'Artists' Skin Cat
Discussion
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3657582.stm
Fur flies over cat-killing film
Animal rights activists have held a protest in Canada at the premiere of a documentary about three artists who videoed themselves killing a cat.
Demonstrators urged ticket-holders at the Toronto Film Festival to boycott Casuistry: The Art of Killing a Cat.
The documentary shows interviews with artists, police and activists - but not the animal's mutilation and death.
The three artists taped the skinning and decapitation of a cat in 2001 and later pleaded guilty to animal cruelty.
Director Zev Asher chose to show the court transcript of the text of their videotape throughout the documentary.
He told Reuters news agency that this was the best way to convey "the stark horror that these guys were involved in".
Threat
However animal rights activists say the film gives a platform to the cat killers.
"Shame on the international film festival for allowing this to go on," said Suzanne Lahaie of Freedom for Animals, a Toronto group.
Festival organisers declined to drop the documentary, saying it did not glorify the torture of animals.
Two scheduled screenings are going ahead, organisers said, despite the fact that a staff member was told by an anonymous phone caller that he would be skinned alive.
The artists - Jesse Power, Anthony Wennekers and Matt Kaczorowski - said their intent was to make an anti-animal cruelty film, reasoning that skinning a cat would expose the slaughter of factory-reared animals.
As far as I'm concerned it's these sick, self-serving, sadistic f
ckers who should be skinned. I'm outraged that they are being given airtime for their nasty crime.
Edited to say: Oops, posted this in the wrong forum, it was meant to be in General Gassing. Could a mod move it for me please. Thanks.
>>> Edited by roadsweeper on Wednesday 15th September 15:22
Fur flies over cat-killing film
Animal rights activists have held a protest in Canada at the premiere of a documentary about three artists who videoed themselves killing a cat.
Demonstrators urged ticket-holders at the Toronto Film Festival to boycott Casuistry: The Art of Killing a Cat.
The documentary shows interviews with artists, police and activists - but not the animal's mutilation and death.
The three artists taped the skinning and decapitation of a cat in 2001 and later pleaded guilty to animal cruelty.
Director Zev Asher chose to show the court transcript of the text of their videotape throughout the documentary.
He told Reuters news agency that this was the best way to convey "the stark horror that these guys were involved in".
Threat
However animal rights activists say the film gives a platform to the cat killers.
"Shame on the international film festival for allowing this to go on," said Suzanne Lahaie of Freedom for Animals, a Toronto group.
Festival organisers declined to drop the documentary, saying it did not glorify the torture of animals.
Two scheduled screenings are going ahead, organisers said, despite the fact that a staff member was told by an anonymous phone caller that he would be skinned alive.
The artists - Jesse Power, Anthony Wennekers and Matt Kaczorowski - said their intent was to make an anti-animal cruelty film, reasoning that skinning a cat would expose the slaughter of factory-reared animals.
As far as I'm concerned it's these sick, self-serving, sadistic f
ckers who should be skinned. I'm outraged that they are being given airtime for their nasty crime. Edited to say: Oops, posted this in the wrong forum, it was meant to be in General Gassing. Could a mod move it for me please. Thanks.
>>> Edited by roadsweeper on Wednesday 15th September 15:22
These people aren't "artists", they are simply sick. Fulfilling your unhealthy fetishes by filming yourself killing and mutilating a cat and then calling it "art" isn't going to fool anyone.
A bit like Damien Hirst who displayed the chopped up sheep in the Tate. At least he didn't film himself mutilating it first.
Bloody wierdos need to get their heads looked at.
A bit like Damien Hirst who displayed the chopped up sheep in the Tate. At least he didn't film himself mutilating it first.
Bloody wierdos need to get their heads looked at.
t1grm said:
Yes but the protest is over a documentary about the killing by someone else. Not the people that did the killing in the first place. Do you think anyone who makes a documentatry on the 9/11 attacks should be put in the same bracket as the terrorists that carried out the attack?
You have a point if the documentary is really a documentary rather than a publicity attempt that is giving these guys international 'fame'. However, I'm more concerned with the people who did that to a cat than someone deciding to show a documentary about it.
roadsweeper said:
Yes but the protest is over a documentary about the killing by someone else. Not the people that did the killing in the first place. Do you think anyone who makes a documentatry on the 9/11 attacks should be put in the same bracket as the terrorists that carried out the attack?
You have a point if the documentary is really a documentary rather than a publicity attempt that is giving these guys international 'fame'. However, I'm more concerned with the people who did that to a cat than someone deciding to show a documentary about it.
Agreed. The people that did the original act in 2001 are dispicable and should be skinned themselves. However I think vinegar rather than formaldhyde (sp?) would be a more appropriate preservative to dip them in - whilst they're still alive of course.
t1grm said:
t1grm said:
Yes but the protest is over a documentary about the killing by someone else. Not the people that did the killing in the first place. Do you think anyone who makes a documentatry on the 9/11 attacks should be put in the same bracket as the terrorists that carried out the attack?
You have a point if the documentary is really a documentary rather than a publicity attempt that is giving these guys international 'fame'. However, I'm more concerned with the people who did that to a cat than someone deciding to show a documentary about it.
Agreed. The people that did the original act in 2001 are dispicable and should be skinned themselves. However I think vinegar rather than formaldhyde (sp?) would be a more appropriate preservative to dip them in - whilst they're still alive of course.
I think there'd be a very large audience to see them get skinned alive. £20 a ticket anybody?
So this bloke at work keeps saying......
simpo two said:
I fear they did it for the publicity, and got some as planned.
If it happened in the UK, wouldn't they go to jail for animal cruelty?
It said they pleaded guilty to charges of 'animal cruelty' which could lead to jail time. However, it doesn't say what their sentence was.
What I'm wondering is, would you all be screaming for their blood if they had done it to, say, a snake, instead of a cute, fuzzy-wuzzy little kitty cat??
Can't say I agree with it, though.
Gary
I agreee that if you need to kill an animal to survive then that's OK. I would also say that mutilating and skinning a snake was disgusting and cruel.
Of course, I see a weakness in my own argument because although I try and remove spiders rather than kill them, and I move worms when I'm gardening so I don't chop them up, I do kill ants and moths as I see them as a pest. I don't do it for pleasure though so maybe it's not so comparable?....
Of course, I see a weakness in my own argument because although I try and remove spiders rather than kill them, and I move worms when I'm gardening so I don't chop them up, I do kill ants and moths as I see them as a pest. I don't do it for pleasure though so maybe it's not so comparable?....
The fact is that these people killed and mutilated not for food, not for need, but for self gratification.
I believe that there is something wrong, something at fault in the wiring, of the minds of people who can commit deliberate cruelty to animals.
There is a strong correlation between those people who deliberately torture or kill animals for pleasure, and those people who go on to do similar things to people.
It takes a certain kind of person to pick up a cat or dog or kitten or whatever, and commit torture and murder to it at close quarters without any basic need for food or survival. We should be very suspicious of such people.
This is why animal cruelty cannot be tolerated.
I believe that there is something wrong, something at fault in the wiring, of the minds of people who can commit deliberate cruelty to animals.
There is a strong correlation between those people who deliberately torture or kill animals for pleasure, and those people who go on to do similar things to people.
It takes a certain kind of person to pick up a cat or dog or kitten or whatever, and commit torture and murder to it at close quarters without any basic need for food or survival. We should be very suspicious of such people.
This is why animal cruelty cannot be tolerated.
ScoobyZoom said:
Where do you draw the line though?
Whilst this case is somewhat disturbing, censorship in all its forms is more disturbing than anything a load of artists could come up with.
Damned if you do and all that...
Mate... They skinned a cat alive...
Hate to look like I'm siding with these guys, but it doesn't state that they skinned the cat alive.
Perhaps it was an old cat that was dying anyway, and they had it humanely put down before performing their 'art'.
Don't miss any steps on your leaps to conclusions guys...
Gary
gary_tholl said:
Hate to look like I'm siding with these guys, but it doesn't state that they skinned the cat alive.
Perhaps it was an old cat that was dying anyway, and they had it humanely put down before performing their 'art'.
Don't miss any steps on your leaps to conclusions guys...
Gary
ok tiger... easy now...
How about this?
scoobs should have said:
dude... they skinned a cat... hows about we draw the line there
I merely thought that all the fuss created was because it would have been alive otherwise it is just like that cow exhibit.
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