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Church responds to latest Big Love dust-up

Quote:

Before the first season of the HBO series Big Love aired more than two years ago, the show’s creators and HBO executives assured the Church that the series wouldn’t be about Mormons. However, Internet references to Big Love indicate that more and more Mormon themes are now being woven into the show and that the characters are often unsympathetic figures who come across as narrow and self-righteous. And according to TV Guide, it now seems the show’s writers are to depict what they understand to be sacred temple ceremonies.

Certainly Church members are offended when their most sacred practices are misrepresented or presented without context or understanding. Last week some Church members began e-mail chains calling for cancellations of subscriptions to AOL, which, like HBO, is owned by Time Warner. Certainly such a boycott by hundreds of thousands of computer-savvy Latter-day Saints could have an economic impact on the company. Individual Latter-day Saints have the right to take such actions if they choose.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as an institution does not call for boycotts. Such a step would simply generate the kind of controversy that the media loves and in the end would increase audiences for the series. As Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Robert D. Hales of the Council of the Twelve Apostles have both said recently, Latter-day Saints in the public arena should conduct themselves with dignity and thoughtfulness.

http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsr...licity-dilemma

I tried to like that show. It was incredibly boring.

I'm sure a press release like this is exactly what the producers were hoping for to create buzz.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeWaters (Post 301887)

I tried to like that show. It was incredibly boring.

I'm sure a press release like this is exactly what the producers were hoping for to create buzz.

Yep. The church should just ignore it and move on. Protesting these things never does any good at all. Ask the Catholic Church how their Da Vinci Code protests worked out.

The wording of the press release is amusing, though. Basically saying a boycott would really hurt those companies, and the church wouldn't be opposed, but the church won't request that people boycott, they should just do what is right (i.e., boycott).

Is the church going to threaten a boycott of Skinemax and the Playboy Channel next, lol?

How many apostles are watching HBO I wonder?

Hmm. That press release manages to say very little. That's about as good as saying "we're ignoring this" but still acknowledge the problem.

Quote:

Originally Posted by All-American (Post 301892)

Hmm. That press release manages to say very little. That's about as good as saying "we're ignoring this" but still acknowledge the problem.

I'm not sure what you expected. Is the problem of media distortion and/or exposing what we consider sacred an issue the church can do something about without drawing undue additional attention?

Or more importantly, can the church expect such results from its membership acting against it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tex (Post 301893)

We should ignore it. The show is on its last legs and it should be ignored.

I don't disagree. But AA seemed underwhelmed and I'm curious why.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tex (Post 301895)

I don't disagree. But AA seemed underwhelmed and I'm curious why.

I think the statement is more than they should have done. If they had refused to acknowledge the show's existence that would have been a better cut. For the record, I have never seen the show, but then again there are many shows I have never seen.

However, for those who view it, they tell me it is boring.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archaea (Post 301896)

They can't ignore it because they have this compulsion to control their members' very thoughts.