Re: The Video that Just Wont Go Away
Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 12:27 am
I have to borrow a page from bcspace's playbook and say that this cartoon from The Godmakers is yellow journalism of the most hilarious kind. What is so great about this movie is that The Godmakers and a parody of The Godmakers would be the exact same film.
First, the You Tube poster says this is a "banned Mormon cartoon." I hope that someday we can find out when, where, and by whom this cartoon was "banned." The poster alludes to Mormons getting it banned from You Tube, but then.....how are we watching it there?
This cartoon having a striking resemblance to those bizarre, acid-trip 1970's cartoons by Ralph Bakshi like "Wizards" and his horrible version of "The Lord of the Rings" makes this opus truly special.
The ominous-sounding narrator and creepy music are also a nice touch.
We find out that Mormonism teaches that there are "trillions" of planets with gods. Actually, it is "worlds without number." "Trillions" is sort of a number, although not a specific one.
Then we see what is apparently a Mormon goddess taking care of a baby, as if gods and goddesses in Mormonism actually have babies that grow up into "adult" spirits. And the "spirit child" who grows up to be Elohim is shown wearing a diaper with a fastening pin on it. Magnificent! Of course, we don't know that Elohim is the Mormon God's actual given name, nor that he was known by this name before becoming God. But let's not nitpick; it detracts from the hilarity.
Another thing I like is how pedestrian the gods look. No shining light, no glory, no reverence. Geez, even Clash of the Titans (both old and new versions) showed Zeus and company as glorious beings. Really, look at Lawrence Olivier as Zeus in the 1981 Clash of the Titans:
That is almost exactly how LDS people picture Heavenly Father. Not some hermit in a bathrobe from The Godmakers who just walks around town like a normal guy. But the Godmakers God does look much more cultish, so I suppose it was an aesthetic choice. And why is God shown as an old man, but his wives are apparently the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders in prom dresses?
The over-the-top science fiction tropes are also a great feature. By the way, why is Kolob a "mysterious" star? I don't remember ever thinking it was mysterious? Apparently it's close to Jupiter, though, as we see on You Tube. Maybe what makes Kolob mysterious is that it's in our own solar system.
We learn that the Mormon God and his wives produced spirit children through "endless celestial sex." What the downside to this is supposed to be is never articulated. Obviously, though, it is supposed to sound weird to a conservative evangelical audience.
The heavenly council meeting at a banquet table is nice, too. Why doesn't Ed Decker just come right out and say that Mormons believe in Zeus by way of Star Trek? (Which, if you think about it, isn't that far off.)
Taking a cue from My Turn on Earth, Ed Deck also gets the Lucifer thing wrong: Jesus went first, then Lucifier, in volunteering to save everyone. The Pearl of Great Price is quite clear on this point. I also notice that Lucifer is blond. Maybe this is where the stock character of the blond bully alpha douchebag in every 80's movie (e.g., The Karate Kid) comes from.
Decker also gets it wrong that the gods voted--by a show of hands, no less--for Jesus. It was Elohim who chose Jesus, not an Elk's Lodge call for a vote.
And why are Satan's horns just a cowlick on each side of his head? I demand a scarier Satan! Even Bill Cosby was scarier as Satan in Disney's "The Devil and Max Devilin."
Instead, Ed Decker's Lucifer just looks like.......the blond bully alpha douchebag in every 80's movie.
By the way, where was the war in heaven?
And do we really know that the fallen spirits flew down to Earth like Superman? Maybe God put them in a DC-8 and dropped them in a volcano......no, sorry. I'm getting my stories mixed up.
Did anyone else notice that the "cursed with black skin" people around 2:24 look more Indonesian than they do Negro, which is what Decker is attempting to represent? Also, the Book of Mormon is referring to Nephites, not modern Mormon people, as "white and delightsome." (Because, you know, ancient Hebrews were Caucasian.)
Also: according to the Adam-God Theory, God and one of his wives turned into a ball of light to come (from Kolob, again near Jupiter) to Earth and start the human race.
Around 2:55--Decker needs to get his sound effects straight. The transporter from Star Trek does not sound like thunder (when Elohim transports to Earth). Referring to "the starbase, Kolob" was precious, however.
And then here's God, just walking through town and knocking on Mary's door. I mean, come on. Even LDS people who did or even do believe that there was an egg and sperm exchange for this don't think it was that pedestrian (literally).
The reference around 3:20 to Orson Pratt teaching that Jesus was a polygamist is too easy, since every LDS person is going to say it's not "official doctrine." What they're not going to say, however, is why a special witness of Jesus Christ who is a prophet, seer and revelator would come up with this idea in the first place.
And it's not like Mormons are the only ones who said that Jesus had children. Damn, Ed Decker is uptight about sex.
Around 3:35, we see Scotty beaming Jesus to the Nephites, directly contradicting the story of his descending from the sky in 3 Nephi. Come on, Ed. A lot of movies deviate from the book, but these details are important. This is what causes divisions in the fanbase: anti-Mormons who prefer the movie version, and anti-Mormons who are faithful to the original. And Ed still can't get the transporter sound effects right!
The Indians vs. Romans battle scene from the Book of Mormon looks almost exactly like the Ralph Bakshi Lord of the Rings, by the way. I'm serious; look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLg__bl6vU4
And don't miss how Mormons doing genealogy work are made to look a lot like grave robbers (5:19).
I also like how not only will we dress like an extra from The Music Man at the final judgment (5:25), but Joseph Smith will sit in the middle, between Elohim and the Mormon Jesus, suggesting who is the most important.
While evangelical Christians might not like the idea that Joseph Smith is going to participate in the final judgment, I guess they don't object to the equally ludicrous belief that the ancient 12 apostles are going to judge us---you know, like it says in the New Testament.
Did you also notice how he slipped it in there that Mormons who are sealed in the temple expect to become polygamous gods? While post-mortem polygamy is in fact still practiced by the Church, I don't know of very many LDS people who "expect" to become polygamous when they are exalted. What a wasted opportunity for a diatribe about how the LDS Church has thrown the teachings of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young under the bus.
I'm not sure where it came from that Joseph Smith shed his blood so that we can become gods. The worship of Joseph Smith in the LDS Church is not that explicit.
All in all, this cartoon, and the rest of the movie, will always be a masterpiece of anti-Mormonism. It takes a true genius to make Mormons and anti-Mormons look ridiculous at the same time, and only Ed Decker, the Ed Wood of anti-Mormonism, could do so with such triumph. A parody of Mormonism, and a parody of anti-Mormonism, simultaneously. Four stars.
First, the You Tube poster says this is a "banned Mormon cartoon." I hope that someday we can find out when, where, and by whom this cartoon was "banned." The poster alludes to Mormons getting it banned from You Tube, but then.....how are we watching it there?
This cartoon having a striking resemblance to those bizarre, acid-trip 1970's cartoons by Ralph Bakshi like "Wizards" and his horrible version of "The Lord of the Rings" makes this opus truly special.
The ominous-sounding narrator and creepy music are also a nice touch.
We find out that Mormonism teaches that there are "trillions" of planets with gods. Actually, it is "worlds without number." "Trillions" is sort of a number, although not a specific one.
Then we see what is apparently a Mormon goddess taking care of a baby, as if gods and goddesses in Mormonism actually have babies that grow up into "adult" spirits. And the "spirit child" who grows up to be Elohim is shown wearing a diaper with a fastening pin on it. Magnificent! Of course, we don't know that Elohim is the Mormon God's actual given name, nor that he was known by this name before becoming God. But let's not nitpick; it detracts from the hilarity.
Another thing I like is how pedestrian the gods look. No shining light, no glory, no reverence. Geez, even Clash of the Titans (both old and new versions) showed Zeus and company as glorious beings. Really, look at Lawrence Olivier as Zeus in the 1981 Clash of the Titans:
That is almost exactly how LDS people picture Heavenly Father. Not some hermit in a bathrobe from The Godmakers who just walks around town like a normal guy. But the Godmakers God does look much more cultish, so I suppose it was an aesthetic choice. And why is God shown as an old man, but his wives are apparently the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders in prom dresses?
The over-the-top science fiction tropes are also a great feature. By the way, why is Kolob a "mysterious" star? I don't remember ever thinking it was mysterious? Apparently it's close to Jupiter, though, as we see on You Tube. Maybe what makes Kolob mysterious is that it's in our own solar system.
We learn that the Mormon God and his wives produced spirit children through "endless celestial sex." What the downside to this is supposed to be is never articulated. Obviously, though, it is supposed to sound weird to a conservative evangelical audience.
The heavenly council meeting at a banquet table is nice, too. Why doesn't Ed Decker just come right out and say that Mormons believe in Zeus by way of Star Trek? (Which, if you think about it, isn't that far off.)
Taking a cue from My Turn on Earth, Ed Deck also gets the Lucifer thing wrong: Jesus went first, then Lucifier, in volunteering to save everyone. The Pearl of Great Price is quite clear on this point. I also notice that Lucifer is blond. Maybe this is where the stock character of the blond bully alpha douchebag in every 80's movie (e.g., The Karate Kid) comes from.
Decker also gets it wrong that the gods voted--by a show of hands, no less--for Jesus. It was Elohim who chose Jesus, not an Elk's Lodge call for a vote.
And why are Satan's horns just a cowlick on each side of his head? I demand a scarier Satan! Even Bill Cosby was scarier as Satan in Disney's "The Devil and Max Devilin."
Instead, Ed Decker's Lucifer just looks like.......the blond bully alpha douchebag in every 80's movie.
By the way, where was the war in heaven?
And do we really know that the fallen spirits flew down to Earth like Superman? Maybe God put them in a DC-8 and dropped them in a volcano......no, sorry. I'm getting my stories mixed up.
Did anyone else notice that the "cursed with black skin" people around 2:24 look more Indonesian than they do Negro, which is what Decker is attempting to represent? Also, the Book of Mormon is referring to Nephites, not modern Mormon people, as "white and delightsome." (Because, you know, ancient Hebrews were Caucasian.)
Also: according to the Adam-God Theory, God and one of his wives turned into a ball of light to come (from Kolob, again near Jupiter) to Earth and start the human race.
Around 2:55--Decker needs to get his sound effects straight. The transporter from Star Trek does not sound like thunder (when Elohim transports to Earth). Referring to "the starbase, Kolob" was precious, however.
And then here's God, just walking through town and knocking on Mary's door. I mean, come on. Even LDS people who did or even do believe that there was an egg and sperm exchange for this don't think it was that pedestrian (literally).
The reference around 3:20 to Orson Pratt teaching that Jesus was a polygamist is too easy, since every LDS person is going to say it's not "official doctrine." What they're not going to say, however, is why a special witness of Jesus Christ who is a prophet, seer and revelator would come up with this idea in the first place.
And it's not like Mormons are the only ones who said that Jesus had children. Damn, Ed Decker is uptight about sex.
Around 3:35, we see Scotty beaming Jesus to the Nephites, directly contradicting the story of his descending from the sky in 3 Nephi. Come on, Ed. A lot of movies deviate from the book, but these details are important. This is what causes divisions in the fanbase: anti-Mormons who prefer the movie version, and anti-Mormons who are faithful to the original. And Ed still can't get the transporter sound effects right!
The Indians vs. Romans battle scene from the Book of Mormon looks almost exactly like the Ralph Bakshi Lord of the Rings, by the way. I'm serious; look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLg__bl6vU4
And don't miss how Mormons doing genealogy work are made to look a lot like grave robbers (5:19).
I also like how not only will we dress like an extra from The Music Man at the final judgment (5:25), but Joseph Smith will sit in the middle, between Elohim and the Mormon Jesus, suggesting who is the most important.
While evangelical Christians might not like the idea that Joseph Smith is going to participate in the final judgment, I guess they don't object to the equally ludicrous belief that the ancient 12 apostles are going to judge us---you know, like it says in the New Testament.
Did you also notice how he slipped it in there that Mormons who are sealed in the temple expect to become polygamous gods? While post-mortem polygamy is in fact still practiced by the Church, I don't know of very many LDS people who "expect" to become polygamous when they are exalted. What a wasted opportunity for a diatribe about how the LDS Church has thrown the teachings of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young under the bus.
I'm not sure where it came from that Joseph Smith shed his blood so that we can become gods. The worship of Joseph Smith in the LDS Church is not that explicit.
All in all, this cartoon, and the rest of the movie, will always be a masterpiece of anti-Mormonism. It takes a true genius to make Mormons and anti-Mormons look ridiculous at the same time, and only Ed Decker, the Ed Wood of anti-Mormonism, could do so with such triumph. A parody of Mormonism, and a parody of anti-Mormonism, simultaneously. Four stars.