Simpsons Take Another Shot at Catholics

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Bill Donohue says he’s okay with “gentle fun” being poked at his faith. But the Catholic watchdog says The Simpsons went too far on Sunday when they cracked wise about the Eucharist.

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I would agree. I am normally a Simpsons fan and I find that most of their episodes are really funny and enjoyable, but this past Sunday’s was just awful. I came away feeling insulted and I’m not sure come 8 pm next Sunday if I will be watching or not. They might have just lost a fan.
 
I definitely won’t watch anymore. If it would have been such a shot at Muslims, Matt Groening would in hiding for the rest of his life.
 
Didn’t many disciples think along that line at first? Many stopped following Jesus because of the thought of eating his Blood and Flesh.
 
Here is the description from the article.
…people in Springfield becoming zombies after eating hamburgers infected with tainted meat.
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Bart tries one of the infected hamburgers, but proves immune to the virus, and so becomes the “Chosen One.” When the Simpsons reach a safe zone with other uninfected people, a guard says, “Welcome, son. To survive, all we must do is eat your flesh.” Which leads Marge to ask: “What kind of civilized people eat the body and blood of their savior?”
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While that’s a bit pointed, I don’t think it’s especially harsh. There is the general belief that eating human flesh is uncivilized, and yet that is exactly what we profess. It’s reasonable for Marge to point out this seeming incongruity, but what makes it funny is not the character’s disagreement with such behavior, but her ignorance of something so many of us believe. It would not have been as funny if they had poked fun at say the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Far more offensive was an episode a few years ago where Bart’s baptism by neighbor Ned is portrayed as a moment of terror.
 
I’d just like to hear her say “what kind of people make women wear tents, what kind of people cut off your hand if you stole something, what kind of people kill you if you decide to follow another religion?” That’s all. Just poke fun at Islam Simpsons, got the guts?
 
double standard of course

South Park i think was able to show Mohammed twice. of course Matt and Trey wouldn’t think twice about it but Comedy Central always discourages to do so. but Comedy Central doesn’t have objections on Jesus being a regular character on South Park

how fair is that?
 
Hmm… is this really a shot at Catholics in particular?

Don’t protestants also believe that they eat the body and blood of Christ, except that they see it as more symbolic? Perhaps the “humor” in Marge’s comment was the irony that every Sunday she does exactly that at her own church, eating the body and blood of Christ symbolically in bread and wine.

Could it just be a humorous look at Christianity in general?

The Simpsons poke fun at lots and lots of different people. If you’re going to watch an irreverent show like that, you have to expect to be the target of the jokes sometimes too.

I stopped watching South Park because it offended me a lot that they had Jesus on the show as a character. I don’t think I’ll stop watching Simpsons over this. In fact, maybe its good that they include religious topics. Most television prefers to banish anything theological completely from the public square.
 
‘Maybe it’s good they include religious topics…’

Only if through ‘clever’ writing they imply the reason Catholics believe what they do. Otherwise, it’s just one continuous accepted, ‘innocent’ insult and blasphemy that goes
on and on. Over the years it is accepted and why stop the Southpark viewing.

Why HBO has gotten rave reviews for its ‘**** on Christ’ episode that just aired…
 
"tzarno1:
Why HBO has gotten rave reviews for its ‘**** on Christ’ episode that just aired…
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It’s okay and accepted because Larry David is Jewish (a liberal one). He’s allowed to be bitter about Christians. :rolleyes:

His show in the past usually has Christian related gags (a baptism episode, Christ nail), but that “gag” was for the sake of expected reaction from Bill Donahue types. Pretty insulting, and highlights the blatant double standard on Jesus, vs. every other religion in today’s culture.

I’d like to see Larry David p*ss on the Koran, then I’d commend the comedians for being edgy (and no I don’t condone doing that, i’m just pointing out the hypocrisy) and bold in their irreverence.

Slamming Christianity is too easy, and frankly, it’s a bad effect on impressionable youths. It also leads to a weakening of faiths, when the ridicule starts to be saturated and expected. No more respect, nor decency for a religion that’s allowed these secularists stability.
malachi3 said:
I’d just like to hear her say “what kind of people make women wear tents, what kind of people cut off your hand if you stole something, what kind of people kill you if you decide to follow another religion?” That’s all. Just poke fun at Islam Simpsons, got the guts?
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They don’t. In fact they paid lip service to them and made a whole episode how “Islam is a religion of peace” preaching against Islamophobia, and got praise from CAIR, the terrorist muslim front. lol
Way to be bold Simpsons writers, at least South Park (in all their sacrilege) in respect to the Muhammad Cartoon-Jesus double standard pointed out the hypocrisy.
They didn’t appease false notions about legitimate post 9/11 attitudes.

Simpsons used to be funny, and they used to be even keeled when they would just have jabs here and there at everything. They also included somewhat respectful balanced takes. While they would make cynical themes (Rev. Lovejoy , Ned Flanders) they still showed the Simpsons going to Church, Homer returning to the Church (in Homer the Heretic), Ned Flanders being a pretty good Christian at times…

Now, they have a new generation of writers, and they’re pretty unintelligent and not clever like the old school Simpsons season writers. They’ve also gotten less crafty, and more forced with these “irreverent” jokes. I’d only be offended if Simpsons was still relevant as a comedy show. Now they’re just that old cherished dog that you don’t want to put to sleep. They still are pretty lame when they attack Catholicism because they don’t really do their research or whoever the raised Catholic writers are come off ignorant. (They had a Catholic episode a few years ago, that was okay)
Also Marge delivering lines like that are forced and off. I don’t have so much a problem with irreverent jokes, if there is some element of truth (cynicism, valid criticism on hypocritical actions)
but poorly researched jokes gets my goat.

Anyway, while Bill Donahue means well, he should focus more on bashing these folks
they’re more dangerous than the Simpsons.
(From the Article)
John Gehring of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, meanwhile, is decrying the media reliance on Donohue as a spokesman for the faith on the Washington Post’s On Faith blog.
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“While Donohue’s bluster makes for sensational television,” Gehring writes, "he rarely raises his voice to speak about issues at the heart of Catholic social teaching. While the U.S. Catholic bishops’ 2008 election-year statement on political responsibility emphasized a consistent ethic of life tradition that recognizes torture, unjust war, the death penalty, genocide, racism and poverty as ‘direct assaults on innocent human life,’ Donohue is uncharacteristically mute on these points. Abortion is not the only ‘life issue’ for Catholics."
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These guys need to be called out and have the light shed on them. Selling their souls for political capital. Shame on them.
 
Digitonomy said:
Here is the description from the article.While that’s a bit pointed, I don’t think it’s especially harsh. There is the general belief that eating human flesh is uncivilized, and yet that is exactly what we profess. It’s reasonable for Marge to point out this seeming incongruity, but what makes it funny is not the character’s disagreement with such behavior, but her ignorance of something so many of us believe. It would not have been as funny if they had poked fun at say the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
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I agree with you. I don’t think this is offensive at all, actually. She didn’t say anything bad about the Eucharist.
 
It wasn’t harsh, but neither was it funny.

Guess I’m just fed up with the fact that it’s always something Catholic they take a shot as for being weird or superstitious. I want to see an episode where Marge says what kind of people pray to an old wall and stick messages in it.

I’d also like to see Lisa explain why Catholics do that: like Catholics believe Jesus was the new lamb, as prefigured by the Passover lamb of the Jews, and he is present in the bread that is broken, cause he broke the Last Supper bread and said “this is my body”. Lisa can do that.
 
malachi3 said:
I’d also like to see Lisa explain why Catholics do that: like Catholics believe Jesus was the new lamb, as prefigured by the Passover lamb of the Jews, and he is present in the bread that is broken, cause he broke the Last Supper bread and said “this is my body”. Lisa can do that.
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You’re exactly right, and the writers might actually be receptive to that. Of course, they’ll throw in a few gratuitous sarcastic comments on various aspects of Catholicism or Catholic culture, just to let people know the writers didn’t suddenly become stooges for the Vatican. But I think that would be great to see.
 
I think because we are of the Catholic faith, we are a bit biased when we look at how often we are ridiculed.

Overall, I really don’t think we are made fun of any more than the Jews or Muslims.

but if you want a show that’s completely impartial about whom it offends, try South Park. I assure you that you will no longer feel singled out.
 
i like the Simpson’s religious jokes as its not as poor taste as the ones in Family Guy or South Park

like when Ned Flanders was telling himself he wants to be the nicest person that ever lived. then the shot zoomed out to reveal an image of Jesus framed on his wall, then Ned clarified his statement, “i said man, not man-God”

or that Queen Elizabeth I story. i forgot the exact quote but as England was set to go to war with the Spanish Armada, Rev. Lovejoy prayed and asked Jesus to be on their side against this people who glorifies his mother and their king made himself head of their church. something to that effect. (the internet has let me down, i can’t find anything that has the exact quote)
 
choy said:
i forgot the exact quote but as England was set to go to war with the Spanish Armada, Rev. Lovejoy prayed and asked Jesus to be on their side against this people who glorifies his mother and their king made himself head of their church. something to that effect. (the internet has let me down, i can’t find anything that has the exact quote)
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Lord Jesus, although our country turned Protestant for the sole reason that our fat, mean king could dump his faithful wife, we know you’re on our side. So please, destroy these horrible monsters who believe your Mother should be revered.
 
During grade school and high school I was as devoted a Simpsons fan as any; often I’d watch four episodes a night after school. Unfortunately, the Simpsons has suffered from declining standards for years and years. When I was a senior in high school it already was evident the show was really going downhill. It’s hard to believe it’s still being made 8 years later, even though the show is, in my opinion, almost unwatchable. The writing, plots, characters, etc. all pale in comparison to the golden age of the Simpsons in the mid-1990s. And the movie was just downright bad. As far as many fans are concerned, the show should’ve ended at least 8 years ago.
 
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