October 6, 2015

"This propaganda photo of a homemade Oreo cheesecake alongside a rifle and a grenade was posted to Twitter by a female jihadist from the Netherlands..."

"... in an effort to persuade other potential recruits that life is fun under the Islamic State."

Caption to a photograph...



... at a WaPo article titled "Life in the 'Islamic State': Women/‘Till martyrdom do us part.’"
In Islamic State propaganda, life for women in the self-declared caliphate is filled with love, children and the joys of domestic life, such as an Oreo dessert. But the reality is often far more harsh for women who have moved there from the Arab world, Europe or the United States, according to specialists who monitor Islamic State social media postings.
Quite aside from the reality, the dessert looks like hell. And it's out of focus. This is the propaganda? Do a Google image search on "Oreo cheesecake" and you'll immediately see a thousand better-looking Oreo cheesecakes. I'm skeptical of the idea that new recruits are fooled by the propaganda.

42 comments:

Laslo Spatula said...

Oreos are Racist.

Oreo cheesecakes are Hipster Racist.

I am Laslo.

Laslo Spatula said...

In the middle is the Oreo Sphincter.

At least I see it.

I am Laslo.

Robert Cook said...

Maybe it's a coded plea from the person who made the Oreo cheesecake: ""Help! Get me out of this hell!"

Fernandinande said...

Come for the cake, stay for the bombings.

Sebastian said...

Yeah, but martyrdom will get you 72 beautiful cheesecakes.

Kyzer SoSay said...

Our perspectives are warped because we've seen better cheesecakes within the past month, in real life, just by going out shopping for groceries or to a decent restaurant. Many of these would-be ISIS recruits, either in Europe or the flea-bitten deserts of the Middle East, have not, and would literally kill for a slice of something so decadent. Heck, some of them may never have had a damn slice of cheesecake.

Ann, just because it isn't magazine worthy, doesn't mean it's not tempting to someone who could give two shits what an entitled person like you sees in Better Homes and Cooking Light.

Writ Small said...

It's probably the same reason the Nigerian Prince scams are so obviously fake. They want to filter out anyone with any sense as soon as possible. A lot can be done with an army of the easily led.

Anonymous said...

Islamists are a deadly cult.

Anonymous said...

Sebastian said...Yeah, but martyrdom will get you 72 beautiful cheesecakes.

Their male species died for 72 raisins.

Anonymous said...

Allah snackbar! Allah snackbar!

Laslo Spatula said...

I wonder what Urban Dictionary would do with "Oreo Cheesecake".

I mean, Oreo: two black men and a white woman. Obviously.

But "Cheesecake." I looked it up in Urban Dictionary but the results were disappointing: most of the top definitions were simply about cheesecake. No innuendo, no vulgarity: just that cheesecake is tasty. Boring.

I will choose to interpret "cheesecake" as a term for bukkake. Because a bukkake girl sort of looks like she tried to eat cheesecake without using her hands.

So, "Oreo Cheescake": two black men, one white woman, bukkake.

"Oreo Fudge Funnel Cake" would be a lot easier.

I am Laslo.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

It's more comforting to assume their recruits are "falling for propaganda;" the alternative is that they're actually excited about the chance to do some head-chopping. No one wants to believe that their neighbors would enthusiastically murder them, and there's a double mental block when those neighbors are from some religion we're taught not to judge harshly (musn't think Muslims can be terrorists, that's racist, etc).
Assuming their recruits are "tricked" is just our own way to avoid the hard truth--it's self-deception on our part, and it's dangerous.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Anyway as an argument for women's participation in violent jihand it's pretty good--after all, she's really saying "don't just stay home baking cookies and having tea," grab your AK and follow me.

YoungHegelian said...

"Owww, my tooth!"

"What's the matter?"

"I bit down on something in the cheesecake."

"A big piece of Oreo?"

"No, shrapnel."

Chris N said...

Ahmed: Fatima, why did we bring you here?

Fatima: To drive out the infidel, and bring about a new Islamic law and society.

Ahmed: You know nothing of war, woman. WHY are you here?

Fatima: But I have been to 'The Cheescake Factory,' Ahmed.

Ahmed: Ah yes, 'The Cheesecake Factory...'

Magson said...

It's about propaganda in a video game, but I think it has real-world parallels:

www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/10/01/eve-online-propaganda/

One of the points made is that propaganda can be used for good or for ill, that it must be "true" of the perspective being offered, and that it can and indeed does wear people down so that they come to accept it, even if it's not necessarily "good."

As a result, when you say "I'm skeptical of the idea that new recruits are fooled by the propaganda." I have to actually disagree. There will most definitely be some who are so fooled.

Bill said...

The carpet could use a vacuum.

Anonymous said...

Before you mock them remember, they will fight a die for a belief.
Do you believe anything you'd fight and die for?

Freeman Hunt said...

That doesn't look fun. That looks like a violent weirdo came over and interrupted dessert.

Paddy O said...

mmmmm.... cheesecake.

Laslo Spatula said...

"The carpet could use a vacuum."

That is probably true of most of the ISIS women's "carpets".

I am Laslo.

Anonymous said...

Althouse wrote: "I'm skeptical of the idea that new recruits are fooled by the propaganda."

Still unsaid, so I'll say it: This from the girl who voted for Obama in 2008.

Some people never learn. Ever-ever.

Known Unknown said...

Hmmm ... how do jihadists get to the Netherlands?

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

Laughed out loud when I saw the photo. I've enjoyed that combination of an afternoon. No grenade of course. And the AK was semi-auto whereas these are probably capable of full-auto. Still, it gives me a warm feeling to make a little cross-cultural connection with batshit Muzzie douchebags.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Go ahead, have another slice of cheesecake. I guarantee you'll still be able to fit into your burka.

That there is the way to go...

traditionalguy said...

My reaction is that the Muslim Religion is such miserable iron legalism thatits captives have a great need for fun and comfort food to relieve depression is only expatiated only by the fun of murdering infidels.

Watching their Christian and Jew heads roll in the dirt after slowly sawing them off while screaming the old time Mohammed favorite Allah Ackbar can be yours soon. In the meantime have a piece of cake.

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
CJinPA said...

Trying to picture the Keebler Elves behind black ISIS masks...

jacksonjay said...

I'm skeptical of the idea that new recruits are fooled by the propaganda.


I think the professor should maybe get out more. UW Law School and Madison must be very insular.

lgv said...

Looks more like a pie.

"A Pie Before You Die"

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

I don't care for the way it's garnished with Oreos in the middle. It would look very strange when sliced. They should be on the outer edge. Then again I also don't care for cheesecake with weird junk food additions so there's that.

When I lived in the Middle East, no matter how tightly constructed one's villa was, sand would still make its way inside. Was a never ending battle. So I see that cheesecake sitting on a rug like that and I think, ew. Gritty cheesecake.

Peter said...

I realize that the price of a slave depends on many things, such as the slave's disposition, age, sex, appearance and physical condition, but: about how many slaves can one buy for one of these Oreo Cheesecakes?

Tibore said...

Serious comment: I wonder if exercises like that are more for the moral of the propogandist than the supposed targets. You know, "Hey, I'm doing something constructive for my cause..."

Not so serious comment: Come to the Dark Side, and screw cookies. We's got cheezecakes!!!

Anonymous said...

The Oreo cheesecake doesn't look bad--but that cruet of what?--olive oil?--next to it doesn't look very appetizing. But maybe that's the jihadi way of eating cheesecake.

Peter said...

"woman’s place is in the home, tending to her husband and producing children."

Kinder, kirche, küche? So what's new, blood and oreos?

That, and this too: "All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state."

William said...

Isn't it comforting to believe that stupid propaganda wouldn't appeal to stupid people.

MayBee said...

Have you seen the poor production quality of martyrdom videos? Oy. But for some reason, they are appealing.

averagejoe said...

I'm not going near any dessert that has a hand grenade next to it.

wildswan said...

Apparently ISIS fighters sneak across the border from Syria into Turkey to get Oreos, Pringles and Big Macs, none of which are available in Syria, - in the ISIS area anyhow. The Daily Mail had the story.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3041299/Junk-food-jihadists-British-fighters-sneak-border-Syria-Turkey-Burger-King-fix-stock-Oreos-Pringles-MOJITOS.html

See, Oreos are made in America so this is bowing to the great Satan. But this woman's big bad jihadist guy came back from his armed incursion into Turkey with Oreos for his woman. Probably shot it out in the grocery like Jesse James in a bank. "Put those Oreos in a bag, NOW, NOW, NOW! Now the cream cheese and ... oh gosh, what is this word. ... Honey, I'm at the store in Turkey in the aisle shooting hostages, but what does "van" mean, Oh, vanilla. OK, be there soon. You, what are you looking at, haven't you ever seen crumbs on a jihadist's face. BLAM."


Michael K said...

"A lot can be done with an army of the easily led."

These women deserve what they get. This 8th century system is available for any fool who wishes to die.

Richard Fernandez said it best.

On the American side of the Atlantic, Rukmini Callimachi has a long piece in the New York Times describing how a “lonely” American girl was gradually converted to Islam by an ISIS interlocutor on the Internet. “Alex, a 23-year-old Sunday school teacher and babysitter, was trembling with excitement the day she told her Twitter followers that she had converted to Islam.”

The only Muslims she knew were those she had met online, and he encouraged her to keep it that way, arguing that Muslims are persecuted in the United States. She could be labeled a terrorist, he warned, and for now it was best for her to keep her conversion secret, even from her family.

So on his guidance, Alex began leading a double life. She kept teaching at her church, but her truck’s radio was no longer tuned to the Christian hits on K-LOVE. Instead, she hummed along with the ISIS anthems blasting out of her turquoise iPhone, and began daydreaming about what life with the militants might be like.

“I felt like I was betraying God and Christianity,” said Alex, who spoke on the condition that she be identified only by a pseudonym she uses online. “But I also felt excited because I had made a lot of new friends.”

The NYT article calls the process enticing the lonely. The other phrase for it is filling the emptied. ”She felt as if she finally had something to do,” Callimachi wrote.


These kids have empty lives. Religion is long gone for those who need it. Women medical students are converting to Islam in England. Why would they do something so stupid ?

HoodlumDoodlum said...

MayBee said...MayBee said...
Have you seen the poor production quality of martyrdom videos? Oy

I don't exactly recommend you watch them, but if you see any of the recent ISIS execution videos you'll notice immediately they now have very high quality videos w/cinematic editing, lighting, blocking, etc. They're not working with dim shaky VHS video now, it's very slick, professional stuff.

Achilles said...

After we had taken a compound over and had all the men balled up in a corner and the women and children piled up in another corner and we were tearing the place apart I kinda wish there had been a refrigerator that we could go through... with one of these in it...

There was never anything this good. These people literally live in shit with their chickens and goats in their house so their neighbors don't steal them.

There were no cheesecakes.