’s largest yard sale ... It’s really a brilliant way to sell things,” he said. But it’s also, “A blatant venue for mindless cheerleading.”
With all the likenesses of Saddam Hussein available for bidding, some showing him with a hole through his head, Stein doubts all those individuals first gained Hussein’s permission.
But not everyone complained. Several Americans and a Parisian man purchased his product and he received kudos on his words and good work, again from Americans.
He hasn’t pursued the matter beyond launching thebushadministration.com on the World Wide Web. He understands that without one heck of a lot money, a little guy like him wouldn’t have much clout in a suit against EBay.
That’s why he’s confused and annoyed that they bothered him in the first place.
“I don’t know where to go with it,” he said. “Who am I? I’m nobody; I’m just a schmuck. On EBay, there are millions of members.”
For now, visitors to Steins’ Web site can view eight of the linocut prints and buy them online. About five years ago, he bought the domain name.
“I was trying to decide between the (Al) Gore administration and the Bush administration,” he said, laughing.
Steins will continue to work on his playing cards and his other artistic ventures.
“As time permits, I’m going to carry on with some more linocut prints in the mug shot lineup that I have,” he said.
He’s planning for a show hosted at the Yukon Arts Centre in October and currently he’s teaching a beginner relief printmaking course.
“Sometimes I think the job description of an artist includes making statements ... to keep that discussion going, keep the dialogue going,” said Steins.
“I hate the Bush administration. That’s not anti-American; I just despise those people.”
posted on August 6, 2003 03:10:24 PM new
It sounds like nothing from eBay. Not even the standard policy not to comment on internal issues, only the artists explanation and no research into the matter. Sort of a he says, no one asked her scenario.
[ edited by davebraun on Aug 6, 2003 03:11 PM ]
posted on August 9, 2003 12:09:22 PM new
well ebay backs down and lets this artist to submit his auctions, way to go ebay for not letting the right ring pinkos sway you
Banned by eBay!!!
Axis of Weasels Art Cards
Hand printed lino-cut prints by John Steins
click on image/name for description
NEWS FLASH!!! -- Ebay capitulates! I received a phone call from an Ebay representative today (Aug. 08/03) who told me that they will not pull my 'Axis of Weasels' prints if I decide to list them on Ebay in the future. She also asked that I restrict my personal political views to the 'About Me' page and not as part of the product description.
I believe this is the result of the national press & radio coverage this story has garnered as well as the many e-mails I have received from visitors to this site stating their intent to complain to ebay on my behalf. For that I thank you and I delight in the fact that the 'small guy' can make a difference
posted on August 9, 2003 02:43:06 PM newthe case is clearly about suppression of his words
I have to agree with you, Helen. I think more and more people are afraid to express their real views on this administration for fear of a backlash. Well, you know I keep my big mouth going.
Cheryl
Power to the people. Power to the people, right on. - John Lennon
