Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
Humor can be a funny thing (ba dum bum!).
Some Christians (and now, it seems, some Muslims, too) have taken offense at "Saturday Night Live's" recent skit, "Djesus Uncrossed," depicting the Saviour as back and ready for revenge.
For those who care to see it, here is the segment [warning: there's some language and gory violence]:
I am a committed Christian (or, at least, I hope and pray that God thinks so!). But, for what it's worth, I thought this segment was the funniest thing "Saturday Night Live" has done for a long time.
The joke wasn't ridiculing Jesus' identity as the Son of God, Christian beliefs, or Christians generally, but rather the predictable, over-the-top violence and revenge fantasies that characterize Tarantino movies. (And hey, the part where Jesus blows Judas Iscariot away, after telling him "If you get to Heaven, say 'hi' to my Dad" is laugh-out-loud funny.)
What makes it funny? The disconnect between our understanding of who Jesus actually is -- selfless love, cheap grace, and eager forgiveness -- and the vengeful, back-from-the-dead, take-no-prisoners Jesus portrayed in the skit. (The humor works in much the same way as in this famous SNL skit, about Ronald Reagan as Iran-Contra mastermind.)
Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those conservatives who routinely dismiss anti-Christian bigotry with eye-rolling and an oh-so-hip plea for everyone to "lighten up!" There is plenty of anti-Christian bigotry around, as I noted some time ago, commenting on a previous NBC offering. And I do think it's necessary for Christians to push back when truly objectionable stuff appears, because otherwise there's no end to what the cultural elite will impose upon us.
But -- with all the respect in the world for my conservative Christian friends who were genuinely offended -- isn't it important that we pick our battles? This skit isn't going to change anyone's view of who Jesus is (the Way, the Truth, and the Life) and what He came to do. The uglier, more dangerous stuff is the insidious entertainment that treats Christianity and Christian principles as hate-filled, bigoted, lacking in compassion and humor, or irrelevant. Things like holding a morals-free sex seminar in a Christian chapel during Lent, to my mind, are far more disrespectful of Christianity and do far more to undermine a right understanding of its principles than this sketch.
I simply don' think Jesus would be outraged by this. He may take His work on Earth, His love for (and expectations of) us, and His identity as God's Son with eternal seriousness -- but He doesn't take Himself seriously . . . because He is utterly lacking in unworthy personal pride. Don't you think Jesus has a sense of humor -- and that He might even laugh at the sheer silliness of it all?
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Comments:
Oct '12
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
Gary The Ex-Donk: I can understand not finding it funny (althoughI think it is), but to be outraged over this is no different than when Muslims freak out over a cartoon depiction of Muhammed.
Way out of proportion. · 17 minutes ago
The difference is the Christian "outrage" doesn't include violence and death threats, unlike the Muslim "freak out."
False equivalency. And the proof is these gutsy, irreverent young iconoclasts don't do Muhammed skits.
Edited on February 21, 2013 at 8:53pmJul '12
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
C. U. Douglas
Majestyk
skipsul: I direct you all to this little gem from the 1980's:
Gandhi 2
The humor here is basically the same. · 2 minutes ago
UHF is a Cult Classic. Conan the Librarian! · 5 minutes ago
Running on that little Rabbit Trail: I am always disappointed when my friends can't quote that film. Also, best side throwaway gag in that movie is the blind man trying to solve a Rubik's Cube. · 15 minutes ago
"Is that it?"
"Nope."
Jan '11
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
It's kind of like asking whether we enjoyed the Life of Brian. For all their protestations, Monty Python took the story of Jesus and said, wouldn't it be funny if ...
The question is whether it's OK to take anything and everything and make up stuff that riffs off it.
So, I refer you to Bill Cosby's Noah routine. Or David Steinberg's Moses routine on the Smothers Brothers' show.
For that matter, how about Paddy Chayefsky's Gideon?
Very delicate stuff, because you don't want to insult or ridicule the original, even if you're trying to amuse (or edify) from the original story.
May '10
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
Hasn't anyone seen The Green Pastures? (Warner Bros, 1936)
Offending everybody a lot longer than SNL.
Apr '11
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
Seems about as historically accurate as any other Tarantino movie.
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
Ok - "A less violent Passion of the Christ" made me laugh.
One test I use to determine if a parody is good natured or intended to insult is to look at the author. I can laugh at myself or my beliefs if you want to laugh with me, but no one likes to be laughed at.
SNL - The evidence is clear by testimonials of former stars that SNL is a left wing propaganda machine. Search for Chevy Chase talking about it. So I start out suspicious of this video.
For an example of a movie I laugh with because I don't think the author was laughing at me is Kevin Smith's Dogma. It's kitchy as can be, but has an interesting story and what I like about it (that many Christian detractors missed) is that the underlying assumption is that the beliefs of Christianity are all true.
On Jesus - he is God AND man, so he had some human qualities too. I heard he once trashed a temple and did some property damge to some merchants ( I concede it was for a good cause though).
He also made wine like my grand pa. Love both those guys.
Mar '12
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
iDad
Gary The Ex-Donk: I can understand not finding it funny (althoughI think it is), but to be outraged over this is no different than when Muslims freak out over a cartoon depiction of Muhammed.
Way out of proportion. · 17 minutes ago
The difference is the Christian "outrage" doesn't include violence and death threats, unlike the Muslim "freak out."
False equivalency. And the proof is these gutsy, irreverent young iconoclasts don't do Muhammed skits. · 1 hour ago
Edited 56 minutes ago
The equivalency isn't in how the reaction is manifested (i.e. violence) - but the reaction itself. Why should you care? And what can you do about it? Nothing - unless you want to take the Muslim approach. The idea that this silliness inspires outrage of any kind is...well, silly.
Jul '11
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
iDad
Gary The Ex-Donk: I can understand not finding it funny (althoughI think it is), but to be outraged over this is no different than when Muslims freak out over a cartoon depiction of Muhammed.
Way out of proportion. · 17 minutes ago
The difference is the Christian "outrage" doesn't include violence and death threats, unlike the Muslim "freak out."
False equivalency. And the proof is these gutsy, irreverent young iconoclasts don't do Muhammed skits. · 1 hour ago
Edited 56 minutes ago
I am offended that the offended Christians are not rioting in the streets, burning embassies down and killing ambassadors. The Muslim faithful are MUCH more passionate and motivated than the Christian faithful. It is disheartening; I feel that my faithful have let me down.
May '10
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
God is not mocked.
Oct '12
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
Gary The Ex-Donk
iDad
The difference is the Christian "outrage" doesn't include violence and death threats, unlike the Muslim "freak out."
False equivalency. And the proof is these gutsy, irreverent young iconoclasts don't do Muhammed skits. · 1 hour ago
Edited 56 minutes ago
The equivalency isn't in how the reaction is manifested (i.e. violence) - but the reaction itself. Why should you care? And what can you do about it? Nothing - unless you want to take the Muslim approach. The idea that this silliness inspires outrage of any kind is...well, silly. · 12 minutes ago
The fact that you personally find the Muhammed cartoons and the SNL skit equally inoffensive does not mean that the reactions are equivalent. The manifestations are part of and define the reactions.
Equating the reaction "I am offended by a skit and will express that fact by, at most, writing a letter to the network, refusing to watch SNL again and boycotiing its sponsors" with the reaction "You are committing blasphemy by publishing this cartoon and I will kill you" is ...well, silly.
Edited on February 21, 2013 at 10:44pmMay '10
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
I'm so old I can remember when SNL was actually funny every Saturday.
Nov '11
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
It ebbs. Its pretty decent right now.
Nov '11
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
What is expected does not offend, since one is resigned to it...Ah, well.
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
So it seems like all -- or almost all -- of us agree that the skit in question isn't worth being the object of Christians' offense. But what about the stuff that really is? Even if we "expect" it, is it always retrograde and hopelessly uncool for Christians to eobject should the material itself warrant it? Obviously, people, I am not talking about conveying offense by seeking to censor those who offend (or cutting off their heads).
Aug '10
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
They have taken your link down.
Try this.
As for it's value in the seeming blasphemy , that group jumped the shark soo0 long ago when it comes to religion. Why even consider them in the conversation ? They are beneath contempt in many ways, but more so in the discussion of our faith , well the rest of us anyway. The self-appointed pompous asses shelf life will continue as long as their media glows .
Which is less and less everyday .
How much was the Boston Globe again ? Worth less than a French tire company .
Edited on February 22, 2013 at 2:07amApr '11
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
I suppose speaking out is important upon reconsideration.
Essentially, I don't mind speaking out, saying "That's rather offensive." In our country we still have enough free speech that Social Conservatives can be Offended and it means no societal obligation.
Or rather, we should expect it and speak out when we are troubled, but we have to realize that most people won't bat an eye over our protestations.
We should speak out, sound the alarm, but what those who hear do with our urgings is their responsibility, not ours. We even can predict the response: at best we're ignored, at worst persecuted (though the latter is not nearly as much a risk in the US at present.) Just because we know what we say will be rejected, it doesn't mean we shouldn't say something.
Oct '12
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
Hey, if you're offended, turn it off. I haven't watched SNL in years because of it. The problem is too many people seem to think things like that and lots of Fox shows are normative and people act that way. Yeah, South Park is pretty conservative often, but is it really worth watching for all the trash it clutters your mind with?
To some of you, may I offer something for you to think about? If I would come up to you and your wife/girlfrined, and call your wife/girlfriend a ************ or something like that, would you get offended, angry, and/or do something about it? You sure wouldn't put up with it, walk away with a smile, or just ignore it would you?
To some of us Jesus Christ is too important to hear that about o see parodied. He matters too much to be an object of scorn. So they get offended with SNL does something like this. So they find ways to complain or not watch. it's a legitimate thing to do.
Islam is a different case; say anything they don't like innocent or no and bang your dead. Notthe same.
Jan '11
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
Some things are plainly out of bounds, like (my usual example) the communion bread or wine, because those things are sacred. If you mock those, it means that you have so little respect for sacred things that you must have no respect for anything else, and then I'd strongly object.
I can't help but recall the biblical story where Jesus said that all sins will be forgiven except sins against the Holy Spirit. While there's debate about what that actually is, many people interpret that as a blasphemy in which you mock God.
Well, I'd like to stay away from that, that's for sure ...
In general, except for obvious cases in which someone is deliberately trying to mock God, I'm psychologically inclined to give the most generous interpretation possible. Note that God has to be the target. If they mock me, or fellow humans, I think we're all fair targets.
Jul '11
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
@jkumpire: If you came up and called my wife a ********* she would kick your rear end and I would laugh while she did so, maybe pull her off to keep her from killing you, my lady has street cred.
Apr '11
Re: Are You Offended by "Djesus Uncrossed"?
Agreed. His preference for people spending money on perfume for his feet to alms for the poor is not the act of a man so delusional as to believe he is not God. It's the act of a man who, quite properly, takes himself seriously.