You say you want a (Pure Life) Revolution

May 31, 2005 7:17 AM

Last Saturday afternoon, protesters used Nashville's public Musica statue (which features nine bronze nude dancing figures) as the backdrop for a protest against such disparate issues as abortion, strip clubs, and homosexuality. Calling themselves the Pure Life Revolution, the group describes itself as "a prayer and repentance movement on behalf of purity, justice, righteousness. We are a moral outcry for society." [MI]
posted by ChrisTN (34 comments total)

I really hesitated about posting this. I hope it won't devolve into a generic Christian-bashing thread--this group is pretty extreme in its approach, even for conservative churches. Rather, I just wanted to ask: is this the future of fundamentalist activism, where groups stage theatrical public protests that cross any easy one-issue definitions, while not promoting any specific public policy changes? Is "purity" a viable rallying cry to encompass everything they're trying to accomplish?

My favorite parts (in an unintentionally hilarious way) were some related sites linked through the "Pure Life Revolution" pages: xxxchurch.com, which is (despite its URL and self-description as the "#1 christian porn site") actually an ANTI-pornography site; and National Porn Sunday, in which "America’s dirty little secret gets a voice on October 9, 2005 [as] hundreds of churches throughout the country ... will bring hope to those struggling with pornography." Porn in church==fun for the whole family!
posted by ChrisTN at 7:17 AM on May 31, 2005

I see they wear the Schiavo protest tape over the mouth. Good placement for the tape!
That is a beautiful statue BTW.
posted by nofundy at 7:32 AM on May 31, 2005

As long as they're just theatre buffs, I have no problem with them expressing their views, ChrisTN.

Once they start bugging me about my lifestyle choices, they can go to hell with the rest of 'em.
posted by wakko at 7:34 AM on May 31, 2005

Nehemiah Scudder.
posted by orthogonality at 7:34 AM on May 31, 2005

ChrisTN writes "is this the future of fundamentalist activism, where groups stage theatrical public protests that cross any easy one-issue definitions, while not promoting any specific public policy changes?"

Nah. "Pure Life Revolution" looks like a serious candidate to seamlessly evolve into an uniformed group promoting "purity" in more active ways.

As for your "hope it won't devolve into a generic Christian-bashing thread", why dost thee forsaken what thou hast called forth?
posted by nkyad at 7:39 AM on May 31, 2005

More money is spent on internet pornography in America than all major sporting events combined.

I find this very hard to believe. Anyone else have data on this subject?

Perhaps if you include purchasing traditional VHS and DVD pornography on the internet that would be a more believable statement, but that's not what most people mean when they say "internet pornography" is it?

Do that many people REALLY pay for internet porn? So far, except for one friend getting ahold of a malicious dialer and a $300 phone bill to Chad (Africa) about 7 years ago, noone I know has ever "paid" for internet porn.

There is so much free that you would grow old and die before seeing a fraction of it even if you looked at porn 24/7.
posted by Ynoxas at 7:47 AM on May 31, 2005

That is a beautiful statue BTW.

Yeah, it's especially stunning in person, as you're driving around and around and around it. I should point out that Alan LeQuire, the artist who created Musica, also sculpted the beautiful Athena Parthenos which resides in our very own full-scale version of the Parthenon.
posted by ChrisTN at 7:53 AM on May 31, 2005

Ynoxas writes "Do that many people REALLY pay for internet porn?"

Probably or else it wouldn't be such a thriving business - you should think about the average person, who does not want expend hours searching for new material and does not mind paying 10 or 20 bucks a month for "hundreds of movies in all categories updated weekly". On the other hand (no pun intended), news about the industry are hard to find. Not because they does not exist, but because a search for "internet pornography industry income" will return between one and two million nsfw links before the ones to pages about business and finance.
posted by nkyad at 7:59 AM on May 31, 2005

"More money is spent on internet pornography in America than all major sporting events combined."

One could only hope... ;-P
posted by mischief at 8:07 AM on May 31, 2005

this group is pretty extreme in its approach, even for conservative churches

It seemed pretty pedestrian to me. It didn't see any fetus photos or "God hates [insert name here]" posters. I disagree with them vehemently, but it isn't as if they were anarchists smashing storefronts or white power rangers waving the swastika.

Or did I miss the extreme part of their sit-in?
posted by Cassford at 8:22 AM on May 31, 2005

More money is spent on internet pornography in America than all major sporting events combined.

I knew I shouldn't have answered that damn survey!
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 8:22 AM on May 31, 2005

is this the future of fundamentalist activism, where groups stage theatrical public protests that cross any easy one-issue definitions, while not promoting any specific public policy changes?

If so, they're cribbing it from lefty protestathons. Portland has seen I don't know how many mishmashed, focus-less protests-to-the-choir in the last few years, with five or six different issues bumping into each other as the assembly moves up Broadway, bullhorns overlapping and signs disagreeing.
posted by cortex at 8:31 AM on May 31, 2005

Don't people realize they can get porn for free on the internet?

(Going out to print out some leaflets or something)
posted by drezdn at 8:33 AM on May 31, 2005

More money is spent on internet pornography in America than all major sporting events combined.

People pay for net porn? Clueless fucks.
posted by jonmc at 8:33 AM on May 31, 2005

Portland has seen I don't know how many mishmashed, focus-less protests-to-the-choir in the last few years...

A few years ago in Toronto, when I was unemployed and thus had nothing better to do than wander the streets in the afternoon, I came across a similarly-unfocused protest of some sort marching down Yonge St.. Mixed in with the usual anti-globalization, "FREE TIBET" and "FREE MUMIA" placards was an elderly black woman in a floral-print dress holding a sign reading "DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE!!!" I'd love to know what it was she was protesting, exactly.
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:57 AM on May 31, 2005

The hype.
posted by cortex at 8:59 AM on May 31, 2005

Or the hype's credibility, at least.
posted by nebulawindphone at 9:08 AM on May 31, 2005

I've never trusted Hype. He speaks eloquently, but never really says much.

Speaking of not saying much, extemporaneous speaking has some pitfalls, as the sentence structure below suggests a message probably diametrically opposed to what the speaker meant. (Granted, most people will read what he meant...and not what he said.)

"Nashville has more strip clubs and porno shops, adult businesses than any other city in America for the size of our population. We also have more churches than any other city for the size of our population. We think those two are opposite of each other. Someone needs to stand up and cry out against these things. ..."
posted by dejah420 at 9:43 AM on May 31, 2005

So they need people to stand up and cry out about there being so many churches? I agree, it's an outrage :-)
posted by clevershark at 10:28 AM on May 31, 2005

(self-post)

So there.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 10:31 AM on May 31, 2005

This afternoon, some people will make a point of not looking at it or saying anything about it.

Well, as long as they protest in that way only...

Also, I didn't know that Nashville had the most churches per capita. Depressing.
posted by c13 at 10:48 AM on May 31, 2005

We are not out here to debate art. Some things are better seen in a museum. That is fine. We just don't think that certain things should be displayed. I shouldn't have to explain to my children what this is. I am forced to basically.

boy howdy, i guess this guy's lucky he wasn't my parents trying to explain Vigeland Park to me as a small child. i guess matter-of-fact never really occurred to him?

and i have to say, i really like free-for-all protests. if people can't handle the lack of a one-point message, then they don't know how to have fun.
posted by RedEmma at 11:00 AM on May 31, 2005

and i have to say, i really like free-for-all protests.

Why? They tend to confuse and muddle the message and give the impression that all activists are fuzzy-brained weirdos.


if people can't handle the lack of a one-point message, then they don't know how to have fun.

The purpose of protesting is to be heard. When I'm looking for fun, the last people I'd turn to would be activists, whatever their other virtues.
posted by jonmc at 11:11 AM on May 31, 2005

nude isn't lewd

Then what's the point?
posted by jonmc at 11:13 AM on May 31, 2005

i live not far from nashville , i don't mind the statue.
but come on its nashville. what they need to erect in that space was a statue of this
posted by nola at 11:37 AM on May 31, 2005

That purelife guy in the third link, he bought me a beer at the strip club and then propositioned me.
posted by nofundy at 11:40 AM on May 31, 2005

That was GREAT nola!
posted by nofundy at 11:41 AM on May 31, 2005

Then what's the point?

The point's that tasteful nudity can be a joyous celebration of life and living.
The point's that there is nothing inherently shameful about the human body.
The point's that it's just No Big Deal, that's all.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 11:44 AM on May 31, 2005

The point's that it's just No Big Deal, that's all.

I'm all for nudity, but I don't ever want to reach the point where naked boobies are "no big deal." Whatta buzzkill.
posted by jonmc at 12:08 PM on May 31, 2005

Is it just me, or do (some) parents make a bigger deal out of explaining nude sculpture to kids, than kids need for an explanation?

It's a sculpture of people without clothes. What else need to be explained?
posted by KirkJobSluder at 12:17 PM on May 31, 2005

It's a sculpture of people without clothes. What else need to be explained?

Well, exactly. I have tons of art books that my toddler loves to look at. He sees sculptures at area parks and gardens and I'm pretty sure we've taken him through the art museum at least once. Also, we let him run naked outside, swim naked, play naked. It's the reward I use for potty training..."If you learn to use the potty, then you can go commando."

Now granted, there have been a few incidents that might have been embarrassing for other people...like when he points out nipples on women who seem to have caught a brief chill, or when he asks people if "they also have a penis", but so far it's not anything I consider abnormal.

Kids are curious. It's that whole mind being programmed with new knowledge thing. To deny them art because they might catch a glimpse of a nipple is just absurd. (IMHO) Equally absurd is using the "won't somebody puhleeze think about the children" argument against great art. By that definition, all Italian art would be banned, Rodin, all of the Greeks, the Romans...most of our art history. The human form is an exquisite thing...it is no wonder our artists are drawn (eh, sorry) to it.

I'm all about people having hang-ups about whatever. Me, I don't much care for neon underlit cars and spinning wheels...but I'm certainly not going to go down to the custom shop and sit around in sunglasses being all emo kid about it either.
posted by dejah420 at 2:25 PM on May 31, 2005

jonmc: re: free-for-all protests:
They tend to confuse and muddle the message and give the impression that all activists are fuzzy-brained weirdos.

so? ever read any Abbie Hoffman? no, i guess not.

The purpose of protesting is to be heard. When I'm looking for fun, the last people I'd turn to would be activists, whatever their other virtues.

well, thank you for telling me not only the Grand Purpose of Protesting, but also that activists have no sense of humor. been out much?

seriously, i've been to more protests than i can count. some were quite sober affairs. some silent vigils. some very focused and uninterested in a diverse message. but some--some i enjoyed thoroughly--were crazyassed lunatics running around and freaking out The Flannel-Suited Ones. neither i nor many of those who attend these sorts of things could give a good goddamn whether or not observers are being serviced properly with The Message. because honestly, sometimes the message is just Fuck You. or Have Some Fucking Fun, You Sour-Faced, TV-Sucking Americans. or Hey, Over Here, We're Queer! Woo Hoo!

i thoroughly realize that protests annoy some people to no end. i find that amusing. even now that i'm all old and shit.
posted by RedEmma at 3:55 PM on May 31, 2005

I'm all about people having hang-ups about whatever. Me, I don't much care for neon underlit cars and spinning wheels...but I'm certainly not going to go down to the custom shop and sit around in sunglasses being all emo kid about it either.
posted by dejah420 at 5:25 PM EST

I think I love you. Do you write professionally? If not, you should. That was so good.

This whole thing reminds me, whatever happened to John Ashcroft and the curtains in the Justice Building? Are they still there? Can we go protest them being there?
posted by nofundy at 9:37 AM on June 1, 2005

were crazyassed lunatics running around and freaking out The Flannel-Suited Ones.

earth to RedEmma: it's 2005, not 1968, I sincerely doubt you could freak out anyone but church ladies. But you go right ahead and keep telling yourself how "afraid" the straight world is of you. Meanwhile, we'll all go have a beer and ignore you. Most people shrug and keep walking. It was actually my encounters with activists, who in my experience tend to fly off the handle at anyone who disagrees with them, don't mind their own fucking business, and get offended at absolutely everything, that taught me that, indeed, most of them have no sense of humor.

Hey, Over Here, We're Queer! Woo Hoo!

Wonderful. What do you want, a medal?

Quite frankly most of modern activism is to my eye is not about communication or actual change, but people getting together to pat eachother on the ass for being "enlightened," and to attack anyone who disagrees. It's the fundies in a funhouse mirror.

And remind me to show you my first edition paperback of Revolution For The Hell Of It, sometime.
posted by jonmc at 6:38 AM on June 2, 2005