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Louis Theroux, the up-close and personal documentary film-maker, spent a few weeks with the 'good people' of the Westboro Baptist Church, Topeka, Kansas... known as 'The Most Hated Family In America', the Phelps family head a 71-strong congregation, and under the guidance of Pastor 'Gramps' Phelps, they have made a name for themselves from their 'unique' brand of fundamentalist Christianity. They frequently picket the funerals of US soldiers, homosexual people (or even people who support homosexuality in any way, shape or form) and even carry placards saying 'Thanks God For 9/11' on street corners...
Once again, Louis Theroux braves what most people consider sickening attitudes to bring us the view from the other side. Among other things, Louis Theroux set out to ask a few simple questions. What motivates a group of well-to-do, intelligent people to preach 'God's Hate'? What do they think they are going to achieve? And what is it like living like this? In his usual style, Louis doesn't flinch from asking some awkward questions, and (again, in his usual style) he doesn't give up at the first attempt.
The Westboro Baptist Church preach a strong and exceptionally unpopular brand of biblical interpretation... their main schtick is that America, as a nation, is doomed and that anyone who fights in the name of America (i.e. US soldiers in Iraq) is a 'Fag Troop', and the people (family and friends) of the dead soldiers should be picketed/warned against 'worshipping the dead'. By 'Fag troops', they are not claiming that the soldiers themselves are homosexual, however (although you can see why people miscontrue their message somewhat). Rather, the US as a whole is a country whose liberal attitudes have destroyed the social fabric of a once wholesome and God-fearing country, and that these liberal forces (or more specifically, the people who seek a liberal agenda) are 'fag enablers'... which includes the US military, hence 'Fag Troops'...
Louis probed a little deeper with the younger members of the congregation, specifically a 21-year old woman who otherwise seems like a very personable and attractive young lady. You can see from behind the extreme biblical rhetoric (obviously drummed into her for her whole life) that there is a conflict between what she does and what she wants to do. At 21 years old, she still asks for permission to go for a coffee with Louis. Permission was denied. She seems like a genuine and honest person, and she seems almost worthy of sympathy when she tried to explain to Louis why she can't understand why people hate them so much when all they are trying to do is help people. Louis asks her if there is not a better way to 'help people' than to picket their dead relatives' funerals, but doesn't get much further than the old rheotric will allow. It is a huge dichotomy to listen/watch this woman explain that she is trying to 'help' people by steering them away from a path that leads straight to hell, (arguably a nice thing to want to do for someone), while at the same time she stands by the roadside with a placard saying 'Thank God For 9/11'... This part of the interview is particularly revealing, however, as it shows something of the reasoning behind why these people are motivated to do what they do... however, it is more revealing what they don't say. When pushed on certain issues, like why this attractive young woman considers herself completely unavailable for a relationship, marriage or children (despite the fact that the older generation of her family have clearly been busy in that department), all of a sudden the topic is brought to a swift close. Also, when one of their 7 year old children is asked about the meaning of her sign (which reads 'Fag Troops'), she admits that she doesn't know what it means. A slightly older boy has an explanation, but he too shows little (if any) understanding of what the signs mean... Significantly, what the older boy says demonstrates that he can atleast explain a little of what the signs mean to them, but shows no understanding of what the signs would mean (and do mean) to everyone else. There is a strange moment when a missile (a soft drink from a fastfood restaurant) is thrown from a passing car, hitting one of their youngest children squarely in the head. A concerned Theroux stands by as the mother consoles her injured child, but you can tell that the expression of dismay on the face of Louis Theroux is largely caused by his distaste for the adults who placed the child in the path of danger in the first place... a sentiment I found myself feeling as well.
Overall, this was another fine piece of documentary film-making from Louis Theroux and the BBC... but should it have been shown? Their website, www.godhatesamerica.com (it almost goes without saying, but this site is not for the easily offended and is possibly not work-safe either), already proudly states the fact that the gospel according to the Westboro Baptist Church is to be preached across the world thanks to the BBC and Channel 4. But this isn't exactly true. Louis Theroux has a real talent for showing things as they are. Of course, Theroux himself is not entirely without bias, and he does come across as slightly mocking occasionally (a fact not lost on the Phelps family), but it is hard to see how someone can immerse themselves so fully into a scenario without allowing a little of their own personality come through. Indeed, Theroux's character has been called into question many times by the subjects of his documentaries, not least by the Phelps family, after they discover that Theroux had himself fathered a child outside of wedlock. However, Theroux's demeanour and personality ensure that the viewer spends little time wondering about Louis Theroux, and much more time on the actual subjects of documentary. I was left with the over-riding feeling that there is not much point getting upset at people like this, but I also learned something in the process... just like the passers-by in their motor cars who flip the Phelps family the finger and curse at them from the open windows of their SUV's, I initially felt that these people could do with a good old-fashioned slap around the chops. But Theroux's approach works better for me. However distasteful and misguided their methods and their message may be, it is atleast possible to see that there is something behind the facade - the gaudy, offensive placards and the fire and brimstone rhetoric - that even with the slightest of scratches to the surface can begin to reveal.
Once again, Louis Theroux braves what most people consider sickening attitudes to bring us the view from the other side. Among other things, Louis Theroux set out to ask a few simple questions. What motivates a group of well-to-do, intelligent people to preach 'God's Hate'? What do they think they are going to achieve? And what is it like living like this? In his usual style, Louis doesn't flinch from asking some awkward questions, and (again, in his usual style) he doesn't give up at the first attempt.
The Westboro Baptist Church preach a strong and exceptionally unpopular brand of biblical interpretation... their main schtick is that America, as a nation, is doomed and that anyone who fights in the name of America (i.e. US soldiers in Iraq) is a 'Fag Troop', and the people (family and friends) of the dead soldiers should be picketed/warned against 'worshipping the dead'. By 'Fag troops', they are not claiming that the soldiers themselves are homosexual, however (although you can see why people miscontrue their message somewhat). Rather, the US as a whole is a country whose liberal attitudes have destroyed the social fabric of a once wholesome and God-fearing country, and that these liberal forces (or more specifically, the people who seek a liberal agenda) are 'fag enablers'... which includes the US military, hence 'Fag Troops'...
Louis probed a little deeper with the younger members of the congregation, specifically a 21-year old woman who otherwise seems like a very personable and attractive young lady. You can see from behind the extreme biblical rhetoric (obviously drummed into her for her whole life) that there is a conflict between what she does and what she wants to do. At 21 years old, she still asks for permission to go for a coffee with Louis. Permission was denied. She seems like a genuine and honest person, and she seems almost worthy of sympathy when she tried to explain to Louis why she can't understand why people hate them so much when all they are trying to do is help people. Louis asks her if there is not a better way to 'help people' than to picket their dead relatives' funerals, but doesn't get much further than the old rheotric will allow. It is a huge dichotomy to listen/watch this woman explain that she is trying to 'help' people by steering them away from a path that leads straight to hell, (arguably a nice thing to want to do for someone), while at the same time she stands by the roadside with a placard saying 'Thank God For 9/11'... This part of the interview is particularly revealing, however, as it shows something of the reasoning behind why these people are motivated to do what they do... however, it is more revealing what they don't say. When pushed on certain issues, like why this attractive young woman considers herself completely unavailable for a relationship, marriage or children (despite the fact that the older generation of her family have clearly been busy in that department), all of a sudden the topic is brought to a swift close. Also, when one of their 7 year old children is asked about the meaning of her sign (which reads 'Fag Troops'), she admits that she doesn't know what it means. A slightly older boy has an explanation, but he too shows little (if any) understanding of what the signs mean... Significantly, what the older boy says demonstrates that he can atleast explain a little of what the signs mean to them, but shows no understanding of what the signs would mean (and do mean) to everyone else. There is a strange moment when a missile (a soft drink from a fastfood restaurant) is thrown from a passing car, hitting one of their youngest children squarely in the head. A concerned Theroux stands by as the mother consoles her injured child, but you can tell that the expression of dismay on the face of Louis Theroux is largely caused by his distaste for the adults who placed the child in the path of danger in the first place... a sentiment I found myself feeling as well.
Overall, this was another fine piece of documentary film-making from Louis Theroux and the BBC... but should it have been shown? Their website, www.godhatesamerica.com (it almost goes without saying, but this site is not for the easily offended and is possibly not work-safe either), already proudly states the fact that the gospel according to the Westboro Baptist Church is to be preached across the world thanks to the BBC and Channel 4. But this isn't exactly true. Louis Theroux has a real talent for showing things as they are. Of course, Theroux himself is not entirely without bias, and he does come across as slightly mocking occasionally (a fact not lost on the Phelps family), but it is hard to see how someone can immerse themselves so fully into a scenario without allowing a little of their own personality come through. Indeed, Theroux's character has been called into question many times by the subjects of his documentaries, not least by the Phelps family, after they discover that Theroux had himself fathered a child outside of wedlock. However, Theroux's demeanour and personality ensure that the viewer spends little time wondering about Louis Theroux, and much more time on the actual subjects of documentary. I was left with the over-riding feeling that there is not much point getting upset at people like this, but I also learned something in the process... just like the passers-by in their motor cars who flip the Phelps family the finger and curse at them from the open windows of their SUV's, I initially felt that these people could do with a good old-fashioned slap around the chops. But Theroux's approach works better for me. However distasteful and misguided their methods and their message may be, it is atleast possible to see that there is something behind the facade - the gaudy, offensive placards and the fire and brimstone rhetoric - that even with the slightest of scratches to the surface can begin to reveal.
This is like the theological equivalent of WWF 
