The Mugging Of St. Patrick`s (The Jewish Press re: the "Opie and Anthony" show)

The Jewish Press ^ | 8/21/2002 | Editors

[veronica]

The controversy over what Loretta Lynn Harper and Brian Florence did or did not do in St. Patrick`s Cathedral last week as part of a WNEW radio "shock jock" promotion will doubtless be played out at the Federal Communications Commission and in the NYC Criminal Court.

But the extra-legal dimension to the story is far more compelling.

A complaint has been filed by the Catholic League with the FCC, which is responsible for enforcing laws banning "obscene, indecent or profane" material, over allegations that, by prearrangement, the station broadcast Harper and Florence engaged in a lewd act several feet from worshippers.

Harper and Florence have also been criminally charged with "public lewdness," and are currently each out on $500 bail. Paul Mercurio, a producer of the "Opie and Anthony" show which broadcast the episode, was charged with "acting in concert with public lewdness" for providing live, on-air commentary via cell phone.

Yet, whether they are all guilty as charged — Harper`s and Florence`s lawyer said the two were only simulating — is really beside the point in the larger scheme of things.

The radio show involved has long been notorious for its foul-mouthed, obscene programming and is but one example of a disturbing genre that has been allowed to embed itself throughout the media.

There is now little that is not fair game. And this sort of thing sells, big time.

How we got to this point is, of course, complicated. But it is clear that where we are is reflective of the notion that there are no transcendent standards and any talk of decency is just so much babble.

All norms are the product of the human mind which precludes even the thought of something properly held sacred and beyond the reach of human tinkering.

Intellectually, all activity is deemed impersonal and reducible to a primal physical essence.

Thus, most anything goes, especially, as in the assault on St. Patrick`s, in the name of mocking traditional morality.

[Aquinasfan]

The descent into the moral abyss started with George McGovern, who ushered in the "anything goes, if it feels good do it" age. From then on it was all downhill.

Actually, goes all the way back to Descartes.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Doesnt this stink of hypocracy here the catholics dont seem to have a big problem with child molesters as priests.

That is a really stupid statement, as well as untrue. Catholics have a BIG problem with any priest who is a child molester. To say any different shows that you don't know what you are talking about, or you are a bigot.

[Lurking Libertarian]

Good post from the RW Orthodox Jewish Press. Note who sides with the jocks. I am sure LL will soon be here as well to deride the source.

If you meant me by "LL," it would have been polite to ping me. In any event, I don't recall ever deriding the Jewish Press on FR. I am not a big fan of government censorship, but I agree that encouraging people to have sex in a church is, at the very least, unbelievably sleazy and immoral and worthy of the condemnation of all decent people. At the worst, it also be criminal, though that's not very clear cut.

Libertarians don't believe in using government to enforce moral values unless someone is being injured. That doesn't mean libertarians don't have moral values.

[Barnacle]

Doesnt this stink of hypocracy here the catholics dont seem to have a big problem with child molesters as priests.

I'm a Catholic and I have a major problem with child molesters, especially those who are clergy.

I also have a problem with posts by ignorami. - Speaking of which, try spell check and capitalizing Catholic, unless you’re intentionally trying to piss me off.

[Barnacle]

Stern = Scum.

Any questions?

[Dakmar]

I'm positive they weren't referring to you.

[Mark de New Brighton]

As always, you've addressed the issue well. Thank you.

[Lurking Libertarian]

I'm positive they weren't referring to you.

Woops. Sorry for being thin-skinned. Yehuda, my apologies.

[stainlessbanner]

Dopey & Acne better get used to the heat. It's gonna be hot where they are goin'!

[pyx]

There is now little that is not fair game.

Oh I don't know about that.

This was after all, ONLY A CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND EVERYONE KNOWS CHRISTIANS (AND MORE ESPECIALLY CATHOLICS) ARE FAIR GAME TO BEING PUBLICALLY DENIGRATED, SLANDERED AND MOCKED.

Does anyone doubt for a moment that there would not be an endless media cry of outrage if someone on radio festooned the largest mosque in New York City with large fresh strips of bacon ?

These sorts of publically promoted slanders against all Christians will stop only when we (Christians) let it be known that we won't take this sort of bullsh!t from anyone.

I recommend lobbying to add a hate crime charge against Opy and Anthony and the radio stations that broadcast the program. Throw these LEFTISTS on their own pitard.

[Jonathon Spectre]

I just have a hard time believing thinking beings came up with this nonsense in the first place.

>smacks self< Damn my assumptions!

[Robert A Cook PE]

Actually, if they had slaughtered a pig in a Jewish temple or mosque they'ed NOW be under arrest for hate crimes, and would be the curse (with a label as "conservative white Christians from the South") of ALL of the media's darlings in the national press corpse ....

[Tribune7]

George McGovern ultimately gave us Ronald Reagan. Thank you George.

Actually, there is a rather famous quote by McGovern saying something to the effect of "I opened the door to the Democratic Party and 30 million people walked out."

Again, thank you George. :-)

[LarryLied]

Viacom owns the station which did this. Viacom also is responsible for the Catholic bashing on South Park and elsewhere in their media empire. Summer Redstone could put a stop to this in one minute if he wished. But he doesn't. Redstone is a gramscian socialist who sees perverted value in tearing down everything which is good and decent.

[hchutch]

Here, here.

If "puritans" can nail "Opie and Anthony" or Howard Stern, you can bet your mortgage that other "puritans" can nail Dr. Laura or Rush Limbaugh.

[cubreporter]

Simulating sex? Well, let these two go simulate sex in front of their own mothers and fathers and their kids if they have any or the rest of their families for that matter. Would they? Of course not! Why? Because both these people knew what they were participating in was wrong and no way would have stood there and acted so vile in front of their families or friends. Yet they saw nothing wrong in performing this shameful behavior in the house of our Lord and HIS family (the parishioners) during a service on the Feast of the Assumption.

Well now their faces are plastered all over the place. Their names are plastered all over the place. Now their families and friends know and heaven forbid...their children if they have any.

Wonder if they think it is so funny now? I bet they don't and I bet ole Opie and Anthony don't think they are so smart alecky either. Proud of yourselves are you?

[cubreporter]

Simulating sex? Well, let these two go simulate sex in front of their own mothers and fathers and their kids if they have any or the rest of their families for that matter. Would they? Of course not! Why? Because both these people knew what they were participating in was wrong and no way would have stood there and acted so vile in front of their families or friends. Yet they saw nothing wrong in performing this shameful behavior in the house of our Lord and HIS family (the parishioners) during a service on the Feast of the Assumption.

Well now their faces are plastered all over the place. Their names are plastered all over the place. Now their families and friends know and heaven forbid...their children if they have any.

Wonder if they think it is so funny now? I bet they don't and I bet ole Opie and Anthony don't think they are so smart alecky either. Proud of yourselves are you?

[E Rocc]

If "puritans" can nail "Opie and Anthony" or Howard Stern, you can bet your mortgage that other "puritans" can nail Dr. Laura or Rush Limbaugh.

It amazes me how much some people misunderstand the nature of our enemies on the left. They hate freedom and they hate liberty. Any anti-freedom precedent we are willing to set, they will gladly note and use against us later.

-Eric

[E Rocc]

Viacom also is responsible for the Catholic bashing on South Park and elsewhere in their media empire.

South Park makes fun of pretty much everybody...though their favorite target seems to be the PC left and its Hollywood supporters.

-Eric

[Campion]

Somehow, I don't think Anus and Acne would have even considered pulling this particular stunt if it wasn't for the mess that the Catholic church has allowed to be hidden under their own roof.

Wrong. Their "contest" gave points for doing it "in a church". Didn't specify a Catholic church. Any church was fair game.

Try again.