NOTE: Yes, I'm aware I'm LATE on both The Flintstones and Kenshin reviews, real life got in the way. I'll try to have at least one of 'em out before the year's out.
One of my favorite books is What Where They Thinking? The 100 DUMBEST EVENTS in Television History by David Hofstede. It's fascinating reading how the genesis of a bad idea not only started, but actually got the green light to be on TV, be it a prequel series to Casablanca...
Yes, really.
...or The Love
Boat on land known as Supertrain, where we see the lives
of various passengers and attendants of a train so big, not only does
it take two tracks, but it has it's own ballroom!
Again, yes, really.
And it inspired
this very blog series, “The Idiot's Lantern,” and yes, it's also
named after when Brits saw TV the first time, some of 'em remarked
“You look like an idiot looking at a lantern.” So, naturally,
there are times where I wanna put my own two cents in one of the many
MANY stupid events in this book, such as the time, oh, Oral
Roberts extorted cash by saying God'll kill him.
Believe it or not, in the 80's, televangelists were kings. If
somebody had a voice, charisma, a good actual church following, AND
an actual church with enough room for TV cameras, you better believe
that Sundays was a toss up between football and praying.
Actually believing in God, 7 times out of 10, was optional.
Yeah, for every legit televangelist that tried to reach your soul and
help you go up, there was at least two that was more interested in
lightening your wallet, claiming that big private plane or that
vacation resort they're using your money for is to spread the word of
Jesus. I don't the good book said “And lo, thine messenger shall
fly first class...”
One of the big ones at the time was Oral Roberts, who's been in the
faith business LONG before TV (Even got an early start as a Faith
Healer) and thus knew just how to get the masses in, make 'em feel
good about the sermon they saw, and made sure their soul didn't go to
Hell. If anything, TV just boosted what was already there with the
guy, seeing as he was on the radio in the 40's and had some of his
traveling sermons on the air in the 50's. He even founded Oral
Roberts University AND funded a hospital, what could go wrong?
How about implying God's a mobster?
At one point, it seems like God had enough of the shenanigans with
the televangelists, as a whole lotta of them saw all the money and
fame they were getting from this came back to bite them in the ass,
be it the Bakers after Jim's affair was made public, or several being
revealed to use the funds to fuel some drug habits. Roberts around
this time decided to double down the pleading as his church was going
broke, so he went to his flock, both in the live audience, and at
home, and said that if he didn't raise $8 Million in funds, God'll
“Call him home.”
Or for those that speak mafia, God asked Roberts if he ever visited
Hover Dam.
Yep. Apparently, God was this...
...as he threatened to kill Roberts if he didn't deliver the goods.
Needless to say, a whole lotta people went “Uh...” at that one.
But hold! Salvation came as when the deadline for God to give him
cement shoes came, Roberts was handed a check...buy a professional
dog track owner. In other words, the preacher accepted cash from a
gambling origination. Can ya guess how many of the faithful were
REALLY not happy with that one?
A combination of this, as well as the Baker scandal, and various
other ones, caused people to lose their faith in these guys, and an
unfortunate side effect is the hospital Roberts founded had to close.
And the apple isn't that far from the tree, as Robert's own son,
Richard, had to resign from his post at the University because it
turns out, he decided church funds=personal funds. If you're still
looking for faith on TV, there's still some televangelist on the
air...but again, for every one that seems to want to help you go up,
there's a certain asshole who refused to help flood victims trying to
fund his own private jet.
And yes, I'm shocked he hasn't said “God threatened to take me to
Hover Dam” yet.
Side
Note: If you wanna look up more info, the entry is No. 13 in the
book: What Were They
Thinking: The 100 DUMBEST EVENTS In Television History.
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