The 'shocked and appalled' syndrome
 
By McKay Coppins
Mormon Times
 
So, HBO is at it again, trying to attract attention -- and, consequently, subscribers -- by outraging the Mormons. Can we really blame them?

Offending Latter-day Saints by mocking or misrepresenting our faith has proven to be a very lucrative business, after all.

Take, for example, Jon Krakauer's inflammatory bestseller, "Under the Banner of Heaven." The book, which was released in July 2003, tells the story of two Mormon fundamentalists who brutally murdered Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter, claiming they acted on divine revelation. Krakauer attempts to prove that such behavior has roots in the history of Mormonism, and compares faithful Mormons to extreme Muslim terrorists.

Understandably upset by the soon-to-be-published manuscript, the Church pre-emptively released a statement condemning Krakauer's assertions. The LDS community immediately responded with defensiveness, anger and boycotts.

Apologetics harshly denounced the book, questioning Krakauer's credibility and intentions.

And what was the result? The controversy fanned the flame, and the book went on to be a bestseller.

When we, as LDS, go out of our way to express outrage and indignation (however righteous it may be), we pique others' curiosity. People begin wondering what all the fuss is about and, in the Krakauer case, they pick up a title that never would have caught their attention otherwise. Some of those were likely persuaded by the author's unfounded accusations; others were not.

In any case, we should have learned a lesson from this ordeal.

And yet, when HBO revealed a couple weeks ago that they would be recreating the endowment ceremony for their polygamy-themed drama "Big Love," the Mormon community was up in arms all over again.

Now don't get me wrong. I find HBO's decision abhorrent, and I can hardly fathom how executives ethically justified using a highly sacred religious ceremony for the purposes of entertainment. I think the Church said it best in its official statement: this depiction was done in "appallingly bad taste."

But in that same statement, titled "The Publicity Dilemma," the Church explains why it does not call for boycotts: "Such a step would simply generate the kind of controversy that the media loves and in the end would increase audiences for the series."

Individual members, of course, are free to boycott whatever they want. But is it worth it? Very rarely have such boycotts actually persuaded media outlets to cancel planned programming, or book stores to pull books from their shelves. If I had a subscription to HBO, I would likely cancel it once I heard about this episode, but I would do so privately. I would not make a public spectacle of my disapproval.

It would seem more productive to invite my neighbors to temple visitors' centers or open houses so that they themselves can understand why HBO's actions were inappropriate.

To avoid fanning the flame of controversy in the future, I believe we should try to avoid the "shocked and appalled" syndrome. Keeping our eyes peeled for potential attacks on our faith will almost always lead to an over-reaction on our part and, consequently, more attention given to our aggressors.

Maybe, then, we can put the Mormon-mocking industry on the list of bailout-beggars.

E-mail: mcoppins@desnews.com
 
MormonTimes.com
Originally published Friday, Mar. 20, 2009
 
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