The summer of "The Da Vinci Code"

[underpants]

The film version of the bestselling "The Da Vinci Code" is will be released May 16th.

Opus Dei is actually coming out with a full on attack on the movie, the book, and pretty much anything associated with it.
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=1863277&page=1
They don't seem to be familiar with the "no such thing as bad publicity" idea.

And the TV haircuts are jumping on board too (please help)

So if you thought the the duststorm stirred up over a arthouse flick made for limited release like "The Passion of the Christ and it political ramifications was something you ain't seen nothing yet.

Just a heads up. Their is going to be so much self righteousness going around even sharks attacking blonde hotties won't knock it off the front pages. The perfect distraction away from boring old convictions, the rule of law, the Constitution, Iraq, and what have you.

[Botany]

1. For me the summer of I don't care about the Da Vinci codes

But I did hear that Da Vinci codes told of the ghost of Natalie Hollaway was over
looking the Duke lacrosse players as they were watching American Ideal.

[jerry611]

2. What are you claiming?

Saying this is a intentional distraction attempt is a bit of a stretch. This controversy has been going on for over a millenia.

[underpants]

3. Not intentional

I expect that it will be THE topic of discussion (and box office) for the next 6 months or so.

[jerry611]

5. I dont know if I believe in the whole distraction theory

Between now and November, there are going to be MANY things happening in America and the world. Do you not want to know about those things? I think it is the job of the media to report on everything they possibly can.

Personally I don't believe stories like the Hollaway case truely distract anything. Even Fox News spends most of their time talking about Bush, Iraq, and the various scandals.

The only kind of major distraction that would work would have have to be a major event. Something like a major terrorist attack would have to happen.

[WinkyDink]

4. Yes, people should never think of anything besides Iraq and the U.S.

Constitution.
I say: Away with the comics page!

[AtomicKitten]

6. I'm in the middle of the book right now.

As a recovering Catholic, I find it fascinating. And, yes, the Catholic Church's opposition to "The Passion of the Christ" will seem like nothing compared to this. It turns the long-entrenched patriarchal power grab in religion and government, intertwined powers, on its head. It will cause some to re-evaluate that in which they have invested blind faith, and really is relevant to today's move to mesh powers of church and state.

Plus Tom Hanks' hair looks like crap in the movie, surely worthy of at least a week of Faux News discussion.

[peacetalksforall]

7. There are some truths here ...

The book is fiction, therefore the movie is fiction.

However, the Opus Dei is real.

The controversy about Mary Magdalene is real.

The controversy over hidden messages in paintings is real.

The controversy over Da Vinci is real.

The Knights Templar were/are real.

Crusade myths and facts are real.

This book and movie is not a documentary. It is entertainment and exposure.

Exposure is good. Debate is good.

(And Catholics must be jump started to learn about the Opus Dei and debate their political missions and rules.)

Then forward on to the Illuminati.

[Sinti]

8. The Illuminati is covered in "Angels and Demons"

I still can't see why these folks have their undies in a bunch over a novel. It was entertaining, but far from earth shaking or life changing. Funny, I always wondered why Jesus wasn't married, being a Rabbi and all. It would make more sense if he was.

[AtomicKitten]

9. It is the underpinning of the patriarchal power grab

and exposure of the manipulation of the Bible by the Catholic Church.

[Sinti]

11. Of course the Bible's been manipulated

it got translated from Aramaic, to greek, then back to Hebrew, and then Latin before it got translated into English. Can you imagine how different the texts people read today are from the originals? Not to mention that they didn't even start writing it until over 100 years after Jesus' death. "Son of God" in ancient Greece would have simply meant the same as "holy man" to us now.

They had to make women evil, though, they never would have rooted out the damn goddess religion in what is now Europe. ;)

I'm not certain reading the book is going to change many people's lives. Fundies won't read it, and non-fundies were never that closed-minded anyway, I hope.

[peacetalksforall]

17. I think there is potential for change. Some hard core believers

are outraged about any deviance from the dictums of the churches. On the opposite side, there is potential for greater tolerance for all people and a more inquisitive mind - I personally think that an inquisitive and searching mind is superior to a locked one.

This book entertains in a searching way - makes a person want to investigage codes (and there is tons of fascinating reading out there), knights, art, and even the Bible itself. And what is really interesting it to learn is how 'former pagans' melded their native beliefs with the religions of people who converted them.

In the end, we're always being converted by more knowledge. It certainly is true in relation to the law and statutes and history we are learning about our own country and the way this administration is secretly destroying parts of it (much of it) on behalf of corporations and trusts and the reverends and war mongers amongst us.

[Cha]

21. Bart Ehrman was on Jon Stewart's

talking about his book "Misquoting Jesus"..saying just what you wrote in your post and more.

http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060738170

[TrogL]

15. Some really great red herrings as well

and yes, the French can spell just fine.

[eallen]

10. It's hilarious how the fundamentalists now pretend to care about history.

The Da Vinci Code is a work of fiction. So is the Gospel of John. It drives the fundamentalists nuts to have a work of fiction that plumbs the same material as their fetishized works of fiction.

:hippie:

[lwcon]

12. Dan Brown and albinism

Curiously, Dan Brown made the assassin in "The Da Vinci Code" an albino.

One of the hallmarks of albinism is very poor eyesight. Not really good for shooting people from great distances, but it's standard practice for albinos to be portrayed as dangerous freaks in books and movies.

From http://www.albinism.org:

People with albinism always have problems with vision, and many have low vision. Many are "legally blind," but most use their vision for reading, and do not use braille. Some have vision good enough to drive a car.

Vision problems in albinism result from abnormal development of the retina and abnormal patterns of nerve connections between the eye and the brain. It is the presence of these eye problems that defines the diagnosis of albinism.

Writer-actor Dennis Hurley, who was born with albinism, has a parody coming out in early May: "The Albino Code"

Comments from his site, http://www.albinocode.com:

I'd like to discuss my worry about the upcoming release of The Da Vinci Code. When it debuts, its portrayal of albinism is sure to have a negative impact. No doubt, children and adults with albinism will be harassed by insensitive people who see the movie and decide to make fun of people with albinism. For those of you who think I'm overreacting, let me just say that when both Powder and Me, Myself & Irene were released, it was often an adventure for me to walk down the street.

The Albino Code is my way of mocking certain novelists and Hollywood filmmakers who continue to spread stereotypes of all kinds. At the same time, I want my film to give movie-lovers some insight into what having albinism is really like.

___

Hey, the liberal light is always on at the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy. Please stop by and say "hi!"

[Sinti]

14. Gee, that sux. I thought it was more of an explanation for how he became

a cast-out, then a petty criminal, and eventually a member of a dangerous cult. As in, fellow humans who we don't embrace as fellow humans are more likely to wind up preying on society, because they don't value life -- because society doesn't value them. I never realized there was a prejudice against Albinism.

[Stockholm]

13. Opus Dei

Will make this the block buster of the summer.

[DoYouEverWonder]

16. I'm glad this is going to get a lot of attention

America need to have a serious discussion about religion.

I see this has a great opportunity to talk about the Jesus myth and for people to learn more about early christian history, especially gnostic teachings.

[BOSSHOG]

18. Another Great Book on a similar subject - "THE THIRD SECRET"

by Steve Berry. Guaranteed to set the hair on fire of our flag waving fundamentalists.

[riderinthestorm]

19. So we come up with a good lefty seque when the conversation

goes all DaVinci Code this summer.

Something along the lines of Opus Dei and nefarious activities equals BFEE.

Or point out that even Jesus' own descendants prefer France.

Perhaps we can make some connections about good guys trying to discover the truth about long ago secrets, and that it sometimes isn't a good thing to just "move on".

I'm sure there's others. If we get creative I see all sorts of ways to make some good parallels.

[Retrograde]

22. "Or point out that even Jesus' own descendants prefer France."

I've been to a small town in the south of France that - long, long before the Da Vinci Code came out, claimed to be the place where according to my Michelin) Marie Salome, the mother of James and John , Lazarus (post resurection, of course), Mary Magdalene and her sister Martha and some friends decided to settle c. 40 A.D. (Les Stes. Maries de la Mer: I can see why, it has a nice beach. The signs in town didn't say anything about any children, though.

IMHO, Brown left out the more interesting myths: after hanging around the beach for a while, St. Martha traveled up the Rhone river where she tamed a sea monster that was giving the locals trouble. It must be true: I saw a statue of the monster and artists can't be wrong. (I also saw her tomb so she must have been there.) I'm starting on the sequel now: an Indiana Jones meets Anaconda style adventure featuring Jesus' sister-in-law rescuing the Templar treasures from scary CGI beasts. Do you think Angelina Joli's available?

Getting back to the topic: poorly written book with whimpering simp of a heroine. I don't think I'll be seeing the movie.

[Bridget Burke]

20. Opus Dei's "full on attack"? A member is starting a blog!

There are NO Opus Dei monks--albino or not. And why would a group founded in the 20th century be entrusted with such an ancient secret? According to the article, OD is expecting to get more members out of this--perhaps they DO understand "no such thing as bad publicity."

Since the movie opens next month, I doubt the "controversy" will last all summer.

I read Holy Blood Holy Grail years ago & enjoyed it, although I didn't accept it as truth. Yes, the Grail, the Templars, the Cathars & the Magdalene are fascinating topics. But they aren't linked as the authors of HBHG implied. The Templars would have gladly joined the Crusade against the Cathars!

For a more intellectual "holy" conspiracy novel, try "Foucault's Pendulum" by Umberto Eco.

For the classic hippy mindfuck conspiracy check out "Illuminatus."

For The Templars versus The Loa, try "Mumbo Jumbo" by Ishmael Reed.