Comedy Central's uneven irreverence
By L. Brent Bozell III
president, Media Research Center
Comedians often pride themselves on being irreverent, and in today's popular culture a favorite thing to ridicule is religion. The network Comedy Central has made laughing at religion its bread and butter. Their irreverence has limits, however, and it has nothing to do with taste. When radical Muslims wrote ominously online that the creators of "South Park" could end up like Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh - shot eight times on the street - mockery of Muhammed was formally and publicly censored.
Within weeks of that very public retreat, Comedy Central announced plans to work up a series laughing at Jesus Christ called "JC," a half-hour animated show about Jesus trying to live a normal life in New York City to escape the "enormous shadow" of his "powerful but apathetic father." God the Father is preoccupied with playing video games while Christ is the "ultimate fish out of water."
Beyond the glaring double standard there is this question: Where is the market demand for an entire television series dedicated to attacks on Jesus Christ? What did Jesus Christ do to Comedy Central that they must relentlessly mock Him by portraying him defecating and talking about his "yummy, yummy crap" on "South Park" and roast him on specials titled "Merry F--ing Christmas"? Why the visuals of Jesus Christ being stabbed to death? Of the Blessed Virgin Mary menstruating? To call these attacks "juvenile" is an insult to juveniles.
Enough is enough. Citizens Against Religious Bigotry, a coalition of some 20 organizations and leaders, some Christian, some Jewish and some secular, in all representing millions of Americans, has come together to demand that the advertising community withhold their sponsorship dollars from this show, based on Comedy Central's documented history of anti-Christian bigotry. To sponsor this show is to support that anti-Christian bigotry. In reply, network spokesman Tony Fox declared that this show is only a vague idea and perhaps our group "should save their energy for the moment if and when this series ever makes air." But if "JC" is too vague to deserve comment, why did Comedy Central announce it with flagrant God-bashing fanfare?
It's amazing that the Comedy Central folks consider this putrid material to be "art" and wrap themselves with the blanket of artistic freedom of expression. Said programming head Kent Alterman: "The beauty of working at a place like Comedy Central is you can empower people to actualize their vision in a really unfiltered way.
"Unless, of course, the "vision" is an attack on Muhammed, in which case there will be immediate self-imposed censorship.
Comedy Central loves the idea that irreverence is the highest value that inspires the biggest laughs. Christians are called to love the opposite idea: that reverence to God is the highest value. We are called to take up the cross of Jesus daily, and that as a result people will "utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account."
We will not be silent. This anti-Christian bigotry must stop.
L. Brent Bozell III is founder and president of the Media Research Center.
L. Brent Bozell III is founder and president of the Media Research Center.
~~
If you want to ACT against this cowardly, disgusting tripe, go the Family Research Council site.
6 comments:
I say, if we are going to let them mock Christianity that they should give equal time to the mockery of Islam. But wait, we don't go around blowing up buildings and cars.
I fully support any initiative that encourages Comedy Central to stop being cowards and, if that is where they think the laughs are, to mock ALL religions equally (and equally mercilessly).
And I would also include the mockery of atheism in that as well.
I took great delight in joining in on 'Everybody Draw Muhammed Day' and believe that either nothing or everything should be a 'sacred cow' - so to speak - when it comes to comedy/commentary.
Double standards indeed. Of course, as bluepitbull said, it's clear that Christians are not considered violent and/or dangerous and that Muslims are - which actually does serve to highlight a difference between the two that perhaps Christians shouldn't be so quick to want to disappear (just a thought).
There's still no excuse for crappy, lowbrow comedy (of any variety) and I'd rather see no religious-based humour than most of the tripe that gets put out these days; what ever happened to the days of The Life of Brian?
The new 'JC' show sounds terrible although I have to say I did quite enjoy God, the Devil and Bob for a while.
You have to admit, religion does provide some very interesting characters to play with. But that's still no excuse for what usually gets done with them.
Cheers,
I agree with Mat, especially this:
"it's clear that Christians are not considered violent and/or dangerous and that Muslims are - which actually does serve to highlight a difference between the two that perhaps Christians shouldn't be so quick to want to disappear"
It is my opinion that not everyone is filled with such a delicious mix of hatred and cowardice as comedy central. That said I think that the mockery of Jesus, who's followers are not known for blowing people up (most have to point to a millennium ago to the Crusades, a millennium being distant enough to sufficiently revise that occurrence to make Christians look more like the Muslims of today that they so hate to hate because of their kindred hatred with Muslims of Christians. Then of coarse you have this nonsense, brought to us by our own tax dollars, thank you very much.). I think that most people see this because they are not blinded as much by their hatred and are able to see comedy central for what it is. We must remember that Jesus did say these things would happen.
Dan,
"this" guy is off his meds. Clearly.
I'm actually astonished that he said that! [where's the shocked-face emoticon when you need it?]
Unbelievable.
Matt~ Dan knows this, but Tavis Smiley (the this guy, who's 'off his meds') is what passes for a 'strong, level-headed voice in mainstream black America'...or at least he believes so...I've read some of his stuff, and he's a LOT more popular than you might want to believe.
Can we say "Leftist nutjob moonbat"??? and he passes for mainstream black America???????
Is it any wonder BHO is also a nutjob moonbat??
Oh my lord. Unbelievable is correct, sir.
Watch the entire "this" video. I mean watch all of it and try to get past the "every day" hyperbole.
Is Smiley wrong about incidents INSIDE the US?
Post a Comment