One of the most disturbing Mormon causes I have seen

[Guest]

One of the characters in the show (Barb, the first wife) was LDS, and her sister and extended family are still TBM. Barb's son has visited with an LDS Bishop, and the polygamist family has TBM neighbors.

But, there's no connection to the Church..

The Temple content seems to be related to Barb's polygamist lifestyle being revealed to the local LDS, resulting in her excommunication? Apparently, this leads to her going through the Temple again. Not sure how it will fit in, but that's what the "LDS" have to do with the show.

But, there's no connection to the Church...

Tom Hanks has actually shown a great deal of humility and self-awareness of his mental limitations as a celebrity and the low value of his non-entertainment related opinions, so I'm not sure where your diatribe comes from.

Yes, there's nothing like a "self aware" celebutard.

Oh please, the terrible pain...

[_GoodK]

I'm trying to figure out, Goodk, whether... I'm staring into... your mind or heart...

Easy Droopy. I'm not into old gays. But I'm flattered.

[_neworder]

Church has posted a message today in their newsroom about the upcoming Big Love Show.

http://newsroom.LDS.org/ldsnewsroom/eng ... ty-dilemma

SALT LAKE CITY 9 March 2009 Like other large faith groups, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sometimes finds itself on the receiving end of attention from Hollywood or Broadway, television series or books, and the news media. Sometimes depictions of the Church and its people are quite accurate. Sometimes the images are false or play to stereotypes. Occasionally, they are in appallingly bad taste.

As Catholics, Jews and Muslims have known for centuries, such attention is inevitable once an institution or faith group reaches a size or prominence sufficient to attract notice. Yet Latter-day Saints – sometimes known as Mormons - still wonder whether and how they should respond when news or entertainment media insensitively trivialize or misrepresent sacred beliefs or practices.

Church members are about to face that question again. Before the first season of the HBO series Big Love aired more than two years ago, the show’s creators and HBO executives assured the Church that the series wouldn’t be about Mormons. However, Internet references to Big Love indicate that more and more Mormon themes are now being woven into the show and that the characters are often unsympathetic figures who come across as narrow and self-righteous. And according to TV Guide, it now seems the show’s writers are to depict what they understand to be sacred temple ceremonies.

Certainly Church members are offended when their most sacred practices are misrepresented or presented without context or understanding. Last week some Church members began e-mail chains calling for cancellations of subscriptions to AOL, which, like HBO, is owned by Time Warner. Certainly such a boycott by hundreds of thousands of computer-savvy Latter-day Saints could have an economic impact on the company. Individual Latter-day Saints have the right to take such actions if they choose.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as an institution does not call for boycotts. Such a step would simply generate the kind of controversy that the media loves and in the end would increase audiences for the series. As Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Robert D. Hales of the Council of the Twelve Apostles have both said recently, Latter-day Saints in the public arena should conduct themselves with dignity and thoughtfulness.

Not only is this the model that Jesus Christ taught and demonstrated in his own life, but it also reflects the reality of the strength and maturity of Church members today. As someone recently said, “This isn’t 1830, and there aren’t just six of us anymore.” In other words, with a global membership of thirteen and a half million there is no need to feel defensive when the Church is moving forward so rapidly. The Church’s strength is in its faithful members in 170-plus countries, and there is no evidence that extreme misrepresentations in the media that appeal only to a narrow audience have any long-term negative effect on the Church.

Examples:

* During the Mitt Romney election campaign for the presidency of the United States, commentator Lawrence O’Donnell hurled abuse at the Church in a television moment that became known among many Church members as “the O’Donnell rant.” Today, his statements are remembered only as a testament to intolerance and ignorance. They had no effect on the Church that can be measured.
* When the comedy writers for South Park produced a gross portrayal of Church history, individual Church members no doubt felt uncomfortable. But once again it inflicted no perceptible or lasting damage to a church that is growing by at least a quarter of a million new members every year.
* When an independent film company produced a grossly distorted version of the Mountain Meadows Massacre two years ago, the Church ignored it. Perhaps partly as a result of that refusal to engender the controversy that the producers hoped for, the movie flopped at the box office and lost millions.
* In recent months, some gay activists have barraged the media with accusations about “hateful” attitudes of Latter-day Saints in supporting Proposition 8 in California, which maintained the traditional definition of marriage. They even organized a protest march around the Salt Lake Temple. Again, the Church has refused to be goaded into a Mormons versus gays battle and has simply stated its position in tones that are reasonable and respectful. Meanwhile, missionary work and Church members in California remain as robust and vibrant as ever, and support for the Church has come from many unexpected quarters — including some former critics and other churches.

Now comes another series of Big Love, and despite earlier assurances from HBO it once again blurs the distinctions between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the show’s fictional non-Mormon characters and their practices. Such things say much more about the insensitivities of writers, producers and TV executives than they say about Latter-day Saints.

If the Church allowed critics and opponents to choose the ground on which its battles are fought, it would risk being distracted from the focus and mission it has pursued successfully for nearly 180 years. Instead, the Church itself will determine its own course as it continues to preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

[_neworder]

Sorry. For those out of the loop, here is a brief rundown for what this group is about. There are over 400 members.

It has now reached over 2000 in the few hours since you have posted. Might be one of the fastest growing groups on Facebook!

[Guest]

That is a really good response. It's almost a smackdown on the LDS who are (over)reacting to the whole thing. I especially love this quote:

there is no evidence that extreme misrepresentations in the media that appeal only to a narrow audience have any long-term negative effect on the Church

As a pay-cable series, Big Love is seen by less than 2 million people. Good numbers for HBO, but I guess not statistically significant from the Church's perspective.

Of course, if it were a positive portrayal, we would be bombarded with anecdotes about how every little bit counts, and it's a ground breaking development for LDS PR, and how each positive portrayal adds up to conversions over time etc.

[_Droopy]

At the very least, the fact that Hanks gave money to the Al Franken campaign tags Hanks, intellectually, as, not to put too fine a point on it, a textbook Hollywood leftist (twit, out here in flyover country) whose intellectual depth, outside of his chosen profession, is minuscule. I will credit him, however, that, unlike Sean Penn (and others in this group), who cannot express himself coherently in English, can articulate his thoughts in an organized, understandable manner.

It also places him well outside the American political mainstream into the far fringes of American political discourse with much of the institutional Democratic party and the ideological grassroots base of that party.

[_GoodK]

And the cherry on top:



"I know it's just more proof the church is true."



It really is funny to see chapel Mormons on the Internet. They make posters like Nehor and Droopy look brilliant.

[_cinepro]

And the cherry on top:



"I know it's just more proof the church is true."



It really is funny to see chapel Mormons on the Internet. They make posters like Nehor and Droopy look brilliant.

The woman in that picture is not a chapel Mormon.

[_GoodK]

The woman in that picture is not a chapel Mormon.

touche

[_Danna]

I know Big Love is on restricted HBO in the states, but when it is purchased by other countries, it may be bought by free-to-air channels. Big Love (and Sex in the City, and other shows mentioned earlier) are shown publically on TVNZ in NZ (same situation in many aussie states as well If I recall correctly).

Down here, it rapidly became so popular in a weeknight 8:30pm slot that they screened it again at a more convienient time on weekends. Later episodes got shifted to later in the evening due to naughty content, but by then it had a huge following. When the second season was due, huge ads featuring Bill Paxton were painted on the back end of Wellinton buses:


The new season will likely have an encore screening as well (screening twice a week) to make sure no one misses out.

My guess is that Big Love will have a wider impact out in the 'mission field' per capita-wise. And Big Love has a big association with Mormonism.

I can't wait!