The Power of Controversy

According to certain genre theorists, the genre of satire is a necessary part of any society, since it creates a forum for public discourse that cannot be expressed otherwise, especially not in political debates. Satire does not have to be politically correct, which leads to that it can discuss sensitive issues in a way that most political parties cannot. 

A newspaper that has become famous for expressing controversial issues and thereby, perhaps, liberating public debate, is the French newspaper Charlie Hebdo. Founded in 1960, the satirical journal has become famous for its way of satirizing absolutely everything. The journal has been attacked by politicians, companies and famous people, for its satirical images and texts, to such a degree that a certain sum has been reserved in the journal's budget for the cost of all the lawsuits it receives. The editor of the journal, Gérard Biard, has stated in an interview (which can be seen here) that he sees it as his duty as a journalist to use the laws of freedom of expression, which are very strong and permitting in France, to start debates around controversial issues that are otherwise not addressed in France. He sees the lawsuits and the criticism that the journal receives as positive, since they show that people actually care about the things the journal addresses. 

Over the years, Charlie Hebdo has satirized the Pope, Muhammad, President Hollande, Barack Obama, Judaism and even the terrorist attacks on World Trade Center. Do you think, when reading the text above and looking at the pictures below, that these satirical images bring something to the French society; that they make discussions on the topics satirized easier? Or do you have trouble seeing any real power of controversy?

On 9/11, a salesman screams "vendez" (sell) instead of warning his co-workers of the airplane.

A cartoon satirizing the resistance to gay marriage by stating that we all have three fathers in the "The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit"