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Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix
Swedish photographer Magnus Muhr makes great cartoons from dead flies placed strategically on paper. As you can see, the result looks like an acid-induced reenvisioning of The Far Side, only without any actual punchlines.
I wonder what PETA would say about this “art.” If they were enraged over president Obama’s fly swat heard round the world, how could they be anything but downright bloodthirsty when they see this? What do you think, _flossers? Cruel abuse of an innocent creature or hilarious artwork using an overabundant pest?
Comments (12)
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I have to wonder if the artist kills the flies, or if they’re already dead when he finds them to use… either way, I’m okay with it.
posted by Megan on 11-5-2009 at 11:16 am
I’ll confess that an absolutely involuntary and natural laugh escaped me the instant that I saw that.
Kill all the flies you want, for whatever purpose necessary, do it however you need to. I feel some sympathy for industrious insects like ants and bees, but flies and roaches just need to die.
posted by Dave on 11-5-2009 at 11:24 am
How can anyone take anything PETA says seriously after that trial (I believe it was in North Carolina)? I can’t say I really care whether they are outraged or not. Flies are a pest and it appears they make great DADA art!
posted by Anna on 11-5-2009 at 11:44 am
Well, if the flies died of natural causes, PETA shouldn’t have an issue. If anything, it is recycling. Maybe that fly’s purpose in life was to become hilarious art?
posted by Heather on 11-5-2009 at 12:48 pm
I suppose PETA could take issue with the notion that the artist is exploiting the flies, which is against PETA code.
Personally, I have a problem with killing flies for the sake of a cartoon, but if they were dead when the artist found them, I suppose it’s fine.
I wonder what the reaction would be to an artist using unidentified dead human bodies in cartoons? Probably outrage, yeah?
posted by Andy on 11-5-2009 at 1:17 pm
Oh, PETA. Will you ever cease to be ridiculous?
Personally, it doesn’t bother me that the artist is using the flies. I wouldn’t even mind if he’s killing them himself; there are plenty of flies, and I can’t imagine he’s making much of a dent in the population. The only thing I don’t like is that the photos are kind of gross to look at (probably doesn’t help that I’m eating lunch!).
posted by Kelsey on 11-5-2009 at 1:47 pm
I thought this piece was quite timely as I listened to the fly stuck to the fly strip above my desk buzz and buzz trying to escape. Sad.
posted by Gretchen on 11-5-2009 at 3:10 pm
I think that it should be noted that the initial address is NSFW.
posted by Kendall on 11-5-2009 at 3:19 pm
there are great….PETA can shove it were the sun dont shine…they started out as a good thing and now are an embarrassment to the animales they try to protect…just my $.02….
posted by Jennfier on 11-5-2009 at 4:01 pm
Hilarious. Loved it and may try it at home for the kids.
(Andy) I imagine if you used unidentified human bodies it would (and should) cause outrage. Hopefully you’re not equating humans with flies?
captcha: four-power tryst
only in my wildest dreams…
posted by David on 11-5-2009 at 5:00 pm
am i the only one that finds this as disturbing as i do? still hilarious though…
posted by Eva on 11-5-2009 at 8:58 pm
The very sight of flies makes me cringe. They’ve freaked me out ever since I watched The Fly as a child. So the comics themselves are a bit gag-inducing to me, but if there are fewer flies living in the world because of them, the artist should by all means keep it up!
posted by Ally on 11-5-2009 at 10:35 pm