For new readers: every Friday, in honour of it being the weekend, I put up a movie instead of a long post. Sometimes they’re funny, sometimes they’re serious, sometimes they’re weird. It’s whatever crosses my desk as I wander around the internet, and it’s all for you on a Friday!
As you may know, I am a musician in addition to being a scientist. I began playing violin when I was 6, began singing lessons at 8, picked up the guitar at 14, and have kind of been going strong ever since. My long stretches of 9-5 at a desk are punctuated by weekends full of rawking out. I like to call it my Clark Kent/Superman life – I even take my glasses off.
One of my favourite musicians of all time has to be Dave Grohl. The first time I heard In Your Honor, I nearly lost my mind. I played it on endless repeat, transfixed by the skill and care that clearly went into each song. Sometimes you hear a song that seems like it’s speaking directly to you – every cut on that album (and it’s a double album) did that for me. One By One was also top-notch, and Echoes, Patience, Silence, Grace is a goddamn masterpiece.
This, however, is my favourite thing he’s ever done:
Dave Grohl: epic troll.
I often hear people ask what the best way to deal with the Westboro Baptist Church is. Should we slash their tires? Should we beat them up? Should we counter-protest? Should we point out the errors in their theology? Should we stand up against their hate?
Folks like the loonies in the WBC are like Bobo dolls – no matter how hard you smack ’em, they keep coming back smiling. They are a machine that is fueled by controversy, and the more agitated we get, the more they think they’re winning.
The only sane response to an insane opponent is open, unashamed, joyful and unrestrained mockery. The WBC are a joke. They are self-parody, and the only strength they have is in the anger they can stir up in us. They should be mocked – not because it would piss them off, but because they’re silly! It’s a backwater basement church full of lunatics with weird signs and comically offensive messages. If you put Fred Phelps up on a stage opening for Don Rickles, he’d have the audience rolling in the aisles.
Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters have shown us the truth: once we realize how monumentally silly the Westboro Baptist Church is, all that remains is a bunch of sad, lonely people following a confused and deluded old man in his vain attempt to return to the 16th century.
Like this article? Follow me on Twitter!
YES.
I live in Topeka, home of WBC. They have a weekly protest here that is just a general, unfocused ball of idiocy. I have to admit it is kinda fun to just drive by and look at how crazy the signs are each week. Anyhow, every year there is a counter protest here called “The Million Fag March” that is just about spreading acceptance. It’s a lot of fun and makes us feel like we are at least saying that Topeka isn’t ALL bigotry.
But obviously the Foo Fighters’ do an awesome job of mockery here. Seeing this makes my day over and over again.
There seems to be an ad for a homeopathic remedy on your blog.
http://www2.onlinemeetingnow.com/register/?id=f960334f6e
I have a screen capture if you need the image to sort it out.
Thanks. I don’t control the ads, but I will pass the screengrab up to our system admin. I am/we are aware that the ads are often absurdly contrary to the subjects under discussion, and Ed is working hard to fix that.
Say what you will about the WBC, but their proofreading skills are extraordinary.
It would be hard to come up with a more effective campaign in favor of secularism than the WBC. They are doing our job for us. I do however feel bad for the grieving families they torture.
As far as the goofy ads noted in the comments, I say keep ’em coming. I get great satisfaction clicking on them and knowing that they are now paying for me to come here and laugh at them.
I agree, and I think that is where we should focus our energy. The WBC should only be acknowledged for as long as it takes to laugh at them, and then it’s back to the families.
Foo fighters pretty much got me through all of highschool and University without losing my sanity. And a number of all nighters :D.
So this? This just makes me happy.
Not to detract from the excellence of foo – but my favourite anti-wbc has to be comic-con:
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/07/22/super-heroes-vs-the-westboro-baptist-church/