The French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo has become obsessed with Aylan Kurdi, the drowned Syrian toddler who became a symbol of Europe's refugee crisis. It came as a shock to many people who supported the publication after it was attacked by terrorists this year, and the social networks are filled with indignation. It's still the same Charlie, though, and it's doing a great job.
In the Sept. 2 issue of the magazine, I counted 10 cartoons depicting or referring to the dead boy. In the tradition of last January, when media outlets would describe Charlie Hebdo's cartoons of the prophet Muhammad but not actually publish them, I'll attempt to put some of these disturbing visuals into words.
Two overweight tourists standing on a Turkish beach, one eating ice cream, with just the head of the drowned boy visible behind them. A voice comes from outside the frame: "If you could perhaps move a little bit."