The Patrick Coffin Show | Interviews with influencers | Commentary about culture | Tools for transformation 135: The Savage Satire of The Babylon Bee—Kyle Mann
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The news satire site The Babylon Bee has run into a problem: the crazy world has become harder and harder to satirize. Aimed primarily (at least originally) at evangelical readers, “the Bee” has amassed a much larger audience including many Catholics who also enjoy Eye of the Tiber.
A few headline examples:
Christian Extremists Hit Downtown London; Dozens Of Tracts Passed Out
Sheltered Atheist Kid Not Allowed To Watch 'VeggieTales'
Christian Rushes To Get HIV Test After Brief Eye Contact With Gay Person
Out-Of-Touch Youth Pastor Still Saying 'WASSSSUUUUUP!?!?!'
Planned Parenthood Defends Bill Cosby: 'Sexual Assault Is Only 3% Of What He Does'
But as editor-in-chief Kyle Mann (this week’s guest) points out, there’s always a nugget of truth beneath the crust of comedy. Satire serves more than one purpose. Poking fun of Christian foibles and “worst practices” is not only fun, it reflects a certain confident humility. And it may even plants seeds of faith. Enjoy—and hey, lighten up!
In this episode you will learn
- How Kyle came to his commitment to Christ
- The origins of The Babylon Bee idea
- Why so few Christians appreciate self-critical humor
- Why satire is so hard to pull off today
- How the Bee editors decide what “going too far” means
- Possibilities of increased interfaith understanding based on what Protestants and Catholics both find hilarious
- Why comedy is “divine”
- How the best comedy draws close to reality but spins it into a manageable off-beat direction
Resources mentioned in this episode
- Babylon Bee website
- How to Be a Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living by Ryan Mann
- Eye of the Tiber: Breaking Catholic News So You Don’t Have To ed by Samer Naoum
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