# Are performance artists trolls?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-performance-artists-trolls/539241>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [May 13, 2010, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-performance-artists-trolls/539241 "2010-05-13T00:28:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-performance-artists-trolls/539241/21 "2010-05-13T14:12:35Z")

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I think part of it may be the setting. Someone going into a church and saying, “You gillible idiot theists should be dragged kicking and screaming into the fourteenth century” is different from yelling it on a street corner. Going into a Godfather forum and saying, “You gillible idiot Godfather lovers should be dragged kicking and screaming into a High School Musical marathon” is different than saying it in a piece of art you created.

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**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-performance-artists-trolls/539241/22 "2010-05-13T14:21:14Z")

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> [@Khaki\_Campbell](#):
>
> Performance artists are safe trolls. They attack pretty harmless targets. The Christians ? Come on. Unless they’re gun nuts with a gun mind, they come pretty senile and clumsy.

If you’re referring to Serrano in particular, I don’t think he’s a performance artist at all. Performance art is really a more specific thing than ‘procative artwork.’ (On that note I shouldn’t have mentioned Damian Hirst, who’s probably doesn’t count either.) It may be trite in some circles to go after Christianity but it’s also the dominant religion in the West, so there could be issues worth considering.

> [@](#):
>
> I have yet to wait to see a performance artist eat a bacon sandwich in a crowded mosque (in the Parisian suburbs) ; or another blast some nazi-rock in a synagogue.

That sounds a lot more like trolling, although since it’s made up I don’t know what the intent is.

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**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-performance-artists-trolls/539241/23 "2010-05-13T14:57:49Z")

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Andres Serrano is also a Christian, by the way.

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**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-performance-artists-trolls/539241/24 "2010-05-13T16:56:26Z")

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> [@BigT](#):
>
> Having an unpopular opinion isn’t trolling, but expressing it in a way specifically to make people mad is.
> 
> Playing devil’s advocate isn’t trolling. Consistently doing so on a particular subject when you know it makes people mad is.

No it isn’t, if it keeps your side honest. The biggest disservice you can do to your side is to not call it on it’s own bullshit.

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