posted
As a non-Mormon, I'm wondering if any of the Mormons here have seen the South Park episode "All About Mormons," and what they thought about it. It's always seemed to me to be one of the most positive portrayals of the religion in TV-land, and the LDS Church certainly gets nicer treatment than pretty much any other religion on the show. Or, if there's already been a thread on the topic, could someone please point me to it? Of course, I'd be particularly interested to know what OSC thinks, but somehow I have a feeling that he doesn't watch the show.
(Note: I'm definitely not trolling here, in case you're worried. I was raised Jewish, consider myself to be agnostic, but generally have a positive opinion of the LDS religion.)
Posts: 170 | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
I don't remember which one is "All About Mormons". Is that the one with the musical flashbacks about Joseph Smith?
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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One of the things I've seen in my own religious community (and one of the reasons American Jews bother me) is a tendency to think that anything said remotely negative about us is a harbinger of the next Holocaust. Certain religious communities seem to be more oversensitive than others, to say the least...
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posted
I saw in the newspaper a couple of weeks ago that the guys who created South Park are planning on a Broadway musical about Mormons....
Posts: 867 | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
Oh, great I think Parker and Stone are generally nice to us, which is pretty cool, though it would be even nicer if they weren't the only people talking about us. I mean, we're a pretty significant group in America, but most of the time, the popular media ignores us or treats us as out-there, weird stereotypes. Someday, I'd really like to see a movie or a television show with Mormon characters who are just normal people who believe in their religion.
Parker and Stone are at least giving us a different spin from most of the rest of the world, and they're pretty cool about it. You can tell that they grew up in the west, where Mormons are thick on the ground, and people generally realize that we're regular folks.
Still, though. I like to hope that one day we'll be better understood by the nation at large.
Posts: 1907 | Registered: Feb 2000
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posted
What show is ever about normal people who just believe in their religion? There always has to be something wacky going on. What would be the point of them being Mormon if they weren't stereotyped in some way?
Though I have to say that there have been a lot of shows about recovery alcoholics over the years. Generally, that "feature" gets downplayed and loses any relevance. Sam on "Cheers" was one (but he was a bartender- ha ha. I bet the got one whole episode out of that). It was supposedly part of Murphy Brown's character. I don't know if that lady on "One Day at a Time" was supposed to be or not.
There just isn't much interesting to go on about a person's belief system in a sitcom. Or you could look at something like the X-files, where it's about the belief system but the guy was never going to move forward out of the wishing to believe phase.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
What makes South Park great is that they don't discriminate. They make fun of everyone.
I have started to see the other point of view a little though. When my brother-in-law said his 8th grade students are running around yelling in Cartman's voice, "dirty Jew", I wonder if the weekday time slot is a little early.
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
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quote:Originally posted by A Rat Named Dog: Oh, great I think Parker and Stone are generally nice to us, which is pretty cool, though it would be even nicer if they weren't the only people talking about us. I mean, we're a pretty significant group in America, but most of the time, the popular media ignores us or treats us as out-there, weird stereotypes. Someday, I'd really like to see a movie or a television show with Mormon characters who are just normal people who believe in their religion.
Parker and Stone are at least giving us a different spin from most of the rest of the world, and they're pretty cool about it. You can tell that they grew up in the west, where Mormons are thick on the ground, and people generally realize that we're regular folks.
Still, though. I like to hope that one day we'll be better understood by the nation at large.
I think the reason a lot of the nation doesn't understand Mormons is that, in a lot of places, they are virtually non-existant. Before the age of 20 (I am now 22), I had met exactly two Mormons in real life and then only because they were on their mission and going door to door in my grandmother's neighborhood.
The South Park boys are from Colorado, which I imagine has a much higher Mormon population than, say, New England, where I'm from.
Now...havning reread yout post, I see you pretty much said that...but I think the point is worth restating.
Posts: 3852 | Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
All About the Moromons is one of my favorite episodes. I think particularly, the fact that they spend the whole episode making fun of the religion, but then at the end tell you that as long as you're not hurting anyone, who cares what someone believes? And who are you to judge them? Great stuff.
Posts: 1042 | Registered: Jan 2001
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quote:Originally posted by pooka: What show is ever about normal people who just believe in their religion? There always has to be something wacky going on. What would be the point of them being Mormon if they weren't stereotyped in some way?
I agree pooka, all shows are about titilation and exitement to some degree.
to Puppy(ARND)- The show you describe is not possible, for you, to experience IMO. If there is a show "about Mormons," then A: It has to mine the depths of Mormon wierdness, or B: it has to quickly get over Mormonioity and become relevant and interesting. If the show is so benign that it never bothers you with its interpretations, or if it is so glowingly normal that it becomes a brochure for LDS, then it will never have found a balance as a show.
Either way, I think shows are not about normal people, and certianly all the attempts at portraying normals, or turning extraordinary people into normals (like the Sopranos for instance) always end up doing the opposite of what they intend. So normal people are made into extraordinary people, and extraordinary people are reaffirmed not as normal, but as even more incredible and fascinating. Its the curse of television I think, because whatever ELSE something has to be, it also has to be incredible, or inspiring, or remarkable. Whatever happens, the shows always spiral outward, they never become studies in simplicity and balance. I would venture to say that art today is not capable of that.
Posts: 9912 | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
Yeah, I know what you mean. If there is a show "about Black people," then A: It has to mine the depths of Black people wierdness, or B: it has to quickly get over Black peopleioity and become relevant and interesting. If the show is so benign that it never bothers you with its interpretations, or if it is so glowingly normal that it becomes a brochure for Black people, then it will never have found a balance as a show.
Posts: 28 | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
If a show about black people in America today never has their ethnicity affect their lives at all, it's unrealistic. And if the whole show is just about a totally normal family which happens to be black, but has absolutely nothing interesting about it at all (as in, totally realistic), it won't be watched. At all. Shows with a certain "type" of people (Mormons, black people, blondes for goodness' sake) all have to be interesting on some level. It can choose to be interesting because of the people being "different," or it can be interesting on an entirely different level, but it can't just be an accurate depiction of Life in an Ordinary Mormon (/Black/Anything) Family. That's just show biz.
Posts: 283 | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
Prehaps ordinary would be dull and boring. But, there is Everybody Hates Chris to consider. That's probably one of my favourite television families.
Also, did you see the amusing episode South Park did about rich black people and poor white people? Cracked me up.
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Of course, I'd be particularly interested to know what OSC thinks, but somehow I have a feeling that he doesn't watch the show. 
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*ducks*
