Louis Theroux's "Most Hated Family in America"

[Mister Joy]

Most of you may have have seen this already. Still, it's a very good documentary, for any of you who haven't watched it yet, about the Phelps family. If you've seen any of Louis Theroux's other stuff, you'll know his style: slightly odd but very intelligent. Enjoy.

http://www.tv-links.co.uk/video/9/5548/8271/53153/76884

[rlrose328]

Yeah, I've watched that... Theroux is fascinating in this piece.  Phelps are a bunch of nutjobs.... they are sick.

[Mister Joy]

Totally loopy, yes. I feel sorry for them though; they've been indoctrinated & brainwashed from childhood into a perverse ideal which renders them hated by the entire world. It utterly dominates their lives & it seems that, from their perspective, there's no escaping it.

[rlrose328]

But they don't WANT to escape it.  They are so thoroughly brainwashed, they totally believe they are right and the rest of us are so completely wrong.  I saw the mom and two of the daughters on a talk show a few years back and wow, the fierce determination to dominate using religion was so scary!

[Mister Joy]

I'm going to take a guess that the mother sat in the middle, wearing normal clothing & engaging in all of the chit-chat, while her two daughter sat on either side, slightly further back, wearing "GOD HATES FAGS" shirts and not saying much themselves (only really there to act as human banners)?

But they don't WANT to escape it

I think it's double-think again. They don't want to want to escape it. If they genuinely like the position that they're in, then they simply aren't human.

[rlrose328]

I believe the brainwashing is so complete and thorough that they haven't even thought about wanting to want to leave.  (I'm getting confused...)

And the mom sat on the left, the two girls on the right between the mom and the interviewer.  They were all dressed in business casual, not fundie proper or redneck casual, and the girls did a LOT of talking, all very earnest and forthright about how god hates fags and America because we tolerate fags.

It was the single most sad and frustrating thing I've ever witnessed.

[Mister Joy]

Ah. I've not seen them with that setup before. The only talk show I've seen them on was the Jeremy Kyle Show (a total wanker himself, so the argument between them was doubly cringe worthy) where they only appeared on a TV rather than in the studio. Good thing too because, as they probably realise, lynchings would occur if they ever actually came across our borders. Not an understatement either; they'd be met with a mob at the airport bigger than flippin' Glasto.

I'm just happy that they're so marginal. Offensive, yes, but insignificant. At lest they aren't another Scientology.

[Churchworker]

Phelps is a false prophet lead by the devil.
And Jesus told me so too as he is my friend and he never lies.

[rlrose328]

Wow... you see false prophets AND you hear voices... scary.

[Churchworker]

And I moved here from St. Helens Oregon 16 years ago. So go figure.