If you thought that far-right groups claiming Harry Potter is evil and the Muppets are communists was a purely 21st-century, Fox News-related phenomenon, we invite you to enjoy some hilarious proof that there’s nothing new about decrying popular children’s entertainment as a tool of Satan. Rich Juzwiak has edited together some highlights from a ’90s VHS called Not Just Fun and Games, in which three middle-aged men play with — no, strike that, absolutely freak out about — a whole table full of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys. Pop musicians aren’t safe from the trio’s wrath, either: Michael Jackson and MC Hammer (“not a role model we as Christians should emulate, though he claims to be a Christian”) also get the thumbs-down, while Vanilla Ice is judged to be “talented at making money.”
This is obviously a funny video, but we can’t help seeing something a little sad in it, too. There’s something about the part when the guy with the mustache and mullet is excitedly explaining how the Ninja Turtles’ “white magic” is just like the light side of the Force that made us think, “What this poor man really wants is to be a hardcore sci-fi nerd, but he’s repressing that urge because he’s pretty sure God hates Star Wars.” Anyway, maybe that’s just what we’re reading into it. Judge for yourself after the jump.
Children of the ’90s, tell us if this scenario sounds familiar: You’re doing a group presentation in middle school, and someone has a brainstorm. Everyone else is just going to drone on in front of some poster board with a handmade chart glued to it. What will really set your team apart from the others is presenting your information as a rap song. Remember that? Well, that is basically what the Church of Scientology has done in a new video that was apparently never meant for public viewing. According to The Village Voice, the song was probably created by Scientologist rapper Chill EB, although you won’t see him in the clip. Lyrics include such stunners as “Psychotropic drugs we make a thing of the past/ Expose the fraud of the psychs and watch them dwindle real fast,” and while we won’t ruin the visuals for you, we will say that quite a bit more breakdancing happens at Scientology events than we would ever have guessed. Watch the video after the jump, and learn more about it at the Voice. Read More »
Remember those striking Benetton UNHATE Campaign images we posted yesterday, of (mostly male) world leaders kissing? You know, the ones we referred to as “potentially controversial”? Well, controversy has, indeed, ensued. The first ad to attract a backlash features Pope Benedict XVI making out with Ahmed el-Tayeb, an important Egyptian Sunni imam. As Britain’s Daily Mail reports, Benetton has pulled the image from its website — and removed it from a Vatican-adjacent billboard — in response to the Vatican’s charge that the ad “shows a serious lack of respect for the Pope.” The company has released a statement of apology: “We are sorry that the use of an image of the pontiff and the imam should have offended the sensibilities of the faithful in this way. We have decided with immediate effect to withdraw this image from every publication.” Of course, Benetton had to know that this particular ad would stir up drama, and the choice to place a billboard so close to the Vatican makes it pretty clear they were seeking a reaction from on high. Let us know in the comments whether you find the photo offensive.
Now that The Book of Mormon is Broadway’s second-biggest box-office hit of the year and two revivals of Christian-themed musicals — Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar — are making their way back to the stage this year, we think it’s fair to say that the theater has seen the way of the Lord. Has someone been putting sacrament in the water? Or have playwrights just gotten in touch with their devout — and devoutly satirical — sides? Either way, we’re more interested in how the current slate of God-oriented programming plays measures up to holy productions past, so we’ve ranked seven of them from burn-in-hell blasphemy to virginal virtue after the jump.
A surfer and award-winning artist, Sandow Birk is a man with a mighty mission — to make an American version of the Qur’an. Using English translations of the text, Birk is exquisitely writing and illustrating all 114 chapters, or suras, that make up the holy book by hand. With a graffiti style script and cartoon-like illustrations of everyday life, inspired by the particular message of each sura, the artist reveals how the teachings of Islam are similar to those of Christianity and Judaism.
Using gouache, acrylic, and ink to illustrate scenes of farming, shopping, and golfing, as well as tornados, floods, and hurricanes, Birk is on the third leg of his project, which will take another three years to complete. In the end, he plans to produce an illustrated book that will break down the misunderstanding of the Islamic faith that is fueled by our own ignorance. While his previous suras have been exhibited on the West Coast at Catharine Clark Gallery in San Fransisco and Koplin del Rio Gallery in Culver City, the third group is on view at PPOW Gallery in New York through October 9th.
Welcome to the latest edition of Design Porn, Flavorpill’s regular roundup of all things drool-worthy. Maybe the epic proportions of the BP oil spill have us thinking about the end of days. Maybe it’s Lady Gaga’s obsession with Christian imagery. Maybe we just felt it was only appropriate after the amazing Jewish-themed items we presented readers with last month. Regardless, click through and prepare to say Hallelujah — it’s time to look at some crosses.
Just six months after the release of her most recent full-length, Abnormally Attracted to Sin, Tori Amos is back with Midwinter Graces, her first holiday album in a career that has spanned two full decades. While the concept may seem a familiar one, Amos’ approach is far from it. Rather than simply put her spin on traditional holiday tunes, the piano woman radically reinvents the standards she takes on, rewriting music, adding and changing lyrics, and making them entirely her own. Supplemented by a number of new originals, the tracks here add up to far more than a Christmastime afterthought — this is an album that can stand up to any of Amos’ studio work, marked by complex arrangements, live orchestral contributions, and even the recording debut of the singer’s nine-year-old daughter, Natashya.
We caught up with Amos during a brief respite at home between tour legs to talk about the new record, her views on religion versus spirituality, and her upcoming musical, The Light Princess. Read our exclusive interview and listen to the new album after the jump.
Ingrained from an evangelical upbringing in New Jersey, Carlene Bauer’s religious leanings kept her from living an unexamined life of artistic debauchery in New York City. Not That Kind of Girl isn’t simply a tale of how the “good girl” lost her faith through drinking at raucous parties and romps with unfamiliar men, though you will find a bit of that here. Instead, it’s a thoughtful memoir about a young woman’s slow and arduous attempts to break up with God, a task at which she finally succeeds with a little help from the city. Read More »
1. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs grossed $13.8 million in North American theaters on Wednesday, beating out Shrek 2‘s record for biggest mid-week opening for an animated film. [via Reuters]
2. JellyNYC’s free Pool Parties have moved to a new venue in Williamsburg and the schedule – which includes Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, and Deerhunter — is epic. [via Pitchfork]
3. Artists find a new use for vacant commerical space in the UK: pop-up contemporary galleries. [via BBC]
4. A new gameshow in Turkey seeks to convert atheists with pilgrimage as a grand prize — Mecca for Muslims, Jerusalem for Christians and Jews, and Tibet for Buddhists. [via Guardian]
5. Are box office expectations and franchises suffucating the great up and coming American filmmakers ? [via The Independent]
Note: Because we’re already celebrating the Fourth of July here at HQ, we won’t be publishing again until Monday. If you’re looking for something to do in your city over the holiday weekend, check out our newly-relaunched Flavorpill website and leave us a comment. Enjoy!
Coverage of religious cults in the media tends to fall into two categories: stunned horror (surrounding events like the Jonestown massacre) and baffled amusement (Scientology and its host of celebrity followers). What no one seems to be commenting on is the often bizarre, yet highly-original (some might even say fashion-forward) creations that cult followers sport. Not convinced? Here, we count down our top 5 cult classics.
, Tori Amos is back with 
, her first holiday album in a career that has spanned two full decades. While the concept may seem a familiar one, Amos’ approach is far from it. Rather than simply put her spin on traditional holiday tunes, the piano woman radically reinvents the standards she takes on, rewriting music, adding and changing lyrics, and making them entirely her own. Supplemented by a number of new originals, the tracks here add up to far more than a Christmastime afterthought — this is an album that can stand up to any of Amos’ studio work, marked by complex arrangements, live orchestral contributions, and even the recording debut of the singer’s nine-year-old daughter, Natashya.
isn’t simply a tale of how the “good girl” lost her faith through drinking at raucous parties and romps with unfamiliar men, though you will find a bit of that here. Instead, it’s a thoughtful memoir about a young woman’s slow and arduous attempts to break up with God, a task at which she finally succeeds with a little help from the city. 
