In Which I Snark on The Buttercream Gang

[Trynn]

I watched an old movie from my childhood, and decided to snark about it on my blog. Here's the link to part one of "The Buttercream Gang."

http://www.thecity4square.wordpress.com ... ng-part-1/

I thought about copying it here on the forums, but it was hard enough to figure out the pictures on wordpress.

So, anybody besides me remember this movie from their childhoods? Maybe even those who were the target audience in 1992? (I was 3 years old).

Disclaimer: Some of the posts on the blog are from back when I was a fundy lite Christian. I thought about removing them, then decided that no, they happened, even though I cringe at them now. If you do go back and read them, all I ask is that you judge me based on who I am now, not on who I was.

[milkncookies76]

I watched an old movie from my childhood, and decided to snark about it on my blog. Here's the link to part one of "The Buttercream Gang."

http://www.thecity4square.wordpress.com ... ng-part-1/

I thought about copying it here on the forums, but it was hard enough to figure out the pictures on wordpress.

So, anybody besides me remember this movie from their childhoods? Maybe even those who were the target audience in 1992? (I was 3 years old).

Disclaimer: Some of the posts on the blog are from back when I was a fundy lite Christian. I thought about removing them, then decided that no, they happened, even though I cringe at them now. If you do go back and read them, all I ask is that you judge me based on who I am now, not on who I was.

Heh, I was born the year after it came out, and watched it in my 5th grade health class for some reason. Even then, it seemed super outdated and stupid. My youngest sister's health class watched it last year too, it she said it was the lamest movie ever.

[EmiGirl]

I loved the Buttercream Gang when I was a kid.

[Trynn]

Milk&Cookies: Health class? The movie does have SOME things going for it but... Health class? why? i could MAYBE see religion class. of course, I can't remember why we were watching it either. Maybe it was a replacement for the teacher reading to us after recess? or some friday activity?

Ha! I was born in 1988. When I was in 5th grade, this movie would've been dated, but I wouldn't have noticed. Kudos to you for noticing things like that at that age, cuz I certainly didn't. heh.

[lilwriter85]

I remember this movie quite a bit. The company who made it was heavily Mormon backed company based in Utah. They made a lot of money selling VHS copies of this movies and other movies to schools, various churches, and other organizations. In the 90s, they had a program in which they sent out huge amounts of copies to school and each student was given a copy to take home for a weekend and they were also given handouts that asked questions about the movies. If students and their families wanted to keep the VHS copies, they could pay like $10. We ended up keeping a copy at my house. I remember liking the movie as a kid, but when I watched years later I saw how ridiculous it was. I did some online research and that is how I found out that was made by a Mormon backed company.

The company Feature Films For Families also to do cold sales over the phone to people. A friend of mine has several of their other movies.

[Trynn]

I did know I was Mormon, but not about the giving it to schools. I wonder if that's how mine got a copy...

There is a sequel but I don't remember ever watching it. If people want, I can do that one too, but it's not something I would do on my own without being asked.

It doesn't involve Pete, so it's probably wicked boring.

[EmiGirl]

We used to get movies from Feature Films for Families all the time. My mom still has all of the them in her basement

[Trynn]

Part 2 is up:

http://thecity4square.wordpress.com/201 ... ng-part-2/

I doubt I'll be able to post part 3 till Wed at the absolute earliest, as I do have a real life to get to.

I'm curious... does anyone know if Feature Family Films is racist? I just... I don't see any non white people in this movie. This actually bothers me slightly more than the portrayal of females. I just wondered if it was intentional, or made by a church that only has a white congregation?

I found Michael D Weatheredd (Pete) on twitter. He makes Buttercream jokes and... it looks like he might be gay, which is a real interesting twist.

[lilwriter85]

Part 2 is up:

http://thecity4square.wordpress.com/201 ... ng-part-2/

I doubt I'll be able to post part 3 till Wed at the absolute earliest, as I do have a real life to get to.

I'm curious... does anyone know if Feature Family Films is racist? I just... I don't see any non white people in this movie. This actually bothers me slightly more than the portrayal of females. I just wondered if it was intentional, or made by a church that only has a white congregation?

I found Michael D Weatheredd (Pete) on twitter. He makes Buttercream jokes and... it looks like he might be gay, which is a real interesting twist.

I have no idea if there is racism with the company. It might not have been intentional that the movie had an all white cast. I''m looking at Michael's twitter page and I see the tweets about being gay christian. More power to him if he is and is using twitter to take a stand.

[Coco]

yep we used to watch it all the time too 8-) (when my family was Assemblies of God, before we were more conservative fundie). This was in the early '90's. All the girls had crushes on Scott and everyone tried to do bike jumps like they do. But it was still really corny and terrible acting, we made fun of it. Widow Jenkins!

We also watched 3 Ninjas (whoo hoo somebody got a ticket!) and Jurassic Park (it's a cd rom!!) and Homeward Bound (cats rule and dogs drool) and Free Willy (jumping whales) and White Fang (that falling through the ice with a casket scene, so creepy lol) a lot.

They just don't make kids movies like this anymore. Grandma's house in the summertime movies. :D

You can watch the whole thing here: (under a different name The TreeHouse Gang - A Butter Cream Gang Adventure - not posting the video since it might get tragically deleted off youtube.) :lol:

youtube.com/watch?v=ZpNMsofb_Lc&feature=youtu.be

[Mitz_]

Oh my gosh, Trynn...I love your blog. I think I would say that you were more of a reluctant fundie back at the beginning...ha! Looking forward to reading more.

[MissSeptember]

I still own this on VHS (though I do not own a VCR).

We watched it in Sunday School in my Assemblies of God church. We watched a lot of movies, like A Thief in the Night rapture movies that scared us shitless, but Gerbert and the Donut Man the next week.

[Coco]

I still own this on VHS (though I do not own a VCR).

We watched it in Sunday School in my Assemblies of God church. We watched a lot of movies, like A Thief in the Night rapture movies that scared us shitless, but Gerbert and the Donut Man the next week.

yes! the donut man! i need to get those for my kids (when they're old enough to know it's not real). :lol: so hilariously bad. jonah, he was alonah, in the belly of a whale without a phona.

[Trynn]

Oh my gosh, Trynn...I love your blog. I think I would say that you were more of a reluctant fundie back at the beginning...ha! Looking forward to reading more.

Thanks mitz :) if there's interest I can post more about life as an ex fundy lite, or other videos.

You're right, I WAS a reluctant one. Partly because I sensed stuff was off, and then free jinger gave me the ability to put it into words. What I posted on my blog was only the half if it. That was the stuff I didn't mind if other Adventists saw... The other half wasn't pretty.

THE DONUT MAN! Oh my god, is that the one with the talking donut? That one scared me!

I'm gonna hunt It down and review that next, I think. And what was that one with the boy wih he nephew who was about to lose his ranch?

Thanks for he new link to the buttercream gang movie. I'll use it if my current sources don't dry up.

I'm debating writing about the sequel next, but I never saw it in childhood, so I have no fond memories of it.

[Coco]

Can't wait for the rest of the review of the buttercream gang when you have time. The snarky breakdown is hilarious. Donut man reviews would be fantastic too. :lol: It's so fun knowing other people suffered through those movies as kids too and haven't completely blocked it out with selective amnesia. :cracking-up:

[CrazyCatLady]

We owned this when I was a kid but I don't remember much about it!

[Trynn]

I might be able to get to it later today. Not tomorrow though cuz my parents are coming and I so excited.

Does anyone know if I can watch the donut man online? Is it on YouTube? I'm at work and can't check.

[Coco]

yes it is

wow the choreography is so corny lol

:embarrassed: so embarrassing that my siblings and i used to LOVE these songs. :lol: actually i still kind of enjoy kid music. i'm hopelessly dorky. :D

youtu.be/lf4S-x3ust0?list=PL25EF9FD2D8FF2ECA

[TrueRebel1]

Our church started showing the Buttercream Gang for children's church back in the early 90's. My parents pulled us out of CC because they thought the movie was too worldly! ;)

[TrueRebel1]

Does anyone know if the Buttercream Gang movies are supposed to be based on, or a copy-cat of, the Moody series The Sugarcreek Gang?

[nomoxian]

If students and their families wanted to keep the VHS copies, they could pay like $10.

Or hook 2 VCRs together and record it onto a blank tape.

...I would totally download a car.

[keen23]

I've never heard of The Buttercream Gang. My childhood VBS was generally spent watching McGee and Me! Anyone else remember this? A boy with a cartoon conscience (I think that's what it was at least).

[Trynn]

I dimly remember that one. I'd do it next but I wanna do the donut man. McGee and me might be coming, though, unless I find that other movie about the kid who's nephew is about to lose the family ranch. The parents send the bad kid to the nephews ranch to straighten him out.

[Trynn]

yes it is

wow the choreography is so corny lol

:embarrassed: so embarrassing that my siblings and i used to LOVE these songs. :lol: actually i still kind of enjoy kid music. i'm hopelessly dorky. :D

youtu.be/lf4S-x3ust0?list=PL25EF9FD2D8FF2ECA

I'll check out the link when I'm off work.

Ha! A least you weren't scared of them though... Your childhood reaction was at least somewhat normal.

[Trynn]

Part 3 is up: http://thecity4square.wordpress.com/201 ... ng-part-3/

Part 4 will not be up till Wed, as my parents are visiting.

Also, I did not see this video in VBS. I saw it in actual SCHOOL. Yes, it was a Christian school, but we still watched during school hours.