Posted on 05/25/2005 4:57:31 PM PDT by wagglebee
When shareholders of media conglomerate Viacom show up for their annual meeting tomorrow, they'll face the wrath of Catholic League President Dr. William Donahue over a shocking Showtime episode that slandered the late Mother Teresa and her order of nuns in the vilest of terms.
According to Donahue, who plans a press conference in front of the hotel in New York City where the Viacom meeting is being held, an episode of Showtime's Penn and Teller show "Holier Than Thou” was a "Nazi-like assault on Catholicism, and on the person the show calls "Mother F***ing Teresa.” Showtime is owned by Viacom.
Stormed Donahue, "In the 12 years that I have been president of the Catholic League, I have never witnessed a more vicious attack on Catholicism than what appeared this week on the Showtime program, ‘Penn and Teller.’ The episode, ‘Holier Than Thou,’ was a frontal assault on Mother Teresa and her order of nuns, Missionaries of Charity (as well as Gandhi and the Dali Lama).
"Like most Americans, I like parodies and have no problem, per se, with irreverent humor. But when humor becomes insult, that is a different story. And that is what happens here: comedy quickly morphs to vitriol. Indeed, as the show progresses, the level of anger becomes palpable and the degree of distortion becomes mindboggling. This is no comedy—it is Nazi propaganda right out of the Leni Riefenstahl school of filmmaking.
"The Mother Teresa that the world has come to love and revere is made to look like a cruel, exploitative, self-serving nun who ripped off the poor. We are told that Mother Teresa intentionally let the poor suffer, providing neither beds nor bathroom facilities. ‘She had the f***ing coin and pissed it away on nunneries,’ says Penn. As for the nuns who worked with Mother Teresa, they are referred to as ‘f***ing c***s.’
"It does not bother me when they call me ‘Catholic Boy’ on the show (though the term ‘Jew Boy’ would never cross their lips), nor does it concern me when they talk about ‘f**ers like Bill Donohue [who] only see good in her.’ But when they mock the Catholic Church’s teaching on the meaning of suffering, and when they say of the poor that ‘They had to suffer so that Mother F***ing Teresa could be enlightened,’ then they are behaving like monsters.
"We will mail a tape of select portions of this broadcast to many interested parties, including the bishops. And we will hold a press conference tomorrow outside the hotel where Viacom is holding its annual stockholders meeting. They haven’t heard the end of this yet.”
Donohue, who will be joined by some Catholic League staff members, said he will answer any questions following a few remarks. He promised that copies the Catholic League news release on this subject, "Mother F***ing Teresa—Courtesy of Viacom,” will be distributed to Viacom shareholders as they enter the hotel.
SO much for the party of tolerance. Self-hatred projected onto others?
Hey, it's open season on Christians and especially Catholics. Didn't you know that? /sarcasm
I am afraid you have too much stock in Chris Hitchens. HE hated her because he hates religon, except as a cultural artifact. In this he remains a Marxist, in this and his fanatical faith in political solutions.
The party of reason is so irrational when one questions their god.
I had the same feeling at the time; thanks for putting it into words.
Who can forget the image of Mother Theresa being carried aloft through the streets of Calcutta in a simple, yet beautiful, Indian style funeral procession? Juxtapose that with the ululating hysteria taking place in Britain and the Princess Di thing looks like an absurdity (replete with Elton John rewriting a song he wrote for Marilyn Monroe)!
Why how broad-minded of you. Thanks, every Christian should be so grateful for your approval.
Of course, Mother Teresa didn't just talk the talk, she walked the walk for many years in one of the worst hell holes on earth. She bathed lepers, fed starving foundlings, and did far more good works than someone with your attitude will ever do. Think about it.
When Mother Teresa died, I remember reading an inventory of her posessions. There was a plain robe, a pair of sandles, a rosary, and two or three other cheap personal belongings.
Looks like a good book to put on my list...thanks!
Yeah, but good ole Hitch says she was in it for the money!
I was in film school when she died. One of guys at my school was from India (and had this wonderful British accent too), and I remember him just going off about how outrageous Hitchen's comments were. He said, "he's accusing Mother Theresa of 'having an agenda'! Well, damn, I wish everyone had such an agenda!"
I watched it yesterday, it was hilarious, as is the whole show. Its meant for a certain audience as the title of the show should point out.
The show does a great job debunking nutjob 9/11 conspiracy folk, yoga, herbal healing, crystals, bottled water, creationists, PETA, safety nazis, 12 step programs, anti-swearing zealots and the like.
Good for Showtime for airing this show, its on a pay channel, so if subscribers don't like it, they can end the service.
But, the show is brilliant.
Being able to care for and help and reassure people who are ill, diseased, unclean, down and out every day, day after day, isn't a miracle? Could YOU do it?
I fail to see how Mother Theresa falls into that category.
Life would be better for all of us if more had that agenda!
Not just Hoxha, but Papa Doc Duvalier as well, and the awful Charles Keating.
Look, I like Mother Theresa and Ghandi who were the targets of the show, but I like the show, its an alternative point of view, told in a very humorous way for ADULTS.
I enjoy the show, and don't really care for a bunch of shrill screamers wanting to take it off. Oh, and I am Catholic and my faith is such that I can withstand attacks and critisism of the religion. Blind allegiance gets you in real trouble.
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