When in Rome….
The head honcho of Iran flew into Italy this week. Now that all the sanctions are dropped, he’s there to make a few deals. Lots of oil money flowing finally and everybody is rubbing hands in anticipation of some serious profits. This, in case you haven’t been paying attention, is the way the world works. All well and good. The rich can get a bit richer and the rest of us can get trickled on.
I stopped throwing myself in the gears of capitalism long ago. In fact, I am a businessman myself, registered with the state of Washington, and paying taxes just like Microsoft and Boeing. You know, without some of the breaks they got. No, my beef isn’t with the profit motive, mine is with the folks in Italy who decided they needed to cover up their art with fig leaves so that the Iranian prez wouldn’t be so offended he might turn tail and tear up future contracts. These statues from antiquity were bare ass naked. I mean, really offensive stuff. Penises and breasts, genitalia, all those body parts the Italians are worried would be viewed as a sick porn party.
David and Venus de Milo, all that degenerate art Western Culture ordinarily celebrates unless it interferes with business deals, needed to be covered. Sure don’t want to offend the mullahs and their entourage, not when multi-billion lira deals are on the line. I assume most TV stations were told to stand down as well, movie theaters closed for the week and book stores asked to censor their shelves. Been awhile, I guess, since the Iranians got out for a spin around the globe, no need to shock sheltered sensibilities.
In full disclosure, my so-called business is art. Hopefully not too degenerate, but hey, filth, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Like most of my artist cronies, I get my fair share of criticism, not primarily from the mullahs but from the neighbors who have their own standards regarding art and culture. Censorship can be subtle or it can be harsh, but usually it’s honest. Censoring what you claim to love, what you say is the cornerstone of your culture, well, god forbid we offer up our own tolerance as an aesthetic. When in Rome now, apparently, they’re ashamed of what the Romans do. As they should be….
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