take any caricatured Christian character, such as Ned Flanders in The Simpsons, and make him a Jew or Muslim. The protestations would be incessant.
Sitting here this morning, procrastinating my to-do list and still embarrassed by my lack of cultural literacy, I've spent some time researching Ned Flanders. I found a piece called The Ned Flanders Syndrome written by someone who is distressed by the ungodliness of our society. I mention the framework of the piece so that you would not automatically discount the author's characterization. This is how he described the stereotyping of Ned Flanders.
<< Of course, like all the characters in the Simpsons, Ned Flanders is a
caricature - an exaggerated stereotype. But the "born-again" model that
he represents to the world is sadly a genuine reflection of what Bible-
based Christianity has come to mean to many people today.
Ned Flanders is the apologetic, eager-to-please, church-going, glasses-
wearing, overly-"nice", conventional and dull neighbor... >>
homepages.ihug.co.nz
LOL. Oh, the horrors of being stereotyped as "overly-nice"! Yep, the Jews and the Muslims would really raise a stink about that. |
