Humor and Homer: Is Religion Too Sacred to Be Bashed?

I found Howard Rosenberg’s column regarding Mike Scully’s outrage over Fox’s censorship of a “Simpsons” spoof of the Catholic Church to be very dismissive of the concerns of those who were the target of the joke (“Fox Does Have Standards--and Double Standards,” June 2).

I am Catholic and think I hold up fairly well under criticism of my chosen faith. However, I find that in all mediums, Catholic-bashing seems to be very popular. Television shows, magazines and books belittle everything from our belief in the Immaculate Conception to the pope’s miter. Much of the commentary about the church has a sharp, cruel edge that would be rightly decried by the Anti-Defamation League if aimed toward Judaism. Why should Catholics not have the right to defend themselves?

Perhaps Fox overreacted to a simple joke--or perhaps they realized that there comes a point when the joke just isn’t funny anymore.

ERICKA LOZANO

Glendale

*

I’m amazed that the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights has nothing better to do than watch “The Simpsons” looking for any negative reference to their religion.

The beauty of “The Simpsons” is that any group or individual is fair game, so why should the network allow Catholics to be exempt and replaced with Methodists, Baptists, etc? If Catholics, or any other overly sensitive group, don’t approve of the content of this show, or any Fox show for that matter, the solution is really simple: Change the channel!

If Fox continues to bow down to religious zealots, this will be my solution as well.

JAYME WATTS

Claremont

*

Just because Rosenberg doesn’t like the lobbying techniques of the Catholic League (which I agree can get somewhat heavy-handed at times), his defense of anti-Catholic content of “The Simpsons” is not justified. Rosenberg might consider “The Simpsons’ ” parody of Catholicism in a Super Bowl commercial as benign, but that is not a sentiment shared by many Catholics.

I think he has been caught up in the modern feeling that almost anything goes in the media, as long as it gets laughs or an audience. Is there no sense of propriety left in this country? The Fox network particularly seems to cater to the mentality that whatever draws a large audience is acceptable television.

Why does humor have to descend to the lowest levels to be acceptable? Aren’t there any standards of morality left in this country? And yet, Rosenberg protests if anyone attempts to stem this flow of garbage. Is the 1st Amendment the be-all and end-all of decent behavior? Someone has to speak out to attempt to stem the tide. If the Catholic League does it, fine. If B’nai Brith does it, fine.

To Rosenberg, “The Simpsons” committed comedy, not Catholic-bashing. He needs to reexamine his opinions of what constitutes comedy and good manners.

FATHER JOHN PEJZA, OSA

President, Villanova

Preparatory School, Ojai

*

The ironic thing about censoring “The Simpsons” is that it is one of the few TV series, and perhaps the first, in which the family regularly attends church and church-related activities.

Sure, it may poke fun at the church and its congregants, but preachers do that from the pulpit anyway. We Presbyterians often refer to ourselves as “the frozen chosen,” hardly complimentary but funny because of the truth there is in it. Helps to loosen us up a bit too.

“The Simpsons” actually shows more respect for religion than does most entertainment. The characters’ religion is sometimes cloying (Ned Flanders), sometimes hypocritical (Homer, of course), sometimes confused (the pastor), sometimes honest and devout (Marge) but always natural, woven through their lives in a manner most viewers but few writers, producers or network execs understand.

LAURA MONTEROS

Altadena