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No riots for Hollywood
Townhall.com ^ | May 20, 2005 | Brent Bozell (archive)

Posted on 05/20/2005 10:50:48 AM PDT by .cnI redruM

The riots caused by Newsweek's story claiming American interrogators were flushing the Koran caused many Americans to be amazed by the extreme reaction in the Islamic world. Ken Woodward, the long-time religion writer of Newsweek, tried to explain to Christians just how offensive Koran-flushing is to Muslims: "Recitation of the Koran is for Muslims much like what receiving the Eucharist is for Catholics -- a very intimate ingestion of the divine itself."

There's a certain irony here. If you wanted to see the Eucharist in the toilet, you needed only to watch the NBC sitcom "Committed" in February, when NBC played for laughs the idea that two main characters thought they accidentally dropped a communion wafer in a bar toilet.

Hollywood makes lame jokes and harsh satires of Christianity all the time, figuratively and literally tossing Jesus, the Bible and church figures into the toilet. Those alleged American interrogators are pikers compared to Tinseltown. They could learn at the feet of the masters of mockery.

Last May, on Fox's "That ‘70s Show," one character explained to another: "You don't get paid to be the best man. You do it for the satisfaction of nailing the hottest bridesmaid. It's in the Bible." Religion is often mocked as fairy tales for fruitcakes. In a January 2004 episode of "The Simpsons," the daughter Lisa tells the son Bart, "The Mount Builders worshipped turtles as well as badgers, snakes and other animals." Bart replies, "Thank God we've come to our senses and worship some carpenter that lived 2,000 years ago."

Anti-Semitic riots and hate crimes were endlessly predicted when Mel Gibson made "The Passion of the Christ." Frank Rich and all the other Gibson-bashers looked pretty silly when millions of Americans saw the movie, and the impending Kristallnacht didn't materialize.

But that hasn't stopped some in Hollywood from satirizing Gibson as a Nazi kook. You can go out and buy the DVD of South Park's cartoon treatment, titled "The Passion of the Jew," in which the young characters see the movie, and then Cartman starts a Mel Gibson fan club with Nazi/Holocaust overtones, while two other characters confront an over-the-top crazy Gibson dancing in a Carmen Miranda get-up as they demand their ticket money back. The DVD also includes a "classic" episode titled "Red Hot Catholic Love," where almost every Catholic priest and cardinal in the world favors having sex with altar boys, because it's supposedly been enshrined in Vatican law.

Impressed by lucrative DVD sales of the crude cancelled cartoon "Family Guy," Fox brought their old show back to Fox on May 1 with another Mel Gibson-as-kooky-Catholic-Nazi satire. The lead characters go on a second honeymoon in a Gibson hotel room, where they discover a secret film titled "The Passion the Christ 2: Crucify This," a buddy-cop picture with the tagline: "This July, let He who is without sin kick the first ass." Jesus even replies to a buddy-cop who claims he's crazy: "That's what my ex-wife said."

Peter, the lead character, protests ("That's all we need, more Mel Gibson Jesus mumbo-jumbo") and pledges to "save the world from another two hours of torture on behalf of Jesus, Scooby and the other beloved children's characters." His wife, Lois, worries that it's one thing to take Gibson's "towels, bathrobes and Nazi paraphernalia," but not the movie. A duo of Gibson's priest henchmen kidnap Lois and fly her to Gibson's house on the top of Mount Rushmore. The cartoon Gibson later falls to his death off the famous sculpture. Peter says it's because "Christians don't believe in gravity."

Even as Muslims rioted in Afghanistan, Fox was showing an episode of "The Simpsons" in which Homer and Bart convert to Catholicism, and havoc ensues. Marge is having a vision of being in Protestant heaven with country-club types, while over on the other cloud, Catholic heaven is full of passionate Latinos and fighting, drinking Irishmen. Homer and Bart join everyone else in Catholic heaven doing the Riverdance. At the end, two futuristic armies are about to kill each other pointlessly over differing interpretations of what St. Bart Simpson said. The episode was postponed because it was originally planned to air on the weekend Pope John Paul II died. How thoughtful.

So why doesn't Hollywood produce storylines about the Koran being flushed down the john? That, they would tell you firmly, with conviction, would be religious bigotry.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: christianbashing; religion
ALl it took was one Fatwa against Salmon Rushdie and noone in Hollywood had the guts to criticize Islam again. They always have time to rag Christianity to the dogs. Why? They know a soft target when it's presented.

The Avante Guarde are normally Avante Chickensh-t. They accuse Christians of every type of barbarity imaginable precisely because they know no decent practising Christian will actually burn them and then hang them from a bridge near Fallujah.

Let them meet somebody who would probably jack off while they burned, and the pathetic boot licking and fawning immediately commences.

1 posted on 05/20/2005 10:50:50 AM PDT by .cnI redruM
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To: .cnI redruM

After the crucifix in a glass of urine, there isn't much Hollywood can add that hasn't already been said.


2 posted on 05/20/2005 10:53:01 AM PDT by Brilliant
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To: Brilliant
Your tax money hard at work.
3 posted on 05/20/2005 10:53:43 AM PDT by .cnI redruM ("Every man's your brother 'til the rent comes due" - Anon.)
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To: .cnI redruM
Fox was showing an episode of "The Simpsons" in which Homer and Bart convert to Catholicism, and havoc ensues. Marge is having a vision of being in Protestant heaven with country-club types, while over on the other cloud, Catholic heaven is full of passionate Latinos and fighting, drinking Irishmen. Homer and Bart join everyone else in Catholic heaven doing the Riverdance. At the end, two futuristic armies are about to kill each other pointlessly over differing interpretations of what St. Bart Simpson said.

Actually, as a Catholic, I find that kinda funny.

4 posted on 05/20/2005 10:54:35 AM PDT by Rummyfan
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To: .cnI redruM

The riots caused by Newsweek's story
The riots caused by Newsweek's story
The riots caused by Newsweek's story
The riots caused by Newsweek's story
The riots caused by Newsweek's story

please make a note of it.


5 posted on 05/20/2005 10:58:40 AM PDT by AbeKrieger (Islam is the virus that causes al-Qaeda.)
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To: .cnI redruM
As Fred Barnes said, if the Koran is like the eucharist for Muslims, then how come they booby trap Korans in Iraq, hmmmmmmm?

Nice try, apologists.

6 posted on 05/20/2005 10:59:06 AM PDT by Darkwolf (aka Darkwolf377 lurker since'01, member since 4/'04--stop clogging me with pings!)
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To: .cnI redruM

Frankly, there should be a nationwide flushing of the Koran to show our protest to the islamics protest.


7 posted on 05/20/2005 11:00:56 AM PDT by lilylangtree (Veni, Vidi, Vici)
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To: Darkwolf

Good one. Hadn't heard that.


8 posted on 05/20/2005 11:01:02 AM PDT by RexBeach ("Anyone can see what's wrong, but can you see what's right?" -Winston Churchill)
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To: .cnI redruM
Don't forget Lucas' new film comparing Christ to Darth Vader. How ironic that the day before ROTS came out, the daily Catholic New Testament reading was:

Gospel
Mk 9:38-40

John said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us."

9 posted on 05/20/2005 11:03:16 AM PDT by Dilbert56
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To: .cnI redruM

I like Brent Bozell, but the man should grow a sense of humor. I find his foaming rants against cartoons like South Park and The Simpsons rather over the top.


10 posted on 05/20/2005 11:05:37 AM PDT by ozzymandus
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To: .cnI redruM

Note to multiculturalists and moral relativists: Some cultures are vastly superior to others!


11 posted on 05/20/2005 11:05:54 AM PDT by Dionysius
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To: .cnI redruM

I truly believe people responsible for this blasphany will go to hell. That is their conviction. Judgement will be served.


12 posted on 05/20/2005 11:05:57 AM PDT by peacebaby (I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man, I keep his house. Zsa Zsa Gabor)
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To: mgist; I_be_tc; paltz; SoKatt; fishbabe; LisaMalia; 4mycountry; shuvlhed; Loose_Cannon1; ...
Hollywood Leftist Ping!!!

Please FReepmail me if you want on/off this ping list.
13 posted on 05/20/2005 11:07:39 AM PDT by WinOne4TheGipper (Proud owner of 3 DU tombstones.)
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To: ozzymandus
Totally, totally agree. People like Brent Bozell personifies the stereotype that all conservatives are a bunch of mean-spirited, bible-thumping monsters.

Add Michael Medved to the list, too.

14 posted on 05/20/2005 11:08:57 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist (Harmful Or Fatal If Swallowed)
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To: .cnI redruM
This is one of the reasons I think Newsweak did us all a favor. They brilliantly contrasted the behavior of a civilized people who, while they might not like it, will not go full-goose-bozo over mocking of their religious icons, versus asshats who will kill over the most minimal perceived slight.

Too many have forgotten the contrast of us vs. them from 9/11, this country needed a fresh reminder of why we're superior to Islamofascist scum. They revere a book of fairy tales over human life, and we (except for abortion) tend to do the opposite.

15 posted on 05/20/2005 11:11:28 AM PDT by hunter112 (Total victory at home and in the Middle East!)
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To: .cnI redruM

I never believed that stupid Ko-ran was flushed down the toilet from the get-go. My kids stop up the toilet with a big wad of toilet paper, how do you flush a huge book?


16 posted on 05/20/2005 11:12:17 AM PDT by tuffydoodle
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To: .cnI redruM

Maybe hollywood is jealous and only seeks worship for themselves.


17 posted on 05/20/2005 11:12:46 AM PDT by jec41 (Screaming Eagle)
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To: Rummyfan
So did I when I watched the episode.


It's whining crap like this article (author not poster) that starts speech codes and if that's the case I'd rather people just insult me.

Less long term bloodshed that way.
18 posted on 05/20/2005 11:13:21 AM PDT by Anvilhead
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To: Darkwolf
This from The Corner on NRO

(http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/05_05_15_corner-archive.asp#063796)

The Bible in Saudi Arabia may get a person killed, arrested, or deported. In September 1993, Sadeq Mallallah, 23, was beheaded in Qateef on a charge of apostasy for owning a Bible. The State Department's annual human rights reports detail the arrest and deportation of many Christian worshipers every year. Just days before Crown Prince Abdullah met President Bush last month, two Christian gatherings were stormed in Riyadh. Bibles and crosses were confiscated, and will be incinerated. (The Saudi government does not even spare the Quran from desecration. On Oct. 14, 2004, dozens of Saudi men and women carried copies of the Quran as they protested in support of reformers in the capital, Riyadh. Although they carried the Qurans in part to protect themselves from assault by police, they were charged by hundreds of riot police, who stepped on the books with their shoes, according to one of the protesters.)
19 posted on 05/20/2005 11:15:52 AM PDT by .cnI redruM ("Every man's your brother 'til the rent comes due" - Anon.)
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To: lilylangtree
Frankly, there should be a nationwide flushing ....

Sorry....I have too much respect for my toilet

20 posted on 05/20/2005 11:16:16 AM PDT by GoldCountryRedneck (Life is so short. Play naked.)
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To: tuffydoodle

They must have some toilets down there .... but maybe the US printed the Koran on water soluble paper left over from the Cold War cypher pads ......


21 posted on 05/20/2005 11:17:42 AM PDT by SkyDancer ("If Love Can't Buy You Happiness, You Don't Know Where To Shop")
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To: SkyDancer

You know what would be really funny? That picture of Saddam Hussein in his skivvies with a piece of paper obviously ripped from a ko-ran hanging from his drawers as he walks away from the bathroom.


22 posted on 05/20/2005 11:22:08 AM PDT by tuffydoodle
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To: .cnI redruM
All it took was one Fatwa against Salmon Rushdie

I think that just about covers it ... cowardice. As far as Christians are concerned, I think that their confidence is such that attempts to belittle their beliefs by irrelevant people are not considered to be worthy of response. Perhaps the typical irrational Muslim response is indicative of a lack of confidence and deeply felt self doubt.

23 posted on 05/20/2005 11:30:34 AM PDT by layman (Card Carrying Infidel)
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To: layman
There is some truth in that as well.

A believing Christian isn't going to go agnostic over an episode of The Simpsons. However, no one has really taken an intelligent look at why a lot of younger people could care less about religion and in some cases are devoutly anti-Christian.

As childish and perhaps as legitimately amusing as The Riverdance version of Catholic Heaven may have been, it could still be causing people to think of Christians as the bad guys. There has to be a civilized way of making Hollywood knock it off or at least tone it down a notch.
24 posted on 05/20/2005 11:34:33 AM PDT by .cnI redruM ("Every man's your brother 'til the rent comes due" - Anon.)
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To: .cnI redruM
I remember that simpsons episode, the most disturbing part to me was the extremely harsh anti-catholic bigotry by Marge Simpson, and it was never repudiated.

She just out and out lashes out at catholism and rips on the church in some of the most mean spirited manner that no other episode displayed.

25 posted on 05/20/2005 11:37:10 AM PDT by Sonny M ("oderint dum metuant")
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To: Sonny M
Matt Groening knows that he won't get shot for it. Let's see him even begin to make fun of Islam. Just ask Pym Fortune what happens when you do that...Oops!
26 posted on 05/20/2005 11:38:27 AM PDT by .cnI redruM ("Every man's your brother 'til the rent comes due" - Anon.)
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To: tuffydoodle

or from his foot ...


27 posted on 05/20/2005 11:38:48 AM PDT by SkyDancer ("If Love Can't Buy You Happiness, You Don't Know Where To Shop")
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To: Brilliant

Mort Kondrake said on Fox last night that the difference may be splitting hairs, but here it is: For Muslims, the Koran is God. For Christians, the crucifix is a sign of the faith, not Christ or God, himself.


28 posted on 05/20/2005 11:41:35 AM PDT by hershey
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To: .cnI redruM
The Hollyweirds would never poke fun of the Koran because they know that they'd be on the hit list.

Don't we remember after 9/11 how the biggest concern on the left coast was the safety of the Emmy Awards. They were the first to duck and cover when they believed Armageddon was coming their way.
29 posted on 05/20/2005 11:43:49 AM PDT by OneRatToGo
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To: hershey

The real difference is that Muslims believe in killing as part of their religion.


30 posted on 05/20/2005 11:43:56 AM PDT by Brilliant
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To: peacebaby
I truly believe people responsible for this blasphany will go to hell. That is their conviction. Judgement will be served.

Huh? Numero uno, it never happened. Newsweak invented the story. Numero two-o, it would only be blasphamy if the Koran were a bonafide spiritual book with the word of G-d. Its not, and Islam is a moon-worshipping satanic death cult.......

31 posted on 05/20/2005 11:49:44 AM PDT by BullDog108 ("Conservatives believe in God. Liberals think they are God." ---Ann Coulter)
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To: .cnI redruM
There has to be a civilized way of making Hollywood knock it off

Hollywood understands only one thing ... money. They'll stop producing garbage when people stop buying it.

32 posted on 05/20/2005 11:50:21 AM PDT by layman (Card Carrying Infidel)
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To: .cnI redruM
"As childish and perhaps as legitimately amusing as The Riverdance version of Catholic Heaven may have been, it could still be causing people to think of Christians as the bad guys."

Liberal secularists behave toward Christians in the same manner that many of today's teens behave toward their parents.

33 posted on 05/20/2005 11:51:26 AM PDT by sageb1
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To: .cnI redruM

BTTT


34 posted on 05/20/2005 11:55:51 AM PDT by international american (Tagline now flameproof....purchased from "Conspiracy Guy Custom Taglines"LLC)
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To: Rummyfan
I LMAO at that episode.

As a Catholic my opinion was that the other Christians were made to look like the fools.

After looking at both versions of Heaven I definitely wanted to be in Catholic version. They were having fun.

35 posted on 05/20/2005 12:03:29 PM PDT by OneRatToGo
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To: Registered
You know what would be really funny? That picture of Saddam Hussein in his skivvies with a piece of paper obviously ripped from a ko-ran hanging from his drawers as he walks away from the bathroom.

Whaddayathink?

36 posted on 05/20/2005 12:12:28 PM PDT by RebelBanker (To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!)
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To: .cnI redruM
So why doesn't Hollywood produce storylines about the Koran being flushed down the john?

Because Islam is a psychopathic religion. They know that Catholics won't strap C-4 to their chests and blow up a movie theater or kidnap a celebrity and slit their throats because Christ was insulted. Muslims will when the Koran, Mohammad, Islam, or Allah is! Rushdie is in his 20th year of a death Fatwa.

What need to happen is that Christians need to ban together and stop spending money on commercial sponsors, news publications and movie tickets that produce the anti christian crap! We are the majority in tax payers, yet too damn stupid to harness our power to institute change!

37 posted on 05/20/2005 12:20:43 PM PDT by Bommer
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To: Rummyfan

I watched it too and enjoyed it. But I had a lot of explaining to do for my 5yr old.


38 posted on 05/20/2005 12:21:41 PM PDT by stevio (Red-Blooded American Male)
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To: .cnI redruM

Well, you could ask one Dutch film maker how much tolerance for other points of view the Mooslims have.

What's that? Oh, that's right a mooslim stabbed him to death for making a simple film showing a horribly mistreated mooslim woman.

Nevermind.


39 posted on 05/20/2005 12:31:15 PM PDT by Bullish
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To: Brilliant
The real difference is that Muslims believe in killing as part of their religion.

I've spent a good portion of my adult life in third world muslim crapholes and you have to realize that many muslims are not only uneducated but that 20 years ago or so many of the were still rubbing sticks together to make fire. Many "educated" muslims I knew couldn't read a map, or use the simplest handtools. Muslims that drove vehicles down the road at night flash their lights on and off so as not to "wear down the battery". Egyptians painted the tails and wingtips of their F-16's orange, so that they could tell the difference between their F-16's and Israels (apparently, there is no orange paint in Israel). And these are just a few examples from progressive muslim states. Many Americans and Europeans just cannot understand what 3rd world truly means.

40 posted on 05/20/2005 1:02:30 PM PDT by ScreamingFist (Peace through Ignorance)
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To: layman

That's not true. They make anti-American, anti-
Christian losers all the time and they don't care.


41 posted on 05/20/2005 1:19:22 PM PDT by squarebarb
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To: AbeKrieger

Actually the riots were caused by political problems in Afghanistan as much as Newsweeks story. The US military has said that.


42 posted on 05/20/2005 1:31:59 PM PDT by conserv13
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To: AbeKrieger

I call it the Newsweek riotsgate outrage


43 posted on 05/20/2005 3:46:11 PM PDT by Republicus2001
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To: .cnI redruM
Totally true:

Hollywood makes lame jokes and harsh satires of Christianity all the time, figuratively and literally tossing Jesus, the Bible and church figures into the toilet. Those alleged American interrogators are pikers compared to Tinseltown. They could learn at the feet of the masters of mockery

44 posted on 05/20/2005 9:54:20 PM PDT by GOPJ ( Bright lines between soldiers and citizens blind both.)
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To: hunter112
"They revere a book of fairy tales over human life, and we (except for abortion) tend to do the opposite."

And you can put abortion on the shoulders of our homegrown scum.

45 posted on 05/20/2005 10:19:44 PM PDT by libs_kma (USA: The land of the Free....Because of the Brave!)
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To: .cnI redruM

christians are called to forgive... muslims are called to revenge

easy math.


46 posted on 05/21/2005 4:07:02 AM PDT by King Prout (blast and char it among fetid buzzard guts!)
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To: OneRatToGo
The Hollyweirds would never poke fun of the Koran because they know that they'd be on the hit list.

Good point. "Back to the Future' was one of the few movies bold enough to to portray IRANIAN TERRORISTS as the bad guys.

47 posted on 05/21/2005 5:35:21 AM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta
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To: tuffydoodle; SkyDancer

Either would be funny... who's the resident Photoshop expert? :D


48 posted on 05/24/2005 9:38:11 AM PDT by SoKatt
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