"Prop 8 - The Musical": Jack Black, John C. Reilly And More In Funny Or Die Skit (VIDEO)

The hilarious people at "Funny of Die" have put out a new video, "Prop 8 - The Musical." The star-studded participants include Jack Black, Neil Patrick Harris, Margaret Cho, John C. Reilly, Maya Rudolph and many more familiar faces.

WATCH:

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Comments

[DontBeFoolish]

All of these people need to reread those passages that they are quoting in this video. In short, Jesus Christ when he came made all things clean and it's not the people who are the abomination it's the SIN. Nice try people, but we actually read and understand the book. Unlike, GOLLYWOOD.

[StevenKeirstead]

So that only leaves you with Paul's proscriptions against effeminacy, promiscuity and temple prostitutes, none of which has anything to do with prohibiting same sex marriage. It is better for two men to marry each other than to burn!

[STAN440]

King James Bible- Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Weymouth New Testament - Matthew 5:17 Do not for a moment suppose that I have come to abrogate the Law or the Prophets: I have not come to abrogate them but to give them their completion.

[atomicrob]

The ultimate socail and cultural sanction of any relationship is marriage. It affords the couple legal advantages, social recogition and culturally defined status. To deny any specific group of people these advantages because of the sexual orientation is pure bigotry and prejudice. Drag out all the religious reasons you'd like and it's irrelevant. A civil marriage and the rights it affords is a basic right and we want it to be legalized now across the USA. It will happen either peacefully or through protests and boycotts. The choice should be a simple one.

[vinainor]

I say that all the Christian fundamentalists in this country move to Alaska and help Sarah Palin and her loving husband in their long-standing goal of succession from the United States. That way, they they can integrate church and state all they want, and leave the rest of the world alone.

[IDIOTA]

The Proposition 8 opponents collected money but did not articulate a clear message, and they got beaten though not trounced. I'd say that they deserve some of the anger that many are expressing against Mormons, etc., because they did not do a good job. By the tone of these posts, I would say we are regressing on this issue. Anger just alienates.

[PuddinPie]

Why are Christians singled out as homophobic. Let them challenge Islam, Scientology, hip-hop, sports, NASCAR, WWE, etc. After this challenge, I would like to see marches in Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama and Texas. Let the struggle begin.

[dtwoodson8]

Christians are the easiest target in the US. You can lie about them all you want and get away with it.

[Judyisacutie]

It is very easy to kick the Christians right now.

[fixedriddle]

Very true. Our beliefs in the public sector are taking a beating. Look at the sign put up next to the Nativity scene in Washington state. You can lie about us all you want and get away with it.

And many Christians feel this country is getting more hostile towards us. Thank God Jesus said to turn the other cheek. Eventually the United States will go the way of Europe, atheism will rule.

[any14pokerdotcom]

There are a lot of different kinds of Christians these days and they cannot be lumped into one group. There are the Christians who are so afraid of being wrong about their “ways” that they oppose anyone who doesn’t agree with them. Then there are the Christians who actually follow the teachings of Jesus and try to live by his example. They do not judge they accept, they do not condemn they encourage, they do not hate they love. These are the Christians who voted against Prop 8. These are the people who show their Christianity through works and deeds not judging and hating others.

[janfin]

Are you kidding? Are you trying to suggest that so very many Chirstians don't believe homosexuality is a sin and that they didn't vote for prop 8?

[PuddinPie]

Not ALL Christians are anti-gay!

Remember the abolitionist movement carried strong religious overtones. Christianity played a powerful role in the slave community and was the very foundation that supported the Civil Rights Movement. African-Americans organized in Christian churches. Our music comes from this church. For many of us, this was the ONLY book we owned. You can continue to hate on Christianity, but, in the long term this will get you NO where. You must find the words in the Bible that preach tolerance and justice. You should learn to speak to these groups using their language. If not, 20 years from now you will still be bad mouthing religion and unmarried.

[hadams00]

Many people are asking why they picked on Christians, this is because Christian organizations (including usually progressive Rick Warren and Utah Mormons) made huge contributions to promote prop 8.

[MuchMadness]

There is nothing progressive or tolerant about mocking God.

[GoodwithWood]

Or Santa, The Easter Bunny, Bigfoot, The Great pumkin.........

[janfin]

Where did you see that God was mocked? The production mocked bigoted, small-minded, hypocritical people who would deny civil rights.

[MuchMadness]

It mocked God and portrayed a deluded stereotypical image of Christianity in order to justify practices that cannot be justified. No wonder the entertainment industry is held in low regard by so many Americans of good sense.

[rabidsquirrel]

I know, right!

Because not believing in God or questioning God's existence mocks God.

How do you know that God feels like he's being mocked?

Did the above question mock God, or did it just mock you?

What did Jesus tell you to do when you were mocked for your beliefs? What did he tell you to do when people mocked your ability to know the mind of God? I'll give you a hint, the last one is a trick question...

Seriously, please answer these questions directly, because inquiring non-belief sharing minds want to know...

[PuddinPie]

I think Jack Black's belly is an abomination.:)

[Queenchats]

Me too - and then go stone my wife.

[Cogitoe]

I will be impressed when these same actors make fun of fundamentalist Muslim beliefs about homosexuality. Denying gay marriage is one thing, but how about denying they even exist in your country (e.g. Iran) or stoning them if you do happen to find them. At least most Christians are progressive and tolerant enough to allow civil unions.

[BeltwayInsider]

We (US Citizens) can not point the finger at others with respect to civil rights until we clean up our own act. We need to stop casting gay people as second class citizens BEFORE we are in a position to criticize others. At a very minimum, this would mean, marriage equality, at the FEDERAL level, and, of course, the right for gay people to openly sever in our military.

South Africa went from apartheid to marriage equality in a little over a decade (1). I find it shocking that the United States of America, the supposed leader of the free world, should find marriage equality such a divisive issue.

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_South_Africa

[fixedriddle]

Openly gay people in the military is a problem. Having homosexual men with heterosexual men in settings where they may be nude or partially nude or situations with close contact could be a problem.

The way I see it, it would be like putting straight men with women where nudity or partial nudity and close contact may occur.

May be I am wrong that men who are attracted to men might look at them differently than men who are not gay. The same may go for women.
Would anyone feel uncomfortable knowing a person of the same sex might look at you differently? I am probably going to take a beating for this statement.

[Judyisacutie]

You're right on the money.

[RaWash]

the people who voted for prop. 8 weren't Muslims, nor were they voting based on Muslim beliefs, so yeah, i think the message was right on. as for Muslim countries that's THEIR problem, let them make their own musicals..

[macweenie]

I'll be impressed when EVERY religion is openly mocked as the small minded superstitious nonsense practiced by fearful and bigoted xenophobes. Unfortunately it will take education to blow away the fog of ignorance and if there is one thing the fundagelicals are dead set on doing, it's ruining the nations school systems by inserting their dogmatic nonsense into the classroom. If they aren't focused on butting into your sex life they are working on dumbing down your children.

And while I'm at it - why is it okay for Christians to deny the existence of all OTHER religions gods but if I take it one step further and deny ALL gods then I am the deluded one? So Allah DOESN'T exist but YAWEH does and somehow THAT makes sense? Unicorns, angels, goblins, demons, fairies, cherubs, gods, and devils - invisible, unprovable, insubstantial boogens that populate the dark corners of tiny minds.

[rabidsquirrel]

Macweenie,

They are disputed every day by Athiests. This already happens. Join the non-belief club if you want in on it.

[StevenKeirstead]

Fundamentalist Christians, Catholics and Mormons led the pack of Prop 8 proponents, so naturally they were the target of this satire. While I agree with you that all religions are highly irrational, and agnosticism is the most logical belief, more so than atheism, it is the insistence of traditionalist Christians that government kowtow to their definition of marriage (which is not even written in the Bible) that is the problem.

[rabidsquirrel]

So, just being kinda tolerant is tolerant of enough?

I didn't think there were degrees of tolerance. I think it's more like pass/fail by definition. You are either tolerant of a person's sexuality or you aren't.

It's kinda like being partially compliant with a law... Jesus was only somewhat tolerant and accepting of others...

As far as singling out the Christians over other religious groups goes... I think they just wanted to point out the bigotry of the single biggest voter block that was responsible for passing Prop 8. And this is largely backed up by the fact that every pro-Christian poster I encounter, just loves to tell me how America is a Christian nation because Christians are the majority, therefore the 2nd Amendment doesn't apply to them...

[bill624]

America is a Christian nation because it's entire system of law and conduct is based upon Biblical principles. This country was the first in the world to tolerate diverse types of religious views without government intereference. The Christian origin of the concept of "soul liberty" - meaning government has no right to dictate conscience - is well documented. The basis of the American legal codeis based on the legal and moral codes of the Bible.

That the majority of Americans consider themselves Christians is testimony to the historical fact that before the founding of this country, there was no place in the world that was tolerant of Christian beliefs.

It's easy to confuse Judaic Law - given for the protection of the Israelite nation and to demonstrate its inability to live up to God's standards - with Biblical law. The New Testament emphatically swept away requirements concerning "clean" and "unclean" foods. The "law" served its purpose, replaced by an era of grace.

But the NT affirmed Biblical laws and principles such as the Ten Commandments and moral prohibitions against "unseemly" behavior, including homosexual conduct (Rom Ch 1).

What you do behind closed doors is your business. But our nation invites the judgment of God upon us when we legimitize such behaviors, allowing and encouraging them. This judgment is not for the sin of homosexuality, which is no worse than adultery, lying, stealing, or any other type of sin - but for our societal acceptance and legitimization of it.

[Judyisacutie]

This play is just another example of writers who don't really understand Christian faith trying to make a joke out of the religion and its adherents. They put heavy emphasis on rules in Leviticus that were overruled by Jesus' statements in the New Testament, but they failed to draw any distinctions.

Who is this play for? Are they trying to convince conservative Christians to support gay marriage? How do they expect to persuade the people they're busy making fun of?

[Sam45]

It doesn't appear to me that the writers don't understand the Christian faith. They actually seem to understand it well. Whenever Christians pick and choose verses, taking them out of the context of the times, it's just absurd. The writers are making this clear in the song.
Really, if we want to be crystal clear what Jesus actually says re: "marriage" then it's his stance on divorce--that divorce is clearly wrong; he is against...not to be allowed. Period. That's it. No debate needed. It's right there. Yet, divorce is certainly not an issue. Judy, why is that not an issue? How is that "ignored?"
I'm not arguing that I'm for divorce being outlawed. I'm for separation of church and state. Marriage, in terms of the law/gov't, is about property rights, period.

[Judyisacutie]

The fact that people on here are claiming that Christians pick and choose their faith means that some of you don't understand the very limited weight that Christianity, not Judaism, gives to the Old Testament. If you want to criticize what Christians believe, at least get it right.

Like I said before, who are they targeting with this play? Obviously not the majority of practicing Christians.

[Judyisacutie]

Divorce actually IS an issue, especially in Catholicism, Mormonism and Orthodox Christian faiths. Just because Henry the 8th formed the Church of England to recognize his remarriage doesn't mean all of Christiandom takes this view. Again, you are demonstrating how much people don't know about Christianity in practice. They just think they know.

[Tessie]

Property rights are already currently legally addressed in civil unions. There's your separation of church and state. There's your civil rights.

"Marriage" defined legally as anything but one man, one woman opens the door for people like the boys at NAMBLA, polygamists and bestiality supporters to all begin carving out legal claims that THEIR civil rights are also being denied. There will be no end to it. The ACLU has already taken up NAMBLA's side.

[antaeus]

How do Christians in America expect to sustain their credibility when they are clearly cafeteria Christians, selectively choosing those portions of scripture they find useful and conveniently ignoring those they deem irrelevant?

It's Christians themselves who are at a crossroads: continue to persecute a sizable minority in the name of morality, or recognize that neither Christ nor the Commandments condemn gays.

[Judyisacutie]

Are you really worried about Christians maintaining their credibility, or are you more concerned with getting their votes? This kind of play provokes reactionary thinking on the other side. Think gays are the only persecuted people? The Christians are being persecuted with this kind of stuff, getting chased off the job and so on, so now nobody is happy. It's creating a wall instead of a mutually respectful dialogue. Nobody wins hearts and minds by saying, 'Hey, you're stupid.'

[Awakenedcitizen]

who were the primary groups raising money for prop 8? Catholics, Mormons and Fundamentalist Christians. I did not see or hear of Islamic, Scientology or other religious groups organizing against gays for prop 8.

The LDS church encouraged members to work in 4 hour shifts for prop. 8.

NOW do you get it why this skit focused on Christians?

I see you are offended for being made fun of, right? How would you feel if people organized to deny you, for instance, the right to attend the church of your choice? I'll bet you would be pretty up in arms. Well, prop 8 proponents told the gay community, you cant marry the person of your choice.

[Judyisacutie]

If their target audience is people like you, then they're preaching to the choir. If their target is the people who voted for Prop 8 due to their Christian beliefs, then it will fall on deaf ears in the Christian community.

What Christians will hear is: They don't even understand or respect the basics of what I believe in. They're telling me what my faith is and then mocking those assumptions. Why should I listen to any of them? Why else would they cast Jack Black, a comedian, as Jesus except to make fun of Jesus?

Way to make friends and converts, there.

[janfin]

Very good post--I agree. I will add that in this production I see Jesus presented as a tolerant, loving person. Why is no one acknowledging that? I also think that it targets THOSE Christians who are bigoted and small-minded--the ones who helped to get Bush elected. Can anyone deny that the bible says that homosexuality is a sin? In my experience (and I do know a lot of born-again Christians) the bible is their, well, bible--and every born-again I know believes it is the TRUTH. (I suppose they do chose to ignore those things in it that are abhorrent-- It is that hypocrisy that bothers me.) And one last point. This is a three minute production. One group was chosen to make the point. Sure, others chose to discriminate against, and hate, gays. I would guess that if a full-length version of this is ever made, we'll hear about them too.

[hadams00]

Many people are asking why they picked on Christians, this is because Christian organizations (including usually progressive Rick Warren and Utah Mormons) made huge contributions to promote prop 8.
They mention the book of Levitivus because this is the book in the bible that has the most famous and clear anit-homosexual verse. Lev. 18:22 "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; it is an abomination." Jesus never said homosexuality was wrong but there are some references to homosexuality in the New Testament (e.g. Romans 1:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10) but they are more controversial in interpretation so usually the Leviticus verse is used to say that God disapproves of homosexual acts.

[Judyisacutie]

I've never even heard a minister read from Leviticus, and I've heard a lot of ministers. Are you going by what some televangelists sad? You know that most Christians don't put a lot of stock in televangelists, right?

By the way, the principle opposition to gay marriage isn't based in the Old Testament. It's based in Romans, like you pointed out. If the gay rights movement truly wants to engage Christians on the subject, they need to know where the opposition is really coming from. It's verses in the New Testament, NOT Leviticus. They need to really do their homework if they are serious about dialogue.

I wouldn't be surprised if I got some angry reply from somebody saying Christians deserve to be persecuted or made fun of or that they don't matter. That doesn't advance dialogue between the communities. That attitude keeps things at a stalemate.

[EmberzGain]

This was not unfair, as the other "abominations" statements are also in the Bible, as opposed to that book the Christians claim was added to it.

[DEEMA]

I think the LGBT community should spend more time trying to show America that they are just like everyone else trying to live a normal life with their significant others. They did not do a good job campaigning against prop 8. Unfortunatelly most people think that gay life is not normal. Calling folks who voted for prop 8 names like bigots! haters! is making people validate how they view gay people. Threatening to boycott businessess etc looks really bad and juvenile on gay folks. Fight the battles as a unique group of minority who want to have equal rights just like everybody. Stop comparing yourselves or your struggles with other minority groups each moment you get. They do not appreciate and will not support you just based on that. I do not think musicals will sway anybody, not even the judges that may eventually judge for gay rights. Engage people in serious discussions and show people gay families with children.

[Awakenedcitizen]

I see, gays have to "earn" your approval before they can have the benefit of marriage? Hard to show the gay families with children when they are not allowed to marry.

[janfin]

Their struggles are EXACTLY the same as any other groups' struggles. It's a matter of basic, human, civil rights.

[Dennis NJ]

I forgot this: If Jesus thought marriage was IMPORTANT why didn't he get married???

[antaeus]

He did; didn't you see "The Last Temptation of Christ"?

[Dennis NJ]

Or "The Di Vinci Code." LOL Lets make everything illegal, it would be easier. We could all suffer equally!

[Judyisacutie]

You're assuming Jesus thought marriage was so important. Jesus said being a good person was the most important thing, not getting married. The Apostle Paul said that people should never marry if they have the ability to follow Christ with every aspect of their lives.

[PuddinPie]

Or, he was crucified before he could pick a wife.

[Dennis NJ]

I'm Gay and could care less about marriage, I think it is archaic but those wishing to do so should. Marriage is a Religious Institution so if a religious institution wants to marry two consenting adults why should the government have any say? Doesn't the Constitution say "separation of church and state? Why is the government in the business of marriage in the first place? I never hear that discussed. I understand state Vital Statistics offices keep records for practical reasons but most marriages end in divorce or are childless so why even continue the practice. Its just more money our states spend on keeping records on an religious institution . Its also worth commenting that if the majority (which doesn't have a say in constitutional matters) want to keep things the way they are they should ban divorce and remarriage in the case of if one's spouse dies. It would be fair. Alas, nothing seems to be fair in this country anymore.

[BeltwayInsider]

State law intervened in the marriage process for reasons of disease prevention, through blood testing (1). In that respect, I find it ironic that states didn't come forward in favor of same sex marriage a couple of decades ago, in view of the AIDS epidemic, and its impact on the gay community.

While the typical social conservative is convinced that marriage equality would spell doom to "traditional marriage", I, in contrast, believe that granting marriage equality to gay people would be the beginning of the end of liberalism within the gay community. Marriage equality will introduce mainstream, conservative values into the gay community.

Specifically, what does it mean to a gay teen when the sex ed teacher speaks of "abstinence until marriage"? The teacher may as well be asking the student to become a nun or a monk. Were same sex marriage a reality in the child's life, the idea of abstinence would take on quite another meaning.

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_license

[Iwpach]

Ironically enough the verses cited are taken out of context too.
Weird they're picking and choosing as well. LOL

[antaeus]

One is done with intentional irony in order to make a point in a critique; when biblical literalists do it, it is with deadly earnestness in an effort to control people's lives. Nothing to laugh about, out loud or otherwise.

[CSP]

Huh? How can you take "stone your daughter" and "eating shellfish is an abomination" out of context? Do you know what "out of context" actually means? I am guessing you understand it about as much as bigots understand "separation of Church and State" and how it saved/saves their own hides in the long run. Do you really think rattling off a bunch of words that are untrue and illogical will pass as an argument? Oh, that's right--yes, rightwing-nuts "hold" that thought and logic is a sin, too. Hence "anti-elitisim" (I can see Russia...) and Bush. Video was priceless!

[NJmikeV]

A ham & cheese sandwich is an abomination.

Make mine Swiss.

[giselleascott]

Love it Love it Love it! Congratulations you "sanctity of marriage" crybabies, you helped play a massive hand in this economic free fall we're all in. Bravo.