Mark Joseph is a multi-media producer, columnist and author. His books include Pop Goes Religion, Faith, God & Rock ā€˜n’ Roll , and The Rock & Roll Rebellion. His next book is Wild Card: The Promise & Peril of Sarah Palin, to be published in January, 2010. His has contributed to a variety of publications including Billboard, Beliefnet, The Jewish Press, World, RQ, Fox, NRO, and many others.

Joseph is an award-winning record producer who produced the rock soundtrack for The Passion Of The Christ featuring Lauryn Hill, Scott Stapp of Creed, MxPx, Mark Hoppus of Blink 182, P.O.D. and others and has supervised the international releases of over 70 records and produced the music for dozens of television commercials. He is founder of Bully Pulpit Records whose first artist, Molly Jenson, released her debut album, Maybe Tomorrow in partnership with Nettwerk Music Group in 2009.

Mr. Joseph has produced two short films, The Bridge & Cupid, a documentary Japan In Search Of The Dream and developed and/or marketed 18 films including Ray, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, I Am David, Holes, Because of Winn-Dixie and others and is currently developing/producing the feature films, The Crusader, In His Steps and Sensei. Joseph is also a co-founder and president of the board of the Damah Film Festival.

He has also worked extensively as a TV host and producer having anchored The Entertainment Report for Group W/CNN, then spending five year as host and producer of NHK TV's The Interview, an international talk show that featured Joseph interviewing public figures like Jay Leno, Larry King, Charlton Heston, George Gallup, Gloria Allred and others.

Mr. Joseph also spent a decade as U.S. correspondent for two radio stations, Tokyo FM and FM Yokohama for whom he reported daily from Los Angeles and covered the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles in 2000 for the Talk America Radio Network.

He has been quoted widely on issues relating to the intersection of spirituality and pop culture in media outlets like The New York Times, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, VH-1 and others.

Mr. Joseph lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife and four children.

Blog Entries by Mark Joseph

President Obama & America's Comedically-Challenged Funnymen

Posted November 2, 2009 | 12:19 AM (EST)


For years liberals and conservatives have argued back and forth about a press biased against their side. President Obama is now leading a crusade against conservative talk radio and Fox News, while for years, at least since Richard Nixon's presidency, conservatives complained about biased coverage by the mainstream media.

I...

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The Return of Stryper

3 Comments | Posted October 29, 2009 | 02:42 AM (EST)


It was 1983 and Japan's most influential and widely read rock critic Masa Itoh was looking for something new in the genre he presided over, heavy metal. One day Itoh heard about a rock band called Stryper and flew to L.A. to catch a show. Itoh is a connoisseur of...

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A Visit With Writer/Producer Brian Bird

Posted October 25, 2009 | 02:39 PM (EST)


Brian Bird has been working in Hollywood for two decades now as a writer and producer. For many years he wrote and produced the CBS show Touched By An Angel. Before that he worked on a number of shows like Fantasy Island, Step By Step, Evening Shade and others....

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Oprah's Jay-Z Moment

21 Comments | Posted October 25, 2009 | 01:40 AM (EST)


Obviously aware of the likely objections of millions of her middle-class-suburban-housewife viewers, the other day Oprah very carefully introduced her guest Jay-Z by saying: "Whatever your thoughts are about rap or Jay-Z, after this show, I'm sure you'll agree: he is unquestionably impressive and really, really, really, such a sweet...

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A Visit with Ben Stein

Posted October 11, 2009 | 04:02 AM (EST)


For many of us who were alive in the '80's he will forever be the guy with the monotone voice calling out "Bueller....Bueller.....," but Ben Stein is of course much more than just the character he played in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Over the years he's been an economist, author,...

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Dumb Things Celebrites Say: Ashton Kutcher

20 Comments | Posted October 6, 2009 | 03:03 PM (EST)


Although it's not fair to only pick on Ashton Kutcher since hundreds of celebs have said the same thing, here goes: In a recent interview, the actor was asked if jealousy ever arose on either his or Demi Moore's part over love scenes they have starred in.

Kutcher's response?

...
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Damah Film Festival Announces Winners

Posted October 3, 2009 | 04:53 PM (EST)


After a weekend of exclusive screenings of unreleased films (The Least Of These,) starring Isaiah Washington and Robert Loggia and controversial documentaries (Lord, Save Us From Your Followers), the Damah Film Festival wrapped up with an awards presentation that presented the top prizes to three films:

...
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Damah Film Festival Coming To Seattle

Posted September 27, 2009 | 03:16 AM (EST)


In 2001 a handful of us met in a boardroom and came up with the idea of hosting a film festival. Eventually we came up with some funding and a name: Damah, which means "a transforming metaphor," and put the word out that we were looking for short films that...

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Memo To Bibi

26 Comments | Posted September 27, 2009 | 12:21 AM (EST)


Attn: Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu
From: The American People
Re: Iran

Dear Bibi,

Do what you need to do.

Sincerely,

America

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CA Shocker: DeVore Ahead of Fiorina In Race Against Boxer

26 Comments | Posted September 25, 2009 | 12:49 PM (EST)


For some time now it's been conventional wisdom that Barbara Boxer was in deep trouble in her race to keep her Senate seat and that Carly Fiorina had the best shot at taking her out. A new poll is casting serious doubt on the second part of that equation.

...
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"Lord Save Us From Your Followers" Free Ticket Giveaway For Huffington Post Readers

Posted September 19, 2009 | 04:03 PM (EST)


On Monday night I'll be hosting a screening of the film Lord Save Us From Your Followers in L.A. and moderating a panel discussion afterwards. Written, directed and produced by Emmy-award-winning filmmaker Dan Merchant, the film was described by USA Today as "Monty Python meets Michael Moore: A humorous...

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Rocker Kerry Livgren of Kansas Suffers Massive Stroke

18 Comments | Posted September 4, 2009 | 02:10 AM (EST)


One of the classiest rock stars on the planet, Kerry Livgren, founding member, keyboardist and chief songwriter of the super group Kansas, suffered a massive stroke yesterday but has recovered somewhat today, according to various press reports.

Like many Kansas fans I admired the band from afar, and was...

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Chris Matthews' Race Problem

71 Comments | Posted August 13, 2009 | 02:22 AM (EST)


Night after night Chris Matthews keeps raising race as the reason President Obama is encountering so much opposition to his proposals to reform health insurance and the primary motivating factor behind the Birthers, the conspiracy buffs who think the President was born somewhere other than Hawaii. Matthews is wrong and...

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A Visit With Bill Lobdell, Author of Losing My Religion

7 Comments | Posted August 13, 2009 | 01:40 AM (EST)


For years Bill Lobdell covered religion for the Los Angeles Times and, sadly, if his experience is any guide, spending too much time poking around the underbelly of American religion can be lethal to one's faith. According to Bill, he saw too much and could no longer handle belief in...

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Molly Jenson and the House Concert Phenomenon

1 Comments | Posted August 5, 2009 | 01:26 AM (EST)


When we released Molly Jenson's debut album, "Maybe Tomorrow," in March, one of the first things we did was get her on the road, opening for a new act named Fiction Family, comprised of Jon Foreman of the rock band Switchfoot and Sean Watkins of the bluegrass band...

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The Only Thing Weirder Than The Birthers....

296 Comments | Posted July 30, 2009 | 05:49 PM (EST)


The only thing weirder than the Birthers are the anti-Birthers, who blame the Birthers for being conspiracy theorists yet actively feed the conspiracy by refusing to call for President Obama to release his birth certificate.

The state official in Hawaii who manages such things has reiterated that...

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Nice Try Mr. President; Hold The Beer & Get The Tape

57 Comments | Posted July 24, 2009 | 11:39 PM (EST)


So, President Obama wants the Prof and the Cop to come to the White House, have a beer and make nice? Not so fast. One of the two is lying and there's only one way to find out who's telling the truth and who's not: go to the tape.

Henry...

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Chris Matthews: A Deeply Closeted Birther?

27 Comments | Posted July 23, 2009 | 04:38 AM (EST)


Everyday I drive home from work, walk in the door and ask my four kids under the age of 8 "guess what time it is?" to which they groan in near unison Hardball with Chris Matthews. It's always fun to watch a guy who enjoys his job and Matthews clearly...

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My Interview With John Marks, Author, "Reasons To Believe"

Posted July 13, 2009 | 07:30 PM (EST)


Books by both atheists and ex-theists are all the rage these days and I am especially interested in the stories of the latter and think that religious leaders ignore these important stories at their own peril. The latest book in the category of the ex-believer is by former 60 Minutes...

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Mark Sanford Should Have Listened to Bob Dylan & Michael Douglas

2 Comments | Posted July 2, 2009 | 02:53 AM (EST)


One of the weirdest things in the very odd Mark Sanford story was Sanford's strange quoting of the Bible in emails to his "soul-mate," Maria Chapur. In between suggestive mentions of her tan lines and her two "magnificent" parts, Sanford suddenly waxed religious, writing, "I looked to where I often...

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