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Viacom's Showtime Slanders Mother Teresa
NewsMax ^ | 5/25/05 | Carl Limbacher

Posted on 05/25/2005 4:57:31 PM PDT by wagglebee

When shareholders of media conglomerate Viacom show up for their annual meeting tomorrow, they'll face the wrath of Catholic League President Dr. William Donahue over a shocking Showtime episode that slandered the late Mother Teresa and her order of nuns in the vilest of terms.

According to Donahue, who plans a press conference in front of the hotel in New York City where the Viacom meeting is being held, an episode of Showtime's Penn and Teller show "Holier Than Thou” was a "Nazi-like assault on Catholicism, and on the person the show calls "Mother F***ing Teresa.” Showtime is owned by Viacom.

Stormed Donahue, "In the 12 years that I have been president of the Catholic League, I have never witnessed a more vicious attack on Catholicism than what appeared this week on the Showtime program, ‘Penn and Teller.’ The episode, ‘Holier Than Thou,’ was a frontal assault on Mother Teresa and her order of nuns, Missionaries of Charity (as well as Gandhi and the Dali Lama).

"Like most Americans, I like parodies and have no problem, per se, with irreverent humor. But when humor becomes insult, that is a different story. And that is what happens here: comedy quickly morphs to vitriol. Indeed, as the show progresses, the level of anger becomes palpable and the degree of distortion becomes mindboggling. This is no comedy—it is Nazi propaganda right out of the Leni Riefenstahl school of filmmaking.

"The Mother Teresa that the world has come to love and revere is made to look like a cruel, exploitative, self-serving nun who ripped off the poor. We are told that Mother Teresa intentionally let the poor suffer, providing neither beds nor bathroom facilities. ‘She had the f***ing coin and pissed it away on nunneries,’ says Penn. As for the nuns who worked with Mother Teresa, they are referred to as ‘f***ing c***s.’

"It does not bother me when they call me ‘Catholic Boy’ on the show (though the term ‘Jew Boy’ would never cross their lips), nor does it concern me when they talk about ‘f**ers like Bill Donohue [who] only see good in her.’ But when they mock the Catholic Church’s teaching on the meaning of suffering, and when they say of the poor that ‘They had to suffer so that Mother F***ing Teresa could be enlightened,’ then they are behaving like monsters.

"We will mail a tape of select portions of this broadcast to many interested parties, including the bishops. And we will hold a press conference tomorrow outside the hotel where Viacom is holding its annual stockholders meeting. They haven’t heard the end of this yet.”

Donohue, who will be joined by some Catholic League staff members, said he will answer any questions following a few remarks. He promised that copies the Catholic League news release on this subject, "Mother F***ing Teresa—Courtesy of Viacom,” will be distributed to Viacom shareholders as they enter the hotel.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: anticatholicbigotry; boycottfagtime; callyourcablecompany; cary; catholic; catholicism; catholicleague; censoringideologues; freedomofspeech; gladd; liberalmedia; mediabias; motherteresa; showtime; showtimeslander; slander; viacom
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To: Central Scrutiniser
Hey, if there wasn't poor taste, how would we judge what is good taste!

*Groan* It's time for you to put your brain to bed for the night. The poor thing is running on fumes.

261 posted on 05/25/2005 10:34:20 PM PDT by GipperGal (Yes, Maureen, the Cafeteria is closed! Please step away from the salad bar and join the Unitarians)
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To: Selkie

Guess what? Penn and Teller do an entertainment show based on their opinions, just like Limbaugh, and the Air America folks. And if you don't agree, you can listen to something else, or watch something else!

But I realize it, I know that the show is biased and is the opinion of the hosts, yet, I can watch it and realize that for myself. But the important thing is that I CAN watch it, I don't have to worry about a bunch of zealots that got their feelings hurt who want to ban it.


I watch shows, and I decide what is true and what is BS, its pretty cool that I can do that, doncha think?


262 posted on 05/25/2005 10:42:40 PM PDT by Central Scrutiniser (Intelligent design is neither.)
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To: Central Scrutiniser; Selkie
But the important thing is that I CAN watch it

And he thinks it's DAMN funny stuff too. Don't forget that part.

263 posted on 05/25/2005 10:53:23 PM PDT by GipperGal (Yes, Maureen, the Cafeteria is closed. Please step away from the salad bar and join the Unitarians.)
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To: Central Scrutiniser
I don't have to worry about a bunch of zealots that got their feelings hurt who want to ban it.

I left this thread for a while. Can you point me to the post calling for this show to be banned?

264 posted on 05/25/2005 10:56:48 PM PDT by Petronski (A champion of dance, my moves will put you in a trance, and I never leave the disco alone.)
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To: Petronski

Sorry, not banned, just the usual screaming and knashing of teeth that some network dared to show something that they think is offensive.

The irony is that a majority of the folk that are in a lather about this are probably not Showtime subscribers!

Of course, you could probably download the show off one of the torrent sites out there.


265 posted on 05/25/2005 10:59:51 PM PDT by Central Scrutiniser (Intelligent design is neither.)
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To: onyx
Bar service, as in adult beverages? Oh yes, me too and I want Bingo games as well!

Shoot this idea past you, how about St. Patricks Church & Grill. The slot machine in the corner doubles as a podium, the Texas Hold'Em table doubles as the altar.

266 posted on 05/25/2005 11:00:00 PM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (Don't hate me because I'm a player)
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To: Central Scrutiniser

LOL! Mine didn;t have Bingo, but in the next one over, the games were often won by the nuns...lol...but I think that was due to the number of nuns playing. :)

BTW, that damn show did take it gratuitous pot shot, this time at Tom DeLay.


267 posted on 05/25/2005 11:01:55 PM PDT by onyx (Pope John Paul II - May 18, 1920 - April 2, 2005 = SANTO SUBITO!)
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To: Central Scrutiniser

I'm a Showtime subscriber, and I find the content of the programming to be offensive and motivated by hate. This morning, when they open their offices, my cable company will be getting my instruction to cancel the subscription.

Showtime is free to show whatever they want. I'm free to tell them to go pound sand, because I will not pay for the privilege of being insulted and ridiculed.

I note the irony of your lathered screaming and nashing of teeth that anyone dare be offended by a program you like.


268 posted on 05/25/2005 11:04:03 PM PDT by Petronski (A champion of dance, my moves will put you in a trance, and I never leave the disco alone.)
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To: BigSkyFreeper

Sounds OK to me, so long as the slot is video poker and I'm doing the bartending. You have NEVER had a GOOD cocktail until you've had one made by me.


269 posted on 05/25/2005 11:04:33 PM PDT by onyx (Pope John Paul II - May 18, 1920 - April 2, 2005 = SANTO SUBITO!)
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To: Central Scrutiniser
just the usual screaming and knashing of teeth that some network dared to show something that they think is offensive.

One minute you're howling about the sanctity of free speech and the next minute you're complaining about our right to exercise our free speech by protesting this show. Are you thick or just a hypocrite?

270 posted on 05/25/2005 11:05:19 PM PDT by GipperGal (Yes, Maureen, the Cafeteria is closed. Please step away from the salad bar and join the Unitarians.)
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To: BigSkyFreeper
Shoot this idea past you, how about St. Patricks Church & Grill. The slot machine in the corner doubles as a podium, the Texas Hold'Em table doubles as the altar

Actually In Pittsburgh, a former Catholic Church has been turned in to a brew pub.

Link

271 posted on 05/25/2005 11:07:13 PM PDT by Dane ( anyone who believes hillary would do something to stop illegal immigration is believing gibberish)
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To: Petronski

Cool, its your choice to do that!

That is what is great about TV, and pay tv in particular, you can do what you want in your own individual case.

And everyone else can do as they choose, as long as someone eles doesn't get holier than thou and try to speak for them.

I'm not screaming, just saying that I enjoyed the show, evidently that pisses off a lot of folk here. So what?


272 posted on 05/25/2005 11:07:47 PM PDT by Central Scrutiniser (Intelligent design is neither.)
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To: GipperGal
Gippergal, do whatever the hell you want, I'm not standing in your way, my only crime on this thread is that I enjoyed the show, once again it was damned funny Scream and yell all you want, I just offer a different point of view, (differing points of view are sometimes tolerated here, so play along)
273 posted on 05/25/2005 11:09:38 PM PDT by Central Scrutiniser (Intelligent design is neither.)
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To: wagglebee

These guys jumped the shark a long time ago.


274 posted on 05/25/2005 11:10:13 PM PDT by Dane ( anyone who believes hillary would do something to stop illegal immigration is believing gibberish)
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To: Central Scrutiniser
my only crime on this thread is that I enjoyed the show

No, your only crime on this thread is offering incoherent and conflicting arguments. But it's been damn funny stuff and quite entertaining to watch you froth at the mouth defending the indefensible.

275 posted on 05/25/2005 11:12:20 PM PDT by GipperGal (Yes, Maureen, the Cafeteria is closed. Please step away from the salad bar and join the Unitarians.)
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To: Dane

No kidding.


276 posted on 05/25/2005 11:12:24 PM PDT by Miss Behave (Do androids dream of electric sheep?)
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To: onyx

Yeah, we had an Irish pastor at my school/church, he always got us kids 6-8th graders to do work for him, he always promised to pay us too. But of course, he never did! He must have known I am Irish too (dual citizen) and wouldn't raise too much of a stink.

Later, in High School, I worked at an Eastern Orthodox parish, full of Poles and Czechs, always got paid there, free beer too!


277 posted on 05/25/2005 11:12:37 PM PDT by Central Scrutiniser (Intelligent design is neither.)
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To: GipperGal

You obviously get all hot and bothered if someone out there is enjoying themselves, are you sure you aren't Southern Baptist?


LOL


278 posted on 05/25/2005 11:13:33 PM PDT by Central Scrutiniser (Intelligent design is neither.)
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To: Central Scrutiniser
It must be cool to be omnipotent and be able to tell whether people are athiests or not, but God hates that crap, its his game, so put down the attitude.>>>>>>>>>>>>

"I am a non religious conservative"

Those are your words from a thread on Tammy Bruce few months back.

On several Tsunami and Terri Schivao threads you openly mocked those who believed in a Christian God.

You attack anyone who doesn't bow down to evolution along with you.

Silly 'omnipotent' little ole me to infer you were an atheist.

279 posted on 05/25/2005 11:13:53 PM PDT by Selkie ("There is nothing more galling to angry people than the coolness of those on whom they wish to vent)
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To: Central Scrutiniser

I'm not pissed off at you for liking the show. Do as you wish.

I'm definitely pissed at Showtime and P&T. The entire lot of them have never done anything as important as the work done by Mother Theresa's order in one day. Teller sees something far greater than himself and finds himself startled by his smallness in the shadow of it. So of course all he can do is sneer and mock and try to destroy.

I think it's time for Bill Donohue to get more of my money.


280 posted on 05/25/2005 11:14:05 PM PDT by Petronski (A champion of dance, my moves will put you in a trance, and I never leave the disco alone.)
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