Last night saw BBC2′s first screening of a new documentary from Gonzoesque broadcaster Louis Theroux following the further exploits of the infamous Phelps family and their cohorts, the insane bigots behind the God Hates [insert pretty much anything] campaigns, America’s Most Hated Family in Crisis.
Theroux has once before courted Phelps et al. In 2007 he presented the documentary The Most Hated Family In America which was most likely the first time that many in the UK had been exposed to the biblical wingnuttery of the Westboro Baptist Church (who easily manage to put the biblically-inspired antics of our home-grown fundie cause célèbre, Stephen “Birdshit” Green, in the shade) and it made for television that was tragic, hilarious and not a little frightening.
Before airing, this new documentary was primed in an article by Theroux, who explained:
Normally I don’t do follow-ups. But I’d made an exception in this case because of an e-mail I’d received from one of the fire-breathing young zealots I’d interviewed on my first trip, announcing she’d left the church. She cited our conversations as one of the influences.
She had now changed her life, found a boyfriend and had zero contact with anyone still inside the church, including her family. A little research revealed that several others I’d met on my first visit were also now apostates. This included Steve’s own daughter, Lauren.
Intriguing.
Of course, the WBC thrives on publicity, no matter what the content of that publicity says. Criticism and opprobrium are—to them—seen as validation and vindication (as a prototypical example of an extreme christian persecution complex) that they must be doing it right. Theroux continues:
Some have asked why the Phelpses allowed us back in having seen the first film. They were in their own weird way fans, seeing our original effort as (I think) basically fair – and more importantly regarding it as part of their destiny to have their message widely heard and then rejected.
The Phelpses picketed the funeral of Albert Snyder’s son and he is battling them in court
For the broad mass of humanity to go to hell, they must have first been exposed to the gospel and failed to heed it. Our programme had been seen by millions around the world. In my own way, I had a part in the divine plan. And so I’d made my way back to Zion, as they like to call their block of houses on a suburban street in Topeka, for a week-long stay.
I didn’t see the show (and—let’s be frank—it is a show) as it was being transmitted as I was too busy arguing in the pub (vodka + foreign policy and ethics + a philosopher + an evolutionary psychologist = interesting conversations) but it’s available on the BBC’s iPlayer (available until Sunday 10th April 2011) so I’ll be watching it at some point today.
For those of you outside the UK, some enterprising soul has liberated it from the pearly clutches of Auntie Beeb and put it up onto a public video site, details of which you will find at Unreasonable Faith.
Enjoy.
