Most Mormons are afraid of it. They are afraid that it will be bad press for the Church. They are afraid that, since the creators of South Park are doing a musical about Mormons, that it will be offensive, naive, crude, and blithely stupid.
I've heard it's all of the above. And yet, I've also heard that "it makes fun of the religion in a way that they make fun of all religions. It isn't especially malicious or anything, and the ending actually is quite sweet and feel-good."
I've also heard, "Mormons will love this show."
Speaking with Jon Stewart, Trey Parker said, "I mean, who else will get an Abinadi joke? Only Mormons."
Some Mormons are afraid that this show will put all Mormonism in a negative light. But, that was not the purpose of the show. The purpose of the show is to "celebrate Mormonism" in a fun, modern way. Mormonism really is "America's religion" (Matt Stone, co-creator of Book of Mormon).
To all of you who are afraid, I would think twice. Watch the following video clip from the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and I think some of your fears may be squalled.
I also am dying to see this.
ReplyDeleteI am going to see it on opening weekend . . . I am so excited!
ReplyDeleteHey Artaxerxes, Thanks for the Daily interview with Parker and Stone.
ReplyDeleteRupert Sewell
[Ran smack into this on the net! - Rudy]
ReplyDeleteBanned Utah Humor !
(1) Three levels of LDS heaven: celestial, terrestrial, cholesterol !
(2) LDS houses are painted by Ladder-Day Saints.
(3) Brigham Young, when looking down on the Salt Lake Valley, said "This is the place." How come so many folks settled in that valley if he looked down on it?
(4) Did Adam Swapp get his wives at a Swapp meet?
(5) New Mormon cat food: 9 Wives !
(6) What's a plastic covered Indian? A laminated Lamanite. Of course I've known this since I was Nephite to a grasshopper.
(7) Mormon: Someone who is more man than woman. Is "Mormon" short for "More Money"?
(8) Mormonism teaches that we can know truth if there is a "burning in the bosom." Joseph Smith was the first Mormon who had a bosom below his belt !
(9) Brigham lived in the Lion House which helped him to keep on Lion.
(10) Utah is the only state where you can spell "Moron" with two m's. And it's the only state where the sheep take care of the cattle !
(Glenn Beck, Jon Huntsman Jr., Warren Jeffs, Thomas Monson, and Mitt Romney did not approve of the above humor.)
The New Yorker did a great review of this play - very informative.
ReplyDeleteThe lyrics below are quotes from the opening song of the play, called "Hasa Diga Eebowai."
"In this part of Africa we all have a saying, whenever something bad happens we just throw our hands to the sky and say 'hasa diga eebowai...."
[One of the missionaries asks] "Excuse me sir, but what exactly does that phrase mean?...."
[Reply from Ugandan character] "....eebawai means god, and hasa diga means f*** you, so I guess in English it means f*** you god...."
[the refrain] "f*** you god, in the a**, m****, and c***" (repeated 6 times).
The following is a direct quote from the play's review in The New Yorker.
"The great joke of the musical it to have the hapless Elder Cunningham reinvent the Mormon story for beleaguered Ugandans, who have so far resisted conversion. At one Bible class, a disgruntled tribesman named Mutumbo....denounces the story as irrelevant to his life and makes for the exit, loudly announcing his plan to go and rape a baby to cure his AIDS. Elder Cunningham stops him with a fabulous piece of narrative improvisation....say[ing] 'Behold, the Lord said to Mormon Joseph Smith....if you lay with an infant you shall burn in the fiery pits of Mordor. A baby cannot cure your illness, Joseph Smith. I shall give unto you a frog, and thus Joseph Smith laid with the frog and his aids was no more."
After the above paragraph, the following exchange occurs, again a direct quote from The New Yorker.
Mutumbo: "My name if Joseph Smit.' I'm going to f*** this baby."
Chorus: "No, no, Joseph. Don't f*** the baby."
Mutumbo: "Suddently the clouds parted and Joseph Smit' was visited by God."
Chorus: "Joseph Smit', do not f*** a baby. I'll get rid of your AIDS if you f*** this frog."
Still want to see it?