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Australian philosopher, literary critic, legal scholar, and professional writer. Based in Newcastle, NSW. My latest books are THE TYRANNY OF OPINION: CONFORMITY AND THE FUTURE OF LIBERALISM (2019) and AT THE DAWN OF A GREAT TRANSITION: THE QUESTION OF RADICAL ENHANCEMENT (2021).

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Phelps clan vs. Comic-Con

For some reason the nutty Westboro Baptist Church, Fred Phelp's mob, has been picketing this year's Comic-Con, the huge comics-and-stuff mega-convention that runs annually in San Diego. Don't ask me why. This, from an interview with one member of the Phelps clan, is about as cogent an explanation as I expect we're going to get:

MARGIE PHELPS: well we're out here to say that if were to invest one fraction of the resources that you spend and invest in worshiping Batman, and the Ghostbusters and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and so fourth in reading the Bible and obeying God, this nation would not be (garbled).

Some of my pals are over there at the convention right now, but this is a situation where we could do with some really heavy hitters like Thor or Magneto or the Incredible Hulk to make an appearance and show the Phelps gang what's up. Hey, that's no more unlikely than the Phelps clan receiving any divine assistance in its creepy activities (such as picketing the funerals of soldiers and heavy metal stars). Meanwhile, as you can see, the comix geeks have been hitting back - hard! - with no superhuman or supernatural help.

2 comments:

Eamon Knight said...

For some reason the nutty Westboro Baptist Church, Fred Phelp's mob, has been picketing this year's Comic-Con

Because they're attention-whores, I reckon, with no purpose any more (if indeed they ever had one in the first place) than being notorious for being notorious.

ColinGavaghan said...

Did you ever see the Louis Theroux docu about the WBC? Seriously fcuk-ed up people, who seem to thrive on being hated. Brilliant response from the comix crowd.