Monday, December 08, 2008

Prop 8: The Musical

When Obama was elected, California also put gay marriage to a referendum, and it was banned by the voters.

In response, musical theater composer Marc Shaiman wrote "Prop 8, the Musical" and got a ridonkulous cast to join him to film it.

Keep your eyes open for a whole swack of famous people, including John C. Reilley, Jack Black, Margaret Cho (there's our Korea connection) and Doogie Howser himself, Neil Patrick Harris.

Wherever you stand on the Gay marriage issue, it's pretty awesome: go watch it.
See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die


Personally, I think the Christian right is in the wrong here: as I wrote in my essay series, "Why Modern Religion Deserves Richard Dawkins," part Four, when I was writing a prescription for how organized religion can return to true relevance on the world scene:

9: Get on the right side in the LGBT (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgender/Transsexual) debate. Every other time a group was oppressed, disenfranchised, or in need, Christians were on their side offering compassion, love and support, until this one, and it’s hurting us. As my friend Mel said in an e-mail once, "We're on the wrong side on this one." Doesn't "I cried for hours when I heard about that gay teenager who got beaten to death" sound a little closer to the Godly compassion we're told to have than "AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals." (Jerry Falwell) or "[Homosexuals] want to come into churches and disrupt church services and throw blood all around and try to give people AIDS and spit in the face of ministers." (Pat Robertson) Who are these guys and what have they done with my faith?


Enough pontification for today.

Watch the clip. It's awesome.

4 comments:

Muckefuck said...

Actually, the day after Obama was elected, the bill passed. What did Obama's election have to do with the passing of this bill?
The shell fish ban comes from the Old Testament, which Christians consider less relevent than the New, which doesn't ban shell fish but reaffirms the prohibition against gay-love. Hitchens and Dawkins do a much better job of destroying religion than this musical.

Roboseyo said...

MM. Hitchens and Dawkins had a lot more words to do it than this musical...

I was under the impression that this bylaw-ish referendum was on the election ballot in California -- kind of on the second page, so to speak. I'm Canadian, so heck if I know how it works: I just like posting funny videos. Anybody have the more complete details to fill in on the mechanics of how the bill passed?

Meanwhile... shellfish and such . . . old and new testament... I'd bet Marc Shaiman chose a one of the more silly prohibitions rather than the most relevant and theologically comparable ones...because it's a comedy sketch, and not a treatise. I could get into, say, some of the stuff Paul says about the role of women, or the seemingly tacit approval of slavery in 1 Timothy and Ephesians 6, but I don't really feel like having a theological discussion on a post about a funny video.

Have a good one, Samuel! :)

Gomushin Girl said...

I just about peed myself when Jesus appeared . . . I hope I don't do that if it happens in real life.

Melissa said...

It IS awesome! Thanks for posting ...