On The Passing Of Fred Phelps

(Shared post with Bl4ck D4ys)

When I had read that Fred Phelps was on his deathbed, I'll be honest, a smile came across my face.

Phelps was the founder of one of the most vile organizations the United States had ever seen.  The Westboro Baptist Church made many Evangelical Christian congregations look tame in comparison.  They had a single message:  Their god was not a god of love, but of hate.  And that, to win his favor, you must hate the world as well.  And, boy did Fred Phelps hate the world.

Phelps and his congregation came into notoriety in the late '90s, after protesting the funeral of murdered gay teen Matthew Shepard.  They proudly stood outside the service, holding signs declaring "GOD HATES FAGS".  In future years, Westboro went on to picket in response to the Columbia disaster, and outside the funerals of fallen soldiers and celebrities.  Their hate was palpable.  Media coverage of their protests would literally put a foul taste in your mouth.  But, for all of the horrible things Phelps had done in his life, he surprisingly accomplished a lot of good.

Fred Phelps changed the way that the world looked at the LGBT community.  Over the last two decades, his actions showed us how ugly it was to be homophobic.  He gave us an example of how we didn't want to be.

Phelps inadvertently created millions of straight allies.  He brought together soccer moms and Hells Angels, anti-war activists and veterans, to work toward a common goal.  He created an environment that made it easier to come out to your friends and family.  Who would have thought that so much hate could create so much compassion.

Shortly before his death, word came that he had been excommunicated by the WBC last August.  The reason for his removal?  Advocating that church members be kinder to one another.  Ironic isn't it?

I would like to think that in his final days, Phelps was remorseful for the pain he had inflicted on so many families over the years. That maybe he had realized that he could have done things differently.  Probably not.  But, if you really think about it, the world is a better place because of Fred Phelps.  And, I'm thankful for that.

When my children are old enough, I'll tell them about Fred and his family.  I'll explain to them how, because one man was so mean to everyone else, he showed the rest of us how to really treat each other.  I think there's a very valuable lesson to be learned in that.  And, it's one that I'll never forget.

I hope your soul finally found peace, Fred.

5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About 'Frozen'

'Frozen' is the most successful animated film of all time.  In late January, it passed the previous title holder, 'Finding Nemo's' $339 million in domestic ticket sales. And, as of today, it stands at just over a billion dollars in worldwide sales. Tomorrow's scheduled DVD/Blu-ray release is only going to add the the fortune Disney has amassed from the movie.  If you have a daughter, you probably already know all the lyrics to 'Let it Go'.  If not, congratulations.  You'll have plenty of time to learn the words, the next 647 times you watch the movie.

Here are a few little tidbits about the movie that you can use to impress your kids, or your significant other:

1.)  Google "of course".

If you go to Google and type in "of course", it will auto-populate with "Of course I want to build a snowman".  Yes, 'Do You Want to Build a Snowman?' has become THAT popular.  In the event that you are unfamiliar with 'Do You Want to Build a Snowman' (I apologize in advance for the poor quality.):

2.) Rapunzel and Flynn Rider make a cameo in 'Frozen'.

If you watch closely during 'For the First Time in Forever', you will see Rapunzel and Eugene come into the frame from the left.  It's immediately after the gates are opened, and just as Anna is starting the first chorus of the song.

 

3.) Keep an eye out for the disclaimer at the end of the credits.

All men do it.  Even princes.  :)

4.) The writers were obviously fans of 'Arrested Development'.

Used in 'Love is an Open Door'. (Again, sorry for the poor quality.):

The Duke of Weselton even does the Chicken Dance:

5.) Robert Lopez, co-writer of 'Let it Go', is only the 12th person to win the EGOT.

EGOT is an acronym for Emmy, GRAMMY, Oscar, Tony.  It's the grand slam of songwriting.  Lopez won a Daytime Emmy for music written for 'The Wonder Pets'.  He won both the GRAMMY and the Tony for songs written for 'The Book of Mormon'. He won another Tony for work on Avenue Q.  And, most recently, the Oscar for Frozen's 'Let it Go'.

 Bonus:

There is a parody of 'Do You Want to Build a Snowman?', called 'Will You Help Me Hide a Body?'...and it is GLORIOUS.  Hopefully this will get you through marathon binge watching sessions.