Louis Theroux was back on the BBC on Sunday night. For those who didn’t see it, Louis visited the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, for the second time.
In the four years since his last visit, it seems the church has lost momentum, but the documentary still proved just as harrowing a portrayal of “America’s most hated community”. Still marching with the “God Hates Fags”, “Pray For IEDs” and a whole bunch of other catchy slogans that make you want to saw open your own head and scrape out the memory of casting your eyes on them, the church has also lost a few followers and the remaining idiots continue to put their faith before their own family. In a number of examples, young girls have managed to escape the cult and now their families refuse to acknowledge they still exist. One girl is reduced to tears while Louis interrogates her on leaving her family, friends and entire life behind. He then moves in on the families, who can only reason that god is more important than family with some unbelievably ironic, double crossing, contradictory and twisted theories that are so confusing they would make even the ever popular Professor Brian Cox shit out his own brain.
When the hour is almost up, you give up on being so angry your pancreas is about to explode into your stomach and realise that actually, it’s more than likely the Westboro Baptists that are going to hell (if it exists), and not every single other living organism ever created. By the very end, your admiration for Louis overshadows your hatred for the Phelps and co. and normality just about ensues. He steals the show throughout as per usual. Remaining calm in the face of the ‘forever proving themselves right even when no one is questioning them’ religious nuts, which helps to make them look even more ridiculous, if that’s at all possible.
The only thing I’m left wondering, was it really necessary? Or was this just another chance for Louis and The Beeb to poke fun at these people and generate even more hatred toward them, which will no doubt play a part in the further demise of their church. They should have been left alone, they don’t deserve the airtime they’ve received and we should have been treated to a doc. on a completely new subject.
Hopefully we’ll get one soon, as his last, “Louis and The Ultra Zionists”, was one of the best pieces of television I’ve ever seen. More importantly, it explained the Israeli/Palestine conflict better than anything else I’ve ever read or watched. Watch it if you ever get the chance, but still never EVER attempt to, or ask me to, explain this nasty little war outside of your own nasty little head.
Explain your obsession with body parts. Why should the Church have been left alone? You fail to answer your own questions..
ReplyDeleteI have no obsession with body parts. The Church should have been left alone because they've already received far too much airtime. Just leave them alone to get on with their lives, so they affect as few people as possible. That would've let the genius that is Theroux make a programme on something new.
ReplyDeleteI disagree; leaving them alone and not questioning their beliefs allows them to present to their limited followers that the mainstream cannot argue against and/or deconstruct their views in a rational manner.
ReplyDeleteHumilitation is the key to preventing groups like these from manifesting further. It worked with the BNP on Question Time.
PS. If you can't handle critcism of your writing, don't write.
I'm not entirely sure it did work with the BNP, they were bullied, and proved the BBC don't offer the impartial service they claim to. I've spoken to people who decided to vote BNP because of the QT appearnce.I have recently read interviews with on of the Phelps where she claims they have gained followers because of the first show, and the cameraman who joined them whilst making a doc. on them also shows this. The more times we here about them, the more neutralised to them we become, the shock factor decreases, they appear less controversial, the more chance they have of gaining followers.
ReplyDeleteAs for the remark on being criticised. I can take criticism, I'm a graphic designer, its part of my job. Its more the anonymity that bothers me, if you so strongly believe in what you are saying, why hide who you are? I don't understand that.
Its a significant misjudgement to base your argument on your experience of speaking to people who voted BNP based on the QT appearance. You can't effectively promulgate your reasoning if you are not aware of how many people chose NOT to vote for the BNP based on the QT show.
ReplyDelete945,000 people voted for the BNP in the European Elections of 2009, whereas in the 2010 General Election their share of the vote was almost halved to 500,000. Significantly, that 500,000 votes was part of a far greater voter turnout. Of course, it is impossible to suggest that the QT appearance contributed to this huge drop, but it would be foolish to suggest that this was not one of the contributing reasons.
I completely disagree that the chance of gaining followers increases where you desensitize and disseminate the Churchs belief system. Its a very patronising approach to employ, as you are implying that people are ignorant to the extent that they cannot rationally analyse independently, and must have other people to tell them what is right and wrong.
The BNP were not affected by QT as much as the mass media suggested in my opinion, but this discussion was about Westboro Baptist Church.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree people should be able to make their own concious decisions on what is right and wrong, but in this day and age the percentage of the population who can is decreasing daily. That's how the world of advertising works. We get told what to do, and everybody is affected by it. Its a sad state of affairs.
You are completely wrong. The article was about the WBC, the discussion extended far beyond that. Your poorly disguised attempt to close the discussion on the BNP simply proves that you have no response.
ReplyDeleteAgain, you attempt to state opinion as fact. Where is the proof that the % of people capable of making a conscious decision is decreasing?
Also, anonymity is not a false persona. Anonymity is a complete lack of persona. Thats the point of it; anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority.
I have a response which I have stated multiple times, an opinion I am not trying to present as fact, merely my opinion. It may come as a shock, people are allowed to have opinions differing to yours old chap.
ReplyDeleteUsing big words will not confuse me, impress anyone, or make your argument any more relevant than my own or anyone else's. In my opinion, it will only make you look self centred, and detached from the actuality of the topic of discussion.
In my opinion, that % is decreasing. An opinion, just as you have presented many times in this ongoing and now pointless and increasingly boring discussion.
Also, your last paragraph there, presenting opinion as fact?
Research! Yes research, I just did some research, and I quote from Sir President King of The World; "get a fucking life" very insightful I feel. So there we are, you have been proved 100% right, or wrong, just whatever will make you happy. Its the taking part that counts anyways.
ReplyDeleteI once saw a big word in the dictionary if that counts. Do I get a point? Can I come back?
ReplyDeletejust watched again. Alarming that a couple of these lunatics were Registered Nurses!
ReplyDeleteI know, with their logic surely they feel that if someone is ill then it's god's will and they deserve it and they therefore shouldn't do anything about it? who knows!
ReplyDeleteThey wouldnt get a Job in England. The beliefs they had would put other peoples respect, dignity and beliefs at risk.
ReplyDeleteWas a shit docu, louis shoul have done sumit new, was funny to see those mentalists again i spose. Little heartbreaking on the family matters.
ReplyDelete