Catholic League about YouTube’s double-standard

From the Catholic League:

October 7, 2008

EUCHARIST DESECRATED ON YouTube

Under the name fsmdude, a Canadian man, Dominique, has posted over 40 videos on YouTube desecrating the Eucharist. Catholic League president Bill Donohue responds as follows:

“On September 29, I wrote to YouTube CEO Chad Hurley asking him to take down these offensive videos. I left a phone message for him on October 3, but he refuses to respond. Accordingly, I have posted my own video on YouTube calling attention to this matter.

“It was a professor from the University of Minnesota, Morris campus, Paul Z. Myers, who started the war on the Eucharist this past summer by intentionally desecrating a consecrated Host. Because Myers committed this act off-campus, the University did nothing about it. The latest copycat, however, has violated YouTube’s own ‘Community Guidelines.’ YouTube makes it clear that it does not ‘permit hate speech,’ defined as ‘speech which attacks or demeans a group based on race or ethnic origin, religion….’ It also says it ‘is not a shock site.’ Now if desecrating what Catholics believe to be the Body and Blood of Christ does not constitute hate speech, as well as expression designed to shock, nothing does.

“In August, YouTube took down a video of a teenager who urinated on the Holocaust memorial in Rhodes, Greece. That was not only the right moral choice, it was consistent with its own strictures. Catholics deserve the same sensitivity, and that is why we are asking YouTube to take down these unconscionable videos. It is not only right morally, it is in compliance with its own guidelines.”

Contact editor@YouTube.com

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLP2fHGHX7c]

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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12 Comments

  1. Matt of South Kent says:

    You tube is owned by Google.

    They also have lucrative contracts with parters.

    YouTube has struck numerous partnership deals with content providers such as CBS, BBC, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, Warner Music Group, NBA, The Sundance Channel and many more.

    I suggest we may want to contact these groups about their relationship with You Tube.

  2. Matt of South Kent says:

    And… They will release their earnings on October 16.

    They normally will take questions from people who attend, maybe we could bring it up then.

    2008 Q3 Earnings Conference Call
    Thursday, October 16, 2008
    1:30 PM PT / 4:30 PM ET

  3. Frank H says:

    I don’t that this will do any good, but I just went through all the desecration videos I could find and “flagged” them as “hateful or abusive content” towards “religion”.

  4. Ben Trovato says:

    It might be worth ‘flagging’ all the videos as offensive. I know a number of people have already done so, but the more, the better. (You can find them by searching on fsmdude – don’t watch them as a) they are blasphemous, and b) you will only add to their viewing figures!) The ‘flag’ option appears under each video window – you don’t have to watch the videos to label them as offensive.

  5. Howard says:

    I went to flag the videos, but a search on fmsdude only showed a response to him. Have the videos been pulled again? If so, or how long?

  6. Frank H says:

    Howard, it’s fsmdude. You reversed the s and the m.

  7. Melody says:

    Father, I emailed you about this once before but I guess you didn’t get it. One of fsmdude’s videos shows the him getting the host from a church and shows a clear shot of the altar, which has a very distinctive altar piece.

    If someone recognizes the church, maybe we can send the video to the parish and keep him out. His profile says he lives in Canada.
    http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=FHS60cyrbrE

  8. Howard says:

    Is there a way to flag the video without clicking on the picture (which will cause it to start and register as a hit)? I will not start any of those videos under any circumstances.

  9. Ben Trovato says:

    According to another You Tube user, PhiloAnthropist, “fsm dude is “Dominique Poulin” of Quebec City in real life. He attended Cégep de Sainte-Foy for what we would consider “high school” and is now likely attending Ecole Secondaire Les Compagnons-de-Cartier, Cégep François-Xavier-Garneau, or Cégep Limoilou where it is believed he studies biology. He lives with his father, Jacob Poulin (or is it Jacque, or is it John, I am not entirely sure) and he has stolen hosts from Saint-Félix de Valois in Cap-Rouge.”

  10. Jayna says:

    I made sure to put a flag on his newest video (posted yesterday) of him showing how to keep the host in your mouth so that it doesn’t dissolve. It is essentially a training video for others to imitate his unacceptable behavior. I cannot believe he has been allowed to post 35 different videos without any repercussions whatsoever.

  11. shadrach says:

    Communion on the tongue must become the norm again.

  12. PhillyChaise says:

    Melody, I had already posted the name of the church in the video as being “St. Felix” located in Quebec, Canada. From what I have been told by other Catholic Youtuber’s the church (St. Felix) has been aware of what Fmsdude has been doing with the consecrated hosts. I was told that the matter has already been brought to the attention of the Bishop a few weeks ago, so they are aware of the situation.

    I too am of the belief that flagging will do nothing to make Youtube remove the desecration video’s. The best way to affect change is by hitting Youtube in the pocket through their “partnership sponsors” as another poster mentioned. This and lots of prayer are the only real ways to fight Youtube’s acceptance of religious bigotry against Catholic’s.

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