It's rare that I see biblical history covered on television in a way I like. Not having a vested interest in the Bible, I prefer an objective approach, but too often such documentaries put heavy focus on the supernatural aspect and are rife with interviews with experts who are only interested in proselytizing.
Of course, faith and a belief in a higher power are important to any religious belief system, so such an approach can't be discarded entirely, but I'm one who just wants the information so I can sort it all out on my own. I'll watch a documentary to get information; I'll go to church to be preached to.
(S01E09)
The State University of New York at
Purchase is in an uproar after a closed-circuit television station on campus aired a thirty minute show in which a
white student decked out in blackface and another white student made jokes about blacks, gays, Jews, women... well, they
pretty much ran the gamut. Billy Prinsell, the student who appeared in blackface, insists he was making fun of another
host who had made fun of him, and that it was no different than what's seen on SNL or Chappelle's
Show. While I haven't seen the offending show and couldn't speculate on whether Prisnell is racist or just grossly
misguided, I don't think this story is uncommon to younger people who try to venture into satire for the first time. His
comparison to Chappelle's Show is spot on, but not for the reason he thinks. When Chappelle gets
impolitic, it's to expose a deeper truth. Mockery of other people is not automatically made defensible by slapping a
"satire" label on it. It may seem like an easy way to be cutting edge, but this particular form of comedy
takes a more skilled hand than people realize. When it's done haphazardly and without forethought, people get angry,
and rightfully so.
TV Squad Ten: Cartoon women who should have Playboy centerfolds
Six Mad Men characters who are in limbo after the finale
Fact or Fiction: Big Bang, Brothers & Sisters and CSI
