Out and Proud Atheist

[rlrose328]

I got an email from EW that they wanted to print my letter!  Woohoo!  If they DO print it, it will be in the next issue!

[Mister Joy]

Good old Jodie Foster. Hannibal would have been infinitely better if she'd been in it (and if the character's personality hadn't been completely reformed to that of an archetypal 'tough-gal', for that matter). Not to say that Hopkins alone didn't make it brilliant Still... Richard Burton would have been better if he'd still been alive.

[Steve Reason]

Never mind...

[tigerlily46514]

Mister Joy--NO freakin way--HAD to be Anthony Hopkins.     had to.  I just love him.  i don't care much about celebrities, but any movie with Anthony Hopkins, i'm gonna watch that.  Or Morgan Freeman.  That voice...

But while we are on celebrities and people thanking god for stuff--Hey, did any of you catch that comedian Kathy Griffin got bleeped out of some kinda celebrity award show for saying something like, "Everybody is coming up here and thanking god for their win, but i just want to tell you, god had nothing to do with this win!" or something like that....BLEEPED IT OUT!!!??  Maybe there was a cuzz word in there that i missed...

Oh, conga-rats to you, rlrose!!  for getting something pro-atheist published !  WOO-HOO!!

Speaking of tsunamis and god, oh, i don't know her name, some lady on some talk show, Bill Maher pointed this out on HIS show, that she said she had just left that beach in Sri Lanka the day before, adding, God did bless me. blah blah.

 Maher added, "What?  God didn't like the other 2000 people that just died?  Only you?  HOw conceited!!"

[rlrose328]

Here's the full quote:

"Can you believe this shit? I guess hell froze over. ... a lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus. So, all I can say is, 'suck it, Jesus.' This award is my god now."

Link to footage (the clip of the speech is a few seconds in... it's a Larry King interview, worth a watch):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgHxutPl ... ed&search=

The Catholic League is so pissed off... they want defamation of their Lord to be a crime.  Yup, free speech be damned.  They don't realize we've always been here... it's just that we've had enough and we're speaking out against them.  And they don't like it.

I love Kathy Griffin.  :-)

[rlrose328]

Oh... and we got the new Entertainment Weekly yesterday... with Masi Oka on the cover in his Heroes garb.  My letter was the first one in the letters for the Jodie issue!  Woohoo!  Might seem silly to most everyone, but I'm tickled pink.  

[SteveS]

Okay - sorry to be the spoil sport, but I came across a copy of the Jodie Foster EW in our lunch room at work, so I read it.  Eh - sort of reinforces why I don't like celebrities.  I mean --- these people make movies.  They are good at what they do --- which is make movies!  That's it, right?  But - the fact that they are mere entertainers doesn't stop them from blabbing about all sorts of pseudo-intellectual crap.  Here's a snippet for reference:

EW What do you think is the larger social commentary of The Brave One, which in some ways plays as a straight-up Dirty Harry revenge movie?

JF Here's my commentary: I don't believe that any gun should be in the hand of a thinking, feeling, breathing human being.  Americans are by nature filled with rage-slash-fear.  And guns are a huge part of our culture.

Okay (leave off the "breathing" part, because I'm not sure what that adds to the equation) what in the world is the problem with a "thinking, feeling" human being having a gun?!?  If she had said "an unthinking, unfeeling" human being - sure;  seems bad.  But - if the unthinking unfeeling human beings are packing heat, wouldn't it be okay for the thinking feeling human beings to arm themselves?

And, I just don't get "Americans by nature are filled with rage-slash-fear".  WTF?  I'm American - I'm not filled with rage.  I'm not filled with fear.  Neighbors don't seem to be either.  How did she come to this conclusion?  I mean - compared to whom are we rage/fear filled?  Do you think your average American is more filled with rage and fear than your average Iraqi?  Than your average Palestinian?  Than your average Bosnian Serb?  Statements like this just seem superficial to me - if I rip on Americans I must be smart, right?  Because only bold intellectuals throw barbs at the hallowed halls of their own culture, right?  Gimme a break!

If guns are a "huge part of our culture", I'd say this is because personal liberty and personal responsibility used to be a huge part of our culture.  The police have no legal responsibility, or authority, to protect me personally.  Only I have that responsibility.  How can a society force me to defend myself and take away my means to do so?  Rights without responsibility, responsibility without rights; both are doomed to failure.  Same problem with government - if only the state is allowed to hold weaponry, then how can the people stop the state from enslaving them by force?  If guns are wrong to have - then why should the government have guns?  What would a "thinking, feeling" government have to fear from a "thinking, feeling" populace?  If we are all "thinking, feeling" people - are we going to shoot others just to take their cash?  Rob liquor stores at gun-point?  Of course not.  Foster made her own case against her view quite effectively with this pap - if the "thinking, feeling" people are disarmed, then only the "unthinking, unfeeling" people are armed.  Sounds like a great solution to me  :roll:  

The final point, to me, is that there is no social commentary in this movie - its entertainment, fun to watch if you like that sort of thing.  The fact that we make movies like this might be social commentary, but the movie itself is just a movie.  So, why not criticize the movie even if you star in it?  Like the self-culture-bash above, this proves you're an intellectual, right?  As long as you don't turn down the script because of your principles or anything....

Okay - I've bashed on Jodie Foster - I'm sorry.  I just view these celebrities in a harsh light ---- they have way too much access to spout their mouths off without ever having to face a determined rejoinder.  This situation appears to make them believe they're a whole lot smarter than they really are (IMHO of course  :wink:  ).  I'm prepared to receive criticism as a result....

[MommaSquid]

My letter was the first one in the letters for the Jodie issue! Woohoo!

Post it here, please!

[rlrose328]

Okay - I've bashed on Jodie Foster - I'm sorry.  I just view these celebrities in a harsh light ---- they have way too much access to spout their mouths off without ever having to face a determined rejoinder.  This situation appears to make them believe they're a whole lot smarter than they really are (IMHO of course  :wink:  ).  I'm prepared to receive criticism as a result....

 :cry:  You bashed The Jodes!  How DARE you!

 

Honestly, if I had a nickel for every time I rolled my eyes at some celebrity's "social commentary," I'd be rich.  Everyone has a stance on something and a good portion of the population will disagree with it.  

I don't like guns... I know it's the people who kill, not the weapon, but I still don't like them.  I think I'd stand by "people can be irresponsible and, therefore, handguns are not a good thing" but I agree, the "thinking, feeling" part is kinda silly.

But I don't admire Jodie Foster, specifically, because of her views on weaponry.  I do admire her for stating her opinions, no matter how reviled or unpopular they are.

[rlrose328]

My letter was the first one in the letters for the Jodie issue! Woohoo!

Post it here, please!

Here it is:

***

Dear EW:
 
I have been a fan of Jodie Foster for 36 years ("Courtship of Eddie's Father").  She is the most fascinating, beautiful, genuine star in Hollywood today.  She has always handled herself, both publically and privately, with grace and wisdom.  This article was no different, from her gentle deflection of the inquiry into her always-questioned sexuality to her pointed and honest "I'm an atheist" when asked about her religion.  
 
Most personalities would have buried that fact in double-speak or denial, but not Jodie.  She was forthright and honest, as she has always been.  
 
I will continue to admire her, no matter what she does in the future.  She has made me smile, cry and laugh many times over the years... and no doubt she will continue to do so for as many years as she cares to.
 
***

They pared it down to two sentences (I'll have to go find the magazine to quote what the left in).

[SteveS]

You bashed The Jodes! How DARE you!

I know, I said I was sorry...  :wink:  

But I don't admire Jodie Foster, specifically, because of her views on weaponry. I do admire her for stating her opinions, no matter how reviled or unpopular they are.

Fair enough.  I guess she at least seems honest (shrug).

Eh - I just really don't like actors/actresses that much (off the screen that is), and I was feeling like a good rant!

[rlrose328]

Eh - I just really don't like actors/actresses that much (off the screen that is), and I was feeling like a good rant!

And I, for one, love your rants, so rant away.     I'm rant-free this evening.