Don't Tweet...

"I do think there is an anti-Christian bias in Hollywood. As soon as the David character in “The Last of Us” started reading from the Bible I knew that he was going to be a horrific villain. Could there be a Bible-reading preacher on a show who is actually loving and kind?" Rainn Wilson Tweet

"Of course it’s true that the evangelical/political coalition is doing a great deal of damage to our country. Banning books - banning freedoms - denying inconvenient science, taking a grotesque anti-LGBTQ+ platform…But most Christians that I know are kind, accepting and loving and seeking to make the world a better place. They should also be honored in the media." More from Mr. Wilson

The number of people on TV and in movies that are these good Christians he wants to see represented is practically immeasurable. Because it's assumed that most people are religious. It's not odd for a character to talk about going to church, or saying they will pray for someone, or seeing a crucifix hung on a wall in a house or have a character wearing a gold cross. It's all just background. We don't notice because it's ubiquitous in our American culture to see religion constantly. 

His second tweet also explains his first. Why oh why is the bible reading preacher a red flag that this is going to be a bad guy? Well...yeah, the book banning, the homophobia, the anti trans movement, the sexism the generalized bigotry, all of that makes it pretty easy to see why we will probably assume someone coming in to a story like that is going to be the bad guy. Now, as an aside, David makes it clear that he is not actually a Christian, that he recognized that it would be easier to control people if he couched it in religion. Which, yeah. 

Slavery. Hitting your kids. Women being less than men. Anti trans, anti gay, almost any generalized bigotry. They've all been justified by using bible verses. The bible itself has been rewritten and edited at times to further the people in power's agendas. But do go on about how it's Hollywood pushing the narrative and not history. 

And I do get his inclination to wanting to see his friends better represented. I have family and friends who fall into the really decent people who are also religious camp. Like, really religious. The ones who do pray for you every day and not in a condescending way but in a please protect and shower love on this person way. The ones who use their faith to guide their lives in positive directions. And his own faith (he's Baha'i) dictates that he wants to see the best in everyone, the unifying things we all hold. So I understand his "why can't we all get along" stance. 

But...

Right now there is an, to quote Rainn Wilson, "evangelical/political coalition {that} is doing a great deal of damage to our country. Banning books - banning freedoms - denying inconvenient science, taking a grotesque anti-LGBTQ+ platform" There are states right now trying to outlaw our daughter's existence. Who are using her as a scapegoat and target for all of their hate and discontent. So forgive me if my response to "oh won't someone think of the Christians" is fuck you. Fuck you and fuck them. I will worry more about Hollywood's representation of evangelicals when real life representation of evangelicals isn't so vile.