Controversy erupts after a Saturday Night Live parody skit makes fun of Tim Tebow
Matthew Danton
Contributor
- SNL tries to go for a Hail Mary with a Tim Tebow parody sketch – SNL
There have been many reactions to Saturday Night Live parody skits, but none like the recent reaction from televangelist Pat Robertson.
In response to a Saturday Night Live parody sketch depicting Jesus in a Denver Broncos locker room asking them to play better, the media mogul and conservative Christian stated: “If this had been a Muslim country […] you would have found bombs being thrown off and bodies on the street.”
A disturbing quotation not only for its racism, but its implication that this is an appropriate reaction to things we do not like.
However, what makes this issue troubling is not that Robertson said it, but that people have chosen to believe his words and his stance on the skit that it is “anti-Christian bigotry”.
I saw the sketch as less of an attack on Christianity and more a satire on those who stretch the boundaries of prayer and the role of Jesus (or any religious figure). Yes, it mocks Tim Tebow, but not because he is a Christian, but because he believes Jesus plays an active role in the outcome of his football games. In a post-game interview, he even admitted (through apophasis) to praying for the San Diego Chargers’ kicker Nick Novak to miss his field goal.
The role of God seems to have become trivialized through this.
And yes, the presentation of Jesus is unconventional, some might say disrespectful, yet he is the most rational person in the skit, as he actually credits one of Tebow’s teammates for their wins.
The skit is a parody of the Jesus that exists in the minds of Tebow and other athletes who turn to prayer for help in a game. The writers were not trying to mock Jesus by presenting him in a humorous manner, but criticize those who pray for such insignificant things by creating a Jesus that would answer petty prayers.
The sketch was funny, but also informative. Many have ignored that the underlying message of the satirical sketch is that religion is not a way to win football games, or any sport for that matter. How many people have we seen pray heavily for divine intervention in a game? Buffalo Bills’ Steve Johnson even blamed God (on Twitter) after he dropped a game winning touchdown: “I PRAISE YOU 24/7! AND THIS IS HOW YOU DO ME! […] ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!”
Both sports nuts and religious fanatics should take a time out and pick their fights more carefully before going forward.
