Counterintuitive Spring 2024

Charlie Brown, the happy cartoon child of the Peanuts strip, seems an unlikely emblem for the massacre of cartoonists at the satirical Charlie Hebdo magazine, except for his name. But the older, balder, unkempt version of Charlie that appears in the header of this blog, is a disappointed Charlie, growing a gut and largely disgruntled.

This version of Charlie Brown is used in association to show that he is disappointed in how this tragedy played out, and more so, that it is a part of the world he has grown up into.  He seems sad that he is now an adult who has to suffer through tragedies like the killing of writers of the Charlie Hebdo magazine, and no longer a care free child. His face seems worn down by all the struggles and responsibilities of growing up and becoming an adult. It looks as if he’s desperately wishing to be a kid again.

The use of Charlie Brown was mainly because of the shared first name of Charlie Brown and Charlie Hebdo.  The message wouldn’t have been similarly strong with any other child based cartoon character, so the use of Charlie Brown gives an extra depth to the graphic.  The cartoon used in the header appears to be sad, thinking to himself “I am Charlie” (Je suis Charlie), as if this attack was on him.

My first reaction to the graphic is a look of disgust and anger. As we all know, Charlie Brown is known as a character that never gives up. The words “Je Suis Charlie” have become a globally solidarity statement and a clear message that we will join together as a nation and never give up.

I was overwhelmed with emotions the day after the attack that millions marched through Paris to show their support. The sarcastic humor of Charlie Hedbo’s is s true reflection of freedom of speech. Obviously, the Islamic community is lacking a sense of humor.

This attack does not affect me religiously. However, it is concerning that our freedom of speech is being attacked. I wouldn’t describe the incident as a “terrorist act” for that is such a powerful negative description. I would like to describe this incident as “two men who killed twelve people in an attack on the office of a satirical magazine”. It doesn’t change that outcome, but it does change the way you digest the information. Think about it, the attack attracted worldwide attention and allowed the killers to gain undeserved recognition. My reaction is not defensive just frustrated that this type of violence can occur at anytime and anywhere. I wish we could change the way the way the social media participates in communicating the news. I’m a true believer in what you put out to the universe you will get back. Think about it, when you turn on the news do you ever hear anything good? I would have to say, “no”, 95% of the news that has a negative undertone.

Using Charlie Brown as the blog header was brilliant. The graphic artist conveyed exactly how I feel about the situation. Charlie Brown’s bright eyed happy disposition clearly took a turn for the worst, and is a true reflection on how any normal human being would feel about such a tragedy that just occurred in Paris.

When I first saw this graphic, I did not really pick up on anything. I could tell the character was some version of Charlie Brown, he looks sad or angry and very dirty. It seems now that the graphic has something to do with an attack in Paris and the Charlie is supposed to be Charlie Hebdo. I can’t seem to make a connection to why Charlie Brown was used other then the same name of Charlie. This really has no effect on my religion or views. I believe terrorism is something that our world is trying to fix today but it still needs to be worked on. The authors intention, I think, was to put a play on words almost because I don’t believe Charlie Brown was French so in that sense it does not make sense that this is the cartoon being used. I know this picture is supposed to mean something to me and I should have something to say about this topic, but due to the fact I do not really understand what occurred and I did not know who Charlie Hebdo was until right now, there is only so much I can express through this post. I wish I had more to say about this topic, but this picture does not make me feel any certain way. It comes off to be a  French version of Charlie Brown, but other then that it does not really speak to me or give me something I could argue or expand on.

Having rights to express oneself has become an undeniable right in many countries today. When those rights have been violated there is often public outcry for the situation to be handled accordingly. This is what happened on January 7th, 2015 and the weeks that would follow. A huge movement spawned in a few days gathering support from millions of people including well-know celebrities to state figure-heads that were willing to back those who had lost their right to express themselves because of terrorist acts committed against Charlie Hebdo, a cartoonist publication. One such example of the movement is a phrase and a picture but together by a supporter to advocate for the correction of atrocities that happened on that day. This phrase and picture stated “Je Suis Charlie” with a picture of the character Charlie Brown looking at you.

Charlie Hebdo illustrated the Prophet Muhammad and a religion in ways that some people who held the beliefs of this religion thought was offensive and disgusting. They therefore planned an attack to take out the publication headquarters in order to prove that no one can talk bad about their religion and get away with it. Since the attack took place, people have called this an infringement of a persons right to freely express their opinions on certain topics without the risk of being attacked and they called for action against those who perpetrated the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo. People’s rights have been taken away and action should be taken as soon as possible against these perpetrators. The phrase “Je Suis Charlie” is one of many ways people are fighting back against the terrorist.

The phrase stands for courage and determination of the people who will bring those in the wrong to justice. It says we are not afraid of you, this is who we are and we want you to see us. We will not back down because you have threatened us but will stand up and announce ourselves to the world and fight back. It brings people into the movement and shows solidarity between those who want to fight back. The image along with this phrase shows our vexation with what they have done. The face of Charlie Brown shows disgust and disapproval, his posture unfazed but what they have done. What the terrorist has done to Charlie Hebdo Headquarters does not distraught him.

What the cartoonist and designer intended by putting the phrase and picture together was to bring those who support the movement closer by giving them something to stand for. A slogan and a sign to express how they feel so everyone may understand their movement. While the intentions of the professor was more straight forward because he needed to give his students an assignment and thought this would be a good subject for us to write about given the controversial nature of the topic.

My reaction to this topic was simply one of understanding and empathy for those involved I felt no need to support or defend what was going on because I do not have the necessary information to make a judgement on which side to support. My views did not stem from any religious or political views but an analytical standpoint. I took what information was available to me and used it to the best of my knowledge to make a logical argument on what I believe this topic stood for. I believe in free speech for all and condemn those who choose to try and take that right away.

First looking at the graphic of the famous cartoon character, Charlie Brown, I thought it was somehow ironic in a way.  Charlie Brown is usually known as being a bystander in his daily life who would get excluded, forcing him to keep to himself.  He is always trustworthy and finding the best in the worst kinds of people. For instance, Charlie would always put his trust into Lucy to hold the football when he would try to kick it. However, she always snatches it away from him causing him to fall and yet he continually goes back believing that she will hold the football for him.  Charlie Brown has always been not just the bystander, but also the powerless follower within his group.  Yet I did not quite grasp the understanding of how this cartoon character relates to the tragedy of what occurred in Paris.  The tragedy is known as the Charlie Hebdo shooting, where eleven people were disgustingly murdered. But once I started to do more research, I began to understand why the cartoon is representing Je Suis Charlie.  Charlie is portrayed as a weak, disappointed, maybe even scared indidvidual.  His frown, wrinkles, hair, and his gut suggests that he could be representing a journalist or writer who is crying for help.  After having a massacre over an issue far greater than a propaganda article, journalists are viewing the expression, Je suis Charlie as a pleading cry for the freedom and speech.

Al Qaeda is a radical Islamic Organization that is associated with numerous attacks and bombings to disorder economies of Western nations along with their influence.  By taking the lives of those 12 civilians, it affected their families by taking away their incomes in order to support them and  affected their coworkers.  Al Qaeda has been responsible for tragedies that will be carried throughout history but with different motivations and beliefs.  The attack on the World Trade Center was more of a spotlight motivation rather than a religious belief.  I believe that Al Qaeda is afraid of defeat and that the entire Islamic Organization was formed for nothing.  This is a powerful organization that can be capable of really anything, but why? What do they really want?  Killing innocent people for a celebrity moment is complete and utterly stupid.  By having their celebrity moment makes sure that they are well known around the world and know that they are using fear as power.

Yet, I don’t think this organization has any power.  If a few low key journalists can have the power to intimidate Al Qaeda through a weekly newspaper article, it just shows how weak they truly are.  Charlie may come off as a weak and hopeless character, yet the phrase Je Suis Charlie shows more of an independent and strong portrayal of the journalists who wrote from their perspective and how they felt.

When first looking at the heading on this blog I immediately saw a strong representation of the many people who are tired, people who have been working so hard for a certain cause and are just exhausted. The fact that issues such as freedom of speech and freedom of expression are still relevant in such an updated era is mind blowing. The events that have previously taken place in France are sickening. I believe that it shouldn’t take such a large tragedy to occur for more people to become of aware of what is going on around them.

On the morning of January 7th two Islamist terrorists armed with assault rifles and other weapons forced their way into the offices of the satirical weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris. They fired up to 50 shots, killing 11 people and injuring 11 others in the building, then killing a French National Police officer in the street outside while shouting “Allahu Akbar.” This slogan is Arabic and stands for “God is the greatest.”The gunmen identified themselves as belonging to Al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen, which took responsibility for the attack.

On 11 January about 2 million people, including more than 40 world leaders, met in Paris for a rally of national unity, and 3.7 million people joined demonstrations across France. The phrase Je Suis Charlie (French for “I am Charlie”) was a common slogan of support at the rallies and in social media. It is obvious that a terrible event has taken place, many may ask why or how could someone do such a thing, what is the motive? What is it necessary? And when will these attacks end.

The Charlie Brown animation is tired. It can be seen all over his face, the look of disbelief, the eyebrows are lowered because of his saddened nature. Not only is it tired because of the ongoing fight for freedom in every way, it is also tired of standing up for a cause alone with little support. If the only support a cause gets is after a large massacre how can those who normally support it feel secure. The unfortunate events that have taken place at the Charlie Hebdo have caused a large affect in more then one aspect. Although it is a very controvertial topic the main concern is still the same. Freedom of speech, freedom of press, and freedom of expression are all subjects that i agree strongly with. It is a tired argument that needs to be put to rest, people need to realize the power of words and the power of thought. So much can be expressed through words and everyone should have that right, the right to share their feelings and ideas freely. Freedom of speech, even I can admit, is not always the right answer. Yes the newspaper was a very controversial one, but without our individuality what do we have? This is Charlie’s argument and by the look of this animation he is tired of fighting it.

On January 7th, 2015, a brutal massacre took place in Paris, France. The massacre was a result of strong, religious disagreement with the material cartoonists created for Charlie Hebdo newspaper. The cruel murder of the 12 employees working for Charlie Hebdo magazine was devastating, but also brought unexpected positives to a dark situation. On January 11th, 2015, over 2.5 million people and over 40 world leaders, met in Paris for a rally of national unity. People from all over the world showed empathy and compassion for the victims and the victims’ families. The rally also symbolizes the support for freedom of speech and fight against terrorism. The statement ‘Je Suis Charlie’ (I am Charlie) was used in the hashtag “#jesuischarlie” on Twitter and began quickly spreading worldwide. The powerful trending statement represents freedom of speech and self-expression.

The Je Suis Charlie movement has stirred up much controversy, claiming the Charlie Hebdo magazine depicts Islam and Prophet Mohamed in an undesirable way. However, I disagree with this false claim. First off, whether the cartoons created by Charlie Hebdo magazine crossed the line or not, violence is never the answer to solve problems. A peaceful protest could have occurred if people disagreed with magazine’s illustrations. If enough people disagreed peacefully with the company’s cartoons, the magazine would have most likely changed what they were publishing to benefit their customers. Secondly, I believe that the cartons created by the controversial magazine weren’t made for violent purposes. The cartoons were an act of self-expression, religious opinion (which people are able to disagree with), and freedom of speech through artwork.

The tragic massacre in Paris makes me reflect on society as a whole. After learning about Je Suis Charlie, I’ve been pondering whether parts of the world that claim they’re a “free country” are actually free or not. I knew the massacre of the 12 magazine employees could have easily happened in the United States, a place with “freedom of speech”. If people don’t speak up and act against these terroristic attacks, then they may continue to happen or even gain support. The ability to speak, draw, and express your opinions are rights that society needs to treasure and strongly protect. If people aren’t able to voice their opinions without consequences, the world won’t have free countries, we’ll have dictatorships.

I believe the background of the blog with Charlie Brown symbolizes the pain and distress that Paris has gone through recently because of the massacre. Charlie Brown has always been displayed in television, books, and movies to be a fun-loving, enthusiastic character. However, he’s frowning and looks defeated in the blog’s illustration of him. I think the purpose of having the sad Charlie Brown as the blog’s background wasn’t just to reflect on the situation, but to empower the students. The famous statement “Je Suis Charlie” is inspirational because it shows how millions of people came together to honor the lives and bravery of the cartoonist and self-expression. I personally like how the Charlie Brown picture is the background because it reminds me of my right to express myself through writing and it’s inspirational.