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David (Archuleta) vs. Goliath (Bob Dylan): Xmas edition

Sunday, October 18th, 2009

From The New York Post:

For the first and probably only time in history, Bob Dylan, the freewheelin’ 68-year-old rock legend, and David Archuleta, the lucky troll-like 18-year-old “American Idol” runner-up, are on the same artistic plane. On Wednesday, Dylan released “Christmas in the Heart,” while Archuleta issued “Christmas From the Heart” last Friday.

Dylan’s Tom Waits-like gargle on “Winter Wonderland” and haunting growl on “Here Comes Santa Claus” sound like your egg nog-steeped pervy uncle. Archuleta’s gentle whisper on “Silent Night” could easily be mistaken for Cindy Lou Who. But ages, tastes, fashion senses, political views and religious affiliations (Dave’s a Mormon, Bob’s a Jew who later got Born Again) aside, who is more full of Christmas spirit? The Post breaks it down.

SONGS THEY BOTH SING
“The First Noel”
Dylan: leans heavily on lady backup singers imported from 1956.
Archuleta: sings sweet harmonies with himself, satisfying many a tween fantasy.
Advantage: Archuleta

“O Come All Ye Faithful”
Dylan: sings “joyful and trah-UMPH-unt” in an inexplicable Southern drawl.
Archuleta: makes vocal flourishes that go up and down more than the elevators where this song will play.
Advantage: Even

“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
Dylan: is like your gramps in the lovey-dovey stage of inebriation, right before he breaks out Korean War horror stories.
Archuleta: pairs with Filipina singing sensation Charice Pempengco. Can’t tell who’s who. Advantage: Dylan

LATIN SKILLZ
Dylan: sings first verse of “O Come All Ye Faithful” in Latin (“Adeste fidelas . . .”).
Archuleta: sings “Ave Maria” (some Latin), “Angels We Have Heard on High” (refrain: “Gloria in excelsis Deo”).
Advantage: Archuleta

ELF POWER
Dylan: has trouble growing facial hair, is 5-foot-7 and fond of pointy shoes.
Archuleta: has trouble growing facial hair, is 5-foot-8 and likes pointy hats (or is that his hair?)
Advantage: Dylan

EXTRA CREDIT
Dylan: is donating US proceeds from the record to charity Feed America. He produced this album, plus two earlier records, under the pseudonym Jack Frost.
Archuleta: sings Spanish hymn “Riu Riu Chiu” flawlessly. His unwavering smooth-jazz vibe is engineered to never offend anyone.
Advantage: Dylan

WHO MAKES SANTA’S LIST?
Sorry, boys, lumps of coal for you both. David, you’re too syrupy. And, Bob, your sleigh bells scare us

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Poll: Mormons most likely to be offended by Hollywood

Sunday, August 2nd, 2009

From USA Today

WASHINGTON — Mormons are the faith group most likely to say Hollywood threatens their values, followed by Jehovah’s Witnesses and evangelicals, according to a new study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

The survey showed more than two-thirds of Mormons (68%) rebuffed the entertainment industry, followed by 54% of Jehovah’s Witnesses and 53% of evangelicals. Less than half (42%) of the general population said Hollywood threatens their values.

In contrast, majorities of all other major religions disagreed that stars and the silver screen are a moral threat.

The study did not delve into causes for the negative perception, but solid majorities of Mormons surveyed are conservative (60%) and 88% believe in absolute standards of right and wrong.

Adherents to the Mormon faith also showed “exceptionally high levels of religious commitment,” according to the Pew study.

On the small and big screens, a few notable actors have appeared in recent years with Mormon roots; among them, Katherine Heigl, Aaron Eckhart, Rick Schroder, Jon Heder and Amy Adams.

Incidentally, California is not just home to Tinseltown; it also boasts America’s second-largest Mormon population (13%), second only to Utah (35%). Mormons account for 1.7% of American adults, comparable to the nation’s Jewish population.

The current survey was released Friday to coincide with Pioneer Day, a state holiday in Utah, which commemorates the arrival in 1847 of the first Mormon settlers in Salt Lake Valley.

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The 5 Browns’ autobiography won’t let fans down

Thursday, May 7th, 2009

From The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram:

While Fort Worth next month will crown concert piano royalty, Dallas this week gets a visit from reigning piano superstars the 5 Browns.

The sibling quintet — Deondra, Desirae, Gregory, Melody and Ryan, one of the hottest tickets in piano performance today — will appear with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at the Meyerson Symphony Center this weekend.

The 5 Browns’ new autobiography, Life Between the Keys: The (Mis)Adventures of the 5 Browns (Dove Books, $24.95), chronicles their meteoric crescendo, if you will, from prodigious tykes (they all started piano lessons at age 3) to Juilliard students (the first family of five to attend simultaneously) to classical-music stars living with rock star-like fame.

Each short chapter is a humorous, sentimental or insightful essay written by each of the pianists, who range in age from 23 to 30. Collectively, they offer a story of a family that’s so normal (guess what — they argue!) and yet so remarkable. Worth picking up the book is the chapter, written by Melody Brown, about life at Juilliard — especially the way students “steal” practice rooms from each other (it involves stinky food).

And while the devout Mormon family now calls Utah home, it has Texas ties: The kids were born in Houston, and in the book, Desirae Brown recalls traveling to Fort Worth at age 10 for the Cliburn finals and feeling a kinship with the lone female finalist. “To my young mind, we were sisters in music,” she writes. “. . . If she could become a professional pianist, I could, too.”

As a bonus, a live CD of one of their concerts is included in the book.

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Twilight de-shelved by Mormon bookstore: beginning of religious backlash?

Friday, May 1st, 2009

From Examiner.com:

Reports say that Stephenie Meyer’s hit book series Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn have been removed from a religious bookstore (The Deseret)’s shelves because it has been “met with mixed review” by the store’s customers. According to the report, the store is owned by the Mormon church, and its primary revenue stems from religious book sales.

While The Host remains on the shelves, says the report, the Twilight series has been taken from this Mormon bookseller’s listing.
As we all know, Stephenie Meyer is a Mormon herself. Says she, “I am . . . a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . . . and that has a huge influence on who I am and my perspective on the world, and therefore what I write (though I have been asked more than once, ‘What’s a nice Mormon girl like you doing writing about vampires?’).”
Yet, up until this point, the Twilight series has received fairly little backlash from mainstream religious organizations. This event, however, might mark just the beginning.
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series (which has also spawned a popular major motion picture series: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and, now, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) received a similar (though, as of yet, quite worse) dismissal by the church, including bookshelf bans such as this.
The objections to Rowling’s Harry Potter series, says one Christian teen source, are that:
While millions of people around the world read and enjoy the “Harry Potter” books, there are many people that object to the content of the Harry Potter books, stating that they go against the world of God. The objections are based on the bible teaching that practicing witchcraft or other occult acts is a sin.
Objections to “Harry Potter” usually reference Deuteronomy 18:10-12, “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you.”
These Christians believe that the books promote the modern religions of Wicca, Paganism, and Neopaganism. They point to the terms “witch,” “wizard,” and the variety of spells presented in the books as leading children and Christian teens down the path to the occult.
Other Christians believe that the novels are just pure fantasy, but they object to the dark nature of the books for younger children. As the books go on they become more violent, scary, and people die. Some parents believe that these book’s violent undertones promote violence in children.
Finally, many Christians have an issue with the moral ambiguity presented in the books. J.K. Rowling has presented a world where moral questions do not always have clear answers, and this presents an issue for some parents who feel her characters are not being appropriate role models for their children. There are good characters that commit murder and other good characters that lie and steal. Some characters are considered “evil,” but Rowling presents them as having a psychology that makes them somewhat sympathetic. Also, there are some references to swear words that offend some Christian teens and adults.
A few weeks back, we reported to you the fact that a small minority of Twilight series fans might have been taking things a bit too far as they developed the “Cullenist” “religion,” and devote much more than their spare leisure time to enjoyment of the series (to say the least). And with the release of 2008’s Twilight film (with Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone, Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene, Rachelle LeFevre, Cam Gigandet, Edi Gathegi, Billy Burke, Elizabeth Reaser, Justin Chon, Michael Welch, Anna Kendrick, and Christian Serratos and which will be followed with The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, and perhaps The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn), attention has certainly been drawn to the intricacies of the series on a national scale. Not to mention, the release of Breaking Dawn (which occurred in August of 2008) meant that the Twilight book series took a (*spoiler*) sexier turn.
So, with the extremism that might be surfacing as a result of the Twilight series, the attention drawn to the series through the film’s success, and the shifts in age-appropriateness that (arguably) might be seen with the fourth installment, are we facing a potential religious backlash against the series?
While at first, and perhaps still now, the series represented many celebrated qualities of religious persons and groups (and perhaps even organizations), what with Bella’s chastity, the quality of sacrifice displayed constantly through the various characters, the importance of family, and, quite frankly, tolerance that is available in the series, bookstores like The Deseret are taking the books from their shelves (claiming to do so as a result of the “mixed” feelings of its customer base as to its appropriateness in a store such as its own). One has to wonder if this is only the beginning?

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Glenn Beck: The Fears of a Clown

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

From Time Magazine:

On March 23, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner unveiled the Obama Administration’s toxic-bank-assets plan. The stock markets cheered the news, sending the Dow up 497 points.

This meant one thing: it was time for Glenn Beck to break out the Jenga set.

The new populist superstar of Fox News has made a refrain of predicting that government policies are leading to disaster — dark, ruinous, blood-in-the-streets kind of disaster. Pausing for a 17-minute speech rebutting his critics for calling him “dangerous” and “crazy,” he took out the block-tower game. On opposite sides of the tower were written the words solution and problem, taxpayer and children. Then he spent much of the hour critiquing the plan, all the while pulling pieces from the wobbling tower and stacking them on top. (Read an interview with Glenn Beck.)

For Beck, Jenga is a metaphor for the plan’s risk. But it is also a metaphor for Beck’s show, which teeters from humor to predictions of apocalypse to self-esteem sermons to fits of weeping. (”I’m sorry. I just love my country. And I fear for it.”) This is what makes it so compelling: the breathless feeling that at any moment, everything could spectacularly collapse.

A year ago, with Fox News in an election-year ratings slump, some TV observers (like me) wondered if its conservative commentators could thrive in an Obama era. The answer is yes, and how. Fox roared back and has more viewers than CNN and MSNBC combined.

It’s succeeded partly because of its veteran stars Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity. But to Hannity’s tax-cut Republicanism and O’Reilly’s grumpy social conservatism, Beck adds an au courant strain of grievance. Beck had a similar program on Headline News (which I appeared on once), on which he at one point asked a Muslim Congressman to “prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.” After he moved to Fox in January, his audience exploded to 2 million-plus viewers — unheard of at 5 p.m. His hook, for the age of economic anxiety: whereas O’Reilly embodies anger and Hannity brashness, Beck embraces fear. (See pictures of Bill O’Reilly’s career in journalism.)

Fear of what? Take your pick. Fear that the U.S. is on a long march to fascism. (As evidence, Beck cited — on April Fools’ Day but apparently seriously — the inclusion of fasces on the Mercury dime in 1916.) That fat cats and bureaucratic “bloodsuckers” are plundering your future. That Mexico will collapse and chaos will pour over the border. That America believes too little in God and too much in global warming. That “they” — Big Government, Big Business, Big Media — are against you. Above all, that you, small-town, small-business America — Palinville — have been forgotten. Dismissed. Laughed at. Just like him. (See the top 10 TV feuds.)

It’s hard to identify a Beck ideology so much as a set of attitudes, sometimes contradictory ones. He channels anger against Wall Street but defends the bonuses for AIG executives. He devoted a segment to debunking a conspiracy theory about FEMA “concentration camps” but has warned that the AmeriCorps program “indoctrinates your child into community service.”

What unites Beck’s disparate themes is a sense of siege. On March 13, he served up a kind of fear combo platter — war, chaos, totalitarianism, financial ruin — with the 9/12 Project, a tearful call to viewers to rediscover the common purpose they felt after 9/11. In 2001, that common purpose involved cable-news talkers’ dialing down the us-vs.-them shtick for a day or two; now Beck urged viewers to reject the notion that “they” have all the power. “They don’t surround us,” he declared. “We surround them.”

Beck’s surround sound plays like a mix of colonial pamphleteering, Great Depression demagoguery and the movie Red Dawn. But is he serious? He describes himself as a “rodeo clown,” and he is a talented TV showman — joking and self-effacing, with a gift for big visuals and low-tech explainer stunts like his Jenga bit. Unlike O’Reilly et al., he’s not a shouter. He calls his program “the fusion of entertainment and enlightenment.”

Then again, he recently devoted a “War Room” episode to gaming out an American economic collapse in 2014 — the result of debt and high taxes — including the rise of “Mad Max” militias and civil unrest. Because if anything spells laff riot, it’s the breakdown of lawful society! Whether Beck is stirring up frightening social currents or just playing in them, his material and its resonance are deadly serious.

Of course, I’m a “them.” And if there’s one thing we thems love, it’s tarring dissenters as scary. As he played with his Jenga tower, Beck made just that point, introducing his next guest, former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. “Remember,” Beck said sarcastically, “he is a dangerous militia member!”

Then a wooden piece gave way, and the whole toy edifice came crashing down.

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Mormon Tabernacle Choir celebrates centennial

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

From Intermountain Catholic:

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir opens the Madeleine Festival of the Arts and Humanities April 18-19 with two historic concerts. “When the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed in the Cathedral in 1993, they did not have the Orchestra to accompany them, and it was magnificent then,” said Drew Browning Madeleine Festival program director. We knew that would add a special dimension. IC photo by Christine Young

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir opens the Madeleine Festival of the Arts and Humanities April 18-19 with two historic concerts. “When the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed in the Cathedral in 1993, they did not have the Orchestra to accompany them, and it was magnificent then,” said Drew Browning Madeleine Festival program director. We knew that would add a special dimension. IC photo by Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — In anticipation of the centennial of the Cathedral of the Madeleine Aug. 15, the world renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir returned for two historic concerts April 18-19. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir under the direction of Mack Wilberg, opened the Madeleine Festival of the Arts and Humanities accompanied by the Orchestra at Temple Square.

“Their opening piece, ‘Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,’ was so powerful with approximately 300 singers and 65 musicians,” said Drew Browning, Madeleine Festival program director. “The sacred environment of the Cathedral of the Madeleine and the known quality of their singing in the acoustical space of the cathedral was nothing other than magical.

“I just cannot describe it any other way,” said Browning. “I had out-of-state relatives here from several places in the country, and they were really quite wowed by the concert. It was really quite special. I just thought it was unbelievable.”

Mormon Tabernacle Choir Director Mack Wilberg led the audience on a journey around the world with a performance called “A Celebration in Sacred Song.”

The concert began with three German hymns, followed by two Russian songs of praise. They then sang three English Psalms, joined by Madeleine Choir School soloists sixth-grader Deron Parcell and seventh-grader Jonathan Savastano. Parcell was also a soloist on “Halle, Halle, Halle.”

Wilberg specifically requested that choristers from the Madeleine Choir School sing solo parts in Holst’s “Psalm 86,” and “Halle, Halle, Halle,” a traditional Caribbean melody. This was Parcell’s second solo collaboration with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, having performed with them in last year’s Dear Valley Music Festival.

Parcell is only in his second year at the Madeleine Choir School, and has also performed with the Utah Symphony and Opera, and with Dr. Brady Allred’s Salt Lake Choral Artists. This was Savastano’s debut performing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He will also be singing with the Utah Symphony during Music Director Keith Lockhart’s grand finale concert in May.

“It was nice to see a range of selections that Wilberg put together that showed sacred songs from various places around the world,” said Browning.”

The final selections were American folk hymns and African-American spirituals.

“To end the concert with ‘Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,’ was stunning,” said Browning. “Within three weeks of their recent CD being released, it has reached number one on the Classical Billboard chart. So it is just phenomenal.

“We have been planning for this celebration for about five years,” said Browning. “It was October 2004, when I started thinking about the centennial in 2009, and how it would really be nice to open the centennial year Madeleine Festival with something very special. I knew that when we re-opened the Cathedral of the Madeleine in 1993, after it had been restored, we had asked the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to perform. The program was called “Music for a Great Space.” To our knowledge that was the only other time in history the Mormon Tabernacle Choir had ever sang here. So we invited them to come back.

“We knew we would have to schedule more than one performance due to the limited seating in the Cathedral and our previous experience with tremendous crowds trying to attend the 1993 concert,” said Browning.

“It has been a pleasure to be here in this historical and sacred place,” said Wilberg. “What a thrill it has been to be with you and for you to be with us.”

Mormon Tabernacle Choir member Scott Russon said the sound in the Cathedral was great.

“There was a feeling that I had when we were singing ‘Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,’” said Russon, who has been in the choir for a year.

“The last verse,” added Lindsey Snarr, who has been in the choir for seven years. “It just took over my body from top to bottom. It was big.”

“Exactly,” said Russon. “I just had this sense that everybody in the whole Cathedral was feeling this, and there was a feeling of reverence to God. No matter how you perceive God, it was to him. It was such a worshipful feeling.”

“The sound in the Cathedral was great. The ceilings are so high, it makes such a cathedral sound,” said Jeffrey Scott, a young orchestra member. “It was really nice. I really enjoyed playing here. We thank them for inviting us.”

The Mormon Tabernacle choir is composed of 360 volunteer singers aged 25 to 60, who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They practice and perform weekly. The choir originated in the mid-19th century. A small choir first sang for a conference of the LDS Church in 1847, just 29 days after the first pioneers arrived to settle in the Salt Lake Valley.

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Glenn Beck’s backing bumps Skousen book to top

Saturday, March 21st, 2009

From The Deseret News:

W. Cleon Skousen’s book “The 5000 Year Leap: A Miracle That Changed the World, Principles of Freedom 101″ is No. 1 on Amazon.com’s list of Best-sellers in Books. The book was originally published in 1981. (Laura Seitz, Deseret News)

Move over, Oprah. Apparently, a book recommendation from Fox News Channel talk show host Glenn Beck carries a lot of punch, too.

Beck, who will speak at the Stadium of Fire during America’s Freedom Festival at Provo on July 4, has told viewers and listeners of his TV and radio shows to buy a book published nearly 30 years ago by late Utah and Mormon author W. Cleon Skousen.

On Friday, after several days in the top 10, “The 5000 Year Leap: A Miracle That Changed the World, Principles of Freedom 101″ leaped to No. 1 on Amazon.com’s list of Bestsellers in Books.

“Everyone should read this book,” the conservative talk show host said as he passed out copies during a recent broadcast. On his radio program Friday evening, Beck touted the book’s climb to No. 1.

Skousen published “The 5000 Year Leap” in 1981, nearly 25 years after he published “The Naked Communist,” a national bestseller that has sold more than 1 million copies.

“The 5000 Year Leap” is now in its seventh edition. In it, Skousen lists 28 fundamental beliefs he declared were held by America’s Founding Fathers. He suggested those core beliefs made possible more world progress in the first 200 years of the American experiment than was made in the previous 5,000.

Beck added an introduction to the copies he handed out on his show. “(Skousen) was years ahead of his time,” Beck wrote. “And our founders were thousands of years ahead of their time. My hope is that all Americans young and old will spend time with this book to understand why we are who we are. The words of our Founding Fathers have a way of reaching across any political divide.”

Beck, as Skousen was, is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“They are words of wisdom that I can only describe as divinely inspired,” Beck continued in his introduction. “They are here for us to help solve the unsolvable — and they are the reason why we have for so long been the greatest nation on earth. But most importantly, in these pages, you will find hope.”

Beck, who regularly criticizes the Obama administration and decries the nation’s financial future on his shows, is the third most-watched individual on cable television. His 5 p.m. program averaged nearly 2.2 million viewers last month.

He has been featured during the Stadium of Fire in Provo for the past two years.

Skousen died in 2006 at the age of 92. A sometimes controversial figure inside and outside the church, where he was close to late church President David O. McKay, he caused a huge flap in 1960 when as Salt Lake City’s police chief he raided a private club where new Mayor J. Bracken Lee was playing cards. Lee fired Skousen.

Skousen spent 15 years as a professor at Brigham Young University in two stints. An FBI agent who worked with J. Edgar Hoover, he ran for governor of Utah and organized the Freemen Institute, later known as the National Center for Constitutional Studies, which published “The 5000 Year Leap.”

Skousen never joined the ultra-conservative John Birch Society but was a supporter. NewMajority.com writer David Frum has called Skousen a Mormon Bircher and characterizes him as one of the “legendary cranks of the conservative world, a John Bircher, a grand fantasist of theories about secret conspiracies between capitalists and communists to impose a one-world government.”

Dozens of Amazon.com book reviewers have praised “The 5000 Year Leap.” One, S. Peek, wrote that “The premise of the book is that because of the free market system that took root after our Constitution was enacted, the United States literally made a 5,000-year leap of progress in the time since then.”

The book outlines sources of thought used by the Founders as they developed the Constitution, including Cicero, Locke, Montesquieu and Adam Smith.  (cont.)

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It's not a dream: They're back

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

From TheStar.com:

Marie and Donny Osmond in their 1970s heyday. Three decades later, they’re clawing back into the limelight.

Hoping to spread more of their cheer, the Osmonds find a way to return to spotlight.

At first I thought it was a coincidence: Donny Osmond, the wholesome ’70s teen idol turned 51-year-old grandfather of two, popping up on The Insider (7 p.m. weekdays on NBC, E) to yak about Dancing with the Stars, the notorious Octo-mom and his cheesy Vegas show with sister Marie.

“Look who’s back!” crowed host Lara Spencer as the beaming kitsch icon, looking like a less-aged Wayne Newton, bopped excitedly in his seat.

Okay, great, I moaned. Donny Osmond, a grinning beacon of pop’s shameful past, has somehow weaseled his way back into the pop-cult spotlight.

“My dancing shoes are already warm from Vegas!” he intoned, making a bid for next season’s lineup of Dancing with the Stars.

Am I dreaming? I wondered, whacking my head with the remote. Is this really happening?

And then, like a spring-loaded rodent from the midway Whac-A-Mole, he popped up again a few nights later, still yammering about Dancing (”I wish Ty Murray would have some fun … you’ve gotta lighten up, buddy!”), introducing a slate of goofy wedding videos and confirming once again that, yes, he, Donald Clark Osmond, would be thrilled to shake his booty on Dancing with the Stars, ahem, should he be asked.

Unsure what to make of it, I flicked on Entertainment Tonight (7:30 p.m. weekdays on NBC, Global) to find – gak – his sister Marie, who served her own headline-grabbing stint on Dancing two seasons ago, being treated like visiting royalty by the outrageously overcaffeinated Mary Hart.

“How’s your life – seriously?” grilled the fawning co-host, eager to dish about the 49-year-old’s romantic travails.

“It’s good!” trilled Marie happily.

“Are you dating someone?”

Marie giggled. “I’m dating a few people!”

It went on from there, no particular point to it, no real reason for the twice-divorced mother of eight to be on the show, except, of course, that she’s Marie.

“What the heck is this?” I exploded at the cat. “Who cares who Marie is dating? Who cares what Donny thinks of Dancing with the Stars? And how long till Little Jimmy pops out of retirement to join the cast of Celebrity Apprentice?”

Logging onto the Internet Movie Database website I was horrified to discover these tabloid insurrections weren’t isolated events, with Donny and Marie chalking up almost 200 appearances between them on Entertainment Tonight and The Insider in the past two years alone.

Two hundred appearances? Isn’t it enough they terrorized an entire generation with their spasmatic ’70s variety show that saw Donny toppling into oversized cream pies while Marie joked about purple socks and tittered girlishly from the sidelines?

Has the pop culture restraining order imposed after noxious hits like “Puppy Love,” “Paper Roses” and “I’m a Little Bit Country, I’m a Little Bit Rock ‘n’ Roll” run its course already?

Beats me, but when you factor in the insidious emergence of Osmond nephew David as a Hollywood-round contender on American Idol – yes, there’s a new generation waiting in the wings – there can be only one explanation: ladies and gentlemen, it’s an Osmond conspiracy.

Call it divine retribution for the grunge era and rise of hip-hop, but despite a laughably square image that went out of style sometime between the end of The Brady Bunch and the start of the Ford administration, this bright-eyed Mormon clan of song-and-dance vaudevillian throwbacks has resurfaced, and not for the last time, to spread their chirpy vivaciousness to yet another generation.

“And now, the fearless Donny Osmond!” Insider host Spencer intoned a few nights ago as the toothsome marauder flashed his blinding Vegas grin and boldly declared, yet again, “I’m back!”

He’s back all right, and for those who envisioned a Donny and Marie-free universe as the ubiquitous irritants crept toward their golden years, it’s a sign that Armageddon may be one step closer than we thought.

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An Open Letter to Time-Warner, HBO, and the Producers and Writers of “Big Love”

Friday, March 13th, 2009

From TheBettyFactor.com

AUTHOR’S NOTE: After several days of sitting by while watching the drama unfold surrounding the planned unveiling of a new segment of the HBO series “Big Love,” I was finally compelled to respond today based upon an Associated Press article published in yesterday’s edition of the Daily Variety.

What follows below is a slightly modified version of my response to said online article in the Daily Variety.

For the record, this Website is dedicated to identifying and applauding the best efforts of those trying to simplify and demystify complex and technical subjects. I publish my commentary about this “Big Love” brouhaha here as I know that the commingled subject of polygamy and religion are quite complex; unfortunately, it is also clear to me that the writers or producers of “Big Love” or the executives of HBO or Time-Warner have done a huge disservice to both Mormons and polygamists alike in distorting the truth.

David Politis

= = = = = = = = = =

Dear Variety and Variety Readers:

As a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (”Mormon”) I am certainly not surprised that HBO is moving forward with its plans to air a segment of “Big Love” that purports to show scenes from what is arguably one of the most sacred portions of the LDS religion — the temple endowment ceremony.

Then again, I am disappointed in HBO as I would have hoped that HBO and its parent company, Time-Warner, would have been more respectful of the faith and a people who have experienced significant persecution during its 175-year history. Obviously, those were false hopes.

More importantly, it appears that in spite of communications to the LDS Church to the contrary, HBO and the producers and writers of “Big Love” seem intent on blurring the line between the LDS/Mormon Church and the failed and illegal practices of a few polygamists.

As a practicing polygamist, Jeanne Tripplehorn’s character, Barb, would not be allowed into a dedicated Mormon temple where sacred rites are performed and religious instructions are given. She would not pass muster in the two worthiness interviews required with two local leaders of her local & regional congregations before she could receive a “letter of recommendation” to provide her with access inside a temple.

In truth, anyone (Polygamist, Christian, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Jew, Gentile, Wiccan, Atheist, or whatever) can enter any Mormon meeting house around the world and attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings, and they can do so without being baptized and becoming converted to the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

That said, entrance into any LDS temple first requires baptism into the LDS Church and continued adherence to minimal standards for at least a year after baptism before one is eligible to seek a Temple Recommend.

Some of these Temple Recommend standards include

  • no smoking;
  • no drinking of alcohol, coffee or tea;
  • no use of illegal drugs;
  • no misuse of prescription drugs or medications;
  • no sexual activities outside of (or before) a legal and lawful marriage relationship;
  • paying of tithing (10 percent of annual income);
  • regular attendance at Church meetings;
  • volunteer service within the Church;
  • acceptance of the current President of the LDS Church as Prophet, Seer and Revelator;
  • belief in God the Eternal Father, Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Redeemer of the world, and the Holy Ghost as the 3rd member of the Godhead (and each of these beings as separate and distinct individuals);
  • and (though perhaps last in this list, not least for this commentary)
    agreement to follow and obey the laws of the land where you live.

Last time I checked it is illegal to be in a polygamous relationship in the U.S. It is also grounds for removal from the Mormon Church if a Latter-day Saint is found to be practicing polygamy and will not give it up. Practicing polygamy will also prevent one from

  1. being baptized into the LDS Church and
  2. from receiving a Temple Recommend allowing one to enter an LDS Temple.

I am ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT that the “Big Love” writers and producers know these facts. I am ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT that the management of HBO and Time-Warner know these facts.

Unfortunately, I am also ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT that the segment of “Big Love” scheduled to premiere this weekend will air as scheduled.

By doing so, the HBO and all affiliated with “Big Love” will do all Latter-Day Saints and the public at large a huge disservice by blatantly depicting not only something that is held as being supremely sacred by Mormons around the world, but also by depicting and promulgating a lie that a practicing polygamist (like the character “Barb”) would ever be allowed into an LDS Temple. Then again, I have a hard time believing that any practicing polygamist would even want to go through a Mormon Temple ceremony; but hey, who am I to judge?

At the end of the day, I agree with the premise that HBO has the constitutional right to produce and air “Big Love” as well as this forthcoming segment.

I also have the right to NOT watch “Big Love” and to point out the the world and to HBO what I believe to be HBO’s patently misleading, hurtful, salacious and disrespectful approach to all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Sincerely,

David Politis

A P.S. for Long-time Readers of TheBettyFactor.com: HBO and Time-Warner both land “Sad Betty Awards” for their handling of this mess. How disappointing!

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Church Statement on boycotts, 'Big Love', and other Controversies

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

From LDS.org (Newsroom):

Like other large faith groups, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sometimes finds itself on the receiving end of attention from Hollywood or Broadway, television series or books, and the news media. Sometimes depictions of the Church and its people are quite accurate. Sometimes the images are false or play to stereotypes. Occasionally, they are in appallingly bad taste.

As Catholics, Jews and Muslims have known for centuries, such attention is inevitable once an institution or faith group reaches a size or prominence sufficient to attract notice. Yet Latter-day Saints – sometimes known as Mormons - still wonder whether and how they should respond when news or entertainment media insensitively trivialize or misrepresent sacred beliefs or practices.

Church members are about to face that question again. Before the first season of the HBO series Big Love aired more than two years ago, the show’s creators and HBO executives assured the Church that the series wouldn’t be about Mormons. However, Internet references to Big Love indicate that more and more Mormon themes are now being woven into the show and that the characters are often unsympathetic figures who come across as narrow and self-righteous. And according to TV Guide, it now seems the show’s writers are to depict what they understand to be sacred temple ceremonies.

Certainly Church members are offended when their most sacred practices are misrepresented or presented without context or understanding. Last week some Church members began e-mail chains calling for cancellations of subscriptions to AOL, which, like HBO, is owned by Time Warner. Certainly such a boycott by hundreds of thousands of computer-savvy Latter-day Saints could have an economic impact on the company. Individual Latter-day Saints have the right to take such actions if they choose.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as an institution does not call for boycotts. Such a step would simply generate the kind of controversy that the media loves and in the end would increase audiences for the series. As Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Robert D. Hales of the Council of the Twelve Apostles have both said recently, when expressing themselves in the public arena, Latter-day Saints should conduct themselves with dignity and thoughtfulness.

Not only is this the model that Jesus Christ taught and demonstrated in his own life, but it also reflects the reality of the strength and maturity of Church members today. As someone recently said, “This isn’t 1830, and there aren’t just six of us anymore.” In other words, with a global membership of thirteen and a half million there is no need to feel defensive when the Church is moving forward so rapidly. The Church’s strength is in its faithful members in 170-plus countries, and there is no evidence that extreme misrepresentations in the media that appeal only to a narrow audience have any long-term negative effect on the Church.

Examples:

  • During the Mitt Romney election campaign for the presidency of the United States, commentator Lawrence O’Donnell hurled abuse at the Church in a television moment that became known among many Church members as “the O’Donnell rant.” Today, his statements are remembered only as a testament to intolerance and ignorance. They had no effect on the Church that can be measured.
  • When the comedy writers for South Park produced a gross portrayal of Church history, individual Church members no doubt felt uncomfortable. But once again it inflicted no perceptible or lasting damage to a church that is growing by at least a quarter of a million new members every year.
  • When an independent film company produced a grossly distorted version of the Mountain Meadows Massacre two years ago, the Church ignored it. Perhaps partly as a result of that refusal to engender the controversy that the producers hoped for, the movie flopped at the box office and lost millions.
  • In recent months, some gay activists have barraged the media with accusations about “hateful” attitudes of Latter-day Saints in supporting Proposition 8 in California, which maintained the traditional definition of marriage. They even organized a protest march around the Salt Lake Temple. Again, the Church has refused to be goaded into a Mormons versus gays battle and has simply stated its position in tones that are reasonable and respectful. Meanwhile, missionary work and Church members in California remain as robust and vibrant as ever, and support for the Church has come from many unexpected quarters — including some former critics and other churches.

Now comes another series of Big Love, and despite earlier assurances from HBO it once again blurs the distinctions between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the show’s fictional non-Mormon characters and their practices. Such things say much more about the insensitivities of writers, producers and TV executives than they say about Latter-day Saints.

If the Church allowed critics and opponents to choose the ground on which its battles are fought, it would risk being distracted from the focus and mission it has pursued successfully for nearly 180 years. Instead, the Church itself will determine its own course as it continues to preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

Link

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“Big Love” network apologizes to Mormons

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

From Reuters:

HBO, the network behind television polygamy drama “Big Love,” apologized on Tuesday for any offense to Mormons in a depiction of a sacred ritual but made clear it would air the controversial episode as planned.

The HBO network’s program about a non-Mormon polygamous family has stirred up a hornet’s nest of complaints over an episode to be broadcast on Sunday showing its version of an endowment ceremony within a Mormon temple.

It is thought to be the first time the ritual, in which participants move to a higher level of understanding of their religion, will be shown on TV.

News of the episode prompted calls and e-mails for cancellation or an HBO boycott by angry members of the Mormon Church, officially known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).

The Church itself has not officially called for a boycott.

“Big Love,” which first aired in 2006, stars Bill Paxton as a member of a fictional breakaway Mormon sect who has three wives and eight children.

HBO said on Tuesday the writers had gone to great lengths “to be respectful and accurate” in the ceremony’s portrayal.

“Obviously, it was not our intention to do anything disrespectful to the church, but to those who may be offended, we offer our sincere apology,” the network said in a statement. In a separate statement, the creators of the series said they “took great pains to depict the ceremony with the dignity and reverence it is due.”

‘JUST OFFENSIVE’

The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, based in Utah, has some 13.5 million members around the world. It officially banned polygamy in 1890, sixty years after it was founded, but the practice continues in some breakaway sects.

The furor reflected the dilemma faced by Mormons as the growing Church takes its place in mainstream society.

“This is a very sacred event in the lives of LDS church members. To have it splashed all over television for entertainment purposes (and ultimately for monetary gain) is just offensive,” wrote a poster called “nanberg” on HBO’s official “Big Love” message board on Tuesday.

The Church refrained from calling for a boycott of HBO, or sister companies owned by corporate parent Time Warner Inc, such as Internet service provider AOL. But the Church did recognize that individual members might do so.

“Certainly Church members are offended when their most sacred practices are misrepresented or presented without context or understanding,” LDS said in a statement on Monday.

“Individual Latter-day Saints have the right to take such actions if they choose. The Church … as an institution does not call for boycotts. Such a step would simply generate the kind of controversy that the media loves and in the end would increase audiences for the series,” it added.  (cont.)

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Jonas Bros., Glenn Beck to Headline Provo Stadium of Fire Show

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

From The Salt Lake Tribune:

 Hannah Schofield is already psyched up for the Fourth of July’s Stadium of Fire.

Hannah, 9, and her friends are prepared to get into LaVell Edwards Stadium to see The Jonas Brothers perform at the annual Independence Day show. “I’m going to do what it takes to scream my head off for them,” the Lindon resident said. “I screamed for Miley Cyrus.”

Cyrus headlined the show last year, selling out the stadium in fewer than two hours.

Brad Pelo, the show’s executive producer, is hoping a recession won’t stop The Jonas Brothers from at least meeting that record when tickets go on sale Friday.

“It will be interesting to see what impact the economy will have on people buying tickets,” Pelo said, who also announced that conservative broadcaster Glenn Beck will be the show’s master of ceremonies for the third year.

Pelo said long-time Stadium of Fire fans were offered tickets last week. The special sale, which has closed, was a response to complaints last year that local supporters lost seats to scalpers and Cyrus fans, he said.

Pelo predicts that this year’s show will be the biggest in its 29-year history. In addition to The Jonas Brothers, there will be hundreds of dancers on the field, as well as the fireworks. The show will be televised overseas on the American Forces Network to soldiers, marines and sailors.

Speaking in a video shown to reporters, Kevin Jonas said he and his brothers were looking forward to the show. “It’s actually America’s greatest patriotic party,” Jonas said.

As far as talk-show host Glenn Beck’s role is concerned, Pelo said this will likely be Beck’s last year. His new Fox News Channel show demands too much time.

And Richard Davis, Utah County Democratic Party chairman, sees that as good news.

Davis believes selecting Beck gives the community celebration a distinct Republican flavor, and said Beck’s future replacement should be someone who will make the event less political.

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David Archuleta: Conversation with a Boy Wonder

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

From Artvoice Daily:

Mere moments after just barely losing the American Idol crown last summer, musician David Archuleta saw his wildest dream become reality nonetheless.

“I was in my dressing room after the show ended, and they came in and told me how they were excited to work with me, and just like that I had to get started,” Archuleta told Artvoice. “I was thinking that I’d be sitting on it for a while, looking for what opportunities would come around, and who would be the right people to work with. But it was like, ‘Whoa.’”

And just like “Whoa,” David Archuleta has sung his way into the hearts of millions of teenage girls who have helped to make his debut album a certified gold success, and who are sure to turn out in droves to Club Infinity when Archuleta’s first solo tour stops there tonight.

Archuleta’s career could have easily gone the way of many American Idol runners-up since the reality competition juggernaut debuted in 2002—the career legitimacies of Justin Guarini and Blake Lewis never caught on, while even one-time middle-aged mom magnet Clay Aiken has turned second-rate Broadway has-been—but it would appear that by way of good old-fashioned talent, Archuleta the musician is here to stay.

Said staying-power has been undeniably established by both the success and critical reception of Archuleta’s debut effort (the New York Times said he “has a lovely, foggy R&B voice out of scale with his small body”) and his debut single, “Crush,” has sold more copies than any other Idol contestant’s debut single to date. While such a record might inflate the ego of a less-grounded individual, the 18-year-old still seems generally confused as to why he’s received the stardom that accompanies teen idolhood.

“A year ago, I didn’t think I would ever be the kind of person to have any fans, let alone people who dedicate websites to me. It’s unbelievable, but that’s something that happened with ‘American Idol.’ I definitely won’t be the last person [thrust into the spotlight], but that doesn’t make it any less surreal.” When asked about the perils of Googling his name, Archuleta shyly replied, “It’s weird.”

What’s weirder about the career path of a post-reality television star is that David Archuleta’s first time out of the gate and onto a national tour circuit, meant playing before crowds in the largest arenas in the country. This time, however, he’ll be visiting smaller venues in the cities that embraced him so fondly while touring with the “Idol” cast.

“The smaller venues is really how I pictured it would be. I wasn’t really expecting to be playing arenas my first time out. But I’m looking forward to it. It’s not as crazy,” he said, looking forward to venues that are “more focused on the music.” That’s not to say that his arena gigs don’t hold fond memories: Archuleta was one of the headliners at the Kiss 98.5 Kiss-mas Bash in December, an event that resonated strongly with the singer.

“I did a jingle ball, or jingle bash or whatever in Buffalo, and that was way fun. That was one of my favorites, in terms of the holiday shows. The crowd was so big, and so energetic.” While he certainly cannot be expected to remember the name of every Christmas compilation show he played last year—there were many, common for new artists looking to gain individual exposure—it’s no surprise that a stop at the house of some of the most expressive sports fans in the country would hold a special place in his heart.

But, like any fledgling musical artist fresh off the heels of one of the year’s biggest traveling shows, it’s back to the drawing board for Archuleta. While he eagerly anticipates returning to the studio to work on some new material, he is focusing now on the hectic schedule he keeps at present, even without the benefit of studio time. He’s even had to put high school on hold, as well as any semblance of an average teenager’s social life along with it.

“High school for me is online right now, and I’ve already missed my chance at prom. I got to go to a school dance last month, but even that was scheduled by my management. There’s no personal time with me.”

With time, however, perhaps Archuleta, like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood before him, will break free of the seemingly tyrannical rule of the American Idol machine and establish himself as an honest-to-goodness musician. Until then, it’s all about connecting with his fans on the road (as well as on the screen: he’s set to make an upcoming guest appearance on Hannah Montana, the ultimate in tween exposure.) Maybe the next time he’s in Buffalo, he will once again grace the stage of the HSBC Arena, but Archuleta’s not holding his breath.

“I’m just looking forward to spending time with my fans,” he said. “I don’t care how big the stage is.”

For someone who finds the trappings of international fame so “weird,” David Archuleta seems to look (and sound) pretty natural in the spotlight.

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Brooke White Returns to 'Idol'

Friday, February 27th, 2009

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