Essentializing the Evangelical - Representation: Kook (Part 5)

This is a paper that I have developed for a class I am taking at New York University on Interpreting Popular Culture.

I would love to hear your feedback and recommendations.

If you have missed any parts of this paper, you can click on the following hyperlinks:

Part One: Introduction
Part Two: Defining the Evangelical: Melting Pot or Mosaic?
Part Three: Constructing the Mythology of the Evangelical
Part Four: Defining Evangelical - The KKK Evangelical Mythology
Bibliography
___________________________________________

“The Kook.” This term has an interesting etymological history. It can mean:

"someone regarded as eccentric or crazy and standing out from a group" (die.net, 2006).

It is also used for someone online known as a net.kook:

"...a regular poster who continually posts messages with no apparent grounding in reality...The kook trademark is paranoia and grandiosity. Kooks will often build up elborate imaginary support structures, fake corporations and the like, and continue to act as if those things are real even after their falsity has been documented in public... While they might appear quite harmless, and are usually filtered out by the other regular participants in a newsgroup or mailing list, they can still cause problems..." (die.net, 2006).

The eccentricity and craziness aspect of the kook profile is what is the common representation of evangelicals I would like to highlight. They are the Bible thumping bloggers who mediate their world in an "it's Jesus or hell" fashion. While they might appear harmless and deluded, they are presented as an annoyance that is needed to be tolerated by more sophisticated, intelligent members of society.

Are evangelicals portrayed as gullible, eccentric odd-balls?

I think The kook is best illustrated by Ned Flanders from The Simpsons (TV.com 1, 2006). Ned is Homer Simpson’s next door neighbor who could easily be dismissed as a bumbling idiot.

Wikipedia describes Flanders as being “insecure;” “obsessed with following the Bible;” “raising his sons in a strict climate of Christian morality;” “fighting for what he believes in;” “a soft anti-semite;” and “intolerant toward other religions” (Wikipedia 1, 2006). He is an uncritical, puritanical kook who is often “Hey diddley- ohing” and “Oodely doodling” the folk of Springfield.

To be fair, Ned is also portrayed as compassionate, a good father, and a faithful friend... but this is out of naïve, passive, uncritical legalism to the mores of Christian lifestyle and practice as opposed to critically intentional, socio-political activism – motivated by faith. Homer summarizes how we all think of Ned as his most common insult is, “Stupid Flanders!” Ned as a ‘kookey Christian’ is a clear example of the evangelical myth represented in popular media.

So, as I mentioned in the introduction of this paper: why does Flanders hold such an iconic position amongst evangelicals?

Blogger, Matthew Self suggests,

"..Christians bear the brunt of the worst kind of exaggerated characterizations than any other interest group known to man. We are either faithless, self-involved TV preachers or crackpots -- possibly even serial killers.

The one consistently positive Christian I've enjoyed on modern TV is Homer Simpson's neighbor, Ned Flanders. This is likely to draw some groans from a few people, but consider the facts.

Ned is:

- A Bible-believing sincere-to-a-fault Christian
- Imminently tolerable of his neighbor, who hates him for his goodness
- Supernaturally patient
- Committed to sharing and helping
- Perhaps the only Galatians 5:22-23 Christian ever on American TV

Matt Groening, who created the show, said he didn't set out to create an annoying Christian. He was commentating on the average Joe, and he decided the average Joe's nemesis would be a kind-hearted Christian -- because that Christian would be and would have everything that average Joe would feel he could not achieve. Homer hates Ned because Ned is the embodiment of the most desirable, yet completely unattainable standard. Ned doesn't lord it over him, and that irritates Homer even more -- the unintentional "heaping hot coals."

Ned is far from perfect, which only endears me to him even more. He's a tad judgmental. He constantly fights his own legalism. His children, while well-meaning, are seemingly entirely sheltered from the world, and they have no ability to comprehend and interact with the world because of it. Frankly, this is the kind of commentary about modern Christianity I might write. This makes Ned very real to me.

The character allows these Ivy League comedy writers to take on some heady topics that no other show can do without crossing the boundaries of taste (Family Guy, in particular, has no shame). Even if it's just an interlude gag between storylines, Ned often offers a quick jolt of theological humor I find both appealing and rewarding...

I can think of better ways to characterize Christians on TV, including their faults, but Ned Flanders remains the gold-diddily standard for me until another intelligent, witty show with a three-dimensional Christian comes along" (Self, 2005).

Steve Goddard of Ship of Fools states that:

There really is something about Ned, says organiser Steve Goddard. "Ned is an innocent abroad in a world of cynicism and compromise. We love him because we know what it's like to be classed as a nerd - and to come out smiling at the end of it.

"We do know what it's like to be ridiculed and abused by the ignorant Homers of this world. We know what it's like to try to live simply, faithfully, =boringly - and not necessarily see the reward for it." (BBC News, 2002)

The Kook is a representation which has been with us for some time, and will probably continue to be. It is clear from evangelicals like Matthew Self and Steve Goddard that evangelicals are able to take such representations for what they are, laugh at them, see them as endearing, and even reapproriate them to celebrate our difference... In fact, I love Ned... but at what point do we ask why this is one of the only types of representations of evangelicals portrayed in the media? At what point does the joke cease to be funny - and cross over into being derogatory?

(Check out The Flanders Hymnal)

Go to part 6 - Essentializing the Evangelical - Representation: The Kon

Essentializing the Evangelical - Defining Evangelical - The KKK Evangelical Mythology (Part 4)

Part 5 soon to follow...

This is a paper that I have developed for a class I am taking at New York University on Interpreting Popular Culture.

I would love to hear your feedback and recommendations.

If you have missed any parts of this paper, you can click on the following hyperlinks:

Part One: Introduction
Part Two: Defining the Evangelical: Melting Pot or Mosaic?
Part Three: Constructing the Mythology of the Evangelical
Bibliography
__________________________________________

The French narratologist/post-structuralist, Roland Barthes wrote a critical book entitled, Mythologies (Barthes, 1972). Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright aptly summarize Barthes definition of myth as:

…the ideological meaning of a sign that is expressed through connotation…the hidden set of rules, codes and conventions through which meanings, which are in reality specific to certain groups, are rendered universal and given for a whole society. Myth thus allows the connotative meaning of a particular thing or image to appear to be denotative, hence literal or natural (Sturken & Cartwright, 2001, 360).

I would like to recommend that there is a naturalized idea of what evangelical connotes as represented in the media which is being presented as universal and literal; and that there is a growing hegemonic co-optation to this idea. This mythology is constructing what I am calling “the KKK evangelical mythology.” It is the myth that all evangelicals are a combination of being:

• uncritical and narrow-minded
• radically right-wing fundamentalist
• puritanical
• white
• isolated and over-protective
• middle-class
• racist (or at least prejudice)
• misogynistic
• homophobic
• bigoted
• megalomaniacal
• mid-western Americans

Not all evangelicals are on a white-hooded, cross-burning crusade (or witch-hunt) to eradicate anything which is different to who they are and what they believe in. This ‘KKK evangelical myth’ seems to be represented in three predominant ways which I will illustrate:

1. The Kook
2. The ‘K’on (Con)
3. The ‘K’onquistador (Conquistador)

Over the next three postings, I will elaborate on each of these representations.

Go to Part 5 - Essentializing the Evangelical - Representation: The Kook

Essentializing the Evangelical - Representation: Constructing the Mythology of the Evangelical (Part 3)

This is a paper that I have developed for a class I am taking at New York University on Interpreting Popular Culture.

I would love to hear your feedback and recommendations.

If you have missed any parts of this paper, you can click on the following hyperlinks:

Part One: Introduction
Part Two: Defining the Evangelical: Melting Pot or Mosaic?
Bibliography
___________________________________________

There are two aspects of the representation of evangelicals that I will explore in this section.

First, I would like to suggest that there is currently a homogenized and essentialized representation of evangelicals in popular media culture which is circulating a dominant mythology of evangelicalism; and that while this representation may be true of some evangelicals, it is not true of all evangelicals.

Second, I would also like to suggest that there are a plethora of possible representations which cross the boundaries of ethnicity, class, gender, nationality, political, and theological persuasion. However, most representations paint evangelicals in a negative light, and are cast as white, suburban, middle class Americans.

In this proposal, I am not excusing evangelicals from creating this representation – in many ways; we unfortunately confirm this by our own lifestyle choices. I am simply suggesting that this is not the only evangelical that exists, and that there are a growing group of evangelicals outside of this stereotype that deserve a representative voice in popular media.

Go to part 4 - Defining the Evangelical - The KKK Evangelical Mythology

Essentializing the Evangelical - Defining Evangelical - Melting Pot or Mosaic? (Part 2)

This is a paper that I have developed for a class I am taking at New York University on Interpreting Popular Culture. I would love to hear your feedback and recommendations.

If you have missed any parts of this paper, you can click on the following hyperlinks:

Part One: Introduction
Bibliography
_______________________________________

“Evangelical” has become one of the most controversial words of the twenty-first century. Urban Dictionary is a website that allows for a variety of people to create their own unique significations of words. I think this site illustrates the crystallized connotations the term evangelical invokes in everyday culture. For example:

Definition 1: “christians who like to argue and force their ideas of religion on others. Sometimes resulting in violence and always voice raising.”

Definition 2: “A sect of Christianity that is full of mindless, brainwashed followers who spend their entire life in misery when they aren’t spreading the gospel. The whole sect is full of middle class/rich white folks who want to go to church to be entertained by crying, hysterical preachers and find new prejudices to be in support of. They believe that their religion is the only way of life and refuse to accept any other ways. There is no ‘conversation’ with evangelicals… they only convert. BEWARE.” (Urban Dictionary, 2006).

John Buckeridge of Britain’s Christianity Magazine echoes this sentiment in an editorial where he states,

…Evangelical is increasingly shorthand for: right-wing US politics, an arrogant loud mouth who refuses to listen to other people’s opinions, men in grey suits who attempt to crowbar authorized version scripture verses into every situation, or ‘happy-clappy’ simpletons who gullibly swallow whatever their tub thumping minister tells them to believe. Large parts of the British media seem happy to paint evangelicals into that stereotype. Today in the UK ‘evangelical is often linked with the ultimate 21st century swearword ‘fundamentalist’. The result is the name ‘evangelical’ which years ago, may have smelt of roses – now has the aroma of the manure that fertilizes the bush (Buckeridge, 2006)

He calls this ‘the e-word’ – obviously playing on the controversies of ‘the n-word’ in African American discourse on racial stereotyping. As an evangelical myself, I would have to somewhat agree that we unfortunately often confirm this perception with our attitudes and actions – it has to come from somewhere! – but at what point does this perception shift from type to stereotype? At what point does this profile essentialize evangelicals.

Historically, evangelicalism has been defined by ‘essentials’ – for example, accepting Jesus as savior (sola christi); and belief in the authority of the bible (sola scriptura). However, there is a great deal of contention within evangelicalism beyond these commonalities. Donald Dayton and

Robert Johnston argue:

Defining evangelicalism has become one of the biggest problems in American religious historiography. At best, ‘evangelicalism’ is a diverse movement which at times seems to have more dividing it than uniting it. In fact, some observers find it nearly impossible to speak of evangelicalism as a single entity and prefer to see it in terms of its constituent parts. Timothy Smith speaks for many scholars when he calls evangelicalism a mosaic or even a kaleidoscope (Dayton & Johnston, 2001, 12).

In this definition, evangelical identities are being defined on the basis of their difference as opposed to their similarities. I find two major factors have contributed to articulating these differences:

First, practical- and theoretical- theological and cultural disagreement which range the gamut from church practices to political ideologies. A clear illustration of this is the emerging movement known as ‘post-evangelicals’ (Tomlinson, 2003; Clapp, 2000) which seeks to articulate evangelicalism in postmodern culture by differentiating it from modern, foundationalist expressions.

Second, the accelerated growth of multicultural and global expressions of Christianity (Sanneh, 2003; Escobar, 2003; Brouwer, 1996). Philip Jenkins predicts that by 2050, only one out of five Christians will be non-latino and white, and that the most rapid growth is taking place in Africa, Asia, and Latin America (Jenkins, 2003). The second urban dictionary definition (described above) of “evangelical” being “middle class/rich white folks” doesn’t really fit this well documented reality. It represents only a very small portion of this multiple- cultural, theological, socio-economic grouping known as evangelical.

So why do most people conceive of evangelicals according to this stereotype? Why does such a homogenized view of this group exist when an increasing amount of evangelicals embrace their heterogeneous identities? Cultural theorist, Douglas Kellner has identified a critical point about the role of media in identity construction:

Radio, television, film, and the other products of media culture provide materials out of which we forge our very identities; our sense of selfhood; our notion of what it means to be male or female; our sense of class, of ethnicity and race, of nationality, of sexuality; and of ‘us’ and ‘them’ (Kellner, 2003).

Just to clarify, I am not suggesting a deterministic model of media – assuming that the media has determined who evangelicals are, but rather I am suggesting that popular media culture plays a significant role in shaping and suggesting the popular idea of who evangelicals are through the representational choices that are made in popular media programs and products.

Go to part 3 - Representation: Constructing the Mythology of the Evangelical

Essentializing the Evangelical - The Representation and Reception of Evangelicals in Popular Media Culture - Introduction (Part 1)

This is a paper that I have developed for a class I am taking at New York University on Interpreting Popular Culture.
I would love to hear your feedback and recommendations.

Bibliography

Other postings which might interest you:

• In Case You're Wondering Why Ned Keeps on Showing Up on this Blog


• Inside the Actor's Studio


• How Ned Flanders Became a Role Model


• Christianity Today - Saint Flanders


• Ned Profile - from Official Site


• The Selected Theological Wisdom of Ned Flanders...


• Test Your Ned Knowledge


• God and The Simpsons - The Religious Life of an Animated Sitcom


• In Defense of Ned Flanders


• The Gospel According to The Simpsons


• Ned Flander's Wikipedia Description

__________________________________________

Introduction: Ned Flanders Chic

In 2003, the cast of the animated classic, The Simpsons were James Lipton’s guests on Bravo’s Inside the Actor’s Studio to celebrate the culmination of their three hundredth episode. (Inside…, 2003). I marveled as I watched the banter between the dry, quick wit of Lipton and the explosive energy of the cast. This animated show has been hailed by some as “the dumbest show” and others “the most intelligent show” on television (The Simpsons, 2001)

It was rather amazing to hear an actor like Harry Shearer verbally metamorphosize through an ideologically representative cacophony of characters from the microcosm of Springfield – from the closet homosexual, Smithers – to the conservative evangelical, Ned Flanders. I was amused to hear that Harry Shearer – a committed liberal – was asked speak to a conservative evangelical group who happened to also be a fan club for Ned Flanders!

BBC News ran a report about this group, which is part of the Ship of Fools in the United Kingdom (BBC News, 2002; audio report):

They are growing bushy moustaches, ironing their pink shirts, and practising their "Okelydokelies".

Christians from all over the UK are getting ready to take part in a night of celebration for the most ridiculed yellow person ever to walk the streets of Springfield. Ned Flanders chic has arrived.

Thousands of churchgoers attending the annual Greenbelt festival later this month are expected to turn up at the Ned Flanders night, many dressed as Ned lookalikes, to party to the sound of tribute band Ned Zeppelin.

The irony of this illustration baffled me:

How could the media representation of a radically stereotypical character of left-handed, right-wing Christianity be received by a group of conservative evangelicals as an iconic figure?

Is it possible that the popular culture character of Ned Flanders would be providing a role in the identity politics of evangelicals?

This type of postmodern conundrum has sparked a recent dialogue between academics and evangelicals about the relationship of the media and this sub-cultural group (Hendershot, 2004; Clark, 2003).

In this paper, I would like to explore the representation of evangelicals in the media; and the reception of evangelicals to those representations. I would like to explore how there is a disconnect with what popular media like cartoons, sitcoms, reality shows, and film present; and the actual differences which exists in evangelicalism. I suggest there exists an identity politics – which are taking place – particularly through younger, global, and economically-diverse evangelicals who have grown up in a postmodern, post-colonial, media-saturated world. I will frame this debate in a larger question – as to whether the media essentializes evangelicals – reducing a very diverse group into a few, stereotypical representations? I will draw on a variety of methodologies and theories of popular culture to aid in the exploration of these questions.

This past semester, I took a class with Marita Sturken at New York University entitled Interpreting popular culture. This course examined “…popular culture as both a producer and reflector of cultural meaning, and as a means of communication” (Sturken, 2006). My hope is that this paper will help to identify how popular cultural media representations like Ned Flanders on The Simpsons are producing and reflecting cultural meaning; and can serve as a means of communication between polarized ideological cultures in our current socio-historical context.

Go to part 2 - Defining the Evangelical - Melting Pot or Mosaic

Essentializing the Evangelical - The Representation and Reception of Evangelicals in Popular Media Culture - Bibliography

Act One. (2006).

Amazing Race 1. (2005). The Amazing Race Teams: The Weaver Family.

Amazing Race 2. (2005). Episode 9: Salt Lake City, UT.

Apeculture. (2000). IPN @ Ozzfest.

Barthes, R. (1972). Mythologies. NY: Hill and Wang.

Brouwer, S. (1996). Exporting the American gospel: Global Christian fundamentalism.NY: Routledge.

Brown, D. (2003). The Da Vinci code. NY: Doubleday.

Buckeridge, J. (2006). The e-word.

Clark, L.S. (2003). From angels to aliens: Teenagers, the media, and the supernatural. NY: Oxford University Press.

Clapp, R. (2000). Border crossings: Christian trespasses on popular culture and public affairs. MI: Brazos Press.

Dannelly, B. (2004). Saved! MGM

Dayton, D.W.; & Johnston, R.W. (2001). The variety of American evangelicalism. TN: University of Tennessee Press.

DC Talk. (1995). Jesus Freak. Jesus Freak. Chordant.

DC Talk. (1999). Stories of those who stood for Jesus, the ultimate Jesus freaks. Bethany House Publishers.

de Certeau, M. (2002). The practice of everyday life. L.A., CA: University of California
Press.

Derrickson, S. (2005). The exorcism of Emily Rose.

Detweiler, C.; & Taylor, B. (2003). A matrix of meanings: Finding God in pop culture.MI: Baker Academic.

Escobar, S. (2003). The new global mission: The gospel from everywhere to everyone.Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press.

Family Christian. (2006). Interview with P.O.D.’s Wuv Bernardo.

Goode, E.; & Ben-Yehuda, N. (1994). Moral panics: The social construction of deviance. MA: Blackwell Publishers.

Hall, S. (1997). Representation: Cultural representations and signifying practices. London: SAGE Publications.

Hendershot, H. (2004). Shaking the world for Jesus: Media and conservative evangelical culture. IL: University of Chicago Press.

Inside the Actors Studio. (2003). The cast of the Simpsons. Episode Number 126. (February 9, 2003).

Jenkins, H. (1992). Textual poachers: Television fans and participatory culture. NY: Routledge.

Jenkins, P. (2003). The next Christendom: The coming of global Christianity. NY:
Oxford University Press.

Johnstone, R.K. (2000). Reel spirituality: Theology and film in dialogue. MI: Baker Academic.

Kellner, D. (2003). “Cultural studies, multiculturalism, and media culture.”

Lererenz, S.; & Nicolosi, B. (2005). Behind the screen: Hollywood insiders on faith, film, and culture. MI: Baker Books.

Mirriam-Webster. (2006). Hypocrite.

Nirvana. (1991). Smells like teen spirit. Nevermind. Geffen.

Norman, L. (2006).

P.O.D. (1999). Southtown. Warriors EP.

Pope John Paul II. (2005). “The rapid development.” February, 2005.

Postman, N. (1986). Amusing ourselves to death: Public discourse in the age of show business. NY: Penguin Books.

Postman, N. (1993). Technopoly: The surrender of culture to technology. Vintage.

Ramonowski, W. D. (2003). Eyes wide open: Looking for God in popular culture. IL: Brazos Press.

Rockstar Entertainment. (2003). Grand theft auto: San Andreas. Take2 Interactive
Software.

Rowling, J.K. (1999). Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone. NY: Scholastic Paperbacks.
Sanneh, L. (2003). Whose religion is Christianity? The gospel beyond the west. MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing.

Simpsons, The. (2001). The Simpsons – The complete first season (1989). 20th Century Fox Television, Gracie Films.

Sturken, M.; & Cartwright, L. (2003). Practices of looking: An introduction to visual culture. NY: Oxford University Press.

Tomlinson, D. (2003). The post-evangelical. MI: Zondervan.

TV.com 2. (2006). The Amazing Race – Season 8 (Family Edition).

Urban Dictionary. (2006). Evangelical.

Wells, D.F. (1994). God in the wasteland: The reality of truth in a world of fading
dreams. MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing.

Wikipedia 1. (2006). Ned Flanders.

Williams, R. (1978). Marxism and literature. NY: Oxford University Press

Winston, D. (2000). Red-hot and righteous: The urban religion of The Salvation Army. MA: Harvard University Press.

Winston, D. (2002). All the world’s a stage: The performed religion of The Salvation Army. In Practicing religion in the age of media. (S.M. Hoover & L.S. Clark, Eds.) NY: Columbia University Press.

Winter, R. (2006). Internet Movie Database Profile on Ralph Winter.

Zacharias, R. (1996). Can man live without God? Word Publishing.

Amazing Race 8 - The Weaver Family - Evangelical Target Practice?

The Weaver family from The Amazing Race 8 is going to be my second illustration for essentializing the evangelical. This family, who lost their father in a Nascar accident, were part of the A.R.'s family edition.

Never before have I seen a family more hated on reality television. I've seen individuals, married couples etc... but never like this! In fact, I was pretty disappointed at the insensitive editing of this family. Guess what? Evangelical doesn't equal perfect family. It means salvation by grace through faith in Jesus! However, very little grace was shown to this grieving family.

They were portrayed as cons - hypocrites - actors. Was there a contradiction between their words and actions? Sure! Did they say what they said? Of course! ...but so do a ton of other evangelicals and non-evangelicals out there!

I think we all need to give them a break! They're teenagers. They're grieving. ...in fact, they're human!

I think this demonization really needs to stop. Why start a witch-hunt on this family?

Check out these blogs to illustrate the common sentiment about this family:

biggest stars "We hate the Weavers" seems to be the emotional bond that's bringing the other teams together as the families headed off to Costa Rica in this week's 6th episode of Amazing Race 8. The embarrassing Weaver clan -- I mean the three crazy females, not poor, shy Rolly Weaver -- are self-professed Christians who are often caught on-camera spewing more hate than a neo-nazi rally."

Weavers Embrace God, Hypocrisy "Next were the Weavers, and oh man, let me just say this: I hope Jesus had some downtime because he'd be called upon a lot tonight. As the family bounded out of the Pit Stop, the kids told us in an interview, "We've been raised since we were born not to trust other people, but to trust your family and to trust God." Huh. I always wondered where xenophobia came from. Thanks Weavers!

Oh, but they weren't done. One of the daughters noted that everyone was talking about them and stuff, but "We're all Christians, and we're above that." Yeah man. They would never talk smack about anyone else. We'll just see how that pans out a little later, mmkay?"

Weaver Family Claims to be The Only Family Living the Christian Life "The Weaver family continues to trash the other teams while espousing their Christian virtues. Rebecca Weaver explains, “It’s greater to be hated for who you are, then loved for who you are not. We’re being ourselves and we’re being hated for it. Why make these buddy-buddy friends? No, we’re competitors.”

Check out this video which re-enacts through puppets a Weaver family breakdown.

Churchless Faith - Alan Jamieson

Gordon Cotteril has also recommended this link to Johnny Baker's blog where he talks about his meeting Alan Jamieson - the author of churchless faith.

To listen to a presentation Jamieson has done, click here.

Here's a bit from the blog:

had a fab time at lunch today with alan jamieson presenting at cms on churchless faith and giving an insight into his latest research which is in a book published already in new zealand and being published in the uk in august. in it he basically follows up the church leavers whose stories are told in churchless faith.

it was also good to be able to tell people about spirited exchanges uk - based on the inspiration of alan and jenny's work in new zealand we have been quietly setting this up in the uk. if you are interested in finding out what's happening or want to connect with other people in your area go and sign up on the e-mail list. greenbelt this year will be a good place to touch base in more detail with what's happening.

Steve

Urban Dictionary's Definition of Evangelical - Capturing Multiple Significations of Words

This is an incredible website that I came across over the weekend. It's a great semiotic device as it captures the signification of terms in the vernacular of the everyday man or woman.

I find it rather humbling to view their definition of 'evangelical.' I don't reject it - even though my heart breaks that this is what most people think of our 'witness.'

Here's a couple of samples:

Def. 1 "christians who like to argue and force their ideas of religion on others. sometimes resulting in violence and always voice raising."

Def. 2 "A sect of christianity that is full of mindless, brainwashed followers who spend their entire life in misery when they aren't spreading the gospel. The whole sect is full of middle class/rich white folks who want to go to church to be entertained by crying, hysterical preachers and find new prejudices to be in support of. They believe that their religion is the only way of life and refuse to accept any other ways. There is no 'conversation' with evangelicals...they only convert. BEWARE."

Def 8 speaks prophetically: "Don't try and force god on someone, pray, let god sow the seeds and just be a mate."

In my humble opinion, we've got a lot of serious work to do.

Steve

King of the Hill's Take on Megachurches

Gordon Cotterril recommended this King of the Hill episode. It's called Church hopping. It's a fantastic example of the exploration of evangelical identity in the media... it's humbling how true to life it actually is...

"When Reverend Stroup gives the Hills' pew at the Arlen First Methodist Church to another family, Hank and his family decide to find another church. A slick pastor tries to bribe the Hills into worshipping at his Megachurch."

Thanks for this clip!

Steve

Needing Some Suggestions on Evangelical Stereotypes in the Media

Can all those out in the blogiverse help me?

I am looking for other examples of evangelicals that are being represented in the media. They can include characters from:

> Animations
> Sitcoms
> Reality Shows
> Dramas
> Movies
> Music Videos

Ned Flanders is a good example. The reality shows are packed with them. The lady from The Office (can't remember her name!) is another.

Can you offer other suggestions?

Thanks!

Steve

Inside the Actor's Studio - The Cast of the Simpsons

a couple of years ago, the cast of The Simpsons sat down with James Lipton to celebrate the 300th episode of the show.

Watch a clip of the show here

I am particularly interested in Harry Shearer's take on Christians - how he was surprised to be invited to a Christian Ned Flanders Fan Club party. This struck me as such a unique aspect of evangelical fandom that I one day wanted to study this phenomena.

That inspiration is now being put into action!

Steve

BBC News Report: How Ned Flanders Became a Role Model

Christianity Today Cover - Saint Flanders

Official Simpsons Site - Ned Character Profile

The Selected Theological Wisdom of Ned Flanders Ned's at his best when he's talking about the higher power

1. "Dear God, thank you for Ziggy comics, little baby ducks, and ‘Sweatin’ to the Oldies’ volumes one, two, and four."

2. "Bless the grocer for this wonderful meat, the middleman who jacked up the price, and let's not forget the humane but determined boys at the slaughterhouse.

3. (Before a hurricane arrives in Springfield:) "Ooh, I better take down the manger scene. If Baby Jesus got loose, He could really do some damage!"

4. (After the hurricane:) "Why me, Lord? Where have I gone wrong? I've always been nice to people! I don't drink or dance or swear! I've even kept kosher, just to be on the safe side. I've done everything the Bible says; even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff! What more could I do?

5. NED: Rev. Lovejoy, with all that’s happened to us today, I kinda feel like Job. LOVEJOY: Well, aren’t you being a tad melodramatic, Ned? Also, I believe Job was right-handed. NED: But Reverend, I need to know. Is God punishing me? LOVEJOY: Ooh, short answer: "yes" with an "if." Long answer: "no" with a "but."

6. NED: At times like these, I used to turn to the Good Book and find solace, but even the Good Book can't help me now. HOMER: Why not? NED: I sold it to you for seven cents.

Test Your Ned Knowledge

I got 11 out of 15 right. How about you?

God and The Simpsons - The Religious Life of an Animated Sitcom

Good Article

The Ned Flandiddly-anders File

Every single religious reference that Ned has made on the Simpsons has been archived at this site.

Check it out!

Steve

In Defense of Ned Flanders

(From: Gad (d) About's Blog)

Here's an interesting blogpost on Ned...

"...The one consistently positive Christian I've enjoyed on modern TV is Homer Simpson's neighbor, Ned Flanders. This is likely to draw some groans from a few people, but consider the facts. Ned is:
- A Bible-believing, sincere-to-a-fault Christian
- Imminently tolerable of his neighbor, who hates him for his goodness
- Supernaturally patient
- Committed to sharing and helping
- Perhaps the only Galatians 5:22-23 Christian ever on American TV

In one of my favorite episodes, Ned showed a Christ-like grace to an insensitive Homer after Ned's wife died. Ned tolerated Homer's meddling while he tried to hook Ned up with a Christian country singer who looked suspiciously like Amy Grant. (On a side note, Maude's tragic death has to be one of the best ways to get rid of a character on TV -- she fell over the ledge of a stadium after she was hit by a free t-shirt Homer shot out of a small hand-held canon during a NASCAR race. I don't think it gets any more American than that.)

Being a Simpson's fan and once having some disposable income at one point in my life, I disposed of it in one lump sum on the first season of the series. The writer's commentary was educational. Matt Groening, who created the show, said he didn't set out to create an annoying Christian. He was commentating on the average Joe, and he decided the average Joe's nemesis would be a kind-hearted Christian -- because that Christian would be and would have everything that average Joe would feel he could not achieve. Homer hates Ned because Ned is the embodiment of the most desirable, yet completely unattainable standard. Ned doesn't lord it over him, and that irritates Homer even more -- the unintentional "heaping hot coals."

Ned is far from perfect, which only endears me to him even more. He's a tad judgmental. He constantly fights his own legalism. His children, while well-meaning, are seemingly entirely sheltered from the world, and they have no ability to comprehend and interact with the world because of it. Frankly, this is the kind of commentary about modern Christianity I might write. This makes Ned very real to me.

The character allows these Ivy League comedy writers to take on some heady topics that no other show can do without crossing the boundaries of taste (Family Guy, in particular, has no shame). Even if it's just an interlude gag between storylines, Ned often offers a quick jolt of theological humor I find both appealing and rewarding.

Homer floods the town one night during a particularly savvy episode. Ned wakes up and looks out at the window and makes the assumption (under the whatever-suits-our-comedy-needs-at-this-moment theology the writers give him) God has flooded the world. Ned rejoices in his heart that God has sent his judgment upon the wicked, and is making a new heaven and a new earth. Then, as Homer floats by, Ned's excitement is quickly deflated:

"Ohhhhh. Heaven is easier to get into than Arizona State!"

(As someone who once attended ASU, obviously, this is a true comment on the admission policies of my school).

I can think of better ways to characterize Christians on TV, including their faults, but Ned Flanders remains the gold-diddily standard for me until another intelligent, witty show with a three-dimensional Christian comes along."

The Gospel According to the Simpsons: The Evangelical Next Door - If Everyone Were Like Ned Flanders, There'd Be No Need for Heaven

Here's an excerpt on Ned from Mark Pinsky's The gospel according to the Simpsons:

Ch.4 The evangelical next door - If everyone were like Ned Flanders, there'd be no need for heaven:

Ned grapples with other temptations of popular culture in various incarnations and, on those rare occasions when he succumbs to temptation, is quick to seek divine retribution. He angrily runs off a shady cable installer who offers an illegal hookup. Instead, he turns to satellite television, which enables him to view more than two hundred channels - almost all of which he then locks out for offensive content. Straying from his usual screen fare, such as reruns of the Jim Nabors Show, he once watched Married...with Children (on the same network that produces The Simpsons). He insistes he is afflicted with the flu for this lapse: "Oh, the network slogan is true! Watch Fox and be damned for all eternity!"

Ned, named for Flanders Street in Matt Groening's hometown of Portland, Oregon, represents most of the television viewing audience - white, Christian and middle class. Al Jean, a longtime writer for the series [says] "We don't mock Ned's faith...We actually think he's a guy with a lot of wonderful qualities...We can never get enough of Flanders. If poeple accuse us of being anti-Christian, we just ask whether they'd rather have Flanders as their neighbor or Homer.

Ned Flander's Wikipedia Description

This wikipedia article on Flanders is really thorough and articulates my thoughts on Flanders as evangelical iconic representation.

Here's a sample:

Nedward "Ned" Flanders (circa 1939?- ) is a fictional character on The Simpsons, voiced by Harry Shearer. Ned, along with the rest of his family, is a devout Christian, and is often used to satirize Christian fundamentalism, as well as the "niceness" of doggedly upbeat born-again evangelicals. Homer Simpson once said that Ned is even holier than Jesus...

Despite his firm religious beliefs, Ned is quite timid and often insecure. He is obsessed with following the Bible as literally as possible, "even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff" and is easily shocked when someone challenges his beliefs. This leads to his frequent calls to Reverend Lovejoy ("I... I think I'm coveting my own wife!") who gets increasingly frustrated with Flanders ("Ned...have you thought about one of the other major religions? They're all pretty much the same."). His sons are very sheltered and raised in an extremely strict climate of Christian morality. In one episode, it is revealed that they "don't believe in Flu shots". Most entertainment enjoyed by the family involves religion in some way. For instance, the family has at least five different Trivial Pursuit sets relating to different versions of the Bible. They were also part of a church bowling team called the "Holy Rollers". One of his children's stories concludes "And Harry Potter and all his wizard friends went straight to Hell, for practising witchcraft." Also, though they have satellite TV, nearly all of the 230 channels are blocked out. Despite all this, Ned still holds a special reverence for the Beatles, remarking to Homer: "Of course I was into the Beatles. They were bigger than Jesus!," in reference to John Lennon's controversial remarks. He has collected many Beatles-related items, including vintage records, novelty Beatles-themed soda cans, Beatles bobble-heads, the identical suits the band wore during their Ed Sullivan Show appearance and a cardboard yellow submarine.
Despite being timid, Ned Flanders can sometimes fight for what he believes in, e.g. when Homer and Bart became Roman Catholic, which makes him also religiously intolerant: after having shaken a Catholic priest's hand in The Father, The Son, and The Holy Guest Star he made a "note to self" to get his hand "re-blessed". In the same episode, Bart also tells him he wants to convert to Judaism, and Ned took out a bottle of chloroform. He also showed his "soft anti-semitism" in the episode "A Star is Born-Again", in a day-dream about Hollywood's wickedness: Rod and Todd are in a Mercedes with two gorgeous women and say that they're movie producers ...and Jewish. When Lisa converted to Buddhism he ordered Rod and Todd into an underground shelter, telling them that they may never return to the surface.
It should be noted that despite his occasional intolerance towards other religions and beliefs, he is still honest and sincere in carrying out many of the Christian doctrines of charity, kindness and compassion. He spends every Wednesday working at the Springfield homeless shelter and soup kitchen, and reading to sick children at the hospital (he has met Moe Szyslak also looking after the children there), and is rigorously honest and upright, even going so far as to spend almost an entire day giving a Leftorium customer the extra change Ned forgot to give him by mistake. Ned is also very selfless and brave, risking his life to save Homer from a burning housefire, and even donating one of his kidneys and lungs to whoever asks for them ("First come, first served", he says). Despite his obsession with the rules and regulations of Christianity, Ned Flanders is still a generally good-natured and kind-hearted man who tries to follow what Jesus taught.

Flanders' religious denomination (along with that of Rev. Lovejoy) is a matter of much speculation among fans. In The Father, The Son, and The Holy Guest Star Rev. Lovejoy states that they will bring Bart and Homer back to the One True Faith: "The Western Branch of American Reformed Presby-Lutheranism".
Despite his religious fervor, or perhaps because of it, in Treehouse of Horror IV (outside the usual continuity of the show) he was "revealed" to actually be the Devil. ("It's always the one you least suspect!") He also participated in "Race for the Cure - of homosexuality" during one of the Halloween episodes.

In the "Team Homer" Episode, Ned bowls with his right hand.
He also has no airbag in his car, because "the church opposes it for some reason". This is contradicted in the episode Much Apu About Nothing when his car's airbag deploys after swerving out of the way of the bear.

In Case You're Wondering Why Ned Flanders Keeps on Showing Up in this Blog...

In case you're wondering why I am going to be posting a ton of Ned Flanders material over the next while... it's because I am currently researching Ned as one of three major stereotypes I see being played out in the media when it comes to evangelicals. We are most often presented either as:

a.) Kooks
b.) Cons
c.) Conquistadors

Ned serves as an oodely-doodely good example of the 'kook' representative stereotype, so I am trying to gather as much online info. about him as possible.

If you have any additional links, please don't hesitate to add these.

Many thanks,

Steve

Try out the Simpson's Personality Test

You Are Ned Flanders

A good neighbor and a devout Christian, you are a community leader. And you are called to make the world a better place, especially for left handed people. You will be remembered for: your goofy expressions - "hi-dilly, ho-dilly!" Your life philosophy: "I've done everything the Bible says - even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff!"

The Simpsons Personality Test

Evangelical Identities Further Thoughts... The 'E' Word

Here's an interesting link I came across about the evangelical identity crisis:
It's John Buckeridge editorial on The E-word from Christianity Magazine's May 6 issue.

A sampling:

Half a century ago words like ‘gay’, ‘ecstasy’ and ‘wicked’ meant something very different than they do today. In the past ‘evangelical’ stood for four key values:

1. A commitment to the authority and centrality of scripture
2. A call to personal faith and repentance
3. The centrality of Christ’s death as our substitute
4. Putting faith into action through evangelism and social action.

Now to the unchurched and people of other faiths – evangelical is increasingly shorthand for: right-wing US politics, an arrogant loud mouth who refuses to listen to other people’s opinions, men in grey suits who attempt to crowbar authorised version scripture verses into every situation, or ‘happy-clappy’ simpletons who gullibly swallow whatever their tub thumping minister tells them to believe. Large parts of the British media seem happy to paint evangelicals into that stereotype. Today in the UK ‘evangelical’ is often linked with the ultimate 21st century swearword ‘fundamentalist’. The result is the name ‘evangelical’ which years ago, may have smelt of roses – now has the aroma of the manure that fertilises the bush.

This article has produced quite a few reactions - check out these blog comments:
Johnny Baker's blog
Andrew Yell's blog
Subversive Influence blog
Randy McRobert's blog
The Shiverian blog

See also: Roger E Olsen's Post-conservative evangelicalism: An update after a decade

Also, see the Urban Dictionary's multiple definitions of evangelical (don't click unless you're OK with being offended!)