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st_lucy
Guest
I know I love how he tells it like it is and still makes very funny. He still does tours, he was in my city this last summer, but we didn’t have money to see him.
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Evangel
Guest
I only listen to Teller.
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MarcoPolo
Guest
I tend to go the route of ignore. He’s not a serious participant in the discussion of religion.
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Detales
Guest
Padraig~~“The crazy thing about this is that Penn and Teller have a massive fan base who’ll believe everything they say as gospel and won’t bother to check if any of their facts were correct or distorted.” That is exactly the position of the vast majority of the lay people and clergy of the Catholic church, as it is of religionists and other believers in general, whether in science or saucers.
Joe~~""…a mark of intellectual maturity is the ability to represent one’s opponent’s position in a way that your opponent would recognize as fair and accurate." Again, something Catholics and religionists are not famous for. That is pretty clear from the majority of postings in these fora that I have read. Piety and faith are phenomenally effective prophylactics for the mind. Almost as good as straight up ignorance,
EveAngel~~“I only listen to Teller.” LOL!! Excellent! But Penn is doing some work in New Mexico, I think, about the relationship of stage magic to ordinary daily perceptions of the world. It seems that we are able to cope with the “reality” of existence in large part by shutting things out. Again applicable to these fora, and to our thinking abilities in general. Oh, who said “It is great luck for leaders that men don’t think?” That would be Adolph Hitler, if you remember who he was.
Joe~~""…a mark of intellectual maturity is the ability to represent one’s opponent’s position in a way that your opponent would recognize as fair and accurate." Again, something Catholics and religionists are not famous for. That is pretty clear from the majority of postings in these fora that I have read. Piety and faith are phenomenally effective prophylactics for the mind. Almost as good as straight up ignorance,
EveAngel~~“I only listen to Teller.” LOL!! Excellent! But Penn is doing some work in New Mexico, I think, about the relationship of stage magic to ordinary daily perceptions of the world. It seems that we are able to cope with the “reality” of existence in large part by shutting things out. Again applicable to these fora, and to our thinking abilities in general. Oh, who said “It is great luck for leaders that men don’t think?” That would be Adolph Hitler, if you remember who he was.
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Bluegoat
Guest
I have heard some religious comedians who were not that good, so that may be part of the problem. I think comedy in general needs to be surprising to be funny, to set accepted ideas on their heads, to show a skewed way of looking at the world, that is wrong but seems somehow logical. A comedian who is perfectly respectful to authority, and anything “sacred” would have a hard row to hoe.
Now, I think it is quite possible to do this with religion without being anti-religious. However, some religious people object to anything of the kind, even when it is really spot on or revealing. So perhaps comedians don’t see a religious audience as being the best bet for paying their bills?
I think of a relative I have who was quite scandalized by the Life of Brian. Now, it certainly had aspects which were not what Catholicism would agree with - I don’t think the Monty Python guys are especially conventionally religious. But it did treat it’s subject intelligently, and point out some very true things about the way people treat religion.
Or that Rowan Atkinson skit where he is the priest - that is quite funny too.
Perhaps the Brits do a little better with comedy and religion - I think it tends to be fundamentalists who reject all funny religious comedy, and they seem more common in the US.
Now, I think it is quite possible to do this with religion without being anti-religious. However, some religious people object to anything of the kind, even when it is really spot on or revealing. So perhaps comedians don’t see a religious audience as being the best bet for paying their bills?
I think of a relative I have who was quite scandalized by the Life of Brian. Now, it certainly had aspects which were not what Catholicism would agree with - I don’t think the Monty Python guys are especially conventionally religious. But it did treat it’s subject intelligently, and point out some very true things about the way people treat religion.
Or that Rowan Atkinson skit where he is the priest - that is quite funny too.
Perhaps the Brits do a little better with comedy and religion - I think it tends to be fundamentalists who reject all funny religious comedy, and they seem more common in the US.
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Joe_5859
Guest
Just to clarify, this show appeared on Showtime, which is owned by CBS. It did not air on CBS. Perhaps the FCC has a different set of rules for pay channels than they do for network channels?
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JustaServant
Guest
Perhaps its the state of a secular society that sees no ‘threat’ from religion. They can lampoon, without being sacreligious or mean-spirited. The ‘Father Ted’ series from Ireland is a case in point. It’s silly, and never crosses the line. Although some here might disagree.
But in America, many ‘comedienes’ come off, not as funny, but mean-spirited and angry.
We Yanks could learn much from our cousins across the pond.
Rowan Atkinson in The Black Adder: “You see, the thing about heaven is that heaven is for people who like the sort of things that go on in heaven. Like, well, singing, talking to God, watering pot plants.”
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JustaServant
Guest
The rules are different for pay channels. The can deficate on air (and oftentimes to) and they wouldn’t get into trouble.
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ALLGIRLS
Guest
**
I think of a relative I have who was quite scandalized by the Life of Brian. Now, it certainly had aspects which were not what Catholicism would agree with - I don’t think the Monty Python guys are especially conventionally religious. But it did treat it’s subject intelligently, and point out some very true things about the way people treat religion.
Or that Rowan Atkinson skit where he is the priest - that is quite funny too.
Perhaps the Brits do a little better with comedy and religion - I think it tends to be fundamentalists who reject all funny religious comedy, and they seem more common in the US.**
There was a guy, and I now cannot remember his name for the life of me, who was at the Stuebenville Mid America youth conference in Springfield, MO last summer (July 08). He did one of the funniest stand-up routines I’ve ever seen (all the while also teaching/ministering to the youth in the audience). I was 7 months pregnant at the time, and thought I was going to go into premature labor I was laughing so hard. They do exist. Does anyone know who I’m talking about. He’s a layman, married, w/ kids (did a great piece about his wife giving birth to their first child). I wish I could remember his name!
In Christ,
Ellen
Now, I think it is quite possible to do this with religion without being anti-religious. However, some religious people object to anything of the kind, even when it is really spot on or revealing. So perhaps comedians don’t see a religious audience as being the best bet for paying their bills?
I think of a relative I have who was quite scandalized by the Life of Brian. Now, it certainly had aspects which were not what Catholicism would agree with - I don’t think the Monty Python guys are especially conventionally religious. But it did treat it’s subject intelligently, and point out some very true things about the way people treat religion.
Or that Rowan Atkinson skit where he is the priest - that is quite funny too.
Perhaps the Brits do a little better with comedy and religion - I think it tends to be fundamentalists who reject all funny religious comedy, and they seem more common in the US.**
There was a guy, and I now cannot remember his name for the life of me, who was at the Stuebenville Mid America youth conference in Springfield, MO last summer (July 08). He did one of the funniest stand-up routines I’ve ever seen (all the while also teaching/ministering to the youth in the audience). I was 7 months pregnant at the time, and thought I was going to go into premature labor I was laughing so hard. They do exist. Does anyone know who I’m talking about. He’s a layman, married, w/ kids (did a great piece about his wife giving birth to their first child). I wish I could remember his name!
In Christ,
Ellen
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Ferde_Rombola
Guest
I’m with your other side, Paul. These guys define sleaze. I wouldn’t pollute my eyes and ears with them.
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Newbie2
Guest
It’s not on network TV. Their show is called “Bull****”; I’ve seen it on Showtime, but it may be on other channels. Also available on Youtube. In the show I watched, they had a woman who claimed that having babies in the ocean underwater with the aid of dolphins was the best way to have a baby. Pretty wacky stuff.
I guess they think it’s cutsie to use profanity. They could do the same show and it would be just as entertaining without the potty mouth. But children will be children.
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Ferde_Rombola
Guest
A number of years ago, Cosby, allegedly a Catholic, was subbing for Johnny Carson on the ‘Tonight’ show. At one point he made a gratuitous remark insulting the Blessed Sacrament. He got a lot of flak for it. The next night he mentioned the flak and repeated the insult. I’ve been (very) down on his ever since. All the good things he’s said and done in the interim count for nothing with me. He took a cheap shot at the Church and the Lord, at me and every other faithful Catholic, then thumbed his nose at us and repeated it.
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st_lucy
Guest
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celticsfan1983
Guest
Jim Gaffigan and Brian Regan are two clean but hillarious comedians. Gaffigan talks about growing up Catholic a lot, and has a bit about recognizing the Pope from high school.
See this quote from Gaffigan: “I curse in everyday life. I’m not Mr. Filthypants or anything, but I do,” he admits. “In my standup, which I’ve been doing forever, one of my goals has been getting rid of things that are not necessary, but easy laughs. Every comedian out there will admit, if you add a curse word to a joke, it’ll help it. And shock gets a laugh. I wanted to weed that out. The topics I talk about don’t justify cursing; I don’t do Lewis Black social satire or talk about hard-hitting issues of the day.” The benefit of all that: “People can bring their mom or their kid to a live show.”
Oh yeah, we’re talking about Penn and Teller? Overrated, IMO.
See this quote from Gaffigan: “I curse in everyday life. I’m not Mr. Filthypants or anything, but I do,” he admits. “In my standup, which I’ve been doing forever, one of my goals has been getting rid of things that are not necessary, but easy laughs. Every comedian out there will admit, if you add a curse word to a joke, it’ll help it. And shock gets a laugh. I wanted to weed that out. The topics I talk about don’t justify cursing; I don’t do Lewis Black social satire or talk about hard-hitting issues of the day.” The benefit of all that: “People can bring their mom or their kid to a live show.”
Oh yeah, we’re talking about Penn and Teller? Overrated, IMO.
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Mimi
Guest
HILARIOUS TIMES GOOGLE !!!
As a veteran homeschool mom whose 3 kids were the geekiest, I thought this vid was great. Well done, cute, and mostly true. Love the lines “our 8 yr old’s a surgeon” - “our 9 yr old’s a lawyer”! All our 3 boys were into electronics and reverse engineering from the time they could hold a screwdriver. Fortunately they never took the phone apart. Now one’s in his last yr of electrical engineering studies.
I always loved Bill Cosby growing up, too. Remember his tv show? I never heard anything about his being Catholic, or saying anything derogatory, but suppose it could be.
I’m gonna put a link to this vid on my facebook page. Thanks!
I agree with some comments here; I’d love to watch the Comedy Channel, but so often it’s so vulgar & smarmy I can’t stand it. What happened to being creative. And I mostly like Foxworthy, but he used the marital act in part of his routine, and, well, I don’t like being led to have pictures in my mind of that.
There was a Catholic comedian who came to our area about 20 yrs ago Pat _____. One of the tapes he had for sale was Pat Answers; it was educational as well. Wish I could remember his last name. He was quite funny.
Here’s a Catholic comedian I found while searching for Pat’s last name, Sally Edwards:
catholic.org/prwire/headline.php?ID=5507
Here’s her myspace site: myspace.com/chicagocomedian
O-o-o, she’s near me, in Chicago! Wouldn’t she be great to have as a part of a women’s retreat, or parish picnic??
A merry heart makes like medicine –
Mimi
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st_lucy
Guest
I agree that skit is sooo funny. I am also going to put it on my facebook for all those friends and family who always think this when they ask about my hsing.
I think I read that those are not all of his kids though.I too have never heard the bit about Cosby, but I think that we all make mistakes and he has proven other wise to be a stand up guy. I would like to see a direct link to those comments though.
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paulgms
Guest
I saw the U tube video from Penn and the reply from Al Cresta. I genuinely admire Al Cresta because he strives to truly be a Christian. With Penn’s display of hostility, Penn clearly made the point of his own lacking in humanity. But let me be quick to allow that when any of us are angry, we can tend to respond foolishly. GK Chesterton stated that the problem with Christianity is christians. I purposely used the lower-case “c” here because truly being a follower of Christ is the challenge of a lifetime. A great pope, I believe it was Gregory, stated that we must not pay lip service, but we must truly love our enemies, for they too are children of God, whether or not they recognize this.
I would argue that many Christians have participated in making the world a much better place: a place where education, medicine and science have been hugely encouraged and developed to advance civilization.
When we honestly look at the result of a great deal of atheism, e.g. communism, we can see an enslavement of humanity along with destruction of tolerance. Clearly, we must recognize that religious intolerance has resulted in a great deal of evil as well.
An honest historical reckoning would definitively show the tremendously good effort of Christianity in the work toward civilization. The United States of America was truly blessed because of the influence of Christianity: the progress toward being fully human, has been, and continues to be a genuine struggle. The call to genuine holiness is the only good answer.
Let us not be distracted or drawn into hostility whereby we become part of the problem.
Sincere atheists will truly search for answers and to the extent that they are sincere, they will find. A very excellent work is the Handbook of Catholic Apologetics by Kreeft and Tacelli. I would urge both believers and non-believers to study this.
Paul Schmidt
I would argue that many Christians have participated in making the world a much better place: a place where education, medicine and science have been hugely encouraged and developed to advance civilization.
When we honestly look at the result of a great deal of atheism, e.g. communism, we can see an enslavement of humanity along with destruction of tolerance. Clearly, we must recognize that religious intolerance has resulted in a great deal of evil as well.
An honest historical reckoning would definitively show the tremendously good effort of Christianity in the work toward civilization. The United States of America was truly blessed because of the influence of Christianity: the progress toward being fully human, has been, and continues to be a genuine struggle. The call to genuine holiness is the only good answer.
Let us not be distracted or drawn into hostility whereby we become part of the problem.
Sincere atheists will truly search for answers and to the extent that they are sincere, they will find. A very excellent work is the Handbook of Catholic Apologetics by Kreeft and Tacelli. I would urge both believers and non-believers to study this.
Paul Schmidt
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AnotherAtheist
Guest
LOL! So what exactly is it that makes Penn and Teller different from the Catholic Church?
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redhen
Guest
You’re kidding right? You’re comparing the sophomoric, snide comedy routine of Penn & Teller to the long, rich tradition of Catholic intellectualism and academia?
Even I can see the difference.
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redhen
Guest
My favourite Tim Hawkins video, a parody of “Jesus Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood.
youtube.com/watch?v=Zfs3BJZxKkc&feature=related
At least Christians have a sense of humour and can make light of themselves. What we need are some Muslim comedians who can do the same.
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