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John Mark Reynolds
Professor of philosophy for Biola, Reynolds blogs regularly at Scriptoriumdaily.com along with other faculty from the Torrey Honors Institute, a great books program.» All Posts by John Mark Reynolds
Amos and Andy and The Book of Mormon
The creators of the play Book of Mormon have created the Amos and Andy for the South Park set. We may laugh, but our grandchildren will shudder as decent folk do at “wits” of the last century whose favorite dance was to “jump Jim Crow.”
The parts of the Book of Mormon I have seen are as innovative as a Newsies revival and as funny as the cruel, tasteless jokes told by an inebriated coworker at a Christmas party. The difference is that the coworker might sober up in the morning, but the mindless mockery that also gave us South Park will continue.
After all, the theater establishment toasted the two with Tony’s and the insiders would never cheapen themselves by rewarding a play for picking on a minority religion loathed in the theater community or behave like decadent Romans horrified by a growing moral minority comforting the libertines by mocking the moral.
I cannot know for sure without seeing the entire play.
If we assume the play a brilliant satire with PR unfortunate enough to release only the cruel and facile bits, then we are still left with two unfortunate truths about this play. First, the writers are cowards. They inflict pain and mockery on those already despised while going soft on the tired assumptions of their rich and powerful patrons. Second, in a pluralistic society they have targeted a group already misunderstood and discriminated against.
I am no Mormon, but I have witnessed bigotry and ignorance directed against this American community. The LDS Church is placed in the difficult position of seeing their most sacred beliefs mocked in a nation that murdered their prophet in a shameful lynching. Broadway has given aid and comfort to the mob of ignorant folk who know nothing of modern Mormonism outside of their prejudices.
No wonder Mormon politicians like Jon Huntsman, bob and weave when asked by bigots if they are part of the LDS church. Few of us have the Mitt Romney courage to stand by our people when the cost is high. For his steadfastness, Romney was linked to the play in a Newsweek parody cover that left only his profile, but a profile in religious courage.
I write this in Istanbul, a city awash in lies told about religious minorities by powerful interests. Here Christians and Jews face “amusing” pop cultural stereotypes, some quite clever, but a wicked cleverness that feeds hatreds. Against this my Turkish friends fight for a respect that goes “beyond tolerance” and voluntarily restrain themselves from inciting prejudice to score cheap gains. It is the only hope for a peaceful republican future for this land.
The same is true for the United States. Theater has an ugly record of pandering to the prejudices of ticket buyers. Minstrel shows produced catchy music and made New Yorkers laugh, but they were shameful and wrong.
The Book of Mormon is a minstrel show for our present age with Mormons as the joke.
Ugly plays did not by themselves produce the Klan or keep some Americans from voting for African-Americans. Original sin was enough for that, but minstrel shows did give racism an artistic and comedic whitewash. When Americans were hurt by the cruel stereotypes, they were told it was “just a joke” and were painted as petty for not laughing along.
Of course no group has been as cruelly treated as African-Americans, but Mormons have a history of being persecuted. They have been exiled in their own land, but have returned unfailing devotion to our Constitution.
This new play will pander to our prejudices and treat our Mormon neighbors as we would never wish to be treated. Some Americans will allow it to confirm unthinking prejudice, while cowardly Mormons will applaud it hoping for crumbs of respectability.
Meanwhile the actual Mormons in our midst will keep paying taxes, making strong families with children, and dying to protect the rights of a decayed and decadent theater “elite.”
I stand in solidarity with my Mormon neighbors.
John Mark Reynolds | Jun 15, 2011 5:20 PM
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It seems to me that the play writers would have had better subject material with the Nation of Islam. Why didn't they go that route? Could it be because Mormons are a target that doesn't shoot back?
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Chet
-
*jeep! and God Bless
--Grandpa Chet, MM, DM
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"
--Mind Over Matter, mentalism and developing your hunches, from Richard Osterlind at http://osterlindpublications.com/
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Grampa Slowsky
Joseph Smith was lynched?
=======================
Actually he was!
From dictionary.com:
lynch
�verb (used with object)
He was put to death by mob action and without legal authority. Hanging is the most common means of a lynching, but not the only one.
Love Y'all,
Grampa Slowsky in Acworth, Georgia
AKA Bill Lewis
Say, Noah, you think there's any rain in those clouds? (Gen., Chap. 7)
Chet
-
*jeep! and God Bless
--Grandpa Chet, MM, DM
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"
--Mind Over Matter, mentalism and developing your hunches, from Richard Osterlind at http://osterlindpublications.com/
On 6/21/2011 8:39 PM, Chet wrote:Joseph Smith was lynched?
=======================
Actually he was!
From dictionary.com:
lynch
–verb (used with object)
to put to death, especially by hanging, by mob action and without legal authority.
He was put to death by mob action and without legal authority. Hanging is the most common means of a lynching, but not the only one.
Love Y'all,
Grampa Slowsky in Acworth, Georgia
AKA Bill Lewis
Say, Noah, you think there's any rain in those clouds? (Gen., Chap. 7)
--
Jonathan Scott
Jonathan Scott
On 6/21/2011 8:39 PM, Chet wrote:Joseph Smith was lynched?
=======================
Actually he was!
From dictionary.com:
lynch
–verb (used with object)
to put to death, especially by hanging, by mob action and without legal authority.
He was put to death by mob action and without legal authority. Hanging is the most common means of a lynching, but not the only one.
Love Y'all,
Grampa Slowsky in Acworth, Georgia
AKA Bill Lewis
Say, Noah, you think there's any rain in those clouds? (Gen., Chap. 7)
Jonathan Scott
Jon Hunstman running for President. The main theme of the show
though was about all of the anti-Mormons that exist in America. John
Gibson was surprised to find how many there were. He said that about
22% of the people in the US wold not vote for a Mormon. It's a
worthwhile podcast to get. Download it if you can.
Grampa Slowsky
Anyone have any news on Cousin Bill? �How is he doing?
==========================
He is OK. He is on FaceBook from time to time, using the name Bill Lewis. Profile picture is from a play he was in and shows him looking rather gruff and wearing a tuxedo. I am on FB as Bill Lewis III.