The bloggernacle is buzzing. Over at Wump Blog, frequent commenter and bloggernacle evaluator Danithew (also our resident chupa-cabra specialist) has created a list of the top ten Mormon blogs. (Full disclosure: His assessment is that T & S is number one; and yes, I should really be trying for a tone of false modesty here, but I don’t know if I could pull it off). Meanwhile, Danithew’s ranking is very interesting and has kicked off some debate over in his comments. Who was included? Who was omitted? Were there any egregious slights? Take a look at who the top ten are, and then tell the chupa-cabra expert your thoughts!
Meanwhile, Jeff Lindsay at Mormanity (unranked: controversial? you decide) has an interesting post up about an ancient manuscript called the Narrative of Zosimus, and its parallels to the Book of Mormon.
Also, Unrandom Thoughts (unranked and protested: controversial? you decide) has some interesting statistics about baptisms as a percent of membership.
Finally (at least for this update), Dave Underhill, a formidable blogger in his own right (#4), has a thoughtful post over at BCC (#2) on how religious beliefs can or should affect voting.
I realized I had failed to include Mormanity for consideration after I had come up with my list and the related post. Mormanity probably deserves at least an honorable mention if not a placement on the list.
One thing I’ll kvetch about … (though maybe this has changed and thus would be utterly unjustified and unfair). Mormonity uses the ultra-loathsome (at least to me) blogger comments and to really add fuel to the fire, doesn’t allow for anonymous comments. Can you believe it?! Man, I’m just steamin’ about it.
But in all fairness, Mormanity is a great blog with very insightful posts. So I really have no right to complain and should be sued by the T&S lawyers on account of the awful libel, slander, etc. that I’ve posted in above-mentioned paragraphs. I’m poor though… maybe you should sue the U.of.U instead. I hear they are paying out big settlements recently.
Hmmmm . . . crack cocaine.
Julie, was that a Homer Simpson-esque “Hmmmmm … crack cocaine,” as in “crack cocaine is delicious,” or was it a “let me think about that one for a while”-type “Hmmmmm … crack cocaine”?
UMMMMM, donuts. Ummmmm, crack. I think it’s the ummmmm we’re looking for.
Ummmm, usually means that something tastes good or that a person is craving a particular type of food or pleasure.
Hmmmm represents the idea that a person is mulling over something, considering it.
But let me check the Oxford English Dictionary to be sure.
Kingsley
(scoffing with disgust) *everyone* knows that a Simpson-esque “MMMMMmmmmmm” doesn’t begin with an ‘H.’
(I was pondering the comparison between T & S and crack.)
I am sentimentally remembering how Nancy Reagan righteously taught our youth during the 80s: “Just say no to plummer’s crack.” That was an important lesson that gets ignored far too often.
Thanks to BCC: for providing me with this quote. It amazes me how much they loved the Reagans.
Not true, Julie, not true. Homer adds an h to his mmm to give it a breathy force, also because he is simultaneously contemplating (hmmm) and drooling over (mmm) the beloved object. See The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D’oh! of Homer for further details.
The Gospel According to the Simpsons by Mark I. Pinsky is also a worthwhile read.
As far as I know, no other show on television has had more depictions of prayer and religion than the Simpsons. As I like to tell my evangelical Christian uncle (who doesn’t like Harry Potter either), this is, if you give it sufficient analysis and attention, a family values show. :)
danithew–
I’m so glad I am not the only one that thinks that the Simpsons is one of the most moral shows on TV. I am thinking of two of my favorite episodes : Homer vs. Lisa and the Ten Commandments (which has some excellent lines “Keep ’em coming, Moses!” and concludes with their decision not to steal cable) and the one where Homer decides *not* to have an affair with Lurlene (“You did say sugar, didn’t you?”).
I’ll never forget that episode where Homer Simpson wrestles with the temptation to commit adultery and makes the right decision.
The show appears to be all about humor, sarcasm and irreverence but anyone who digs into it a little bit will see that it’s a show that deals with pretty serious issues and how flawed human beings get through despite all the pressures of life.
But don’t take it TOO seriously. Just laugh and enjoy it.
I usually bring out the points above to those who criticize or condemn the show. I just don’t think they are seeing it for what it is.
Or the one where Lisa is set to expose the shortcomings of town founder and hero, Jebediah Springfield, but realizes that larger than life figures have a crucial place in the community, that historical mythology is more complex than true/false.
I always thought a good Simpsons episode would be for the missionaries to befriend Bart, who takes them home to teach the family…Then Matt and Trey pulled something like that on Southpark–the adult version of the Simpsons, with similar heady themes (disguised by potty mouths).
BTW, I was in the Marriot Center in 1992(?) when Pres. Hinckley specifically condemned the Simpsons. I suppose we all watch it at our peril (though I know at least one BYU dean who had all the episodes on tape).
Rob (or anyone else),
I’m not being a skeptic. I’m interested in seeing the wording of that condemnation of the Simpsons. Maybe I’m hoping for a little leeway or legalistic interpretation that will allow me to watch Simpsons without any of those “hmm, I’m not listening to the prophet” feelings.
BTW — It’s my bro-in-law’s burfday today and I’m planning to get him both the Simpsons books mentioned above (he’s hugely into the Simpsons). I was sad he already had the episode tapes that are out but realized some theological/philsophical underpinnings of the Simpsons might be just the thing.
Over at Danithew’s top 10 list I commented that a Poll/survey would be interesting, to see who readers think are the top 10 Bloggernacle blogs. I nominated T&S as the best arbiter for such a survey. I’m sure Kaimi could come up with a suitable survey for this purpose, and would be interested to see the results.
In a recent post I typed up some possible criteria for future Top Ten Mormon Blogs lists. I’d be interested in getting people’s comments. When you visit my site to see the post, you will have to scroll down a bit as I’ve posted a few more entries since then.
Anonymous posts are allowed at Mormanity. Let me know if you have any trouble with that in the future. (But don’t tell me who you are.)