Mormons in the Media
I can't help it, when I hear or see Mormons mentioned in media outlets I can't help but cringe a little. I'm sure people who are Muslim feel the same way. It is a "oh great, what are they going to screw up and misrepresent this time?"
(For the new folks out there, yes I'm LDS/Mormon.)
With this whole "Twilight" phenomenon and the fact that the woman who wrote it all is LDS, there was bound to be some blip of media attention brought to that point. While driving around yesterday one of NPR's programs announced an "article" on "Mormons and Vampires." I wasn't sure whether I should be mortified or intrigued.
I was still driving when they finally got to the piece and it was actually quite refreshing and slightly humorous. Apparently around the 1910-1920 there was this British woman who felt that Mormons were evil and actually wrote a book about a supposed Mormon Missionary who was modeled after Dracula. Hypnotizing and whisking the good British girls off to Utah to be a part of his harem (keep in mind that polygamy has not been a part of the church since the 1880's or somesuch). Apparently it was turned into a silent movie as well around the 1920's. The host had a BYU professor on and it turned out to be quite amusing. I actually had no idea that Mormons had been compared to or thought of as vampires. It is both amusing and disturbing at the same time and an example of how demonized and completely misunderstood we were and in many places, still are.
And now I must be off to get some things accomplished for I have lolly-gagged enough for one morning.
(For the new folks out there, yes I'm LDS/Mormon.)
With this whole "Twilight" phenomenon and the fact that the woman who wrote it all is LDS, there was bound to be some blip of media attention brought to that point. While driving around yesterday one of NPR's programs announced an "article" on "Mormons and Vampires." I wasn't sure whether I should be mortified or intrigued.
I was still driving when they finally got to the piece and it was actually quite refreshing and slightly humorous. Apparently around the 1910-1920 there was this British woman who felt that Mormons were evil and actually wrote a book about a supposed Mormon Missionary who was modeled after Dracula. Hypnotizing and whisking the good British girls off to Utah to be a part of his harem (keep in mind that polygamy has not been a part of the church since the 1880's or somesuch). Apparently it was turned into a silent movie as well around the 1920's. The host had a BYU professor on and it turned out to be quite amusing. I actually had no idea that Mormons had been compared to or thought of as vampires. It is both amusing and disturbing at the same time and an example of how demonized and completely misunderstood we were and in many places, still are.
And now I must be off to get some things accomplished for I have lolly-gagged enough for one morning.