So, nobody else sees the insult to a certain religious group here?

[Redstone]

"Mooninites." Giving the Finger to, well, everyone.

Which is something that Mennonites very rarely would do, if ever.

Of course, it's pretty safe for the people who make the cartoon to do that, since the majority of Mennonites don't watch TV.

Come on, people, if they were called "Moonslims" and were shown eating a porkchop, would we like it? If they were called "Plutotrestrants," and doing something the Protestant's don't do, would the Protestants here be annoyed?

Or "Catholialiens," or "Mercjewians?"

I know that I'm stretching things a bit to try to come up with equivalent names, but you get my point, yes?

I would never think or live like the Mennonites do, but I wouldn't make fun of them on national television either. I believe in their right to live and believe as they do, without insults from others.

And isn't that supposed to be the American Way?

Redstone

[peacebird]

1. of course. But - out of curiousity - what prompted the post?

[Redstone]

8. I thought about it last night, actually. But it was late, so I posted today.

Redstone

[peacebird]

13. ? Sorry for being dense, Redstone - is this something someone said?

or was there a post I missed?

[Redstone]

17. No, I didn't get prompted by any other posts. I just saw a name that sounded like

a certain religion, with characters doing something that the adherents to that religion don't believe in doing, and commented on it.

Based on the other replies, though, I guess I shouldn't have said anything.

Redstone

[rhiannon55]

2. Is it possible they were talking about Moonies?

[villager]

4. have you ever seen one of those episodes? The Mooninites are hilarious.

And the show makes fun of everything, generally.

[Redstone]

9. I doubt it. That wouldn't rhyme.

Redstone

[Bobbieo]

31. Rev Moon's "Moonies". That makes sense!!!

[Matariki]

3. Getting your daily quota of Outrage?

[Redstone]

11. Yes. You don't like it, you don't have to respond.

Redstone

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. Jesus H. Christ.

It's a pun. A pun on the moon.

[devilgrrl]

6. Yeah, I so give a rat's ass - how will I ever sleep this evening?

:sarcasm::eyes::sarcasm:

[porphyrian]

7. You don't think it could've just been a funny way to make it sound?

Maybe they knew it sounded kind of like Mennonites, maybe they didn't, but there's nothing to suggest that the characters' group identity has anything to do with the real world religion. If you actually watched the show, you'd see why it's kind of a ridiculous claim. You just seem to be on a witch hunt.

[Horse with no Name]

10. Mennonites are pretty harmless

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2401612&mesg_id=2401698

[Redstone]

12. Well, even though nobody seems to like it, that's why I made the post.

They leave everybody alone, and I believe it's wrong to insult a religious group "just for fun."

I guess not too many other DUers think that way.

Redstone

PS: Scientologists excepted from my statement above, because that's not a religion.

[Texaroo]

23. Well, Scientologists and perhaps Mormons..

'cause that's a cult founded by a swindler, according to many. It's like the Michael Caine line in Godmember: "If there's anything I can't stand it's people who are intolerant of other people's cultures...and the Dutch."

I personally think it's wrong for someone to jump to ridiculous conclusions based upon slight evidence.

[Redstone]

33. The Dutch? "There's the Amsterdam Dutch, and the Rotterdam Dutch, the

Potsdam Dutch, and the Goddam Dutch.

And then there's the Irish, and they ain't much,

But a damn sight better than the Goddam Dutch."

(Old song by that great writer, Anon.)

Redstone

[Texaroo]

14. Misdirected Outrage...

OK, so why aren't we upset that the Boston Police and Mass. government can't pull their heads out of their asteroids long enough to notice that a Light Bright with batteries attached just might be a First Amendment exercise and commercial in nature as opposed to a terrorist attack? They're only making a huge deal out of this because the morons over-reacted on an apparent slow news day. Next, what - the appearance of large machines that dispense money, but they seem to have electronic video screens and buttons that can be pushed?

Jeez, people. Aren't "progressives" supposed to believe in the Bill of Rights? Mooninites is WORDPLAY. Lighten up.

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. I thought of the Moomins, actually

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. Why are you insulting Mooninite religion?

Ignignokt: Our god is a god of vengeance. A god of hate.

Err: A god of action!

Ignignokt: Our god is an Indian who can turn into a wolf and-

Err: Dude, that's Wolfen.

Ignignokt: Yes, well Wolfen will come after you, with his razor.

[Kingshakabobo]

18. Careful. You'll pull your back out stretching that far. nt

[Ariana Celeste]

19. Umm. The mooninites are from the moon.

Have you ever even watched the show?

I believe in any religious persons right to believe and live the way that they want to but I also believe in this little thing called Free Speech. I suppose in every show and every song and every book we ought to carefully phrase every little thing so as not to offend anybody's fragile mind set.

Let us read "Run Spot Run". :eyes:

[Redstone]

21. Did I say they shouldn't be ALLOWED to do it? I did not. I said it's tacky. So don't be

calling down the First Amendment upon my head, OK?

They can do whatever they want to. And if I don't like it, I can criticize them.

Free Speech, right there.

Redstone

[Ariana Celeste]

27. Ahh, but I didn't say that either.

There are a lot of things in the world worth getting pissed off about. I don't see why you are wasting your breath on an adult cartoon show.

[Redstone]

34. It's a discussion board. I'm discussing something.

Redstone

[uppityperson]

20. I thought of Moonies since Mennonites are nothing like them at all.

Moonies are, in my opinion, a bit off while Mennonites are off but in a more positive manner. I saw it as making fun of Moonies.

[Redstone]

I'll buy that. But if so, why weren't they called "Moonies?" I'd have no problem with that,

because I consider Moonieism (or whatever the proper name is), to be a business, not a religion. Like Scientology.

I guess I'll get my ass kicked for saying that, too. But no matter.

Redstone

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

26. Ah.

So it's OK to disparage some religions, but not others.

OK.

[Lex]

22. Have you ever heard of the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

The Onion?

The Aqua Teen Hunger Force's characters are satire. Typically satire or parody works by having an element of offensiveness in it to make a point. That's commentary. Protected speech.

If people don't like it, they shouldn't watch it.

[asthmaticeog]

24. The American Way is freedom from insult?

Double-checking the Constitution - hmmm, nothing there.

Declaration of Independence? Bupkiss.

Though of course, nothing in our nation's founding documents prohibits conjuring outrage almost from thin air and acting all über-righteous on a message board. Cherish your freedom.

[Redstone]

25. The American Way is having respect for other people's beliefs. Just my opinion.

Redstone

[asthmaticeog]

28. Is punning on a name the same as disrespecting beliefs?

Plus, historically there are loads of sects whose names end with "-onites." How does merely using that suffix single out any one?

[Bluebear]

35. Except if they're Moonies, right?

You said it's OK to make fun of them.

[hfojvt]

29. I can see a similarity in the names

but I doubt if it was intentional. It seems to me that there are many 'ites' in the religious world - Israelites, Semites, Canaanites, Levites, Mennonites, Hutterites, etc. So it probably is just a generic religious name.

I say this as somebody who probably would take umbrage at an insult directed at Mennonites. Family lore had it that my ancestors were Amish, which in my mind is kin to Mennonites. I attended a Mennonite church in my hometown for a few months until I had to move. It turned out, however, that the family lore was wrong. My ancestors were really Moravians. Not quite the same thing, albeit in the same area. I still very much appreciate the communal way of living and Luddite tendencies of Mennonites, if not their authoritarian ways and their dislike of musical instruments.

[H2O Man]

30. Nomination #1

I agree. Well said.

There is a small Mennonite community about two miles from me. They are great neighbors.

[Redstone]

36. Good Lord, you and I agree on something! We find common ground at last.

Good to hear that someone agrees.

Redstone

[H2O Man]

37. Hate to disagree

with you, but this is twice we've agreed. (grin)

[Redstone]

39. I thought so. But with my lousy memory, I wasn't sure.

Redstone

[Scout1071]

43. There are many Mennonites in my community and they are terrific.

Hard working, soft-spoken people.

[Zodiak]

32. My boss is a scientist and a Mennonite

and absolutely the best person I know.

That is all I had to say.

[justiceischeap]

38. I read it more of a hit on the Moonies myself. (EOM)

[Akoto]

40. Forgive me, but I'm not seeing the connection.

They're called the Mooninites because they come from - that's right - the moon.

As someone who has frequently watched the show, I must say that they're two of my favorite characters. I've never noticed anything about them that points toward religious parody, though. Usually, they come down to taunt the Earthlings about being ... Well, Earth people.

[frylock]

42. that's because you obviously possess a modicum of common sense..

and don't see antisemitism in everything that surrounds you.

[frylock]

41. jesus christ monkeyballs..

you can't possibly be serious with this shit? How do you make it through the day with those tender sensibilities of yours being assaulted from all angles?