135: The Savage Satire of The Babylon Bee—Kyle Mann

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The news satire site The Babylon Bee has run into a problem: the crazy world has become harder and harder to satirize. Aimed primarily (at least originally) at evangelical readers, “the Bee” has amassed a much larger audience including many Catholics who also enjoy Eye of the Tiber. 

A few headline examples: 

Christian Extremists Hit Downtown London; Dozens Of Tracts Passed Out

Sheltered Atheist Kid Not Allowed To Watch 'VeggieTales'

Christian Rushes To Get HIV Test After Brief Eye Contact With Gay Person

Out-Of-Touch Youth Pastor Still Saying 'WASSSSUUUUUP!?!?!'

Planned Parenthood Defends Bill Cosby: 'Sexual Assault Is Only 3% Of What He Does'

But as editor-in-chief Kyle Mann (this week’s guest) points out, there’s always a nugget of truth beneath the crust of comedy. Satire serves more than one purpose. Poking fun of Christian foibles and “worst practices” is not only fun, it reflects a certain confident humility. And it may even plants seeds of faith. Enjoy—and hey, lighten up!

 

In this episode you will learn

• How Kyle came to his commitment to Christ
• The origins of The Babylon Bee idea
• Why so few Christians appreciate self-critical humor
• Why satire is so hard to pull off today
• How the Bee editors decide what “going too far” means
• Possibilities of increased interfaith understanding based on what Protestants and Catholics both find hilarious
• Why comedy is “divine”
• How the best comedy draws close to reality but spins it into a manageable off-beat direction

 

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Babylon Bee website
• How to Be a Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living by Ryan Mann
• Eye of the Tiber: Breaking Catholic News So You Don’t Have To ed by Samer Naoum

 

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