This isn't going to be a post about my thoughts on Jerry Falwell (he died yesterday). There's enough of that to be found on the internet that pretty well sums up the opinion I have of who he seemed to be.What I am going to comment on is this: how many 30 year-olds didn't know who Jerry Falwell was until yesterday?
I have always been a little intrigued by televangelists. But weird interest in televangelists aside - Jerry Falwell has been a public figure of note for many years. A fascinating and polarizing character. Beyond his infamous comments on September 11 (there was a little more to it, but he basically said, "blame the homos") and various other outrageous one-liners, Falwell will be most noted in history for orchestrating a movement that turned a virtually voiceless group of conservative Christians into one of the most politically powerful groups in the United States, the "moral majority". I chose the picture above because it's a new picture - Falwell shown alongside John McCain, a current Presidential hopeful. My point: he's been in the news recently.
Yesterday, two women I work with - 29 and 30 years old - said they had never heard of Jerry Falwell. Never. There are plenty of news items out there right now that were I quizzed, I wouldn't know as much about as I should. But Jerry Falwell is a name kind of like Madonna - you might now know their life story or what their real importance has been in the world - but you certainly know who they are.
Am I being harsh? Are there lots of people out there in my age category who have never heard of him?
7 comments:
As a person who is not as informed as she should be, and who is 31 years old, I can tell you that I DEFINITELY know who he is and thought everyone did.
They are stupid. We are smart.
Well, yes, Mayor, that's true. However, I think it's sad/fascinating/and horrible that more people vote for American Idol contestants than for the folks who run our cities, states, and our country.
Not that AI isn't important, in its own way. Gladly I'm less ignorant than I used to be, but I'll still read about Brit's spectacular decline sooner than I read what's happening in legislative sessions.
But the Moral Majority has, indeed, changed our country and our laws. Scary that things can get hijacked that way, eh?
And I read Perez Hilton more than once a day. I'm always overly up-to-date on celeb trash. (I knew more about the Anna Nicole case than anybody I know, and I'm not proud of that...)But I do watch the news and pick up a newspaper now and then.
Jerry's real influence came back in the ealry 1980's during Reagan's rise. He lost his political influence some time ago. His kiss and make up with McCain was a mutually opportunistic moment for McCain to pander to evangelicals and for Jerry to get back some political influence. Did you say the homos were responsible for 9/11? See? I didn't know that, and I try to keep up. I thought it was the Saudis.
Just kidding. I haven't heard the word homo in a while. It's kind of funny all by itself. Reminded me of an old Zappa tune. He's dead too. I guess it's going around.
Post a Comment