HOLY LOLLER

[profundis]

It's simply not realistic to expect or even wish that people will be over talking about a figure as infamous/famous as Jerry Falwell within 24 hours of his passing. 

Whether you hate, love or could care less about him and his life or death - people talk.  People have opinions that have formed over years and they aren't going to be done expressing them in less than one day.  If we are still going on about it 3 months, that will be annoying but how long did the OJ thing and the Anna thing and even the iPhone thing go on?  

On a personal note I think there is something of a generation gap on this topic - I feel like younguns are more apt to think "Falwell who?" since televangelists were already objects of hilarity by the time they were old enough to be aware of him.  The best thing I can say to that, is that I am so happy that they have grown up in a world where the internet has largely replaced TV and if someone says something hateful on it - well, they can just "go cry about it in their Livejournals" and know they aren't alone...and that there are other opinions out there - that they are not themselves wrong or broken or sinful or evil for not living up to the "moral" standards espoused by bigots.

As much as it makes me shake my head, I'm actually glad that there is a generation of 'mos that have the mental and social luxury of feeling sorry for someone who was so unsympathetic to them and people like them - because that means that *we* won.  We're still here. We survived. He's food for worms. 

We're here, we're queer, get over it.

Hallelujah.

Comments

[bigfundrew.livejournal.com]

Hallelujah, Holla Back.

[lucentnotion.livejournal.com]

Hear hear! let everyone say what they have to say and just skip over posts you don't want to read. That's my advice to everyone!

I can't tell anymore if I fall into the category of Youngon.. LOL. I turn 27 on monday... but I knew who falwell was and I despised him...

[profundis.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, born in '80? I think you're on the cusp. Gen XY?

[foeclan.livejournal.com]

There's a nifty series of Wikipedia articles on the assorted generations. Scroll down a bit in the MTV Generation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTV_Generation) entry and there's a timeline. 1980 fits into a few different categories.

[profundis.livejournal.com]

Well yes it's nifty, but it doesn't seem to be backed up with citations. However it does mention XY Cusp as being right around 1980 so it would seem I guessed pretty close. ;)

Some of the names they list for generations seem strange to me, I wonder if this was a snatch and paste job from another website. It seems more editorial than scholarly.

[mindchaos.livejournal.com]

evidentally you just missed being a youngon cause i just turned 25 and have no clue who this falwell guy is... the only time i would ever watch a televangelist was on mute for a few minutes, and thats only if i thought they were hot =)

have no clue who this falwell guy is...

[profundis.livejournal.com]

That's cause you're a youngun. ;) Poor Jim, I guess he can be a young-ish :)

[ericdabear.livejournal.com]

I agree with what you say here.

Also too the opinions expressed help us better understand those people we read and it helps fuel topics and avenues for discussion which is part of what LJ is about imo.

[kev-bot.livejournal.com]

We do keep winning, don't we? It takes a nation of millions to hold us back. Thanks for this.

[profundis.livejournal.com]

Sho nuff, sugartit.

[jkusters]

To me there's a difference between "feeling sorry" for Falwell and choosing not to rejoice in another human's death. I am truly happy that his message of hate and intolerance has ceased. Like you, I've been outraged frequently by this opportunistic a-hole. (And if your profile birth date is accurate, I've been around a few more years than you.) I'm thankful that his apparently stupid and ignorant remarks are now the thing of legacy, and not ongoing prejudice. I just can't bring myself to "dance on the grave" of any human being, no matter how hated he or she was in life. So, while I will join with my fellow 'mos in abhorring his message and working against his legacy, I will mark this human's passing in the same way I would any other, by appreciating the of my own that remains.

JOhn.

[profundis.livejournal.com]

True, there are more options on the reaction spectrum than"break out the good whiskey" and "poor poor dead bigot." If you or anyone else has the serenity to follow, more power to you - that's the best way to be really - unaffected by the drama. Those that are still struggling with their emotions over it have my sympathy. I fall somewhere in the middle. I would have preferred he'd chosen to repent (the irony) of his bigotry during his life but if death is what it takes, then so be it.

[jkusters]

I would have preferred he'd chosen to repent (the irony) of his bigotry during his life but if death is what it takes, then so be it.

Agreed. I too wish that he had lived long enough to eventually repent, unlikely as that may be. But I'm happy with the silence, even it it came about because of his death.

JOhn.

[profundis.livejournal.com]

Indeed. If only his message had gone to the grave with him. There is always an apprentice... ;)

[jkusters]

...or five or six dozen apprentices. Eeep!

JOhn.

[imageartifacts.livejournal.com]

It is odd isn't, the new generation? I'm jealous and in awe at the same time.

My family was nearly snake-handlers, so I'm very glad he's gone. As we continue to become more visible as real people in the world, change will continue. At least that's what I think.

[profundis.livejournal.com]

My folks were big into watching the likes of Swaggart, Falwell and so forth when I was a kid and it sure did a number on my development. Mom still tries to find the "real deal" ones when the ones she used to watch have their public scandals.

When Falwell and Robertson made their insane comments about 9/11 I asked her point blank if she still listened to them. She replied "They're stupid and full of shit.Judge not lest you be judged . He needs to read his Bible himself.God certainly didn't call a preacher to condemn us."

Yay for progress!

[imageartifacts.livejournal.com]

Yeah for mom!! It's taken years for my family to accept the gay thing, but they're (mostly) OK with it now. My partner Don has helped, as he always does.

[bookbear.livejournal.com]

"Blessed be."

[cachorro34.livejournal.com]

Very nice Mikey.