George Clooney pic gets Iranian newspaper banned
Also in Tattle: A comedy fundraiser for Charlie Hebdo and Ben McKenzie is coming to Philly
THERE ONCE was a time that publishing lies was a bad thing.
Now publishing truth is a bad thing.
We're not talking about newspapers' or networks' political biases, or about charged issues for which people can have different opinions.
We're referring to the ultra-Orthodox Israeli newspaper HaMevaser ("The Announcer"), which published the photo of world leaders linking arms at the Charlie Hebdo rally in Paris and photoshopped out the women - you know, like Angela Merkel, chancellor of that little European hamlet called Germany.
(Tattle note: This is not the same as airbrushing Kim Kardashian's ass.)
We're also referring to the reformist Iranian newspaper Mardom-e Emrooz ("Today's People"), which ran a photo of George Clooney wearing his "Je suis Charlie" pin at the Golden Globes under the headline "I'm Charlie too." The move, according to mediaite.com, got the paper banned by the Iranian government.
The photo and headline were "deemed insulting," the paper's director, Ahmad Sattari, told the Irna news agency, mediaite said.
It's troubling enough when editorial decisions are made that cower to fear and ignorance, but if untouched photographic documents of actual events can't be published or must be altered in order to be published, then we are truly living in bizarro world.
* In sort-of-related news, "Standup for Charlie Hebdo" will be held Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
The host is political comedian Scott Blakeman and fellow organizers are comedian/comedy writer (and Tattle buddy) John Marshall and political strategist/author Justin Krebs, co-founder of Laughing Liberally.
The fundraiser will include political comedy with a panel discussion of cartoonists and print satirists, all in the name of protecting and defending freedom of speech.
The panel will include Bob Mankoff, cartoon editor of the New Yorker; Tony Hendra, editor of National Lampoon; and Joe Raiola, senior editor of MAD.
The comedians include Marshall, Lizz Winstead, John Fugelsang, Dean Obeidallah, Jeff Kreisler, Julianna Forlano, Frank Conniff, Laughing Liberally co-founder Katie Halper, Jim David, Leighann Lord, Ken Schultz and more.
A hundred percent of the net proceeds will go to Charlie Hebdo and the families of the victims of the attack.
Info: standupforcharlie.
eventbrite.com
TATTBITS
* "Gotham" star Ben McKenzie ("Southland," "The O.C.") will make his first Wizard World appearances Saturday and Sunday, May 9-10, at Pennsylvania Convention Center.
In Philadelphia, Ben will be joined by fellow "Gotham" star Robin Lord Taylor (Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin), along with Penn Badgley ("Gossip Girl," "Easy A"), Karl Urban ("Star Trek," "The Bourne Supremacy"), Kelly Frye ("The Flash," "Roommates") and many others to be announced in the Daily News, your source for all things Wizard.
Buy tix at wizardworld.com/
admission.html.
- Daily News wire services
contributed to this report.
phillynews.com
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On Twitter: @DNTattle