Lyris Lite :: "The Most Hated Family in America" (BBC 2)

Normally I'm really critical of the British Broadcasting Corporation, because most of their output doesn't appeal to me. But I have to admit that on the night of April 1, 2007, they aired one of the best TV shows I've seen in a long time. It was called The Most Hated Family in America. In it, documentary maker Louis Theroux investigated America's Westboro Baptist Church.

The Westboro Baptist Church are a band of homophobic, anti-semitic, obnoxious Christian fundamentalists who actually believe they're doing the world some good by essentially gate-crashing the funerals of dead US Soldiers with signs saying "GOD HATES FAGS", "JEW FAGS" and "THANK GOD FOR DEAD SOLDIERS". Make sense to you? No, me neither. But these people honestly believe that they are on the path to enlightenment, by groveling every Sunday morning at the altar of an ignorant, toothless old fart, called Fred Phelps.

Like all good religious bigots, the Westboro Baptists selectively interpret their holy story-book in ways which suit their existing prejudices. Basically, they're a bunch of grade-A assholes, and obnoxious ones at that. It's for this reason that the bewildered expressions of host Louis Theroux - a guy who quite clearly has some common sense going on upstairs - were so satisfying. Like the viewer, he is genuinely astonished at the sheer stupidity of these people.

Theroux spent three weeks with the Westboro Baptists, and tried to figure out what makes their obnoxious heads tick. By the end of the show, it became quite clear that these people were somewhere on the fine line between brainwashed, ignorant, and just plain immature. For the most part when he asked them questions that they couldn't answer, he was met with the usual "I shall not dignify talking to you" type responses, which is not surprising. For those of you who didn't get to see the show, I'll summarise the stand-out moments.

Stand-out Moment One

Louis Theroux is told by momma Phelps, after asking for an explanation of the pictured sign: "Fags eat feces. That's a FACT, hun". Now, I'm quite sure that that's not right.

Theroux: "[Hating homosexuals] - it's not one of the Ten Commandments, is it?"
Mother Lunatic: "Um, yes."
Theroux: "Which one?"
Mother Lunatic: "Thou shalt not commit adultery."
Theroux: "That's not being gay. That's cheating on someone.
Mother Lunatic: "The streets of this nation, are FULL of married man, having FAG SEX. That's adultery."

Stand-out Moment Two

The Phelpses stand as close to the funeral of a dead US soldier as they are allowed to by law, shouting nasty words, and holding up their signs. Theroux describes the reactions of drivers-by as "100% negative". This scene has seriously boosted my faith in the average member of the American public. Have a look at the reactions. These two men are modern-day American heroes of common sense:

Stand-out Moment Three

Theroux talks to one of the Phelps children. This girl brings a new meaning to the term "brat". Almost every obnoxious comment she makes is followed by a smug "I'm better than you" smile, grin, and giggle, which just screams "don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger, I'm sweet as sugar!" The brat gleefully tells Theroux that he is "going to hell", whatever that means. This is a face that is deserving of a good hard slap, if ever there was one:

Stand-out Moment Four

We learn that Jewish people "worship the rectum" and "they killed Christ!" Good grief, I'm so glad I don't believe in any religion or "god", and don't have to bother with any of this nonsense.

Stand-out Moment Five

Theroux asks a seven-year old kid - instructed by her parents to hold one of the many "God hates fags" signs - if she actually understands what the message means, to which she replies "...no?"

Mother Phelps asks the youngest boy, "Noah, do you know what fag troops are?" The toothless, grinning brat lets flow a torrent of various bizarre epithets:

"It's this nation... of these fags... it's uh... the nation of fags. That's what the fag troops means. [...] FAG SOLDIERS!!!!"

It's difficult to be angry at the kid, because the poor boy's been completely and utterly brainwashed. Louis Theroux puts it best when he says, "I'm actually glad that they DON'T understand it". The mother ringleader of the whole lunatic circus then asks the boy, "What else could you be to get in trouble with God, and to be on that sign?" The kid replies:

Boy: "Swedish.... aaaand.... aaand um... soldiers and um ...."
Mother Phelps: "But what are you, if you're not a practicing fag, what are you? What if you support fags, what does that make you?"
Boy: "You're a dyke?"

Stand-out Moment Six: SHOWDOWN WITH FRED PHELPS

After his hilarious sermon about eating babies, Theroux talks to Phelps himself, who promises five minutes of interview time to the cameras. Theroux asks a fairly reasonable question relating to the selective nature of Phelps' rants. Phelps can't answer it, so goes into defense mode and replies:

"If you had just a little knowledge of d'Bible, then you'd know that what you just said, is stoo-pidity! I don't know how to deal with a question like that. Just... you're just too dumb. Sorry!"

Phelps then tries to cut the interview short after THREE minutes out of the promised five:

Phelps: "Is this uh... is this uhh... is this... is this three minutes up?"
Louis Theroux: "No... no, it was five minutes."
Phelps: "Well, but, I already talked two, didn't I?"
Louis Theroux: "......so there's three left?"
[Phelps pauses, then looks around and cackles]

Good grief. The man cannot COUNT, yet he has a small legion of goons at his beck and call, licking up the verbal diarrhea he excretes like starved kittens. As an atheist, my view on any sort of religion (including the extreme cases like this one) is obvious. It is absolutely staggering what people will believe, so long as the twisted lessons are slipped into their heads at an age before common sense and rational thinking have had a chance to develop.

Wow, this has been a long post, but this was an astonishing show. If you ever get a chance to watch it, do. I'm sure it will appear on YouTube eventually, but if it doesn't, then hopefully this summary will have given you a few giggles. If you don't laugh, you'll despair.

Update: It appears that the entire documentary has appeared on YouTube! Praise the lord! ;)

Yup, they are a funny bunch - they've gotten press coverage in the US for a few years now, ever since the group made headlines in protesting the Matthew Shephard funeral.

Here's a funny clip of the old man being flustered:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33-_9nOX8KM

One of the most astonishing things i've ever seen. I'd heard about these backward, inbred bunch a little while ago but seeing them in action was a whole new ball game!
The old guy was seriously dim-low and Theroux was at his genious best. Absolutely complelling viewing!

AW, that is absolutely hilarious, look at the poor guy's face! Nice to see some humour thrown in their faces for once. Best way for it, they're beyond trying to explain.

"This scene has seriously boosted my faith in the average American public."

Yeah, they're pretty much hated by everyone in America that's not in their sect. I think they're (well, Fred Phelps) is just piggy-backing on the Iraq war for his personal gain.

Wow, is this an April Fools joke? Doesn't seem real to me.

Also, is it just me or does Phelps look a lot like the incredibly creepy Reverend Henry Kane from Poltergeist II?

"You're gonna die in hell! All of you! You are gonna die!"

>> Wow, is this an April Fools joke? Doesn't seem real to me.

Yes, it's real, in fact I delayed the news post a few hours for that reason.

That girl (stand-out moment 3) with the shit-eating grin was the worst of the bunch, especially with her "I think you're scum and you're going to burn in hell and I'm completely happy about that, but hey, don't take it personally" demeanour.

I'm quite sure I've told you in the past dear boy that there are some things the BBC air that you might like. Now all I need to get you to do is watch Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe and we'll be complete. Oh, maybe Doctor Who too, :P.

Actually Craig, I did see Dr Who at University in a Film & TV screening. I thought the older ones were the best.

for more on these nut jobs, here's Michael Moore (who i normally find quite obnoxious) being quite obnoxious at the expense of Fred Phelps and Co.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u3F4n_t2Mw

I'm a Christian and even I hate his banter. He's based very near to where I live and it is the embarassment of the entire state.

Meg, you live nearby? Maybe you could lace his mail-box with itching powder or other annoying diversions. He'd probably jump around yelling "those sissies have got me!"

This is heartbreaking. I'm a Christian, and I'm ashamed to have these people claim my Jesus as their own. I'm so sorry other people, and their own children, have to live through this. This is so not the real thing- please, know that. So not the real thing.

Personally, I'm more concerned about any gay, bisexual, Jewish, people, as well as the families of the dead soldiers, who live in a 50 mile radius of these crazies.

WOW I did not think so many people could be so stupid. How could they fallow a person like Phelps.I have one question for them all. If this country is so evil, why stay? Get the F*&* out.The men and woman of our Armed Forces would rick there lives for these people.and they disrespect them even in death. I hope there is a God to judge them.

The way the group conduct themselves is very similar to how I see many muslims behaving in Britain and the Middle East.

Both groups seem to share the same beliefs. They also protest with anger and abuse. At least this Christian cult don't kill or destroy in the name of their religion.

The show bolstered my view that religion is ridiculous. When it's taken to an extreme level, it becomes offensive and scary.

Religion has never worked, and it never will.

Unsurprisingly I agree 100% there. I'd love to see how many people would still affiliate themselves with religious.....stuff.....if it weren't slipped into their thinking pattern at an age where they were too young to challenge it.

two thumbs up.. very funny.. very sad

I just moved to Kansas and these yahoo's sent a card of congratulations when my Viet Nam Vet best friend died recently. Was hard for me not to 'Go Postal" and make a run up the turnpike to Topeka. YouTube had to remove the video, BTW. They also just lost a multimillion dollar lawsuit. Like they care. Ghouls. The whole bubch.

It left me with some very strange feelings. I have a great desire to save the young ones who have been brainwashed. To tell them not to waste the one and only life they have thinking about god instead of boys, and heaven instead of the journey of life. Do they really think god gave them life to waste it away thinking about the afterlife and never having any human connection?

And why, if their god is so infallible, do they feel the need to "punish the wicked" soldiers by picketing their funerals. Are they in fact suggesting that god's punishment wont be enough. Who's an evil blasphemous sinner now eh?

I'd quite like to kidnap the older members and take them away from the horrible America, as they call it, and dump them in the centre of Afganistan. See if they have the gut's to talk crap out there. They'll cut their forked tongues right out.

As for Gramps, His anger issues id probably causedby his small penis . Either that or he's a closet gay. Wouldn't it be ironic if he died of Aids? If there is a Hell, he will soon be burning alongside Hitler.

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