Okay, this is a somewhat serious question. I deal with Student Activities and clubs at my University (Arkansas State), and have noticed a somewhat disturbing trend. Both the Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship, Chi Alpha (Assembly of God), and Baptist Collegiate ministries have all had mime performances on campus. The ones that I have gotten any info on (I try not to inquire too closely after any mime activities) have some biblical themes, but I wanted to know whether this was a nation-wide thing or not. The mime troupes have all been different, and not local, so I assume that they take it on the road.
I don’t think that there is any scriptural basis for it, but does anyone know whether there are any good reasons to favor that sort of event for a fundamentalist Christian audience?
The mime activity known as “live video” which is people acting out the words do a song as it is played is very common in evangelical churches. I think one reason is is that is easy to do in public places where such forms as drama would be too difficult for the audience to hear what is being said. Also such performances can be done on missions trips to areas where foreign languages are spoken as they do not rely on knowledge of the language to communicate the message. They also allow people who have no talent for singing or drama to participate in using the arts to spread the message. I also think that the popularity of Carmen about 15 years ago has something to do with it.
Fundamentalist Christianity has always been known for having its finger on the pulse of what’s “hip” and “happening”. Whether you agree with their message or not, you gotta admit they know how to relate to the young people. Take this mime thing, for example. There’s just something about a guy with white paint on his face acting out the lyrics to a Christian inspirational song. Young adults respond to the edgy, urbane appeal of the performances. And what teenager doesn’t think mimes are da’ shizz-nit? Of course the traditionalists object. They say the in-your-face commercial aspects of the mimetic arts dilute the substance of Fundamentalism with eye-catching style. To which I say “Phooey!” The medium is the message, people! And the message is “You’re going to hell!”
Fundie: “Let’s see . . . I’m already making myself obnoxious by trying to shove my religion down everyone’s throats. How could I possibly be more annoying? I know—mime!”
Obviously you’ve never been subjected to “Christian drama.” As said by an ex-fundie I knew back in England, “When someone gets born again, I think they leave their acting talent behind!”
Weird. I must have missed them (I’m on an Arkansas State University campus right now). Then again, with a name like Mephisto, I don’t get invited to many church functions . . .
I’ve been involved with various churches, ministries and outreaches over the past 20 years that range from Fundamentalist to Evangelical to Anglo-Catholic, from local to international, and I’m happy to say that none of them have ever involved mime.
I’ve seen and heard good performance art. But also I’ve seen many really awful skits and vignettes, terrible “inspirational dance”, and a couple of really bad puppet shows. But by the grace of God, no mime.
I have known some Born-Again clowns, who involve themselves with Christian ministries, but I have never met a Christian Fundamentalist mime.
One thing I have noticed with all the Fundy clowns I have seen is that they are not funny. Their entries in skit competitions are invariably heavy handed, preachy, and have no sense of timing. And, I’m sorry, but “Jesus Loves You” hardly works as a punchline…
Somehow it seems inevitable that mimes and fundies should find one another. It’s like God looked down from heaven and said “I’m gonna set a new standard for ‘rancid’ today…”
I clearly remember going to fundie church camp one summer where they had a team of mimes there all week, as the entertainment.
And I was fascinated and amazed. Because I’d never seen or heard of mime before, so I didn’t know I was supposed to hate it, and I was young enough not to recognize how awful it was.
Just think though, if you get saved and a fundamentalist mime baptizes you, you wouldn’t have to actually get in the tank/hot tub/pool/dunking booth/whatever they call it and get wet to have it done.
I’ve seen Christian clowns, puppets, and some of the other forms of entertainment mentioned (TBN has some horrible examples of this stuff on from time to time) but never a fundamentalist mime. I’d be worried that they might convert more people to becoming mimes rather than saving their souls. Holy rollers I’m used to in here in the South but just don’t bring more mimes into the world!
I’m aware of the Fundie/Evangelist penchant for ventriloquism (eeew!), especially when preaching to kids, but I hadn’t heard of the mime thing. I’m not sure which I think is creepier.
I think Fundies have an affinity for mimes because the visual media are much easier to understand than reading is for them. In addition, the gambols and antics of clowns are entertaining to the child-like intellect of your average Fundie.
The youth group at my church has done this stuff several times. Mostly in Mexico and Slovakia. Like mentioned above, it’s just a good way of telling the story (usually it’s Christ dieing for our sins, or something similar) in a situation where you don’t speak the language. The kids have received various responses to the skits, usually depending on where they did 'em. In Mexico City the usual response ranged from laughter to general ignoring. In the smaller towns it’s been cool though. Usually afterwards a few people will come up with questions, which we try our derndest to answer.
And for the record I don’t consider my church a bunch of “fundies”. We’re not beating anyone over the head with this stuff. The kids just do the skit and we tell people where the church is. Nobody has fed anyone a bible that I know of.
One of the most unusual protests I’ve ever seen was a few weeks ago in Montgomery, AL. There was a nightly vigil (especially on weekends) of Roy Moore supporters protesting the removal of the 10 Commandments (see one of the 329 SDMB threads for more info) and a group of white-faced black clad mimes began descending the capitol steps across from the Supreme Court building. They assumed a cross formation and moved down the step with the banner “THE MIMES FOR CHRIST”. Bizarre and surreal scene- if Flannery O’Connor was alive in 2003 it’d have been incorporated into a story. (I wonder if they could do a “crucified guy walking into the wind” scenario?)
Incidentally, I’ve seen productions of GODSPELL in which some members of the cast were dressed in mime-like apparel. GODSPELL was inspired by a chapter from the 1969 book Feast of Fools: A Theological Essay on Festivity and Fantasy . The chapter was entitled “Christ the Harlequin”; not having read the book I’m not sure what the thesis is, but it was around that time that Mimes and Christianity began to comingle, so perhaps there’s a connection.
Actually, jokes aside, it does seem like something most of the fundies I know would enjoy. There’s a branch of my family that puts on (or used to put on–we don’t hang out much, obviously) christian puppet shows for the neighborhood children. Perhaps there’s some kind of personality element there that’s satisfied by the inclusion of cheap theatrics? “Hell Houses” are popular as well, and go under the same category.
In the smaller towns it’s been cool though. Usually afterwards a few people will come up with questions, which we try our derndest to answer. 