Clarification: Apparently the Thursday night "Idol" included the "Jesus" lyric. In a somewhat-related item of interest to our readers, my colleague Tim Graham reminds me that West Coast viewers of ABC's "The View" in May 2002 heard a bleep when co-host Joy Behar said the word "Jesus."
Apparently Jesus just isn't alright with "American Idol." On Wednesday's "Idol Gives Back" special a choir singing "Shout to the Lord" had to excise "Jesus" from the song. (h/t Michelle Malkin)
To borrow from Simon Cowell, the decision was, to put it charitably, dreadful. See the YouTube video embedded below the page break.
For more on the media's assault on traditional values, visit the Culture & Media Institute's Web site.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
what would you expect from
April 11, 2008 - 13:03 ET by TruthMongerwhat would you expect from "idol" worshippers:)?
but actually thanks, idol! now Jesus will get some extra news and debate PR out of this:)...
Good point. Josh Harris does
April 11, 2008 - 13:07 ET by Ken ShepherdGood point. Josh Harris does have some thoughts on this, and I mostly agree. Rather than being gravely offended, I'm saddened and reminded how much I need to pray for people who are spiritually dead and in desperate need of the Savior.
Good question "what would
April 11, 2008 - 13:25 ET by Dan The Man 2Good question "what would you expect from "idol" worshippers:)" and what dod you expect? I mean from Idol worshipping Islam? As the queen said in Alice in wonderland "Off with their heads"
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.
The did Say Jesus.
April 11, 2008 - 16:29 ET by republicaninjojarepublic
I saw Idol and know the song well, since I have sung that song in Church. Here on the Eastern Time Zone Jesus was not left out of the beginning of the song. I played it backed and listened. They said Jesus several times. Shocking of course, Simon has no clue about who Christ is. He got a dose of that when Dolly performed her song last week. She told Ryan "I follow Jesus, Ryan, and you follow Simon." Pretty funny! Go Dolly. Sometimes it takes a southern gal to tell it like it is.
aninjoja
Idol songs of
April 11, 2008 - 16:57 ET by Clear thinkerIdol songs of faith...
Actually, I have been rather surprised this season at how many different songs of faith the contestants have sung. It was especially evident during the week of Doll Parton. The contestants chose songs of hers and most went for Dolly's songs of faith. Last years group had quite a few christians as contestants, and most of them landed somewhere in the top ten.
Watching Idol has been something of an eye opener for me because I assumed that the show would be Hollywood (liberals) on steroids but that's not the case at all.
One last item somewhat related... We have been pounded by the media and Democrat politicians that our economy is in dire straights and we are headed for doom and gloom. This has me wondering........ if we are in such bad shape, how is it that politicians have raised hundreds of millions of dollars for this campaign season, and how come people have donated almost 100 million dollars to Idol Gives Back, etc?
"Abstain from McCain"
I guess you guys know this
April 11, 2008 - 13:10 ET by Don DeskinsI guess you guys know this already, but they re-did the song with the correct words on Thursday night.
Didn't know this, Don.
April 11, 2008 - 13:17 ET by QueenMumDidn't know this, Don. Thank you for helping me control my blood pressure. Was there anything said about the change?
I am the exotic Queen Mum, and I approved this message.
They didn't say anything
April 11, 2008 - 14:56 ET by Don DeskinsThey didn't say anything about it. I didn't hear Wednesday's, only Thursday's, so I didn't know there was a controversy. My wife was looking on YouTube before I went to work and realized they had actually sung it the night before (and she didn't notice the word change). I didn't know about the word change until I read Malkin, and evidently there was an uproar on AI's message boards from Christians who couldn't believe they had changed the words.
My thoughts (for what it is worth): They sang it once with altered words (good!), they sang it again (better!!)... All in all, they sang it twice because Christians stood up.
This is my very favorite
April 11, 2008 - 13:14 ET by QueenMumThis is my very favorite contemporary Christian hymn. I'm surprised they didn't substitute Allah for Jesus. If it was about not offending Jews, I'd guess that most Jews think it just as ridiculous as we Christians. It's not like no one can figure out from the context of the lyrics who the song is about. Do these libs know how truly stupid look when they try so hard to be politically correct? And they call this "tolerance". (Insert obscene gesture of your choice. I'm using a well-known Italian one with the traditional words that go with it.)
I call on all Christians to boycott "American Idol" and its sponsors. It would have been better had they not even included the song in the show. I'm so angry about this. What a bunch of phonies.
I am the exotic Queen Mum, and I approved this message.
I've done that already. I
April 11, 2008 - 13:29 ET by mjgI've done that already. I find it monotonous and boring so I've stopped watching. I agree they are a bunch of phonies.
"If it was about not
April 11, 2008 - 15:14 ET by Gothampc"If it was about not offending Jews, I'd guess that most Jews think it just as ridiculous as we Christians."
If you haven't already, read "America's Real War" by Rabbi Daniel Lapin. Great book about the US and its culture war.
Thanks, Goth. Can you
April 11, 2008 - 17:31 ET by QueenMumThanks, Goth. Can you provide a brief synopsis?
I am the exotic Queen Mum, and I approved this message.
Quick Synopsis
April 11, 2008 - 18:03 ET by GothampcThe Rabbi's basic premise of the book is that the US was founded on Judeo-Christian principles and as long as those principles are followed the US will be a great country. He talks about many things including school prayer, homosexuality and abortion.
He points out that in no other country have the Jews had more freedom and wealth than in the US and it's because the Founding Fathers were Christian and upheld Bible principles. However, secular humanism (supported by many liberal Jews) is dangerous and their hatred toward Christians will cause this nation to fall.
Rabbi Lapin makes many bold statements in the book and has many wonderful things to say about Christianity. He pulls no punches in the book. He even makes the parallel between Nazi Germany (National Socialism) and the US (Democrats want socialism). And he is bold enough to say that liberal Jews were part of the cause for the rise of Hitler.
If you'd like more information, feel free to send me a private message.
Thanks, Goth. Sounds like
April 11, 2008 - 18:15 ET by QueenMumThanks, Goth. Sounds like something worth reading.
I am the exotic Queen Mum, and I approved this message.
I guess they only allow
April 11, 2008 - 13:19 ET by mattmI guess they only allow "God" and "Jesus" when used as an exclamatory expression or a swear word.
Right you are.
April 11, 2008 - 13:30 ET by mjgRight you are.
Idol
April 11, 2008 - 13:57 ET by dougbr1002I also like how they followed it with the Ben Stiller bit, where he dropped 3 or 4 Bleep bombs.
Reminds me of Bill Cosby
April 11, 2008 - 14:31 ET by CobraManThat reminds me of a story that Bill Cosby use to tell.
If I remember correctly, the bit was when he was a little boy, he thought his name was "Damnit!" and his brother's name was "Jesus H Christ!" Once, while he was playing outside, his dad yelled out the door "Jesus H Christ! Get you butt in the house in and wash up for dinner like your mother told you!" He continued to stay outside and play. When his dad asked him why he wasn't moving, he replied "But Dad, my name is Damnit!"
(on edit: that's Cosby and not Crosby. DOH!)
not to be a dick but
April 12, 2008 - 21:09 ET by red_dragon311not to be a dick but that bit being the cornestone of my childhood , it was bill who thought his name was Jesus Christ and his brother Russel thought his name was damnit.
the punch line was "damnit get back in this house"
"but dad i'm, Jesus Christ"
My borther and i would tease our mom and dad with this ALL the time so know the bit by heart.
anytime one of our folks said "Damnit ......anything" or "Jesus Christ ...anything" normaly the one NOT getting yelled at you blurt from another room "but I"M Damnit !!!!"
I was a professional twice over - an analyst and a therapist. The world's first analrapist
Bad news for Norman Greenbaum
April 11, 2008 - 14:14 ET by sarcasmoNo covers of his classic one hit wonder "Spirit In The Sky."
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
Idol Irony
April 11, 2008 - 14:53 ET by nkviking75Ironic, ain't it? The best selling American Idol alum, Carrie Underwood, released "Jesus Take The Wheel" as her very first single, and it was a HUGE record.
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
If you guys haven't noticed,
April 11, 2008 - 15:00 ET by Don DeskinsIf you guys haven't noticed, ALMOST ALL of the winners and runner-ups have been Christians or raised in a Christian home. Most learned to sing in church.
Barbra Streisand
April 11, 2008 - 15:08 ET by GothampcFor some reason this reminded me of Barbra Streisand. She put out a couple of Christmas albums with all the traditional songs. Then in the 1990s, she recorded the Contemporary Christian song "On Holy Ground". When she recorded it, she changed the lyric "Let us praise Jesus now" to "Let us praise our God now".
Yeah. Those Hollywood libs
April 11, 2008 - 17:44 ET by QueenMumYeah. Those Hollywood libs have no problem crossing the aisle when it comes to making some bucks. Was Streisand one of those who excoriated Mel Gibson for "Passion of the Christ"?
P.S. The song "Standing on Holy Ground" is based on a verse from Exodus. So it sort of crosses over well from Christianity to Judaism.
Exodus 3:5
"And he said, Draw not nigh hither:
put off thy shoes from off thy feet,
for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."
I am the exotic Queen Mum, and I approved this message.
Wait, so when was "Jesus"
April 11, 2008 - 17:37 ET by balboaWait, so when was "Jesus" edited out? The West Coast broadcast of Thursday?
→ bal
April 11, 2008 - 17:42 ET by Cool ArrowI'm a fan, so I DVR every episode.
The number they sang last night begins with "My Jesus, My Savior.
I had to replay it just now to make sure they didn't sing "My Beavis" or something like that.;
♣ a seal