One of the great delights in reading the WorldNutDaily is watching them try to hype up completely pointless little teapot tempests into major controversies. Here's a perfect example from this morning's edition, complete with flashing graphic saying "Breaking News" and declaring it a "WND Exclusive" (which, as usual, means the article is so stupid that they're the only ones who would carry it, hence the exclusivity): Furor erupts as 'gay' plays Christian missionary in film (personally, I would have said "Fuhrer erupts", but that's just my twisted sense of humor).
It seems that Chad Allen, an openly gay actor, stars in a new movie about a Christian missionary who was killed by a tribe he was trying to convert. Others continued that work and eventually the tribe was converted to Christianity, evidently, and the movie is the story of all of this. But oh, the furor! It's overwhelming!
The film is winning raves from reviewers, and thousands of churches and evangelical organizations are promoting it, but Jason Janz, through his weblog Sharper Iron, has sparked debate among some potential viewers about whether it was appropriate for producer Every Tribe Entertainment, or ETE, to portray a missionary martyr using an activist who blatantly promotes anti-Christian values and could use the film to further his agenda.ETE President Bill Ewing told WorldNetDaily he was not even aware of Allen's homosexuality, let alone his activism, when the actor was chosen for the part.
However, he said, the bottom line is that "Chad gave, by far, the best audition."
And God forbid that people be judged on their talent and ability. That would be an outrage. No, gay people will be judged solely on the fact that they are gay. That is the only trait they have that matters and it will be our sole and exclusive focus. Any thought that gay people might actually be regular human beings with a range of normal talent and abilities is just more of that "gay agenda" at work. Why, just knowing that someone is gay prompts physical pain:
Nate Saint's son Steve Saint, who served as a producer, a stunt pilot and had a bit part in the film, believes it was God's plan to have Allen in "End of the Spear," according to Agape Press.
Saint admitted, however, he was shocked when he learned Allen was homosexual.
"I could feel physical pain," he recalled, "thinking [that] somebody that lives a lifestyle like that is going to depict my dad."
Sheesh. This is a special kind of remedial. If you're experiencing physical pain at the mere thought of someone being homosexual, I would suggest that you have far deeper problems than you could possibly imagine the object of your bigotry has. You need serious help.
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Terri Gros had the writer/producer of "The Book of Daniel" on "Fresh Air" yesterday. Apparently he is being criticised for (among many things) practicing homosexuality. His response was that he's been doing it a long time and doesn't need to practice anymore.
What I found funny about the criticism he's getting from the AFA and other rigth wing "christian" groups is that he had very pure intentions when he came up with the idea. The critics say they find his protrayal of Jesus as a wimpy "nice" guy offensive. His thought of portraying Jesus the way he did was to try to express what a personal relationship with Christ should be like, "your best friend, someone you can really open up to, your everything." I am definately going to have to watch it now.
I dunno Ed....sometimes I feel physically sick and want to hurl when I read tripe like that. Maybe there is some connection there.
Next WND Exclusive: Men Used to Dress as Women for Shakespearean Plays!
Since dressing up as a woman could be an indication of homosexuality I guess we'll have to start banning Shakespeare because of past practices during plays. Don't want our young'uns being corrupted by ancient gays either...
Ya know, I used to be attracted to women. But since Brokeback Mountain and now this, I find myself checking out guys.....
Oh my God! I'm turning gay! Someone help me... can't resist...it's like I've been hit by a gay zombie ray!
Jesus doesn't love me anymore!!!
Treban -
Your comment reminds of an article I saw years ago about the politicization of Christianity in Latin America. I forget the details, but I remember seeing a depiction of Jesus in a mural. The resemblance to Che Guevarra (spelling?) was more than just coincidental, I'm sure. Someone was quoted as saying something like: "We like our Jesus to a be bad dude, not some sissy in a white nightie."
An interesting similarity. I guess the hard right Christians want an ass-kickin', cigar chompin', camo wearin' Savior. Hey wait a minute - they want Rambo!
I find it interesting that you go for "WorldNutDaily" instead of "WingNutDaily". I guess that's just one more difference between you and PZ...
"An interesting similarity. I guess the hard right Christians want an ass-kickin', cigar chompin', camo wearin' Savior. Hey wait a minute - they want Rambo! "
Or Castro...
I forget the details, but I remember seeing a depiction of Jesus in a mural. The resemblance to Che Guevarra (spelling?) was more than just coincidental, I'm sure.
One of the Big Three Networks ran a special a few years ago on what Jesus probably looked like, and I found it quite enlightening. Do you really think Jesus was a 6' tall, auburn-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian when he was born Jewish? The conclusion was that he was probably on the shortish side, with black hair, swarthy skin, and other general Semitic traits common to residents of that part of the world for centuries.
The image of Christ we are used to today is itself a sort of politicalization by the artists of the Renaissance, putting on a familiar face for their Western European audience. Ain't nothin' new under the sun, I reckon.
It is hard to get too worked up about this. Groups on both sides of these issues are oft too willing to complain; as we have had: whites playing indigenous tribal members, heterosexuals playing homosexuals and vice versa, african americans playing white girls (god that was a bad movie), christians playing buddhists and hindus playing jews, and on and on ad infinitum. Living in a world that the nutters would concoct would be insanely boring.
spyder-
On the subject of men playing women, I just want to tell Hollywood - stop. Please, for the love of all that is funny, stop. It's not funny. It wasn't funny when Milton Berle did it, it wasn't funny when Flip Wilson did it, and it sure as hell isn't funny when the Wayans brothers did it. The only time it's ever been funny is in Monty Python sketches or in places where it actually belongs, like La Cage Aux Folles.
I keep seeing this commercial for the new Martin Lawrence movie where he plays a fat woman and they keep showing the scene where the hot girl asks him/her for help with her bra and I want so scream, "What self-respecting writer would write a scene that hackneyed and overdone?" Can you even count how many movies that same scene has appeared in? It wasn't funny the first time, it sure as hell isn't funny the 10,000th time, and especially when it stars a no-talent hack like Martin Lawrence (Eddie Murphy with even less substance, which seems unimaginable. And what's scary is that there are even worse imitators out there than Lawrence).
What I love about this "outrage" over Chad Allen being in the movie is that it has only come about now, literally on the day when the movie opens. Um, Allen talked about being in this movie 1 year or more ago when interviewed by the Advocate, and clearly the movie makers knew long ago (hell, the man was outed by tabloids when he was a teenager). If anyone had a problem with him portraying BOTH Nate and Steve Saint (yep, it's a dual role), shouldn't they have brought that up BEFORE the film was in the can?
Heh, great minds think alike and all that. What occured to me as ironic about all this is that the movie's wonderful message is supposed to be all about forgiveness and unconditional love. But I guess those don't apply if yer queer!
Of course it is idiotic, to complain that a gay actor is playing Christ. However, IF the actor is openly anti-Christian (I mean: he thinks Christianity is evil and should be abolished), than some non-bigot people might be offended. I'm not saying it's a bad thing in itself: art has to offend sometimes. Just don't make it for the sake of offending people.