We've always had these religious braying jackasses in this wonderful country, and, the good Lord willing, we always will have them.
I was just reading (or trying to read, and, finally, trying to skim, because it all got a little tedious for my tender brain) the New Yorker's current review by Anthony Gottlieb of Chris Hitchens's and some other new and newish anti-religion books, and I had to chuckle at some of the quotes from Hitchens's book (not that I'll ever actually read the book; that's why we have book reviews), and I was thinking, poor Christopher: lately the only people that agree with him on Iraq are the mystical 30% who think that GWB is the second son o' God, and now these people will hate Chris too.
Slappy
· 2 years ago
You get sentimental over Falwell who you describe as a "dreadful" man. You tell us humorists in a way owe Falwell. Use the term "Liberal Media" in capital letters. Refer to Falwell as a clown.
Put me down with the "good riddance" crowd. I'm sorry I read this piece.
Dennis Perrin
· 2 years ago
"You get sentimental over Falwell who you describe as a 'dreadful' man. You tell us humorists in a way owe Falwell. Use the term 'Liberal Media' in capital letters. Refer to Falwell as a clown."
Yes, I wrote those things. What's your point?
Tom Watson
· 2 years ago
Hey Slappy, the guy did provide material!
Slappy
· 2 years ago
Sentimentality requires fondness. Anyone owing Falwell anything requires Falwell having contributed in anyway anything positive to society. "Liberal Media" is a term I'd expect Falwell and his ilk to use. A clown is a joke and is not worthy of concern.
I think you are greatly mistaken on all counts.
Tom W: My parents never prevented me from ever watching or reading anything. Zero censorship as a child. However the one show they absolutely refused to allow on TV (not that I even wanted to watch it) was Hogan's Heroes. They said making a joke out of the Nazi's was disgusting and not something that should be laughed at.
I prefer to get my materiel from elsewhere.
Jerry Prager
· 2 years ago
Every time I did a search for my name, I'd end up with stories linked to Jerry Falwell and Dennis Prager. As a Canadian, I have to say that Americans are capable of ploughing up ground into which some particularly strange mushrooms begin to grow, only instead of leaving them growing, your population ingests them in large numbers, and soon begins to hallucinate some very bizarre realities. Must be the Cold North Strong and Free, but our social soil doesn't seem to produce such fun guys. When I think of the Moral Majority I'm always reminded of St. Paul's statement that "we weren't given a spirit of condemnation." I find it quite useful in discerning whether someone is actually a Christian or not. A little condemnation is human, a lot is coming from some other spirit, and it ain't God's. I'm just glad it's not me who has to decide what to do with Falwell in the afterlife. Maybe his name says it all, he fell well.
Dennis Perrin
· 2 years ago
Slappy sez --
"Sentimentality requires fondness. Anyone owing Falwell anything requires Falwell having contributed in anyway anything positive to society."
Umm, no it doesn't. I was referring to Falwell contributing to his own rancid caricature, which too few comics took advantage of until it was safe.
"'Liberal Media' is a term I’d expect Falwell and his ilk to use."
Context, Slappy, context. I used the term against itself, which I thought was obvious, given my overall tone, but it was clearly lost on you.
"A clown is a joke and is not worthy of concern."
A clown who fronts for death squads and statist criminals is still a clown. Indeed, Falwell got more ridiculous as the years went by.
"I think you are greatly mistaken on all counts."
Obviously.
OutOfContext
· 2 years ago
Gee, Slappy, I'm sorry I read these comments. Minutes of my life wasted trying to figure out what the hell you were trying to say. BTW, I believe a study of 'Hogan's Heroes' would be a fascinating window into American culture of the mid-60's. Bob Crane must be an icon of something. And how did your parents feel about F-Troop?
Slappy
· 2 years ago
Your context was clearly lost on me.
Re Falwell being a clown, Falwell died with still many followers and admirers. While his views may have gotten more bizarre in his years (I'm not sure he changed much at all) he was still able to get on national TV and spew his crap. He was not a clown but a man taken seriously by media and therefore a person to be reckoned with. Some may also mistakenly call Sharpton a clown. Making light of Falwell is a mistake. A caricature he was not. Caricatures and clowns do not help elect two-term presidents.
I understand comics going after public figures but feeling sentimental over a man because his influential rants are no longer with us to provide humor for us dismisses the harm this man did. We should be glad the man is gone.
I clearly remember my parents pointing out the racism of F-Troop to me. Although it did not prevent them from "banning" the show.
Slappy
· 2 years ago
After rereading it all, I realize I was being a bit of a negative contrarian in my original post. I think I understand the general tone of the article. It is not exactly pro-Falwell. I am still somewhat annoyed by it but probably more due to my own wishes to read a more damning piece on the man. My apologies.
Frank Boyd
· 2 years ago
I really miss Jerry Falwell... When I made Eagle Scout 2 years ago, one of the congragulatory letters I got was form Jerry Falwell.
PS: This is horrible, Falwell is not a dreadful man
Stan Denski
· 2 years ago
"PS: This is horrible, Falwell is not a dreadful man."
Not any more, no.
Now, if Rove and Cheney could be found, dead and in each other's arms, it'd be time to go look for those dancing shoes.
Stroke Treatment
· 1 month ago
Falwell made his impact in the 80s. Nothing much after that.
All Comments
I was just reading (or trying to read, and, finally, trying to skim, because it all got a little tedious for my tender brain) the New Yorker's current review by Anthony Gottlieb of Chris Hitchens's and some other new and newish anti-religion books, and I had to chuckle at some of the quotes from Hitchens's book (not that I'll ever actually read the book; that's why we have book reviews), and I was thinking, poor Christopher: lately the only people that agree with him on Iraq are the mystical 30% who think that GWB is the second son o' God, and now these people will hate Chris too.
Put me down with the "good riddance" crowd. I'm sorry I read this piece.
Yes, I wrote those things. What's your point?
Anyone owing Falwell anything requires Falwell having contributed in anyway anything positive to society.
"Liberal Media" is a term I'd expect Falwell and his ilk to use.
A clown is a joke and is not worthy of concern.
I think you are greatly mistaken on all counts.
Tom W: My parents never prevented me from ever watching or reading anything. Zero censorship as a child. However the one show they absolutely refused to allow on TV (not that I even wanted to watch it) was Hogan's Heroes. They said making a joke out of the Nazi's was disgusting and not something that should be laughed at.
I prefer to get my materiel from elsewhere.
As a Canadian, I have to say that Americans are capable of ploughing up ground into which some particularly strange mushrooms begin to grow, only instead of leaving them growing, your population ingests them in large numbers, and soon begins to hallucinate some very bizarre realities.
Must be the Cold North Strong and Free, but our social soil doesn't seem to produce such fun guys.
When I think of the Moral Majority I'm always reminded of St. Paul's statement that "we weren't given a spirit of condemnation." I find it quite useful in discerning whether someone is actually a Christian or not. A little condemnation is human, a lot is coming from some other spirit, and it ain't God's. I'm just glad it's not me who has to decide what to do with Falwell in the afterlife. Maybe his name says it all, he fell well.
"Sentimentality requires fondness. Anyone owing Falwell anything requires Falwell having contributed in anyway anything positive to society."
Umm, no it doesn't. I was referring to Falwell contributing to his own rancid caricature, which too few comics took advantage of until it was safe.
"'Liberal Media' is a term I’d expect Falwell and his ilk to use."
Context, Slappy, context. I used the term against itself, which I thought was obvious, given my overall tone, but it was clearly lost on you.
"A clown is a joke and is not worthy of concern."
A clown who fronts for death squads and statist criminals is still a clown. Indeed, Falwell got more ridiculous as the years went by.
"I think you are greatly mistaken on all counts."
Obviously.
BTW, I believe a study of 'Hogan's Heroes' would be a fascinating window into American culture of the mid-60's. Bob Crane must be an icon of something.
And how did your parents feel about F-Troop?
Re Falwell being a clown, Falwell died with still many followers and admirers. While his views may have gotten more bizarre in his years (I'm not sure he changed much at all) he was still able to get on national TV and spew his crap. He was not a clown but a man taken seriously by media and therefore a person to be reckoned with. Some may also mistakenly call Sharpton a clown. Making light of Falwell is a mistake. A caricature he was not. Caricatures and clowns do not help elect two-term presidents.
I understand comics going after public figures but feeling sentimental over a man because his influential rants are no longer with us to provide humor for us dismisses the harm this man did. We should be glad the man is gone.
I clearly remember my parents pointing out the racism of F-Troop to me. Although it did not prevent them from "banning" the show.
PS: This is horrible, Falwell is not a dreadful man
Not any more, no.
Now, if Rove and Cheney could be found, dead and in each other's arms, it'd be time to go look for those dancing shoes.