Mormon Culture Tournament - Round 2, Part 2
Okay, so there was way too much time between part 1 and part 2 of round 2. I will be blaming that on the raging cold I am currently suffering through (even though I didn’t get it until today). I am miserable and therefore everyone should be miserable (especially those items that lost last week).
Speaking of which, our winners from the last competition were:
1. Funeral Potatoes (despite heavy anti-tuber lobbying), 10. Johnny Lingo (despite heavy admin lobbying), 5. Missions, and 4. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Hey, 3 out of 4 ain’t bad!
Today’s contestants are:
1. Arnold Friberg vs. 9. Dear John Letters
Loading ...In the last round, Arnold Friberg flexed his Swartzeneggaresque muscles and crushed Brandon Flowers like the little girly man he is, 86 to 14. Meanwhile, Dear John Letters failed to let Dale Murphy down gently (*sob*), 84-16.
My prediction: In an upset special, Dear John Letters leave Arnold Friberg crying over the fallen Nephites.
2. The Christus vs. 5. The Cultural Hall
Loading ...In the last round, The Christus’ heart was made of stone, resulting in unsatisfying NCMO, 74-26. Also, the Cultural Hall closed its stage before Gladys Knight could perform, 79-21.
My Prediction: The Cultural Hall represents the center of your church, but the Christus represents the center of the church.
7. Cheerios at Sacrament Meeting vs. 14. Delivering Meals to the sick and recently delivered
Loading ...In the last round, Cheerios fed the poor and impoverished, while Pyramid Schemes just made more of them. Cheerios, 72-28. Also, Meals were delivered to Janice Kapp Perry in order to help her through her difficult loss, 66-34.
My Prediction: Another upset, with meals delivering a body blow to cheerios.
4. Temple Square vs. 11. The Mission Field = not Utah
Loading ...In the last round, Temple Square inhabited the space set aside for President Kimball’s resemblance to Yoda, to the tune of 66-34. Also, the Mission Field excluded not only Utah, but also Lengthen Your Stride, 72-28. It was not a good round to be President Kimball.
My prediction: This is tough to call, as both elements are distinctedly Utahn (which some have argued to be a strike against some contenders). However, the Salt Lake Temple is the Sun to the Mission Field’s Moon and Stars, I think.
Vote above and comment below.
Looks like a couple of upsets in the making, HP/JDC. And some close voting, too.
Comment by Mark IV — January 31, 2007 @ 2:03 pm
com’on guys, how many of ya had those dear john letters! Don’t let it end now! Vote for Dear John Letters!
Comment by Dan — January 31, 2007 @ 2:43 pm
I can’t believe the Cultural Hall is winning. That seems totally illogical. Please someone explain this to me.
Comment by Matt W. — January 31, 2007 @ 2:50 pm
Cheerios!!!!!
Comment by Ben — January 31, 2007 @ 3:14 pm
I can’t believe Dear Johns can go toe-to-toe with Ahnold. When Moroni wraps his pythons around your neck, whatcha gonna do?? Say your prayers and take vitamins, Fribergomaniacs!!
Comment by Steve Evans — January 31, 2007 @ 3:20 pm
Um…what Matt said.
Comment by HP/JDC — January 31, 2007 @ 3:32 pm
I will explain my vote for cultural halls.
I like the Christus and all. It’s a nice statue. the original was made by the Danish sculptorBertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844) for a Lutheran cathedral in Copenhagen. The one on temple square is a copy.
So this is something we’ve appropriated. It has become something of a symbol of our Church, I grant you.
But to me cultural halls are remnants of the 19th century ethic that plays and performances and, well, culture, are all an important part of our worship and our society with one another. I see them as more distinctively Mormon than Thorvaldsen’s Lutheran statue.
Comment by Kevin Barney — January 31, 2007 @ 3:38 pm
Cultural halls are also more ubiquitous than the Christus statue. I see the statue on pictures sometimes and at the visitor’s center but I’ve never seen a meeting house (except the one I go to now, which is a converted (ha!) car sales lot) without a culteral hall.
Comment by Proud Daughter of Eve — January 31, 2007 @ 3:44 pm
C’mon! Ever go to the Church website! The Christus is like the LDS equivilant of the Crucifix! (Waves hands animatedly over his head, like a truly frustrated sports fan.)
Comment by Matt W. — January 31, 2007 @ 3:50 pm
What Kevin said (7). I hate the ubiquity of copies of a copy of the Christus. Mormons are suckers and have no aesthetic. (Uh, I think I’m channeling Bernard De Voto …)
Comment by Ardis Parshall — January 31, 2007 @ 4:37 pm
The cultural hall is the location for much of what is Mormon culture. Dances, dinners, plays, weddings, basketball, etc. I can’t even think about how many hours I spent in the cultural hall as a kid when both parents were in meetings. The tourney isn’t about what represents the church best, but what represents the culture best.
Viva la cultural hall!!!
Comment by KyleM — January 31, 2007 @ 4:57 pm
(#3) Come on, playing basketball on carpet and having dances with that bright orange floor is uniquely Mormon. It even captures the eliminated wedding reception with the basketball hoops.
Comment by Clark — January 31, 2007 @ 4:57 pm
Cheerios. Humph. Bunch of 20/30 somethings. Cheerios are only even remotely mormon when the kids are under two. Even if you have six of them, that’s 15 years max. Average Mormon lifespan is what? 80?
Mormon culture is completely child/baby obsessed, though. So maybe a baby-fetish item making it to the Elite Eight IS quintessentially Mormon.
Comment by Ann — January 31, 2007 @ 5:44 pm
Clark #12, well, I agree, but I would have thought we would want to omit the STUPID things about Mormon culture…
Comment by Ann — January 31, 2007 @ 5:45 pm
Interesting side note. There was a recent thread here about the movie “Babette’s Feast.” I watched it the other night and saw that promently displayed in the sister’s living room was a replica of The Christus. I thought I was watching a Church-produced movie. Temple Square and lds.org were the first things that popped into my mind.
Comment by Darrell — January 31, 2007 @ 8:15 pm
com’on guys, keep the votes for Dear John Letters going. Seriously, what other organization/group/religion has such a thing in their culture? Every other organization/group/religion has some famous painter….but who else has Dear John Letters!
Comment by Dan — January 31, 2007 @ 8:44 pm
Uh, the Armed Forces?
Comment by KyleM — January 31, 2007 @ 8:46 pm
Dear John letters are pretty common in the military. With Iraq and Afghanistan there have been plenty of stories.
Comment by Clark — January 31, 2007 @ 9:18 pm
Ok, so Cultural halls symbolize all that is tacky about Mormon Culture, the Christus Symbolizes Christ. Cultural Halls are for the Mormon Culture of Singles Ward, The Christus, the Culture the culture of the as yet unmade Mormon equivilant of Chariots of Fire.
Rally!
Comment by Matt W. — January 31, 2007 @ 9:56 pm
Matt W., The Christus is a graven image and therefore verboten.
The real surprise, and disgrace as far as I am concerned, is cheerios in church winning out over taking meals to the sick. Can somebody explain that?
Comment by Mark IV — January 31, 2007 @ 10:21 pm
Mark, I agree, but I think it is just evidence that those that put the hall before the Christ are morally depraved.
Comment by Matt W. — January 31, 2007 @ 10:53 pm
It’s obvious. Those of us who utilize the cultural hall properly don’t get sick.
Comment by KyleM — January 31, 2007 @ 11:09 pm
Arnold
Cultural Hall
Cheerios
Temple Square
C’mon - the Christus is one of the most beautiful statues I’ve ever seen - it’s lovely and it really does symbolize the LDS faith — but the Cultural Hall is the Cultural Hall. It’s been woven into the very fibers of our beings from the time we were Cheerios-eating monsters running around in the overflow. It wins out of sheer popularity (in the most literal sense of the word.)
Comment by meems — February 1, 2007 @ 4:12 am
dang, forgot about the military….still, go Dear John Letters!!!
Comment by Dan — February 1, 2007 @ 6:29 am
Re #20 - I think delivering meals is just not unique enough to LDS culture… happens all the time in many other churches, and in tight neighborhoods too.
Comment by Tona — February 1, 2007 @ 7:19 am
Tona, cheerios happen outside the LDS church too.
The Cultural Hall is just a room! You people are the very reason LDS Cinema is “The Home Teachers!” Shame on You!
Comment by Matt W. — February 1, 2007 @ 8:46 am
hey I voted for the Christus.
I don’t see the Cultural Hall on any part of the LDS website, yet there is the Christus, nice and large for everybody to see, that it now represents our religion and our culture!
Comment by Dan — February 1, 2007 @ 9:02 am
Yes, the cultural hall is ubiquitous. It was the easy choice because it’s something we have lived with our entire lives, every single week.
I like the Christus statue to some extent but it also makes me a little uneasy - especially when I read that commandment against graven images.
Comment by danithew — February 1, 2007 @ 9:39 am
Wow, I’m just excited by the lobbying taking place in the comments. I hereby declare Matt W. and Ann unofficial undersecretaries of Mormon culture watchdoggery.
Comment by HP/JDC — February 1, 2007 @ 9:45 am
Is the mission field still a common term? I used it the other week with our elders and they had never heard the term (and they’re both Utards).
Comment by Norbert — February 1, 2007 @ 10:24 am
Poor HP/JDC, the only letters he got were Dear John letters.
Comment by FHL — February 1, 2007 @ 2:34 pm
And that explains why I am so messed up today!
Comment by HP/JDC — February 1, 2007 @ 2:46 pm