Geez, another stereotype reinforced... RE: Rising Stars+religion

[B5JMS Poster]

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From: gboybama at mindspring.com (Greg Sirmon)
Date: 2 Apr 2000 20:09:56 -0600
Lines: 47

I really really really appreciated the evenhanded and (at times) even
positive spin organized religion got on B5.  Most people who serve in
the capacity of telling folks about their views on all things
spiritual toil in obscurity and could certainly pick better paying
professions.

But in the comic world, the psychotic, win-at-any-cost, criminal,
money-grubbing, soul-sucking televangelist stereotype is getting a bit
old.  I mean, 90% of the figures meant to represent organized religion
in the comic world seem to have this maniacal bent.  It's just a
guess, but I'm betting that's not too close to the ratio of real-world
preachers/rabbis/etc  who fit this mold.  

I know it's not comics' or any writer's job to portray reality
exactly, but I often wonder why "religious" figures are so often
picked out by writers to serve as the heavy in these stories.  And
they are almost always given personality traits that would be closer
to Jim Jones/David Koresh than to any spiritual leader I've ever met.

In Rising Stars, we see the unwilling son who has been forced into a
life as a sideshow freak to help fill the pockets of his evil preacher
Dad.  And when it comes time to organize the conspiracy to kill as
many of the heroes as possible, who spearheads the effort?

There's even a moment where we're supposed to sympathize with the son
as he secretly weeps over his father's efforts to close an abortion
clinic.  This, to me, is like having a sympathetic character/possible
protagonist weep over the closing of a Nazi crematoreum.  Pardon me if
I'm not moved.

Joe has always totally pushed the envelope on convention and
non-stereotypical characters.  He gave depth and believability to the
folks on B5 that I've never found anywhere else in entertainment.  But
if this is going to be the son's-eventual-pang-of-conscience-
forces-him-to-put-an-end-to-his-evil-father's-plans plot device, then
color me bored.

And before you tell me to lighten up, I do think Preacher kicks ass.
But I was expecting a higher standard of characterization/plotline in
RS...And up until this point, it's been there in spades.  I just hope
there's one of JMS's famous plot twists that I'm not expecting right
around the corner...


Greg
gboybama at mindspring.com


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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 2 Apr 2000 21:05:38 -0600
Lines: 46

>I know it's not comics' or any writer's job to portray reality
>exactly, but I often wonder why "religious" figures are so often
>picked out by writers to serve as the heavy in these stories.  And
>they are almost always given personality traits that would be closer
>to Jim Jones/David Koresh than to any spiritual leader I've ever met.

Even-handed means that one does not favor one side or the other.  

It seems that your definition of even handed is to commend it when it agrees
with your side and to condemn it when it shows another side...if I show
religion in a positive way, then I'm even handed; if I show one person who is
not a nice person who is religious, then somehow that's wrong.

Sorry, that is the *definition* of even handed: showing the two sides, the good
and the bad.

You would apparantly like us to ignore the reality of the Jimmy Swaggarts and
the Jim Bakkers and the Jerry Fallwells out there, because if a character like
that gets mentioned, well doggone it, that's wrong, that's stereotypical.  *We*
didn't create those people; those people created themselves in terms of their
actions.

I'm sorry you don't like it, but your statement that it isn't reality is itself
far out of tune with reality.

It isn't saying that ALL people are like this, only SOME people.

If you want people to be even handed in their treatment of various issues, then
you have to expect some that are favorable to your position, and some that are
not.  To say you want evenhandedness, then complain when the other hand is
shown, then you're being unfair and, one might even suggest, hypocritcal.  


 jms

(jmsatb5 at aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com
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