On March 11, 2005, MTV2, sister channel to MTV and a Viacom subsidiary, aired the first episode of a new program called “Wonder Showzen.” Seven additional episodes were shown throughout the season. MTV2 is planning to air six new episodes, at a date not yet set.
The show is styled like the PBS show “Sesame Street,” with child actors, puppets and cartoons. The content, however, is far from child-friendly. Gratuitous sexual references and lewd portrayals of all things Christian are the norm in this prime-time program.
Many quick and cheap shots at the Church are taken by “Wonder Showzen.” In one skit, a scrolling tape reading “Catholic Church approves condom-flavored breath mints” runs across the screen during a mock newscast. A segment in which a little girl writes a letter to her dead grandmother includes mention of a priest feeling granny’s breasts while she was in the coffin. In another, a child answers the question “What is your greatest wish?” with “to punch God in the face.”
But one episode, titled “History,” delves into new levels of sickness. A cartoon shows a young boy praying by his bed. An animated Bible walks into the bedroom along with a syringe full of heroin, a knife and a bottle of liquor. After the Bible injects the heroin and drinks the liquor, it performs a sex act with a prostitute.
As if this isn’t enough, the next scene shows a priest reading from the Bible in church. The figure of Jesus comes down from the cross and begins break dancing. At this point, the rest of the statues in the church transform into bikini-clad blondes.
The show’s co-creator John Lee stated “Our mission statement is to kill civilization.” His partner Vernon Chatman was actually disappointed that “Wonder Showzen” didn’t garner more criticism, saying “We were so hoping the world would be offended” and MTV bigwig Tom Calderone, “Wonder Showzen’s” executive producer, boasted “The show assaults you on so many levels.”
Write to Calderone at:
MTV2
c/o MTV
1515 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
(212) 258-8000
You might ask Calderone if he learned how to assault Christians in college or whether it comes naturally to him. You might also ask why he chooses a safe group to bash—anti-Catholicism is so routine—and not a protected group.
