Acerbic and outspoken, Terry Mosher, better known as Aislin, the long-standing political cartoonist for the Montreal Gazette and McLean’s magazine has made a lot of enemies over the years.
Last week, the Yorkton Film Festival presented Dangerous When Provoked: The Life and Times of Terry Mosher as part of its new Spotlight on the News series.
The series seeks to present documentaries relevant to current events. Following the barbaric killing of editorial staff at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris in January, the debate over where the line should be drawn in terms of freedom of expression raged for weeks.
Aislin, who has been described as “a barber with a chainsaw,” has been criticized more than most Canadian cartoonists for pushing the envelope.
A lively discussion followed the well-attended screening with opinions ranging from unlimited free speech to drawing the line at offending people.
Since the Charlie Hebdo attack, Aislin himself has said that the role of satire is a very important discussion to be had.
