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Christian Critic Blasts Talladega Nights' Anti-Christian Content
American Family Association ^ | August 7, 2006 | Jenni Parker

Posted on 08/08/2006 1:05:33 AM PDT by balch3

AgapePress) - Although funnyman Will Ferrell's new movie, Talladega Nights: the Ballad of Ricky Bobby, finished first at the box office this past weekend, the comedy was not a winner as far as Christian movie reviewer Ted Baehr is concerned.

Baehr, publisher of Movieguide.org, is waving the yellow flag over the film about a dim-witted NASCAR racer with a gung-ho, win-at-all-costs attitude. According to Associated Press (AP) reports, the Christian media reviewer describes Talladega Nights as "a racist, bigoted work that ridicules the Bible Belt, Southern white men, Christianity, Jesus Christ, the family, and American masculinity."

The Movieguide review of Talladega Nights describes the film as "politically correct," in that it ridicules faith, family, traditional values, Southerners, white males and other ideas and groups that are fair game to those who share typical liberal notions of what is "PC." The review also notes that Ferrell's movie contains "lots of blasphemous and borderline laughs," along with "strong sexual references, excessive foul language and strong homosexual content."

Baehr is particularly incensed over Talladega Nights' satirical references to Christianity, such as the lead character's prayers to "baby Jesus" and his "running around ... mocking God" at different points in the film. "A couple of scenes in the movie are just extremely blasphemous," the movie analyst observes; yet he feels this kind of anti-Christian bigotry gets a pass in Hollywood, while other kinds of religious bigotry are denounced.

Baehr points to the recent incident involving producer, director and actor Mel Gibson and the anti-Semitic remarks he allegedly made during his arrest on suspicion of drunk driving. "If we take the position that what Mel Gibson said is religious bigotry," the Christian film reviewer contends, "then [much of the content in Talladega Nights] is religious bigotry too."

It is a simple case of "what's good for the goose is good for the gander," Baehr insists. "You need to be balanced in all of this," he says. "Now, if we're worried about Mel Gibson apologizing for his anti-Semitism, I think it should be equally just for Will Ferrell to apologize with his writing partner for his anti-Christian bigotry."

Although Talladega Nights did well with moviegoers this past weekend, Baehr believes the movie will probably be overtaken and passed when the more meaningful and faith-affirming film, World Trade Center, debuts this Wednesday. He predicts that next week, the fact-based film on the 9/11 disaster will replace Ferrell's anti-Christian comedy as the nation's number-one movie.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Unclassified
KEYWORDS: afa; americantaliban; antichristianbias; antichristianbigotry; christians; hollywood; moralabsolutes; moviereview; moviesareharam; nascar; rednecks; rickybobby; talibornagain; talladeganights; tedbaehr
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To: linda_22003

But how could one look at that picture and not know it's bogus?

The premise - that Hillary would hold up an Abortion Tickles shirt at a gathering with military - is ludicrous.

Then there's the visual evidence.

Everyone who sees that should know right off it's faked.


61 posted on 08/08/2006 5:33:59 AM PDT by Xenalyte (who is having the best day ever!)
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To: balch3

" "a racist, bigoted work that ridicules the Bible Belt, Southern white men, Christianity, Jesus Christ, the family, and American masculinity." "

If THAT is all it ridcules then where's the problem ? </s>


62 posted on 08/08/2006 5:44:22 AM PDT by sawmill trash (You declare jihad ... we declare DEGUELLO !)
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To: Darkwolf377

I saw that movie about the broadcaster, it could have really been a cute funny movie, what a shame.
I think I stick with Net Flix. Last movies I went to I felt what a waste of funny.


63 posted on 08/08/2006 5:47:09 AM PDT by mel
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To: DustyMoment; mel
Mel wrote: I saw that movie about the broadcaster, it could have really been a cute funny movie, what a shame.

I have enjoyed plenty of stupid but funny movies--the last two I can think of were Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, and Dodgeball, so it's not as if I only like intelligent comedies.

I rented that Anchorman movie (I think that's what it was called) expecting only that, a goofy silly movie about news.

Shut the damned thing off after SEVEN minutes. TORTURE to sit through--I'm not talking unfunny, I'm talking "OK, so what did I do wrong in life that I'm witnessing this THING?" unfunny.

64 posted on 08/08/2006 6:38:39 AM PDT by Darkwolf377 (http://www.dansimmons.com/news/message/2006_04.htm)
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To: Xenalyte

The problem is (I think) that if a picture reinforces ideas one already has (Hillary=Evil), then one does not use one's critical faculties. People also glance at posts pretty quickly, and they may just register, "Hillary's pro-abortion, she's holding a shirt that makes a joke about abortion, I think that's something she'd do because I don't like her", and they move on.

I agree with you, though, and I'm concerned about people who apparently can't TELL something is faked. There's one that crops up around here from time to time, of Margaret Sanger supposedly addressing a Klan rally. That one also gets accepted (Sanger = Eugenics = Evil) and it's equally bogus. I have posted the original picture of Sanger that was photoshopped into that image; one man was very honest and asked the moderator to take the picture down once he saw it was not genuine; others have defended it ("Yeah, well, it's the sort of thing she WOUJLD do....").


65 posted on 08/08/2006 6:39:46 AM PDT by linda_22003
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To: balch3

Death to the infidels!


66 posted on 08/08/2006 6:42:42 AM PDT by Constitution Day (Down with Half-Assery!)
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To: Xenalyte

"I've seen comments that this particular photo may be a Photoshop. I doubt it but anyone with conclusive evidence please let me know. It certainly is in CHARACTER with Hillary's Leftist/NARAL/Planned Parenthood stance...."

I went back to #5 and this was the small comment next to the picture. "I don't think it's photoshopped, but it's something she WOULD do...." As I said, lack of critical faculties, or at least the lack of will to apply them.


67 posted on 08/08/2006 6:43:02 AM PDT by linda_22003
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To: linda_22003

Absolutely. Critical thinking backs off in the face of something supporting our preconceived notions, which is a shame and something otherwise thoughtful people should guard against.

Saying something "is the sort of thing someone would do" strikes me as akin to calling that same something "fake but accurate."

It's intellectually dishonest, and we're allegedly better than that. Sad to be shown otherwise, isn't it?


68 posted on 08/08/2006 6:47:30 AM PDT by Xenalyte (who is having the best day ever!)
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To: TheBattman
Maybe some of the suggestions in the film about NASCAR fans is true....????

Or maybe the type of people who like NASCAR are able to laugh at themselves and their foibles.

That used to be considered a positive trait, before "being offended" became our national pastime.

69 posted on 08/08/2006 6:56:00 AM PDT by Trailerpark Badass
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To: Xenalyte
You can see that for free at my family's place just about any Thanksgiving.

LOLOL!!!!!!
70 posted on 08/08/2006 7:38:03 AM PDT by DustyMoment (FloriDUH - proud inventors of pregnant/hanging chads and judicide!!)
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To: The Spirit Of Allegiance

"Anytime a movie makes you laugh so hard your face hurts, and you leave feeling pretty good overall about things, then it wasn't bad or "evil"."

"That is exactly what Gramsci and Alinsky suggested Leftists do to the undiscerning masses. Lampoon and ridicule are vital subversive tools in desensitizing people and getting them to eventually accept the truly intolerable."

What are you saying--that, if I laughed, I'm a stooge? Please clarify, so I can nuke in kind.


I know this for certain: You didn't see the movie.


71 posted on 08/08/2006 7:39:35 AM PDT by John Robertson (Even if we disagree now, we may agree later. Or vice versa.)
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To: balch3

Any movie with Will Farrell in it is guaranteed to suck like an Oreck.


72 posted on 08/08/2006 7:43:07 AM PDT by Alouette (Psalms of the Day: 72-76)
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To: Lil'freeper

Great analysis.


73 posted on 08/08/2006 7:44:49 AM PDT by John Robertson (Even if we disagree now, we may agree later. Or vice versa.)
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To: kx9088

'Twas damned funny, weren't it?


74 posted on 08/08/2006 7:45:44 AM PDT by John Robertson (Even if we disagree now, we may agree later. Or vice versa.)
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To: Xenalyte

75 posted on 08/08/2006 7:51:27 AM PDT by BaBaStooey (I heart Emma Caulfield.)
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To: John Robertson
Thanks. I just re-read it and have to admire you for making sense out of my bleary-eyed early morning typos. LOL

Most of my office mates have seen the movie and we had good laughs talking about it. One has a daughter who loved the prayer scene. She said something about how it's funny how people just make up stupid stuff about God. Clearly, the twelve-year old "got" it.

76 posted on 08/08/2006 7:52:34 AM PDT by Lil'freeper (You do not have the plug-in required to view this tagline.)
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To: The Spirit Of Allegiance

It's a Photoshop and a very poor quality one. The image doesn't fit the contours and wrinkles of the shirt and is clearly not part of the original picture.


77 posted on 08/08/2006 7:57:25 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ("When the government is invasive, the people are wanting." -- Tao Te Ching)
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To: John Robertson

They could of toned down the man-kisses but otherwise good entertaining fun.


78 posted on 08/08/2006 8:01:12 AM PDT by avg_freeper (Gunga galunga. Gunga, gunga galunga)
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To: avg_freeper

"They could of toned down the man-kisses but otherwise good entertaining fun."

Agree!
On the positive, the entire audience in the showing I attended was reviled every time there was one of these in the movie--a collective Ewwwwww!


79 posted on 08/08/2006 8:03:10 AM PDT by John Robertson (Even if we disagree now, we may agree later. Or vice versa.)
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To: balch3
This could be one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time. I'm as white and Southern masculine male Christian as they come and I was in tears for most of the movie. We Southerners know how to laugh at ourselves. Most of the stereotypes about us are created by us to keep people from moving down here.
To steal a scene from the movie, I like to picture Jesus as a stand up comedian who tells "you might be a redneck" jokes.
If the early Christians were that sensitive, we would never have had a church and you would be praying to Mecca five times a day.
80 posted on 08/08/2006 8:04:59 AM PDT by Boat Rocker
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