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A Report from the
Food For Thought Film Series
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by Ruth Ann Smalley
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Is it more invention—or
intervention? Is it politics, performance or preaching? Comedy or
critique? Documentary or, as one critic charged, “mockumentary”? These
are the questions raised by December’s Food For Thought film, What Would Jesus Buy?
Produced by Morgan Spurlock of Supersize Me fame, the film follows the
actor/activist Reverend Billy (Bill Talen) and the Life After Shopping
Gospel Choir as they stage revivals and information campaigns, exorcise
cash registers, offer a shopping sins sidewalk confessional, and even
bless a baby in a superstore parking lot. Made over a two-year period
and released in 2007, What Would
Jesus Buy? has faced challenges for distribution, as it takes on
the big media corporations who wield so much marketplace power.
A sizeable crowd braved wintry temperatures to attend the Linda Norris
Auditorium screening of the film, and stayed for a lively
question-and-answer session afterwards with the Reverend Billy himself
and Savitri D, church director and producer. Bill and Savitri, and
about 20 members of the 35-person choir, also performed the following
night at the Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy.
“The culture of shopping is so complete now, a single interruption is a
kind of success,” Savitri said, as she described the difficulties of
taking on consumerism. And interrupting is exactly what Reverend Billy
and the choir do with such flair, humor and talent.
The film takes us on their cross-country bus tour, as they commandeer
the stage at the Mall of America in Minnesota, cast out demons in front
of the Wal-mart headquarters in Arkansas, and synchronize their watches
for a spontaneous gathering and parade down Disneyland’s “Main Street”
in L.A. Along the way, we see families who go deeply into credit card
debt on their Christmas purchases, teens who don’t question the
dominance of the logo (and some who do), and a variety of responses
from spectators when Reverend Billy and the choir wind up to do their
stuff. Spirited acting, highpowered singing and choreography, and a
sense of humor all draw in onlookers, confuse security guards, and
bemuse store clerks. Reverend Billy, with his white suit, clerical
collar, and heavily sprayed head of hair, excels in over-the-top
parody. Again and again, he steps into the middle of business as usual,
interrupting the routines of browsing and buying, exhorting the crowd
to “Stop, stop shopping” and “Step away from the product!”
This is a message Bill and Savitri feel was gaining ground among
Americans even before the economic crisis broke. They connect their
crusade for decreased consumption with issues such as sweat-shop labor,
sustainable local economies, fair trade, pollution, waste and climate
change. In fact, Bill got his start as a street preacher in Times
Square, when he saw independent businesses being driven out by huge
commercial interests. While the Reverend Billy persona (based loosely
on Jimmy Swaggart) could be perceived as mocking evangelical religion
specifically and Christianity in general, the film has gained
appreciative audiences in churches around the country. They were
surprised to realize how much common ground they found with religious
audiences, Bill and Savitri both said, and had to revise some of their
own stereotypes.
Believing that "the corporation has taken over the role of religion” in
people’s lives, Reverend Billy has ultimately attracted a following
that now constitutes itself as a church, offering baptisms, weddings
and funeral services for a diverse membership. Bill calls this a
“homemade spirituality,” and seems a bit surprised himself by this
development. Drawing on the guerilla theatre of the ’60s and ’70s, and
harking back even further to earlier street theatre with its redefining
of the role of public space, Reverend Billy revels in genre-bending and
blending.
“Sometimes it takes about 15 or 20 minutes for the audience to figure
out what we’re doing, who we are,” Bill said. But the message itself is
clear: the Church of Life After Shopping wants to reclaim love and
enjoyment as non-commercial experiences, and bring people’s attention
back to their homes, neighborhoods and communities.
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| Food
For Thought: An Evening of Socially Relevant Cinema |
Food
For Thought: An Evening of Socially Relevant Cinema is co-sponsored by
Honest Weight and WAMC/Northeast Public Radio. Along with a documentary
film, the monthly event features food samples from the Co-op and a
panel discussion highlighting social, political, environmental and
community issues. Next up:
NO IMPACT MAN – the story of one man who decides to completely
eliminate his personal impact on the environment for a year. Thursday,
February 18 at 6 pm
A SEA CHANGE: Imagine a World Without Fish – a teacher’s quest to find
out what is happening to the world’s oceans. Thursday, March 18 at 6 pm
All screenings at The Linda, WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, 339 Central
Ave., Albany. More info and tickets ($6): www.wamcarts.org/artsched.html,
or call 518-465-5233 ext.4.
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