Category Archives: Popular Culture

The Tebow Phenomenon

Dan Foster and Rich Lowry have some thoughts on why there is so much hostility to the openly Christian quarterback.

As a non-believer (but not a fundamentalist atheist), I think that he raises hackles in two different groups of people — those who are bigoted against Christians in general (and they are legion — it is the last acceptable bigotry in our society) and those Christians who feel guilty because he sets the bar too high (and there is actually a non-zero intersection of those two sets). I would think of him as the Ned Flanders of the NFL, the completely unironic guy who is made fun of because in living up to his beliefs rather than down to his impulses, he makes everyone else look bad. And because he’ll continue to do so, he won’t care. Which will just make them all the angrier.

Simpsons Fail

A lot have been complaining about The Simpsons going downhill over the past several years. I agree that there have been some egregious moments in the series, but overall, I still have found each episode mostly enjoyable. But not tonight. It may be possible to spoof Mad Men, but they certainly didn’t succeed. It’s the first time I can recall watching The Simpsons and not laughing. And that’s saying something. Whoever the writers were, they clearly don’t understand what they were satirizing at all. They may be too young.

[Monday morning update]

OK, I exaggerated. This was funny: “Why can’t I be funny with just my words? Bill Maher doesn’t put dangerous things near his crotch, except when he’s off work.” – Krusty Clown