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Psaki: Comedy dropped by Sony after North Korea threats totally different from Muhammad film slammed by State Department

Dec 18, 2014 7:09 pm By Robert Spencer

Psaki“I would not put them in the same category, which I’m sure does not surprise you. We don’t have — it’s a fiction movie. It’s not a documentary about our relationship with the United — with North Korea. It’s not something we backed, supported or necessarily have an opinion on from here.” And so in this case, apparently standing up for the freedom of speech is acceptable, because after all, “entertainers are free to make movies of their choosing.” Unless they insult Muslims, that is. Then “the future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.”

“Psaki: Kim Jong-un Comedy Totally Different from Mohammed Film Slammed by State Dept.,” by Bridget Johnson, PJ Media, December 17, 2014:

Sony Pictures officially decided not to release The Interview on Dec. 25 as planned, citing the major theater chains that refused to show the movie after hackers made 9/11-style threats against screenings.

“We respect and understand our partners’ decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theater-goers,” the Sony statement said.

“Sony Pictures has been the victim of an unprecedented criminal assault against our employees, our customers, and our business. Those who attacked us stole our intellectual property, private emails, and sensitive and proprietary material, and sought to destroy our spirit and our morale — all apparently to thwart the release of a movie they did not like. We are deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public. We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome.”

The Associated Press reported moments ago that federal investigators have connected the hacking to North Korea.

At the State Department earlier today, Jen Psaki said department officials did meet with studio executives during production, as revealed in leaked emails, but disputed reports that they OK’d the picture. “We’re not in the business of signing off on content of movies or things along those lines,” she said.

“As we have — as we’ve noted before, entertainers are free to make movies of their choosing, and we are not involved in that,” she added…..

Psaki said she wouldn’t compare the comedy about the assassination of Kim Jong-un to the Mohammed film initially blamed for the Benghazi attack, a movie heavily criticized by the State Department.

“I would not put them in the same category, which I’m sure does not surprise you,” Psaki said. “We don’t have — it’s a fiction movie. It’s not a documentary about our relationship with the United — with North Korea. It’s not something we backed, supported or necessarily have an opinion on from here.”

After violent reactions to Innocence of Muslims in 2012, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said “the United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others.”

“We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of other,” the U.S. Embassy in Cairo said back then….

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Filed Under: Featured, free speech, Useful idiots Tagged With: Jen Psaki, Kim Jong-un, North Korea, State Department, The Interview


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Comments

  1. Fr. Basil` says

    Dec 18, 2014 at 7:25 pm

    Assassination of a head of state, even one as nasty as that of North Korea, is hardly a subject for comedy.

    Deliberate murder is never funny.

    • Wellington says

      Dec 18, 2014 at 8:12 pm

      “Deliberate murder is never funny.” Oh yes it is, Fr. Basil. Have you never seen “Kind Hearts and Coronets?” It’s a 1949 British film and it makes deliberate muder extremely funny.

      You know, I’m beginning to worry about you, Fr. Basil. On a different thread you opined that there was really no good reason not to establish diplomatic relations with Castro’s Cuba (to which I gave you several counters) and now you opine that “Deliberate murder is never funny.” Hmmm. At the least I’m worried about you. At most, I’m starting to suspect you.

      • nothosaur says

        Dec 19, 2014 at 1:10 pm

        RE: “Deliberate murder is never funny.”

        Fr. Basil: First of all “deliberate murder” is a tautology (at least for 1st degree). All murder, by definition, is at least knowingly done.

        Wellington is exactly right– Don’t forget Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the scene of Lancelot storming the castle.

        • mortimer says

          Dec 19, 2014 at 2:59 pm

          “Arsenic and Old Lace” another example. (The hero of the movie was named ‘Mortimer’ played by Cary Grant.)

    • Salah says

      Dec 18, 2014 at 8:53 pm

      Assassination of a mass killer, a tyrant with innocent blood all over his hands is JUSTICE, it’s CHARITY.
      Christians as well as every decent honorable person has not only the right, but also the DUTY to defend and protect the powerless.

      • mortimer says

        Dec 19, 2014 at 3:00 pm

        The Korean people would be relieved of a horrible tyrant, but who’s to say if the next would not be worse? Alas. God help them.

    • BW022 says

      Dec 18, 2014 at 10:27 pm

      Why not? How about Clue? Manhattan Murder Mystery? Remember Last Night? Dr. Strangelove? Little Shop of Horrors? Come on… “Feed me… Seymour!” Lots of films about murder are funny. Nor do I grant some dictator in North Korea, some upset Muslims, or you to tell me what is funny.

    • pumbar says

      Dec 18, 2014 at 10:51 pm

      Have a watch of Team America: World Police, you’ll like that, in that film the heroes fail to kill North Korea’s dictator. It’s got loads of muzzies in it too (and Hans Brix).

      • Angemon says

        Dec 19, 2014 at 8:08 am

        pumbar posted

        “Have a watch of Team America: World Police”

        https://variety.com/2014/film/news/team-america-screenings-canceled-sony-hack-1201382790/

        🙁

        • pumbar says

          Dec 20, 2014 at 12:08 am

          That’s it, I’ve had enough. I’m off to the nearest planet with a breathable atmosphere. This planet is totalled.

    • Myxlplik says

      Dec 19, 2014 at 11:05 am

      But how do Americans respond, I would pay 20x the price of a regular ticket to watch the movie now, and hope it broke all financial records.

      This I pledge if they release it.

  2. Peter says

    Dec 18, 2014 at 7:58 pm

    Clinton: “the United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others.”

    Islam (Qur’an, Sunnah/Hadith, etc…) clearly denigrates the religious beliefs of ALL non-Muslim “others.” Indeed, it claims to be the “only” (true) religion, and mandates that Muslims eliminate or subjugate other beliefs systems to make Islam is supreme (e.g., 9:33). Islam puts 80% of humanity at risk.

    Why doesn’t the United States (let alone, the smart Useful Idiot, Mrs. Clinton) deplore that?

    • Bezelel says

      Dec 18, 2014 at 9:58 pm

      I would love to hear obola, clintoon, kerry and associates try to answer your question.

  3. Wellington says

    Dec 18, 2014 at 8:06 pm

    Sony Pictures, as others like Charles Krauthammer have already mentioned, should have put the film on YouTube. That Sony didn’t is evidence of grovelling, just as Obama’s silly speech at the UN about how “the future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam” was yet another example of silliness with bad consequences for free speech.

    Put another way, the best thing to do with evil is to crush it. The next best thing to do with it is to mock it. Sony reneged here. So has Obama (many times). Shame on them both.

    • quotha raven says

      Dec 19, 2014 at 5:00 am

      Wellington, dear: In fairness, Sony and all those theaters and the actors and all associated with the film had no choice but to back down, stop the premiere, interviews, screenings, promotion…the whole catastrophe. Given the atrocious litigious culture we’ve arranged for ourselves here in post-Constitutional USA, can you imagine the lawsuits champing at the bit in the wings that would become reality, should a theater in which THE INTERVIEW plays actually get blown up? Can’t you hear them: WHAT – you elected to show this movie, ignoring the clear threat, etc, etc? Alas, terrorism bumps right into Lawsuit culture, and the results are predictable and prescient. From my point of view, this element of terrorist power is the most frightening thing since the IRS became a vicious leftist political arm with police powers. What has happened with THE INTERVIEW is a prelude to a whole new weapon to be engaged by those who would destroy Western culture. With our blessings, apparently. Cheers and Merry Christmas, Wellington!

      • Wellington says

        Dec 19, 2014 at 12:14 pm

        Huh, I mentioned, YouTube, quotha raven, not theaters. Merry Christmas.

        • Joseph P. Martino says

          Dec 19, 2014 at 1:53 pm

          Rather than Youtube, I’d recommend selling DVDs directly to the public. That way Sony gets some of their money back. Moreover, anyone who buys one already knows the risks.

  4. rev g says

    Dec 18, 2014 at 8:09 pm

    I hear Angela Merkel has made some threats to retaliate against Saturday Night Live in the wake of this, she is quite unhappy with some of the portrayals of her they have done.

  5. Myxlplik says

    Dec 18, 2014 at 8:48 pm

    All North Korean leaders are high comedy, sadly they are the only ones who know that. I suspect a ruise, the film goes up against Hobbit 3, so it was bound to flop…. unless it becomes something more than just a comedy…. a symbol perhaps.

    I would see the film now, just to send a message, besides knowing it hurt such sensitivities will only make it all the more hillarious. Like “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day” on Facebook… I must say, I’ve never laughed harder, I sat at the computer all day laughing until my ribs split in agony and I became dehydrated from crying I was laughing so hard.

    • Myxlplik says

      Dec 18, 2014 at 8:49 pm

      Oops, should read, “only ones who don’t know”….

    • Myxlplik says

      Dec 18, 2014 at 8:57 pm

      I remember on Everybody Draw Mohammed Day, someone submitted a picture of their erect penis flopped onto the pages of an open Quran… now that’s art ;). Oh man I think I strained a cheek muscle I laughed so hard.

      • Myxlplik says

        Dec 18, 2014 at 9:04 pm

        I suspected the offending phalanx was Danish or German… who would do something like that? If jihadwatchers had to guess a nationality of who would place their phalanx in such a way what would it be?

        • rev g says

          Dec 18, 2014 at 9:11 pm

          What, no bacon wrap?

  6. Jack says

    Dec 18, 2014 at 9:21 pm

    United Korea? Slip of the tongue? No freedom of speech, Bill of Rights, can’t contest Mohammed? I just want to scream and no one says anything no one confronts her.

  7. Arthur says

    Dec 18, 2014 at 9:50 pm

    I’m amazed that theaters canceled showings and Sony canceled the release after some cyber-threats. Are people seriously afraid of North Korean infiltrators acting out terrorist attacks in the US?? It’s unbelievable! I think once it was linked with terrorism, everyone automatically equated that with “not not Islam.” And since everyone does not not expect terrorism from the Muslim population, it seemed a real threat.

    Think of the financial games people could play with false threats, knowing it will shut down multimillion dollar businesses who are afraid to get mixed up in terrorism politics.

    • Myxlplik says

      Dec 18, 2014 at 10:30 pm

      Arthur I think there are multiple layers here.

      The Obama State Department essentially stands for freedom of speech for fiction, but not documentaries.

      “I would not put them in the same category, which I’m sure does not surprise you. We don’t have — it’s a fiction movie. It’s not a documentary”

      The quoted statement was in regards to a comparison between the YouTube video, “The Innocence of Muslims” which was censored, due to threats of sharia violence. The Obama Administration orchastrated the censorship of the Mohammed video, apparently because it was a “documentary” and not an act of fiction. This is Obama Administration double speak, mental gymnastics, for enforcing sharia just like the Islamic State in regards to insulting Islam. In our case it was prison & censorship, in the case of ISIS it is death.

      However, I believe the pulling of the film was to garner free publicity, but the Obama Administrations response & double speak is telling. Obama enforces sharia when Islam is insulted, but supports freedom of speech when North Korean leaders are insulted.

  8. pumbar says

    Dec 18, 2014 at 10:57 pm

    Wait a minute… North Korea has a computer?

  9. duh_swami says

    Dec 19, 2014 at 7:24 am

    “We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of other,

    It’s not possible to abuse free speech…Free speech has no content…The speaker provides that. And he might be right, he might be wrong, and others may agree or not, but under free speech he has a right to say it, even if it mean and hateful…it is not an abuse of free speech itself. It’s amazing how a psychopath is worried about the feelings of others.

  10. Jack Gordon says

    Dec 19, 2014 at 9:40 am

    What other conclusion in the presence of so much evidence can we arrive at but that B Hussein Obama is a crypto-Muslim?

  11. mortimer says

    Dec 19, 2014 at 3:06 pm

    The State Department says: ““I would not put them in the same category…Because we say so…Unless they insult Muslims…blah, blah…It isn’t censorship when we do it…Muslims officially designated victims who are protected by the American President because he thinks ‘jihad’ means floral arrangement…blah, blah.”

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