Atheists & Agnostics
Related: About this forumWhere are all the normal atheists? TV’s non-believers always let me down
Toward the end of Tuesday nights CNN Special Report: Atheists: Inside the World of Non-Believers, David Silverman, the president of American Atheists, explains why he recently launched AtheistTV: Religion is harmful, religion is bad, religion is wrong. We can say that on AtheistTV. We cant say it on any other network.
But its the other networks that count, I thought to myself. Which matters more in the life of a gay teenager: whether Blaine and Kurt kiss on Foxs Glee or whether Bewitched is being rerun on the Logo channel?
For years Ive been watching for atheistsfor people like meon network TV. And I dont mean acerbic political commentators like Bill Maher. I mean atheist characters on TV shows with mass audiences. Of course, since they dont wear scarlet As, atheist characters are only identifiable if the producers are making a point.
The point so far seems to be above average IQ, below average social skills. Atheist TV characters include curmudgeons like Dr. Perry Cox (Scrubs), undiagnosed cases of Aspergers syndrome like Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory), and misanthropes like Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock) and Dr. Gregory House (House). Typical House quote: Rational arguments dont usually work on religious people. Otherwise there would be no religious people. (House aired on Fox, by the way, Mr. Silverman.)
Cartoonist
(7,323 posts)Rational arguments dont usually work on religious people. Otherwise there would be no religious people.
Curmudgeoness
(18,219 posts)"Normal" atheists are not shown on TV programs because either 1) the perception is that none of us are "normal" or 2) most atheists are not outspoken about it, so we would not know if a character is an atheist if it is like real life.
edhopper
(33,649 posts)most are very well grounded, thoughtful and disciplined people.
Yet on TV and the Movies, artist are almost always half-crazed, undependable, loose canons that can't function in normal society.
And don't get me started on the genius is close to madness bullshit. The smarter people are, the better adjusted they usually are.
valerief
(53,235 posts)exploit the masses.
LiberalAndProud
(12,799 posts)But then there are shows like Supernatural, which is such a hilarious parody.
Goblinmonger
(22,340 posts)His leadership and real, actual concern for his patients and interns. Yeah, Bill Lawrence made him hilarious, but I think he's a good role model.
Rob H.
(5,354 posts)because of a hasty transplant decision he made is one of my favorites of Scrubs' entire run. Yeah, he was an ass, but he was a good guy underneath.
onager
(9,356 posts)...about 40-50 years ago.
Meaning usually we either (1) get treated as comedy relief for the normal majority; (2) get converted because we were just confused about our identities. Or (3) quietly and respectfully kill ourselves to spare society our unnatural beliefs.
Warren Stupidity
(48,181 posts)Atheists almost have to be curmudgeons and misanthropes. We live in a world full of idiots loons and con artists where the few sane people are the ones thought to be odd.
LiberalAndProud
(12,799 posts)And Wilson was an adorable Jiminy Cricket. Note: he did not suicide, he performed a slight of hand. Religionists don't have the corner on that market.
OriginalGeek
(12,132 posts)Bones is an atheist but even she occasionally defers to Booth's catholicism or Angie's woo. She is hyper-intelligent and her atheism is sometimes the butt of the joke (often displayed as her inability to relate to the common folk) though so I guess we still haven't found a "normal" person atheist.
but I still like the show.
LiberalAndProud
(12,799 posts)I couldn't have imagined such a thing in Madeline's day.
OriginalGeek
(12,132 posts)Now that I think about it though, Michael "Meathead" Stivic may have introduced me to the possibility of there not being a god.
onager
(9,356 posts)One that always makes me laugh, corny as it is:
The Bob Hope movie "Bachelor In Paradise" (1961). Paradise is the name of a new suburb, Hope is trying to find it but it looks like every other other suburb in the area and he gets lost.
Hope: "Sorry I'm late. My cab driver couldn't find Paradise. He's an atheist."
Guess it cracks me up because it acknowledges our existence in 1961 America, but in context isn't mean-spirited.
Also, that movie is a gold mine for anyone interested in vintage home decorating, clothes and CARS. Everybody drives big honking 1961 Chrysler Corp. convertibles. With giant tail fins!
Bonus for Los Angelenos - you see some of the San Fernando Valley suburbs as they were being built. That Hughes supermarket was in Panorama City (a/k/a Alta Van Nuys). And Hope's house in the movie is still standing.
Yes, I am weird and have no life...