Short Op Ed Letter on The Book of Mormon

[lilwriter85]

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/art ... /303150010

 

 

Quote

I attended opening night of The Book of Mormon at the Auditorium Theatre. As a Christian (Methodist) I found the whole evening to be appalling. Every other word or gesture was obscene. The idea of mocking another religion — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — is absolutely degrading and disgusting. The depiction of Christ appearing several times was sick, evil, vile and an abomination.

 

Yes, I could have walked out, you say, but to be honest, I wanted to see how much further the storyline would go. They succeeded in shocking me! This was not entertainment, but a commentary on the disintegration of our American society.

 

And, by the way, every show was sold out.

 

LINDA VANDERSTYNE

 

PERINTON

 

The comment section has a couple of interesting discussions going on.

[lilwriter85]

Found another OP letter where a man responds to a review done about BOM in a St. Louis paper

http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journa ... 8fc18.html

To the editor:

Please tell me how you and so many others can laugh and applaud the crude, disgusting portrayal of a religion, decency and perversion such as the "Book of Mormon"? No, I am not a Mormon. We talk about guns killing people, but how about TV and plays such as this, which break down the moral fiber of this country? What have we become?

Playwrights no longer try to lead people in a good and decent direction, and because they do not have the brains to come up with a good plot, they stoop to anything for shock value. Because the idiots in New York and elsewhere say it's so wonderful, why must we jump on that band wagon as well. Grow up!

Carol Stukey

Wildwood

[crazyforkate]

With all the press this show has been getting, how the heck could he not have known???

[SomewhatFundy]

I don't buy it, I think both of those responses are totally from Mormons pretending not to be Mormons to lend credibility to their complaints. I've seen this done a few times on the Exmormon forum. People come on there and post things like "i'm totally NOT Mormon, but you guys are big meanie jerkfaces!". It is almost always, a Mormon. I don't know why so many of them use this tactic, but they do.

Nobody who isn't Mormon gives two shits about that musical being "offensive to Mormons". Heck, many Mormons don't even care. It's just the few LDS folk with a persecution complex that get their panties in a wad.

*EDIT* Because apparently I can't spell.

[weirdghostboo]

Okay, so apparently Mormons/people with persecution complexes don't know what farce and low comedies are.

A farce comedy is a comedy that takes something and distorts it to something that is a lot more over the top than it is. For example, the hippies in Hair. They are not hippies in the 1960s, but have been exaggerated to celebrate all drugs, all forms of sex (see the song 'Sodomy'), and just want long hair in general. That's part of what The Book of Mormon is, as (presumably) real-life Mormons do not have nightmares about a "Spooky Mormon Hell" or be so extensively happy about learning a 'Turn It Off' trick. Farce also parodies social issues; just listen to 'Turn It Off' from The Book of Mormon soundtrack or just watch the whole play; it essentially parodies all religions, especially all the extreme ones.

But The Book of Mormon is also a low comedy. What can you expect, it's written by the guys of South Park. But low comedy is humour that appeals to the main classes--think Monty Python. Low comedy is crude, it is vulgar, and it's not always politically correct. Again, just look at Monty Python. The Book of Mormon uses low comedy when you get jokes about swearing, war, and just essentially all of 'Joseph Smith: American Moses'.

So yeah. The Book of Mormon is this weird mix of farce and low comedy, which pisses me off that people whine about it being "offensive to Mormons" don't get. But then again, what do I expect--I don't think most people with persecution complexes world-views reach that far.

[LostSamurai]

Yeah ok......that's why Mormons are fine with TBOM......

[Peas n carrots]

Yeah ok......that's why Mormons are fine with TBOM......

I saw it a few months ago, and the playbills had ads in them for the LDS church. I think the LDS is doing a much better job handling this than the two old cranks writing into their local newspapers.

I'd love to tell them Hasa Diga Eebowai!

[Hisey]

Actually, I know what the Book of Mormon is about. Although it sounds funny, I decided not to go because I think it is rude ot make fun of another religion. Just me, I guess.

[lilwriter85]

One of the Mormon bloggers that I follow did complain about BOM last year. She hasn't seen it though.

paralyzedwithjoy.blogspot.com/2012/09/double-standard.html

[Cannelle]

You do realize that the guys who wrote it grew up Mormon, right?

[mockingbird]

Found another OP letter where a man responds to a review done about BOM in a St. Louis paper

http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journa ... 8fc18.html

Since when was that the point of theatre?! LOL I mean, yes, there have been attempts throughout history to implement art (whether it is theatre, music, books, etc.) that promotes the values of a certain group in society. But many famous playwrights are famous because their plays highlighted social issues or were otherwise revolutionary for their time! :doh:

[lipstickgoalie]

You do realize that the guys who wrote it grew up Mormon, right?

I am pretty sure neither TreyParker nor Matt Stone were Mormon.

[VooDooChild]

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20130315/OPINION03/303150010

:roll:

[ADoyle90815]

I am pretty sure neither TreyParker nor Matt Stone were Mormon.

The only thing I heard about them is they grew up in Utah, so that's how they were exposed to Mormonism.

[lilwriter85]

I am pretty sure neither TreyParker nor Matt Stone were Mormon.

I was going to say the same thing. I recall reading somewhere that they are friends with Mormons or ex-Mormons.

[Cannelle]

Ah! I stand corrected, then. I'd heard differently.

[crazyforkate]

They both lived in Colorado which I'm sure has a fair Mormon population, and have skewered them often on SP. Absolutely not surprised that they would write about them in a full-length show. However, I do think the LDS church has reacted well to this. They put out a press release at the time saying something along the lines of "We understand it's humor, and if you want to know more check us out". I respected them for that. Not getting angry, just acknowledging it.

[laura oz]

They're from Colorado and I only know that cause I watched Bowling for Columbine and one of them was in it talking to Micheal Moore. So was Marilyn Manson, but I don't think he's from there or has anything to do with the subject at hand :D . He just stands out in my memory for sounding insightful.

[Wolfie]

Actually, I know what the Book of Mormon is about. Although it sounds funny, I decided not to go because I think it is rude ot make fun of another religion. Just me, I guess.

Yet it is okay to participate in a message board whose point is to make fun of extremist Christians?

[SomewhatFundy]

Yet it is okay to participate in a message board whose point is to make fun of extremist Christians?

That's kind of what I was thinking.

[crazyforkate]

The Book of Mormon is going to be in Toronto for over a month and is already sold out :( I'm desperate to see this show! At least the soundtrack exists. Tomorrow is a latter day!

[Anxious Girl]

Found another OP letter where a man responds to a review done about BOM in a St. Louis paper

http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journa ... 8fc18.html

[skeptifem]

The LDS church has a long standing policy against members watching R rated movies and other "obscene" entertainment.

Some might call them hypocrites for putting ads for their church in a show that they forbid members from seeing.

[Anxious Girl]

Actually, I know what the Book of Mormon is about. Although it sounds funny, I decided not to go because I think it is rude ot make fun of another religion. Just me, I guess.

People can critque other religions. Deal with it.