Your Religion Protrayed on Fictional TV?

[BrandonE]

I don't know of any UU's represented on TV shows or movies, but Garrison Keilor occaisionally makes a joke about Unitarians during A Prarie Home Companion (the radio show, not in the movie, I think). They are typically much like the jokes we make about ourselves, and seem generally to be made in a good spirited way.

 

[GoldenDragon]

Ok so far a lot of good stuff for my research. Here's some I'd like to focus on for a bit.

Are they any fictional tv characters that share//represent your religion or at the least associate with it? How do they see their religion? Do they take pride in it or is it just something they have to deal with?

 

[Zephyr]

any D&D movie, practically as i said almost any fantasy show. they use our title but none of our belifes, i'm honestly thinking about doing something about it. how would YOU like to be displayed as the most evil thing that ever stalked the earth?

That would be so rediculously metal that I wouldn't pass up the opportunity if that were on like tv or something. Think of it as a warning to everyone: "Don't mess with us or we'll do some stuff that will scare the crap out of you...and be completely comfortable with it." Then again, being hunted by the occasional adventurer might get annoying.

Btw, D&D movie made me cry in pain.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

A forerunner of most of the 'cool Pagan' characters on current TV was Willow, a character on the show "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer". The show is recent enough that you've probably seen it or heard about it, but I thought since you were gathering research, it would be good to present it.

Willow seems to be very comfortable in her faith. The show focuses on both the positive and the negative apsects of working with magick. (They made things that are normally introverted extroverted, in order to be more appropriate to a show that' action-oriented.) For example, Willow is able to bring her friend back from the dead. Conversely, she is also affected by the power she has, until it becomes a source of addiction to her.

I'm sure that there are plenty of other examples of Pagans in the media. That was just the one that came to mind most immeadiately.

Zephyr, 'that is so metal' is rapidly becoming my favorite phrase of praise!

 

[GoldenDragon]

This is all very good stuff. Anyone like to add anything else? My report is due in 4 wks so any more info would be great.

 

[SoyLeche]

When portrayed on fictional tv, Mormonism is almost always shown in a negative light. It's caricatured, parodied and misrepresented.

You don't see an awful lot of it, but a couple of years ago, "Cold Case" had a episode that was positively disgusting. I wrote to the network (something I've never done before) and let them have a piece of my mind -- as if it would make any difference to anybody. I did tell them that I'd never watch the show again, and I haven't.

There was a Numb3rs episode a while ago in which they were dealing with a polygamist group. They never called them "Mormons", but the main family involved were the Kirtland's, and the men in the colony all were wearing white shirts and ties (looking remarkably like missionaries).

 

[SoyLeche]

This isn't TV, but in almost every Tom Clancy books one of the minor charactors is a Mormon (which makes sense, because there are more Mormons in the CIA and FBI than you would expect by looking at the proportion of Mormons in the population).

 

[Nanda]

look for the most evil, vile character in sci fi and its probably a necromancer, as for other shows theres really not too many, mostly sci fi and fantasy...isn't that just wonderful? i'm sure its giving a bunch of people beautiful conceptions about us.

There's always Dr. Orpheus on "The Venture Brothers." He's incredibly lovable.

 

[MaddLlama]

I'm sure that there are plenty of other examples of Pagans in the media. That was just the one that came to mind most immeadiately.

Charmed is another one. While it is clearly a fantasy show, they do splice in a lot of random Wicca-related concepts and jargon.

Also, in the new Scooby Doo cartoons there's a character who shows up from time to time who claims to be a Wiccan; she first appears in "Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost". The movie actually infuriated me for that reason, because at the end of the movie this girl gets her hands on a "family book of shadows" that's been passed down for centuries. She looks at a portrait of her great great grandmother and says "Wow, she was a real Wiccan!". >.<

And, then there's "Practical Magic".

 

[MaddLlama]

Also, nobody's mentioned it yet, but the old Kung Fu shows have a lot of Buddhist stuff in them. Though, frankly I couldn't tell you if it's accurate or not.

 

[jamaesi]

Little Mosque on the Prairie is an awesome show about Islam and Muslims.

But it was made by a Muslim, so that's why it's so positive.

 

[Hema]

Apu and Manjula from the Simpsons. I remember once there was an episode where Lisa wanted to become vegetarian and she went to talk to Apu! I remember seeing Apu playing tablas which are Indian drums and once there was an episode where Apu was packing his stuff and Homer said, "Don't forget Ganesha!" He was reminding Apu about his murti of one of the Hindu deities - Shri Ganesha. His wife Manjula was portrayed with her Indian clothes and the tilak on her forehead which many Hindus wear representing the chakra between the eyes.

http://images.google.tt/imgres?imgu...ages?q=manjula+simpsons+images&svnum=10&hl=en

Of couse many people are familiar with the Simpsons, but if you really want to see movies about Hinduism, you have to look at Indian movies (which I love!)

 

[Feathers in Hair]

At one point, Apu also 'curses' by saying "Shiva H. Vishnu!" (This being a parody of the people who curse "Jesus H. Christ!") I loved that!

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I don't know of any tv shows or movies that portray Druids, but they frequently appear on RPGs. I like the Druids on D2:LOD the best.

 

[Hema]

At one point, Apu also 'curses' by saying "Shiva H. Vishnu!" (This being a parody of the people who curse "Jesus H. Christ!") I loved that!

Well I wouldn't call this cursing but I once heard my uncle talking when he was annoyed and he said, "Hare Ram-Krishna Prabhuji". I have picked up the habit!

 

[arthra]

There was a show where Lisa Simpson was investigating religions and the Baha'i Faith was mentioned along with several others. Being a Baha'i you remember references like that as they are pretty unusual..

See

http://www.answers.com/topic/lisa-simpson

- Art

 

[BFD_Zayl]

There's always Dr. Orpheus on "The Venture Brothers." He's incredibly lovable.

He's the funny one, my fave quote from him is "do you even know what a necromancer is?!" "yeah a person who has sex with death people" "wh- NO!! that is a necroPHILE! i am a necroMANCER!!"

 

[Nanda]

He's the funny one, my fave quote from him is "do you even know what a necromancer is?!" "yeah a person who has sex with death people" "wh- NO!! that is a necroPHILE! i am a necroMANCER!!"

Lesser known and a bit sillier, my favorite Dr. O quote comes from the episode where the boys are kidnapped by their "mother," and at one point, Orpheus, covered in cats, giggles and says "They smell my cat!" It just perfectly illustrates what a creampuff he is.

 

[BFD_Zayl]

Lesser known and a bit sillier, my favorite Dr. O quote comes from the episode where the boys are kidnapped by their "mother," and at one point, Orpheus, covered in cats, giggles and says "They smell my cat!" It just perfectly illustrates what a creampuff he is.

lol, i didn't see that one