Hello, ASHS members!
It has been awhile since anything has been posted on this listserve, so I thought I'd generate a little discussion about last night's Simpsons episode, "Faith Off." Did any of you see it?
For anyone interested, I'd like your feedback: What kind of impact, if any, do you think this sort of "humorous debunking" has on believers? What kind of reactions did you have to the show? Is this a successful tactic to use when trying to reach a large, diverse, relatively anonymous audience? Any and all discussions are welcome.
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The abbreviated synopsis of last night's "Faith Off" episode follows (for any of you unfamiliar with Simpsons characters, brief bios follow the synopsis):
Homer attends a college reunion and, after attempting to play a practical joke on the dean, winds up with a metal bucket glued to his head. The Simpsons have no success when attempting to remove the bucket from Homer's head. When they seek the medical advice of Dr. Hibbert, they are informed that there is nothing that can be done.
The Simpsons then go to an evangelical revival/sermon, conducted by a singing-and-dancing "faith healing" preacher called Brother Faith. Homer calls out to be healed, and Brother Faith holds Bart up to his father's shoulders, commanding Bart to proclaim "be healed" (or somesuch) while tugging at the bucket. Amazingly, the bucket comes off Homer's head, and Bart is convinced he's healed his father. When the Simpsons get home, Lisa tries to explain to Bart that it wasn't his healing powers that made the bucket come off their father's head, but rather the heat of the bright lights in Brother Faith's revival tent that caused the metal bucket to expand, allowing for its easy removal. Bart is, of course, undaunted, and prepares for his new life as an on-the-road faith healer.
Bart disrupts the sermon at Springfield's local church by yawning and telling the minister that he's bored. He explains that church doesn't have to be boring, there can be singing and dancing and healing. Bart then leads his own revival in a large tent in his parents' backyard.
Soon Bart starts to realize that, perhaps, he isn't a healer after all. His help is called upon to heal the star football player of his father's alma mater (who has a broken leg), and he continually proclaims "I am not a healer." Dr. Hibbert diagnoses the player's leg as "hanging by a mere thread." Bart grudgingly puts his hands over the ballplayer's leg, asking god to heal it.
The player is escorted onto the field and has to make a kick that, if good, will win the game for Homer's alma mater. His kick is just short, but his leg (that was hanging by a thread) directly follows the ball, and, mid-air, boosts it over the goalpost.
Both Homer and Dr. Hibbert bring up Bart's healing powers, and once again Bart exclaims that he cannot heal anyone.
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Cast of Characters (from official Simpsons webpage): [note: I've only included bios relevant to the above episode, so as not to overly confuse anyone unfamiliar with The Simpsons]
Guest Star: Don Cheadle as Brother Faith
Homer Simpson - Can life get any better for Homer J. Simpson? He juggles the roles of husband, father, Safety Inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, bowler, beer drinker, astronaut, small business owner and dreamer, and makes it all look easy. But it wasn't always so easy for Homer J. Raised by his father, Abe, who tried to compensate for the absence of Homer's radical hippie mother, Homer graduated at the bottom of his high school class and managed to earn the distinction of being the longest-term entry-level employee at the plant. Together with his high school sweetheart, Marge Bouvier, Homer settled down in Evergreen Terrace, the nicest upper-lower-middle class section of Springfield, to raise his three precious children. Homer is fond of Duff Beer, donuts, Marge's pork chops and watching the Bee Guy on the Spanish channel. His dislikes include his boss, Mr. Burns, yard work and his neighbor, Ned Flanders.
Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson is misunderstood. Wrongly pegged as an underachiever and troublemaker, Bart would like to remind the world of some of his decent qualities: He looks out for his sister, Lisa; he's befriended outcasts and misfits like Milhouse Van Houten and Ralph Wiggum; he's injected romance into the life of his teacher, Edna Krabappel; and he brought down an illegal French winery during his brief semester abroad. So what if he's also befouled the Springfield Community Church with phony hymns or prank-called Moe's Tavern several times a day for the last few years? It all balances out, right? At age 10, Bart has managed to live out a number of dreams: He has starred in his own short-lived TV series (with his idol, Krusty the Clown), spotted and named a deadly comet that nearly destroyed his town, and almost snagged the role of Fallout Boy in the Radioactive Man movie. He couldn't have done any of those things without the help and support of his best friend, Santa's Little Helper
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Simpson can't wait for college. She's only eight and already reads at a fourteenth grade level, and has written a number of application-quality essays, one of which won her family a free trip to Washington, D.C. Her favorite activities include playing her saxophone, attending school and reading Non-Threatening Boys Magazine. A fan of Malibu Stacy, Lisa tried unsuccessfully to create her own talking doll, Lisa Lionheart. Unfortunately, no one wanted to buy a talking doll that was as judgmental as Lisa. Lisa wants everyone to know that she is a vegetarian and that if she could have one thing (besides world peace), it would be a pony.
Dr. Hibbert
Dr. Julius Hibbert likes to laugh. He has a sweet, infectious giggle that wafts through the examining rooms of his private practice and through the halls of Springfield Hospital. He usually laughs when offering his diagnoses to patients, which leads some people to think him a bit insensitive. But he's just a happy guy. A very happy guy. Dr. Hibbert has two kids and supportive wife. He is known throughout Springfield as the best doctor money can buy. Unless you have no money, in which case you'll be seeing Dr. Nick Riviera.
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Erika B. Hedberg
ASHS Coordinator
(716) 636.7571 ext. 218
erikahedberg@hotmail.com