extreme Catholic 

 
Good Friday

I have returned from my parish's Stations of the Cross. I'm listening to the news on FOX 5 NY and hear a voice saying "no beverage tax on Jews." It turns out I'm not the only one to have heard (misheard) it. Google Search The controversy seems to be whether it was intentional or not. From context, it would appear the word is "juice". Woody Allen in one of his movies suggested that calling a menu item "Roast Beef au jus" was antisemitic.

I look forward to celebrations of Passover and Easter, where ethnic and religious slurs are so remote in history that it doesn't enter the popular culture each year.

Labels: advertising, anti-semetism, catholic, media

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:25 PM   Permalink  

 
Why does the media hate the Catholic Church: Catholic Advocate

To unpack this question, the "media" represents three groups: reality, diversion, and advocacy. "Hate" means more the opposition at an intellectual level, but delight in and working actively for the destruction of the object of hatred. "Reality" spans everything from a news blog to an encyclopedia where the media consumer expects either an absence of advocacy or balanced presentation of the several sides of controversy. But reality is so boring, it gets blurred into diversion and advocacy.

The "reality" of reality is that unless it is taxpayer-funded there needs to be advertisers in the picture to make it "mass communication" to attract an audience. You attract an audience by being entertaining, or attracting the like-minded in advocacy, or even better in both modes.

Not every person who is an abortion advocate is also a gay marriage advocate or even a advocate of requiring the Catholic Church to ordain women. But there's a uniform code of political opinion maintained in news and editorial offices and it's enforced by looking at the trail the internet leaves behind in their blogs and social media as people attempt to enter the media club. You will find the least diversity of opinion in places where the left wants to wear a mask of objectivity.

They don't formally carry an anti-Catholic label, they don't need to, it just worked out that way. The edge of political, social, and cultural change in the United States always seems to be pointed in the opposite direction of where the Catholic Church is pointing. So it's not enough for Catholics to go into a bunker but to push back. How dare we do so. The first people we have to persuade are fellow Catholics who are even now unaware of the target painted on the side of their Church.

Labels: anti-catholic, media

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:29 AM   Permalink  

 
Chris Matthews on the attack. Bishop Tobin is the tonight's victim. Youtube

It starts with Matthew's absurd spin on the JFK 1960 quote. Matthews is immediately talking over the bishop's first answer. It's a cheap tactic to heat up the "guest". Also, around 4:30 into the interview, MSNBC seems to turn the volume up on Matthews microphone, and lower it on Bishop Tobin. After about 4:45, listen carefully and Matthews interrupts every 3 or 4 seconds. After 4:29, the longest uninterrupted interval where the bishop speaks is about 5 seconds -- In all I think that after Matthews launched on the criminalization of abortion -- the bishop got about 10 seconds in all to speak -- once the Matthews rant started. I'd love to head an edited tape of the interview which included only Bishop Tobin's voice -- it would run about 18 seconds out of the 9 mins 24.

Labels: abortion, media, politics, pro-life

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 8:46 PM   Permalink  

 
I await the the parody of Islam, the Haj, and Mecca in Pink Panther 3

Reuters: Steve Martin anti-Catholic buffoon

Looking relaxed and dressed smartly in a jacket and tie, Martin was asked whether he had asked the Pope's permission to shoot a lengthy scene set in the Vatican.

"We didn't ask permission because we didn't shoot in the Vatican. But I think the Catholic Church has been kidded and joked about for years. They're just used to it," Martin said.

"I believe the Catholic Church is very smart not to go crazy about it. When a religion is kidded and they get very serious, I think it shows they're insecure," he added. "I think the Catholic Church will probably last longer than this film.".

Steve Martin's comic talent peaked in the 1980's. When I see the trailers of his newer movies I wince. No one thought his first Pink Panther was half as good as the Peter Sellers original. What's the point of a sequel to a lame remake.

This article is one to clip as an early exhibit of anti-Catholicism in the culture in 2009.

Labels: anti-catholic, culture, media

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 7:48 PM   Permalink  

 
New York Times: For Catholics, a Door to Absolution Is Reopened

Realize that the goal here of the New York Times is not to report news on religion but to (1) make readers think the believers are strange, superstitious, goofy, and not to taken seriously or given access to the public square and (2) to makereaders who themselves are people of faith feel embarrassed, defensive, and marginalized.

Labels: catholic, media, traditionalism

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 8:52 PM   Permalink  

 
History Channel, complaint number 38

All the content from History Channel International is gone -- it redirects to the other web site. Worse yet. The feedback page to let them know of the problem returns an error when attempting to send a message to them.

Labels: internet, media

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 7:10 PM   Permalink  

 
Strange Parallel When I saw a picture of Heath Ledger in Joker makeup, I thought of the odd similarity to Brandon Lee in his Crow makeup. Ledger is currently assumed to have committed suicide. Brandon Lee was the son of Bruce Lee. Brandon did not commit suicide, but there's a controversy over whether he was accidentally killed or murdered. He died when the cap from a blank cartridge penetrated his jacket and embedded into his abdomen which was not detected for several hours.

There's media frenzy in New York City over his death. The mainstream media say that there's demand for it. It gets ratings. I think he was a good actor but I've seen it so often: John Lennon, Princess Di, John Kennedy Jr., etc. Enough is enough. The death of a celebrity ought to have more dignity than this.

Labels: media, obituary

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:32 PM   Permalink