NEW YORK – Perhaps Saturday Night Live DID go too far.
Following a furious backlash from Christians after a gory SNL skit which aired a couple of weeks ago, a religious group is claiming victory in costing SNL and the NBC network at least one major advertiser.
Sears appears to have caved to the pressure from the public and a religious group called the American Family Association (AFA).
The AFA, in response to the SNL skit, said “Last Saturday night, the network aired a violent and gory segment mocking Jesus Christ. NBC publicly painted Jesus as a vengeful murderer bent on killing the Romans who crucified Him.”
Following the skit, the AFA went after NBC and SNL, urging Christians to contact Sears and complain.
On Sears’ Facebook page, here is an example of the backlash it has received: “I am very much offended by Sears funding of (SNL’s) anti Christian segment. If I were NBC I would be scared of the consequences for we serve a powerful and wonderful and great God.”
Another man wrote: “Christians deserve an apology from the company, along with a commitment to pull all funding from this program going forward.”
Sears wrote on its Facebook page on Wednesday that “We did not advertise on that particular episode of SNL. We appreciate your thoughts.”
That remark generated over 680 comments, many of them negative.
Today, the AFA says it received the following communication from Sears:
“Thanks for bringing it to our attention, it wasn’t supposed to happen and we’re taking steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Going forward our ads will not run in this form again around SNL.”
The AFA is now going after JC Penney, who they also claim was an advertiser on that SNL episode. Penney’s Facebook page is now littered with complaints about the skit.
Watch the video and judge for yourself if the skit was out of bounds.
What about many Christians makes them think it’s righteous to jail their friends and neighbors who have cancer and use cannabis.
This is decidedly un-Christian. Somewhere along the line my religion got hi-jacked by haters posing as Christians.
The Mormons have for years run adverts about their religion. But just like adverts for Sears, GM, Ovaltine, L’eggs, or Quaker State, it is quite easy to ignore them (personally, I don’t watch TV any more).
Thank goodness for Zenith’s remote control invented in 1956!
Most TV adverts are these days annoying at best. Very few even get my attention. In fact, since 1984, nothing has impressed me until I saw the Dodge Ram bit this year. Yes, every so often, someone manages to graduate from lofty marketing programs with their wits still intact to produce something good.
All that aside, if you really believe that some advert or program is a way of forcing a belief structure upon you, I suggest some help in finding out why. If you do not like the actions of a certain group, take up the cause. You have that freedom to do so.
But in the entertainment industry, money talks loudest.
Yes it is all the about the money. That is whats wrong with this country. Laws are made not on their value to society but on what group gives the most money to be heard. I like most people spend my money where I feel welcome. Sears was sponsoring a comedy show that makes fun of many different things and I’m sure other religions. If they want to pull out over something they don’t like that is fine but when they bow to pressure from groups that have hurt feelings about something as simple as a comedy skit that is weakness. When the so called patriots tried to ruin the Dixie chicks because they said they were embarressed by the president it was them trying to force people to conform to do what they want or they will ruin you. Religion is all about control with out that they have no power or money and they will never let that happen.
@Anonymous-excellent post. Very true.
I have to agree with LVS that this is a good post. very true.
Observer: i have never seen a commercial from the mormans. maybe I have and it didnt come across as they planned. IDK. Please rethink your statement about advertising. the whole purpose of advertising is to convince someone of their product or thinking. this is elementary.
Everybody has to have something to complain about. I don’t understand how complaining to NBC, Sears, (a dieing company), Pennys, helps the religious movement. If SNL is such trash, please don’t force me to watch it. Do you suppose members of the AFA religious group and the other complainers will continue to watch SNL…
Comedy is comedy. Different tastes for different people, or religions I guess. I don’t like that they force their will or beliefs on others. PS… Sears is DEAD anyway!
I guess I still don’t understand. Sears didn’t like the skit so they pulled their ads, how is that forcing their beliefs on us? Forcing their beliefs on us would be putting all kinds of religious ads on there but not taking them off. I think you people just don’t like religion period so you have nothing good to say about those that do like religion. By complaining all the time that you don’t like them forcing their religious beliefs on you, you are forcing yours on us.
@maybe-that was a nasty skit no matter what religion you are. SNL is a slutty program and always has been in my opinion. You should always have respect for other people even if you don’t believe yourself.
I haven’t watched that show since chevy chase and john balushi.
Oh, like “complaining” about a harmless comedy skit until the advertiser pulls his ads?!
MAYBE: may i assume that you are over 60 years old? this would explain alot to me from your recent comments. I also had many comments in regards to your post on christian influence on others, but for every ones sake i deleted them
@floyd, unless you are matt you can’t delete anything, besides I like a good debate, let the comments come. If people don’t like what I believe then thats fine, it’s my life not theirs.
Maybe: I did type it down and then deleted it before I actually posted it. maybe it was just me getting it off my chest. seriously….. nobody would have appreciated what I wrote. I am NOT Matt. and he may have told me to calm it down and be respectful to others on here.
In a nut shell … when an organization contacts or puts out information to persuade others to react in a manner that conforms to the organizations beliefs. As done in this case, we call it “forcing their religious beliefs”. just as taking down a picture in an Ohio school or taking out prayer in any school. we think of this as forcing their beliefs on us. we simply would like public places to be considered neutral. Do it in your home, private school, church, automobile, private camp out or similar places. just as long as I dont have to hear too much of it.
I understand what you said about ” when an organization contacts or puts out information to persuade others to react in a manner that conforms to the organizations beliefs.” I still don’t understand how when a company that makes money off of consumers watching ads, they remove those ads therefore taking money out of their own pockets. How is that forcing their religious beliefs on us if they are not forcing us to watch their commercials?
Ok nowI think I understand, call me ignorant. If I understand this right people didn’t like the skit so they put pressure on Sears to pull their ads? I thought it was all Sears idea to pull their own ads, my bad.
now you have it, except its the religious people contacting advertisers. NOT normal people. are you so dumb to think that sears would have pulled their ads all by themselves, if the religious groups hadnt complained or threatened in any way?. “in any way” is a very loose term and can cover many situations
Ok I admitted that I was wrong so you call me names? It’s no wonder you hide behind a name.
does your birth certificate read maybe? I actually have thought about changing my nickname a bit.
How is pulling an ad forcing their religious beliefs?
These Christains are no better than Islam. They think they can force their beliefs on everyone.
@Anonymous
There is a difference between Islam killers that don’t follow or misunderstand the teaching of their religion, there are those that believe all Christians should die.
The majority in the Islamic faith are very good people, you seem to dislike both.
I choose to be Christian and know where I will be going after I leave this earth.
Enough said, I wouldn’t want to force anything on you.
You think you know where you are going… I think you’re wrong, but that’s my opinion. I love to see religious groups get all butt hurt when they see something that doesn’t fit their perceived notion of a belief system, and yet they won’t stand up for things that their religion actually says they should.
Jesus didn’t hang out on wall street boys and girls. He was a long haired hippy Jew who hung out with the poor, the sick, the unclean, the beggars, the prostitutes, leapers. If all of you self proclaimed christians want to make it to heaven… be a little more like Jesus.
AMEN TO THAT BROTHER!!!! oops. right on john colombo
@John I didn’t mention anything about killers from any religion. I guess that shows your predjuiced way of christain thinking. My comparison to Islam had to do with not showing any depictions of Muhamed. The history of Christains killing people that do not follow their belief system is well documented so I wouldn’t be throwing stones at anyone if I were you. You like me and everyone else thinks they know where they are going after death but no one knows anything for sure. Faith equals egotistical ignorance.