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[PyronIkari]

I think if executed properly this could be very funny. It will be a parody and as such many people could find it offensive, but I fail to see the problem in that. Everyone finds something offensive, and in a convention that openly screens and distributes gay and hetero sexual pornography is a little religious parody really going to scare anyone away? Off the top of my head I can think of three anime that could be called blasphemous simply for their use of christianesk religions, but I don't see angry parents storming out of the D. Grey Man panel and causing pandemonium, do you?

Here is an idea if you want to make it more PC. Change "Baptist sermon" to "infomercial" to remove any association to religion one could pull from it. You can still use the same speech patterns and mannerisms but because it is an infomercial parody no one can play the "you are stomping on my beliefs" card... unless there is a cultist following of Billy Mays fans that I am unaware of.

You missed my point about blasphemy earlier.

Lots of things are blasphemous, but there's a huge difference between something small and something major. Anime use religious references all the time. Some go on to even create stories and ideas within their use of religious references. That's different than completely mocking the religion as a whole and making the idea of that religion into a joke.

Yes, everything is offensive to someone, but this isn't about doing something that may offend someone. This is doing something that IS offensive and then saying "well everything is offensive to someone". Anything can be funny, and this could easily be made funny. But it won't change that it's still purposely offending a religion, as well as all of those that believe in that religion.

And... changing the name is supposed to some how... not do that? If it walks like a duck, and quack's like a duck... but you call in a rabbit, it's not a duck?

[Haru]

You missed my point about blasphemy earlier.

Lots of things are blasphemous, but there's a huge difference between something small and something major. Anime use religious references all the time. Some go on to even create stories and ideas within their use of religious references. That's different than completely mocking the religion as a whole and making the idea of that religion into a joke.

Yes, everything is offensive to someone, but this isn't about doing something that may offend someone. This is doing something that IS offensive and then saying "well everything is offensive to someone". Anything can be funny, and this could easily be made funny. But it won't change that it's still purposely offending a religion, as well as all of those that believe in that religion.

And... changing the name is supposed to some how... not do that? If it walks like a duck, and quack's like a duck... but you call in a rabbit, it's not a duck?

So your telling me that a manor of speech is so synonymous and fundamental to a religion, that using it for anything other than a sermon is mocking the entirety of that religion's values and beliefs?

How is he purposefully offending a religion? That seems to be a matter of intent. His intent is to make a comedy skit based around the parody of a religious service. If it is mocking as you say, then that would imply some malicious intent, which there is no evidence for. If you want to interpret his actions as purposefully hurtful, that is your problem. It seems somewhat narrow minded to instantly label parody as insulting just because it is based on a religious practice.

Calling something different further distances the panel from scrutiny. We aren't talking ducks VS rabbits, this is the difference between lions and tigers. They sounds slightly different, they look slightly different, but in the end they are both in the same family. If he really is marketing it as a televangelist type panel, the the difference from an infomercial and the programs in question isn't too far off. One wants you to buy salvation, the other wants to you buy an ultra absorbent towel. The concept is the same. If he pulls in the southern baptist church style, then it isn't anything more than a rally. Drop religious references such as god, hell, heaven, ect, and you are left with a football rally. A room of people that share similar beliefs rejoicing about what they love. Just because two things sound the same doesn't mean they are. Are white rappers raciest because they sound like black rappers?

[ewu]

Back on topic. The semantics of offensiveness are interesting, but all discussing it will do is get this thread locked or deleted.

[Gwydion]

You know, anime-style informercials could be pretty funny.

[SukebeStudios]

I really only called it "Anime Baptist Revival" because for some reason when I thought of those televangelists, I thought Baptist. That was from my own ignorance, so if someone could tell me what the PROPER term or name would be, please, let me know.

[Jerry]

this is where "assumptions" can really get you into trouble
again theres  fine fine line between  humor and offensive ignorance -

keep in mind Fanime is a family and good natured convention - when you dance along the lines of religion and politics your dealing with a potential bull in a china shop.

then again i dont know if any other panels in previous years of stirred this much potential for a debate.
that and you really have to know how to deliver your version of "comedy".

[xaxafour]

I don't think you should try to parody a particular religion so closely, because that's probably offensive and wrong.

If you wanted to hold a general anime-themed religious meeting, I think it would be fine, because you're generally free to practice whatever religion you want to, and you're allowed to believe in whatever god, anime, etc. that your want to, but you don't need to take someone else's religion and make a joke out of it.

[Yuu]

 It's called 'parody".

 It's funny, do it. Denying everyone their right to do something because it will offend someone is what made Sakuracon the worst convention ever (while Fanime is my favorite for being so easy going) please, PLEASE do not become like SC.  It's a slippery slope.

[Nina Star 9]

I don't think that the original idea would work, for all the reasons already stated.


Though, I do think that the infomercial idea would work if you purged all thoughts of it being derived from your original idea. It would work best in one of two ways -- either as a panel where you got it started and then invited the audience to participate and improv their own infomercials, or as some sort of filler on Stage Zero between acts (maybe film a few and they can play them on the screen if there is ever a time where they need some material while setting up for the next act?). It would be fun to use various anime tropes and memes and sell them (I have here an interdimensional hammerspace bag! It can hold unlimited amounts of anything and everything! Easy to hide under skirts! But, for a limited time, I'll give you two -- that's right -- TWO hammerspace pouches for the price of one! You can now carry TWO of our universes with you everywhere, with plenty of room to spare! ...not the best, but it gives you an idea of what I mean). I don't see it really catching on (and the improv panel might turn into chaos), but if you think about it that way, you might be able to get it to work.

[BrightHeart76]

I just don't think it sounds funny.  There's an awful lot of debate about offending people and so on...but the idea itself is what we should be talking about, right?  I mean I'm no expert, but I know what makes me laugh.  I wouldn't avoid this because it was offensive, but I wouldn't go because it doesn't sound funny.

[sysadmin]

I'm only referring to the revised idea as stated.

There is a fundamental rule in comedy:
You can get away with anything, as long as it is funny.

There is a corollary to this rule:
If it is not funny, it will be awful.


At this point in the thread, you have a one concept of a character.  In terms of writing, this is pretty flimsy.
It sounds like one of those "Mr. Cant-Make-Change Man gets a job as a grocery cashier" sketches: we get the joke from the title.

Maybe with a lot of work, you could convert this to a 3 minute sketch on Kids in the Hall, or maybe a 5 minute sketch on Saturday Night Live.
Even then, it's going to be very tricky to stretch this to a 30 or 60 minute bit.

Right now, it just comes off as "not really funny".  And if it's not really funny, then it's going to get perceived as offensive.
We can debate in other threads whether it is right or wrong that we should be offended by satire (and I'm sure someone will take me up on that).

But my point is not about offensiveness.  It is solely about "is it funny".  My current vote is "no".

[boots01]

personally, i think this could be very funny, BUT, i can't honestly see it extending for even 30 minutes.  i've been on stage most of my life, both in front of and behind the scenes and i can tell you that unless you have extremely good material, you will lose your audience after only a few minutes.  i have to agree with sysadmin here and say that 5 minutes is about all you'd be able to realistically do, in my opinion.

now, that said, i'd love to see it.  i was doing comedy of errors by Shakespeare a number of years ago and at one point, one of the characters has an exorcism performed on him.  at our first rehearsal, when we performed that scene, the person playing the priest who performs the exorcism dropped into a southern baptist televangelist accent and gave his line "i cast the out vile demon".  needless to say, everyone cracked up laughing because it was so well done and over the top funny.  however, while it was funny the first time, it would not have been so during the actual performance and the director required the lines be read properly.

if we think about it, while that one line was funny, if the actor had tried to perform the rest of his lines with the same accent, the part would have gone from being funny to offensive very quickly.  the whole "he's trying too hard to be funny for the sake of being funny, and it's obvious, and because of that, it's not funny (aka tom green/jackass)" thing.  this idea has that same potential and it would be very difficult to not run into it.  keeping it very short, like a commercial, would reduce the chances of that but your material would still need to be top notch and writing even 5 minutes of comedy is not easy.