Discussion: Down with Molestia (John Joseco vs. Phil Robertson)

So I just found out that Ask Princess Molestia was taken down.

I never really liked the blog. I didn’t think the jokes were funny. Plus, I’m not into video games, so Gamer Luna wasn’t for me, either.

But when Down with Molestia came up, I thought it was well-intentioned but too extreme. Right now I’m inclined to draw a comparison between John Joseco and Phil Robertson of the television show “Duck Dynasty.” If you haven’t heard, Robertson was suspended (for a short while) from the show for making comments about how homosexuality was sinful.

Now, I (along with many others) believe his comments were hateful and misinformed. But I didn’t feel that he should have been suspended for his comments. He did exercise his right to free speech, and he didn’t directly incite any illegal action. The same goes for John Joseco. His sort of humor in “Ask Princess Molestia” is objectionable to many people (to me? I haven’t seen much of the actual blog, so I don’t know), but it is an exercise of free speech, and it doesn’t directly incite illegal action.

Certainly people have the right to heavily criticize both Robertson and Joseco for their expressions, and they can demand apologies or the like. Concerning Joseco, it is acceptable to ask (read: demand) that he take down the blog. But he initially just brushed off the whole movement. The next step is not to get the blog removed by force. (To me it’s not clear if that’s what Down with Molestia is trying to do.)