Reykjavik mayor jokes about porn, takes back comment

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Reykjavik mayor jokes about porn, takes back comment

Postby StuartM » Fri Sep 10, 2010 3:49 pm

Two recent stories from Iceland:

Mayor's Internet Porn Use Discussed in City Hall
9.9.2010

Due to a remark in an interview with the foreign press that Reykjavík mayor Jón Gnarr goes online to look at "mostly porn," the matter will now be brought up and discussed in city hall.

In the interview in question, with the AFP, among other questions, Gnarr is asked about his internet habits. His response, said with a laugh, was "Mostly porn."

Sóley Tómasdóttir, city council representative for the Left Greens, has taken the matter seriously and wants it discussed in city hall today.

"Maybe it was a joke, but I don't know how innocent it was," Sóley told Vísir. "Jokes like this don't do anything but normalize porn. Humor is a powerful weapon, as Jón knows well. This is very serious, and in direct opposition to the city's platform on human rights."

Sóley here refers to the fact that it is a part of the city's human rights platform - which Sóley helped author - to work against the spread of pornography. She also adds that it's a serious matter that the mayor of a city, himself a role model to young people, would make light of porn.

Hrannar Björn Arnarsson, assistant to the Prime Minister, agrees with Sóley, as does Björk Vilhelmsdóttir, chairman of the city social welfare committee. "Porn is violence," she writes on her Facebook page. "I don't understand why the mayor was saying this, seeing how he's a sincere spokesman against violence."


Mayor: "I Was Kidding"
9.9.2010

Reykjavík mayor Jón Gnarr clarified his position on pornography today after a remark he made during an interview with the AFP sparked harsh criticism from other Icelandic politicians.

As reported, he had answered a question about his online habits by saying, with a laugh, that when on the internet he's checking out "mostly porn". This remark prompted a strong reaction from a Left Green city councilperson, who said in part, "Jokes like this don't do anything but normalize porn. Humor is a powerful weapon, as Jón knows well. This is very serious, and in direct opposition to the city's platform on human rights." Björk Vilhelmsdóttir, chairman of the city social welfare committee, took the same opinion, adding, "Porn is violence. I don't understand why the mayor was saying this, seeing how he's a sincere spokesman against violence."

Today, the mayor clarified his position, stating in part, "I was kidding. I find porn tragic. It's a loveless world and unattractive. This is sex without love."

"Icelandic politics is at such a low plane that an inappropriate man can become mayor," he continued. "Politics is in many ways an act, and I haven't learned all the rules yet. But I'm getting it."

His response was welcomed by the Feminist Society of Iceland, for taking a clear position against pornography.


Obviously the Mayor's comments were totally unacceptable but it's good that they've provoked such a strong reaction and that he felt the need to quickly take them back. Gnarr by the way is one of Iceland's most famous comedians and was elected for the 'Best Party' which was set up as a joke party and won huge support in the recent council elections among people who were disillusioned with the mainstream parties.
Last edited by StuartM on Fri Sep 10, 2010 4:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Reykjavik mayor jokes about porn, takes back comment

Postby sam » Fri Sep 10, 2010 4:40 pm

I needed this right now, today.

Would you mind if I moved this to the public forum?
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Re: Reykjavik mayor jokes about porn, takes back comment

Postby StuartM » Fri Sep 10, 2010 4:48 pm

sam wrote:I needed this right now, today.

Would you mind if I moved this to the public forum?

Of course not, you can either move it or repost it. I'm not always sure where best to put things.
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Re: Reykjavik mayor jokes about porn, takes back comment

Postby StuartM » Fri Sep 10, 2010 8:08 pm

The first articles I posted were from Reykjavik Grapevine. I also found this on Iceland Review:

Is Mayor Gnarr Wearing any Clothes?

Reykjavík’s mayor, Jón Gnarr, has provoked anger from feminist city council member Sóley Tómasdóttir. In an interview with AFP, a French news agency, the mayor said that he liked porn on the internet. Tómasdóttir who is a member of the Left Green party is furious over the remarks. She demands that they be discussed in a council meeting on Thursday morning.

A journalist for visir.is asked Tómasdóttir if this wasn’t just an innocent joke from Gnarr. She replied: “A joke maybe, but I can’t accept that it was innocent. A joke like that does nothing but normalize pornography. Humor is a sharp weapon like Gnarr well knows. By telling this joke, if it is a joke, Gnarr is using it to normalize the use of porn. That is very serious and in direct opposition to the city’s declaration on human rights.”

Tómasdóttir says on visir.is that it is totally unacceptable to joke about pornography. “It is quite clear in the city’s human rights declaration that it intends to fight pornography and the mayor should act accordingly. “You may wonder what influence this has on young boys, because the mayor in Reykjavík is a role model for many boys.”

The article on the website France 24 includes the following:

“The mayor's next project? "To make Reykjavik a twin city of Mummin valley," an imaginary world filled with cuddly trolls and other creatures created by Finnish author Tove Jansson 70 years ago.

And what of his Internet habits? "Mostly porn," he says with a laugh.

As for his motto, it is of course "transparent corruption: we are going to be corrupt openly."

Gnarr is certainly not afraid of making a splash.

At the beginning of August he led a rambunctious Gay Pride parade through the Icelandic capital sporting a blond wig, bright red lipstick and wearing a floral-print dress with a large, bright yellow handbag over his shoulder.”

Tómasdóttir has very strong feminist views. In an interview with DV she said: “It took me a long time to get over giving birth to a boy. I still feel it is very special. He is very sweet and wonderful and I am really happy with him, but it is still odd to have a boy. First and foremost I have learned that it is not at all horrible to have a boy as I first thought.”


Mayor Jón Gnarr: Porn is Animalistic and Disgusting

Mayor Jón Gnarr deeply regrets the controversy created as a result of comments he made during an interview with French news agency AFP regarding his watching of pornography, visir.is reports.

“I was only joking,” said Gnarr and pointed out that immediately after uttering the word, he specifically stated that he was joking, and proceeded to tell the reporter that the web sites he visited the most were Facebook and Google. That addition, however, was not included in the interview.

When asked by visir.is about his opinion on pornography, Gnarr’s answer was clear: “I think it is tragic. It is a world without love and it is very unattractive. Pornography is sex without love, which is nothing more than animalistic and dis-gusting.”

Gnarr therefore claims that his words were taken out of context by AFP. He has not decided whether to file a complaint. “I just haven’t had a moment to figure it out.At first I thought that this was silly and I didn’t expect anyone to wonder about it,” said Gnarr, who returned from Brussels two days ago. “I thought that everyone would be talking about the citizens’ meeting regarding poverty held here at the City Hall. Unfortunately, there was no time to discuss the matter at the city council meeting.”

He feels that it is tragic that the time of the city council had been spent discussing his quote when so many of Reykjavík’s families are suffering. “I am more ashamed of that than this quote; that the city council is not prioritizing correctly,” said Gnarr. Bót’s citizens’ meeting could not be discussed because of the discussion related to his quote.

“The sad situation in Icelandic politics is that an inappropriate man is mayor. Politics is mostly about acting and I still haven’t yet learned the tricks. But I’m getting there.”

Gnarr admittedly found it very uncomfortable that a city council meeting had been devoted to discussing his quote regarding pornography. “I am hurt by the fact that I’m being declared a bad person. I am an ardent pacifist.”
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Re: Reykjavik mayor jokes about porn, takes back comment

Postby delphyne » Sat Sep 11, 2010 1:58 am

Icelandic women are kicking ass.
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Re: Reykjavik mayor jokes about porn, takes back comment

Postby berryblade » Sun Sep 12, 2010 11:47 pm

brb - moving to iceland
I'll feel no fear or hate as I commit menocide
Kill your masters.
'Menocide' - Otep Shamaya
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