Interviews: Ask SMBC's Creator Zach Weiner a Question 90
Zach Weiner is the author and illustrator of a number of webcomics, most notably Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal (SMBC). He's been a guest contributor to xkcd and founded the sketch comedy group SMBC Theater. His project Augie and the Green Knight, was the most funded children's book on Kickstarter, and his newest project The Gentleman's Single-Use Monocle offers readers emergency reading protection with a bit of class. Zach has agreed to step away from the comics for a bit and answer any questions you might have. As usual, ask as many as you'd like, but please, one per post.
Sacred cows? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
To bring it back on topic:
You prod harder on the ones who can take a joke and where you actually have to push the envelope to get a reaction. Poking Islam is like poking a killer bees nest with your Weiner.
Of course, do it enough and the killer bees die off. But, that's a painful way for most people to go.
Re: (Score:1)
Now you're talking about what Anthony Weiner does.
Re: (Score:2)
He is actually really careful about that. There are regular barbecues of sacred cows related to Judaism and Christianity, but never so much as a hint of poking fun at Islam or Mohammed.
It could be caution, but it could also be the fact that poking fun at empowered groups in your own culture carries a very different context than poking fun at foreign cultures (or disempowered groups in your own culture).
Re: (Score:2)
It could be caution, but it could also be the fact that poking fun at empowered groups in your own culture carries a very different context than poking fun at foreign cultures (or disempowered groups in your own culture).
So you're saying Islam is a "foreign culture" in the USA. How many Muslims do we have to have living here as citizens before it becomes one of the (many) American subcultures?
Also, your use of the term "disempowered" is hilarious. Just because Islamists in the USA can't get away with chopping off people's heads here (like they do elsewhere in the world) doesn't make them "disempowered" relative to Christianity and Judaism. Always with Islam it's the (pardon the expression) camel's nose in the tent. Isl
Re: (Score:2)
It could be caution, but it could also be the fact that poking fun at empowered groups in your own culture carries a very different context than poking fun at foreign cultures (or disempowered groups in your own culture).
So you're saying Islam is a "foreign culture" in the USA. How many Muslims do we have to have living here as citizens before it becomes one of the (many) American subcultures?
Also, your use of the term "disempowered" is hilarious. Just because Islamists in the USA can't get away with chopping off people's heads here (like they do elsewhere in the world) doesn't make them "disempowered" relative to Christianity and Judaism. Always with Islam it's the (pardon the expression) camel's nose in the tent. Islamists have no sense of humor, no tolerance for criticism, and no qualms about taking their half from the middle and screwing atheists, homosexuals, apostates, and in general, persons of other religions (inculding variants of Islam slightly different from theirs).
As you pointed out the "disempowered" covers Muslims in the US. And my evidence for them being disempowered (marginalized would be a better term) is the ease with which people will hear Muslim and translate it to Islamist, and then they'll start sprouting off half a dozen negative stereotypes that would be verboten if applied to most other groups.
Re: (Score:2)
As you pointed out the "disempowered" covers Muslims in the US. And my evidence for them being disempowered (marginalized would be a better term) is the ease with which people will hear Muslim and translate it to Islamist, and then they'll start sprouting off half a dozen negative stereotypes that would be verboten if applied to most other groups.
You're really going off on a tangent here. Getting back on subject, perhaps we can agree that the most likely reason for SMBC's curious silence toward Islam is not because Zach can't find anything silly in their beliefs, but rather because conservative Muslims around the world, aka Islamists of different degrees, are likely to commit acts of violence in response to their religion being made fun of.
Also, just for the record, equating "Muslim" and "Islamist" is often a reasonably accurate approximation, p
Re: (Score:3)
As you pointed out the "disempowered" covers Muslims in the US. And my evidence for them being disempowered (marginalized would be a better term) is the ease with which people will hear Muslim and translate it to Islamist, and then they'll start sprouting off half a dozen negative stereotypes that would be verboten if applied to most other groups.
You're really going off on a tangent here. Getting back on subject, perhaps we can agree that the most likely reason for SMBC's curious silence toward Islam is not because Zach can't find anything silly in their beliefs, but rather because conservative Muslims around the world, aka Islamists of different degrees, are likely to commit acts of violence in response to their religion being made fun of.
Possibly, but I don't recall him making fun of Hindu's, African Tribal religions, or Chinese culture either. He might be silent out of caution, or he might be ignoring them for the same reasons he ignores those other groups.
Also, just for the record, equating "Muslim" and "Islamist" is often a reasonably accurate approximation, particularly outside the USA but frequently here as well. There are useful litmus tests to identify an Islamist, such as: "Should it be illegal to burn a Koran?" "Should people be allowed to apostatize from Islam?" and so forth. If you only ask about affinity for Osama bin Laden you will definitely miss a lot of the scary religious nuts. Their ultimate goal is not peaceful coexistence in a pluralistic society, but rather enforcement of norms of sharia law and subjugation of non-Islamic people. Whether they are likely to be successful in their goal is irrelevant as to their classification as Islamists in that respect.
Since around 50% of Americans support a flag burning amendment [wikipedia.org] does that make them all scary nationalist nuts? There's not even a god who's supposed to care about that one. As for Muslims some of what you're picking up on is just cultural differences, a Christian who talks about killing
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Since around 50% of Americans support a flag burning amendment [wikipedia.org] does that make them all scary nationalist nuts? There's not even a god who's supposed to care about that one.
This may come as a shock to you, but this is the USA, and patriotism is OK here. If some people get a little carried away, that's not as big a deal as people who want to subject non-Muslims to sharia law. If you really don't see the difference between the two, then it appears that you will never be in danger of someone demanding you relinquish your hippie credentials.
(Side note: I agree with the SCOTUS that flag burning and other forms of expression that don't actually cause harm to others should remain
Re: (Score:2)
If I burn a Koran, I may be murdered by those who want to split the USA into favored adherents of Islam versus subjugated slaves of Islam (dhimmis). I am... uh... really not OK with that, and I despise and want to publi
Re: (Score:2)
Look, if I burn a flag, I am likely to get an evil eye from a bunch of people, and possibly be punched in the nose by a veteran. All things considered I don't regard that as a huge threat, and I admit a certain fondness for these misguided patriots, even as they're punching me in the nose.
If I burn a Koran, I may be murdered by those who want to split the USA into favored adherents of Islam versus subjugated slaves of Islam (dhimmis). I am... uh... really not OK with that, and I despise and want to publicly shame people who promote that agenda. Do you see the difference now, hippie? :)
Your original argument was that the mere desire to ban Koran burning made them Islamists, now you've switched to talking about the Muslims who want to kill you for it. That is another conversation.
And as you admit you're sympathetic to the people who want to ban flag burning (or at least threaten burners with violence) so you're apparently ok with people who want to ban burning of your special symbol, but when it comes to people who want to ban burning of their special symbol you label them Islamists and re
Re: (Score:2)
Your original argument was that the mere desire to ban Koran burning made them Islamists, now you've switched to talking about the Muslims who want to kill you for it. That is another conversation.
No, they're still different despite your efforts to paint them the same. The ban on Koran burning will almost never exist in isolation, but rather as part of a continual progression toward Islamic domination of the society. It's part of a larger package we really don't want, which is called "sharia". Well, at least _I_ really don't want it, don't know about you.
Are you unaware that sharia principles are not isolated, one-off notions taken by individuals, but rather are actually written down and codified
Re: (Score:2)
Meanwhile, you say you "may" be murdered. Well, fuck, I "may" be murdered for burning the US flag is I seek out those most likely to be inflamed and irrational and then desecrate their holy symbol.
Perhaps you're unaware that death is specified in Muslim holy texts as the correct response to desecration of the Koran, blasphemy of Mohammed or Allah, attempted apostasy or turning away from the Muslim faith, along with a laundry list of other sins. This is actual law in many places around the world, and it's amazing to see liberal non-Muslims "see no evil, hear no evil" etc. when they fail to admit sharia is creeping onto their own turf.
Nobody will kill you for burning an American flag. Maximum forcef
Re: (Score:2)
This is actual law in many places around the world,
Which sucks, but is entirely irrelevant in the US.
OK, fair enough to some extent, I agree that people clamoring for sharia law and/or jihad isn't a real threat as long as individuals never act on their barbarous ideology (unfortunately many individuals do), and as long as Muslims don't become the majority locally, regionally, or nationally (they have in some areas here, and regionally/nationally elsewhere in the world). A pretty good litmus test for how the progression to sharia is going would be to walk through a neighborhood wearing a yarmulke and see h
Re: (Score:2)
Also, your use of the term "disempowered" is hilarious. Just because Islamists in the USA can't get away with chopping off people's heads here (like they do elsewhere in the world) doesn't make them "disempowered" relative to Christianity and Judaism.
Yes, it does.
There just aren't that many Islamists with violent intent in the USA. There are so few, in fact, that the FBI has to groom them so they have enough. In fact, there were more Jewish terrorist attacks in the US than Muslim ones between 1980 and 2005 [loonwatch.com]. And, of course, Americans who claim to be Christians get away with more actual deaths in the USA and elsewhere (through the pretence of the military, the criminal justice system, etc) than Islamists ever could.
Zach Weiner, to his credit, knows the fi
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
found the SJW
I wasn't trying to take a side but I was pointing out that there are reasons he might not be criticizing Muslims besides fear.
If you don't think that the power and social standing of groups doesn't matter in humour then take the jokes a black comedian tells about blacks or a Jewish comedian about Jews and try telling them as a white non-Jew. It's not translatable because the context is completely different.
Re: (Score:2)
That sort of thinking is very European - it shouldn't bother an American like Weiner, I hope.
That's why England is.. the truth is I don't even want to describe it. Not only do Americans not know the train wreak that is England, we're much happier for not knowing.
Re: (Score:3)
I think there are also other explanations.
I grew up in a vaguely Christian society, or at least one with a rich Christian history. I went to a church school up until secondary school because it was close. It's England, and C of E schools are quite common and, frankly, not nearly what you'd expect religious schools to be like. This is all an artefact of history which is why there's this mild pervasiveness of the C of E even if society as a whole is not religious. Anyway, needless to say, Christianity and var
Any Public Response to the Common Criticism? (Score:5, Funny)
lol Weinersmith (Score:1, Funny)
Weiner
Re: (Score:2)
Seriously, though. Weinersmith! How did it come to pass that yourwife opt to took this incredibly amazing name, mid-academic-career, and you didn't with your awesome career that could only benefit from having the name Weinersmith?
Re: (Score:2)
Where does one apprentice to become a master Weinersmith?
How do you come up with so many ideas DAILY? (Score:3, Interesting)
Huge fan of SMBC. I don't know how you come up with so many unique, thought-provoking ideas. Most comics that do that are on a 2-3 per week schedule.
I backed your monocle; while I do love the hilarity of a monocle in a condom-wrapper, I just want to help you prove your wife wrong.
Re: (Score:2)
Sorry you don't have a sense of humor.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Calvin and Hobbes has got to be the most overrated comic strip ever.
I don't mean I think it was bad; I don't. But it's not the be-all, end-all, god-tier, totally-original, nothing-else-compares, no-one-did-that-before that people make it out to be.
Re: (Score:2)
That's hardly fair. It's a bit like saying that the Dead Kennedies pail in comparison with Mozart.
Re: (Score:2)
Son, with a monocle at the ready, I would do damn near anything with it.
Ren & Stimpy (Score:5, Interesting)
I see a fair bit of other influences in your comics, with Ren & Stimpy references seeming to show up here and there. What other comic have played a role in your work, and is there some bad experience in early childhood that clearly left you so scarred from Ren & Stimpy?
Re: (Score:2)
I'll answer for him because, who is going to stop me? I'm only in favor of implantable microchips in cute and lovable humans. If that human would be as missed as a puppy if it wandered across the street and got lost, then sure.
Well if it isn't Mr "I only need one panel" (Score:1)
How many panels are you averaging now? Is there a graph over time?
Motivation (Score:1)
Has your motivation changed since you started SMBC?
Intellectual Sources (Score:4, Interesting)
With respect to your "philosophical thought experiment" comics, how many of your comics are based in topics/ideas you learned before the end of your formal education, how many are based on things you have encountered in your "continuing education" (whether based on life experience, or just what you are currently reading about), and how many are "novel" intuition pumps?
The Rise of Joke Theft on the Internet (Score:3)
Daniel Dennett (Score:2)
As a person who enjoys a little philosophy (and can manage to pull out the humorous side of it), what do you think of Daniel Dennett?
Japanese Bank (Score:2)
Also, what webcomic would you like to guest write?
Re: (Score:2)
Why would a Japanese bank be named Wiener?
Oh.
Re: (Score:2)
Now, a Chinese comapny [wikipedia.org], that makes perfect sense.
The Mrs. and the extended comic (Score:4, Interesting)
How does your wife feel being portrayed in the comic?
Zach Weiner is awesome (Score:2)
Um, aren't you forgetting something? (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Like prescription options for the monocle? If this is just clear glass, it's useless. If it's just a magnifying glass, I'll head to the dollar store.
Novelty items -- like the well-worn glasses/nose/mustache -- generally don't offer an option that includes a prescription or other medically relevant requirements.
Or, if you prefer: Whoosh. [that was the sound of the joke going over your head]
Re: (Score:1)
Re: Um, aren't you forgetting something? (Score:1)
The single use unlubricated monocle is for the express purpose of class enhancement. A prescription lens would not be viable for the disposable price point.
How did it start? (Score:3)
Do you have... (Score:3)
Do you have any extra wisdom to share with us that's you know, like... woah?
(For those less familiar with SMBC, this is one of my all time favourites http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id... [smbc-comics.com])
My questions: (Score:3)
Has An Interview Ever Gotten Your Name Wrong? (Score:3)
Boy, that'd be embarassing...
Give a talk at my university? (Score:2)
I'm a professor at a university in upstate New York. Would you be interested in giving a talk here? How could I arrange that? What kinds of talks do you have that would be of interest to engineering students and faculty? (Or would Kelly's work be more interesting to such an audience?)
BAHFest and creationists (Score:2)
Are you worried that creationists will try to subvert BAHFest by pointing to it as "Look, even the evolutionists think it's a joke that they can use to explain anything they want"?
Transporter Machine (Score:4, Interesting)
Would you use a transporter machine as is currently understood to be possible, i.e. destructive scanning of source and remote reconstitution from local matter?
Gloating (Score:1)
It is clear from its near immediate success that you have identified a large gap in the market that desperately needed filling.
Why Here? (Score:2)
Source material (Score:2)
Gender and skin color (Score:5, Interesting)
Dear Zach,
I noticed that your comics feature a remarkable balance in gender and skin color of the people you draw. There are also many same-gender couples. How do you do this? Do you decide yourself for each comic, or do you roll some dice? Do you randomize other things this way as well, like glasses and clothes?
By the way, I noticed that you maintain a list of things you cannot draw. But don't worry, you're way better than that Randall guy who can only draw black&white stick figures.
Jokes you didn't tell (Score:5, Interesting)
You often tell jokes that rely on fairly advanced math, science or economics. Have there been any jokes you scrapped because you thought they were *too* advanced for your audience?
Re: (Score:2)
well, Randal Monroe beat him to the "fuck computational linguistics" punchline.
The First Human (Score:1)
I bought the poster of your The First Human [smbc-comics.com] strip, and stuck it on the door of my kid's room. Just thought you'd like to know.