2004: The Year of 'The Passion'

[rodeodance]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/19/arts/19rich.html

2004: The Year of 'The Passion'

December 19, 2004
By FRANK RICH

WILL it be the Jews' fault if "The Passion of the Christ,"
ignored by the Golden Globes this week, comes up empty in
the Oscar nominations next month? Why, of course.

"Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate
Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular,"
William Donohue, president of the Catholic League,
explained in a colloquy on the subject recently convened by
Pat Buchanan on MSNBC. "It's not a secret, O.K.?" Mr.
Donohue continued. "And I'm not afraid to say it. That's
why they hate this movie. It's about Jesus Christ, and it's
about truth." After the show's token (and conservative)
Jewish panelist, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, pointed out that
"Michael Moore is certainly not a Jew" and that Scorsese,
Coppola and Lucas are not "Jewish names," Mr. Donohue
responded: "I like Harvey Weinstein. How's that? Harvey
Weinstein is my friend."

How's that? Not quite good enough. Surely Mr. Donohue knows
that decorum in these situations requires that he cite a
Jew as one of his "best friends," not merely a friend. For
shame. .........


......Yet if you watch the news and listen to certain
politicians, especially since Election Day, you'll hear an
ever-growing drumbeat that Christianity is under siege in
America. Like Mr. Gibson, the international movie star who
portrayed himself as a powerless martyr to a shadowy anti-
Christian conspiracy in the run-up to the release of "The
Passion," his fellow travelers on the right detect a
sinister plot - of secularists, "secular Jews" and "elites"
- out to destroy the religion followed by more than four
out of every five Americans. .......

[elehhhhna]

1. The Lashin' of the Christ was a lousy movie, imho.

[OneBlueSky]

2. snuff flick with religious undertones . . . n/t

.

[Midnight Rambler]

3. I can just hear the rants about liberal Hollywood now

If the Passion doesn't win every award at every film awards show, the fundies's heads will be exploding all over the media. These pricks just can't be satisfied.

[hatrack]

4. Yeah, but why do they need the approval of the "Hollywood elite"?

After all, they're just a bunch of Jesus-hatin' Jews n' Librulz, so why should the Thumpers give a rip? :shrug:

[Midnight Rambler]

5. It's just another excuse to rag on a favorite boogeyman

The right needs enemies to survive. If they don't have liberals to demonize, they're pretty much useless. It's the same reason they keep blaming Clinton for everything.

[CatholicEdHead]

8. Yep

Gibson's work portrayed a very ultra-conservative form of Catholism.

I am surprised the Fundies eat it up because many of them dislike Catholics.

[ZRB]

6. This movie needs to win a Raspberry

Or whatever those reverse-Oscars are called. It was one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Pretty cinematography at times, but every movie needs a plot. Passion would have none of that. It was porno for the Christian Right, however.


The sheer absurdity in even mentioning this film in the same sentence as "Oscar" is astounding. If this film deserves an Oscar, then the director of Gigli deserves a fucking Nobel Prize.

[Midnight Rambler]

7. That would be the Razzies

aka, the Golden Raspberry :P