Google: Do be evil

By now you’ve probably heard or read about the Nazi skinhead attack on a collection of “shock artist” Andres Serrano’s photographs in Sweden. The Nazis, who videotaped their destruction of the “degenerate” art and posted it on YouTube — presumably so the whole world could see what small-minded asstards they are.

You can’t find that video anymore though — not because it was posted by Nazis or because it’s being used in the investigation to bring them to justice, but because it’s been deemed pornographic.

Search engine giant Google has blocked access to video footage of four masked men who vandalized the photo exhibition ‘A history of sex’ at an art gallery in Lund on Friday. Google prevented users of YouTube and Google Video from viewing the video, not for its depiction of a criminal act but because it contained images of a pornographic nature, Sydsvenskan reports.

In case there’s any confusion here, Google is basically taking the same position as the skinheads: we don’t like it, so you can’t see it. I’m not saying Google are Nazis. But the logic is pretty much the same.

Listen, I don’t like Serrano’s stuff myself. I think he’s a total wanker. But lots of art is made by wankers. Lots of everything is made by wankers. Even search engines!

Boo Google!

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