Tight Work!

Oprah and the Occult!!

This video makes me wonder who the political strategist is behind this campaign, because they are brilliant. The first thought I had when I started watching this was that Oprah may actually have more to contribute to the cause of liberation than I give her credit for. These first few statements are lifted right out of the womanist theologian's handbook for understanding (claiming?) Christianity as a liberative force in the lives of Black women. Central to that process is throwing off this notion that suffering is either salvific or redemptive; leading Black women to embrace their suffering rather than throw it off and strive against it in our quest for liberation. Who taught Black folks that long-suffering was how to understand and appropriate Christianity's message? Uhm- white folks who owned enslaved Africans, and needed them not to fight against the atrocities that were being unleashed on them.

So, womanism reframes the crucifixion as a story of triumph which demonstrates that we need not be weary in well-doing (pursuing justice), because even the worst of what you will face is not, cannot lead to your demise. Even conspired attempts to annihilate you will not be the end of you. Certainly you will suffer, and it will promise to be agonizing, and people you look to and depend on will abandon you when you most need them; not because you are flawed, but because that's how oppressive systems respond when you seek change.

So, this whole reframe of the Christian story, which asserts that there is no salvation in the crucifixion, but rather that salvation occurs in the resurrection, the basis for hope and a refusal to give up even in the face of death. That's a christianity that is liberative to Black women, and isn't complicit with our oppression; teaching us to embrace our suffering, that God would have it this way, and that enduring abuse is the pathway to righteousness.

(So- christian reframe in 2.5 paragraphs- not bad for blog contextualization)

I know that Oprah didn't create this new and expanded perspective of religion, which admittedly overshoots womanism, overshoots christianity, and lands in new agey. But, it was interesting for me to notice some central womanist pillars highlighted at the beginning, and to recognize that of course Oprah would be drawn to spiritual teachings that possess meaningful and liberative pedagogies which speak directly to the liberation of Black women and our experience. Oprah is a Black woman, even if her target market and primary consumers are not. Gohead Oprah witcho womanist-influenced spirituality and arguing with white women about Jesus. Gohead Oprah!

Now my second thought:

Whoever put this together did so in a way to highlight how un-Christian and heretical Oprah's thinking/teaching(?) is, so therefore be very afraid. Now, if this were a message about Christianity and orthodox beliefs structures/acceptable belief structures it would have ended with a rehearsal of what correct belief is, and where in the Bible support for those beliefs can be found. But, it doesn't. It says that Oprah is heretical, and she supports Obama.

So, what are "real" Christians to do? Turn off your TV.

It's always interesting to me the ways that Christians get pimped into shutting off access to any outside information and to rehearse what they know among other folks who have been similarly insulated. There's something incredibly frightening about having a single space in which to work out your morality/spirituality/political understanding, particularly if that space has information regulated and controlled by a single person who tells you what/how to believe. It's scary because people are far more easily subjected to manipulation and control without even realizing it.

Not even so much as a recommendation to go to church. This was a political ad that sought to scare Christians, associate that terror with Obama, and rally them to show up at the voting boots in opposition to the heretical party.

I like that it's stealth both in its packaging and in its distribution. It's not in mainstream mediums to get dissected and exposed. It's a YouTube video, perhaps created by a true believer, disseminated to other true believers for their consumption and portability. (They can just e-mail it to friends.)

But, it is really masterful in its ability to create unrest, crank that up to terror, and then associate that terror with Obama. This is a really well done political attack ad wrapped up in sheep's clothing of evangelism and a call to return to true Christianity.

I'm also realizing that there is no offering of what "appropriate" Christian belief or opinion is on any of these political issues- or even religious issues for that matter. Because there is so much variation and difference of opinion, by leaving those issues to inference, each "true believer" is able to insert their own dogma as orthodoxy.

I like this video (meaning I think that it is well executed) because it will provoke people with wildly varying and even conflictory belief systems to go to the polls with a single purpose; voting against a particular candidate.

I think some of the Republican strategists are smarmy as hell, but those fuckers are smart!