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

 

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 founded by Samer Naoum

 

Join the Conversation!

Food for Thought:

How can laughing at the cultural craziness (most of it anyway) be good for your mental health?

 

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons below and subscribe to the podcast. Would love to hear your comments.

 

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