The Church of the SubGenius is a religion, but really a parody of religion. Learn all about this group of weirdo outsiders in today's episode.
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Welcome to stop. You should know a production of Iheart radio most under the Pakistan Josh in theirs shocking juries, over their wandering round in circles in the past, about church of the surgery at long last.
when did you become acquainted with the church of the sub genius, I had
a group of friends that walked on the other side of life darkness right of lifeless in a less serious,
life, I'm not sure in the nineties. An air was one guy who is big time into the church of the sub genius
what happens right now. That was my first introduction. Then I actually came across the hour of slack on Georgia text student radio, one leg in early two thousand
regulator I never got into it, though, are you actually like a secret sub, Jean yeah? I know
same as you. I had a friend in college, a very influential friend, actually who too,
me onto a lot of different things. As I was just getting into college and exploring different ways of life meant thought patterns
and ensure sticks, everybody Jason. He be
the! U turn me into a lot of things in life and I have been able to tell him so, which is always a nice thing in Bob Dogs and the churches are geniuses, one of em yeah yeah. I give you might not be utterly familiar with the true to the sub genius, but I'll bet there's a pretty good chance that a lot of stuff,
should know listeners or at least familiar with it, without even being fully aware that of what it is. But there is a very, very famous picture of a clean cut, mid century middle aged dude, with a pipe clenched in his teeth and almost like a
Patrick Bateman. Psychotic, look on his face, like Ahmed Shah Zaman meets Word Cleaver, exactly yes Chuck. I don't think anyone's ever put it better than that, and that is J R
Bob Dobbs, who is the high profit of the church of the sub, and he is popped up everywhere from the background at Paris, playhouse,
is a sublime record that had em on their like. He shows up all over the place. It's almost like code, and so you probably have seen it even if you're not familiar with the true to the sub genius, that's called the Dobbs head right.
gathered from clip art which we will see it's kind of the fun in jokes about a suitor
religion, a satire and parity of religion- and it's you know:
formed by two guys will get into the history. But I have a sort of a thing.
The definition- and I know you do and maybe we'll just read both of em mine- comes from Steve Davis of the Ostend Chronicle, and he said this in the late Seventys, the church,
Some genius was intended as a dogmatic antidote,
to a re, emergent, mediocrity, embracing and and confluence with evolving.
New wave sensibilities and troops in music Foeman pop culture,
was an inn joke with a half serious punchline, very nice whose great and what do you eat it uses from
the grabs to himself? He gonna put an idea also from the austrian chronicle. Yes, so Ed said that is that the best way to explain the church is, it is a joke, but to get the joke, you have to see that it is really a joke at all, but has actually getting at harrowing truths about the world. Not bad did not bad, so the whole thing up really scared at a little bit. I think so too.
the way. I think you better. The whole thing is that it is a parody of a religion, a parody of a cold, a UFO sex call. If you wanna get technical, it's it's a absurdest in joke in the whole thing is one big in joke made up of
like millions of tiny little in jokes, that anybody in the church can kind of general create, but it's all kind of hung on the skeleton of this, this doctrine of the prophet Bob Dobbs. Who is this the world's greatest salesman,
who is basically carrying out the will of an ailing
God
may or may not love us where the subjects yea as they are called in plural, and
like either it sucks you in immediately in you like. I want to know more about this, because this is hilarious or repulses you, because it is making fun of everything that you hope
dear there's, not a lot of middle ground, although I would cut myself as somebody in the middle ground to tell you the truth,
so often chuck nice?
yeah. What I just did there and you'll see the cid alot? If you watch the documentary, if you see any you to put a judge of people from the sub, the Genius church hang,
out at one of their device
they don't call them revival seldom de viable here they will do
staying where they can have
juggle their throat with her hand as they can sort this weird chant
Then I didn't find much information on that specifically, but I did see them doing it. All over the place where it is a huge, huge rabbit hole and, as will see like some people, always evidently take it seriously, and that's not the
I think they do at all. That is now
that is a that is in
silly unsound thing to do that now,
what year engineers or anything like that, the intention is to basically point out how just warped our consumer culture
is it made a lot more sense in the eighties, before our culture ended up becoming the parity, that the choices of genius was was
carrying out year. It has had a very mad magazine. Vibe
something I know that you and I both grew up, loving and cherishing, and I can see like you know, if that something
mainstream, as you wanna like in it too, to help people undressed,
and it's almost as if mad magazines,
bitter of religion,
outwardly. Newman was the God and it was all
just one big joke about consumer culture and and then, if people end up taking it seriously, you can really see why I like that would be a very strange thing like right. Of course, Alfred E Neuman is not God and, of course, Bob Dobbs is not God for the prophet, but these two
founded this. This kind of funny joke religion in the late nineteenth seventies because they were like minded deeds and what started as a joke grew into a
I guess a mini phenomenon.
I don't know me, and I think it's me
phenomenon, I would say major hours, COLT Classic COLT phenomena go and also we should also. I think we should put preface all this if it's not too late doll of the church of the sub genius members out their past and present in future it. This is one of the things were like. If you explain what makes something funny right, it is like that's, the least funny thing you can do so if we traipse into that just by virtue of explaining things
I was sorry I now cause. It is a fine kind of cool thing that was created for people that vat like they were on the outside of aiding the cycle, yes for firm, outcasts and weirdos who didn't fit in necessarily they found.
The common ground before the internet, yeah by writing letters back and forth to each other. They can it had the internet through, pin and paper.
in these devise rules- and we have Douglas Saint Clair Smith and Steve Wilcox to thank for this year. The original outsider weirdo
That's right! You may not know by that name. If you are familiar with the church, this of genius. You know that
as Ivan stay,
in FILA Drummond- and these were two guys like I said who were they were in Texas
I think FILA grew up in a religious family, but
and had a really good childhood. It wasn't some like stifling situation, but he was always sort of did
quite fit in and felt like the outsider at school and was seeking outsider
culture and whereas staying was, I think he described himself. The documentary is secular
and scientists in his upbringing, super
RO family, whereas what we keep calm Wilcox whereas follows was
more conservative to be sure, but they found.
Common ground when a friend introduce them, they said you both of comic books. You both love, Frank, zapper and captain be fired.
get together and you might have a new friend and they were immediate friends, yeah yeah. They definitely hit it off the impart also because they, both kind of just felt like they didn't really fit into Dallas Texas. At the time,
it helps one of the things they really do. They had in common was a love of like earnest, bona fide extremist pamphlets reckon
they're, fine there, whether its extremist religious groups, extremists, like you, know, like white supremacist groups, which I'm sure Dallas Texas in the seventies, had quite a bit of like anybody who is just kind of off the rails and was trying to recruit other people to be off the rails with them in made a pamphlet about that. These guys would collected in relish it and that also included member the Jack Shit tracks, initially tonic panic episode. They were huge and that had a
Jim on them as well those comic strip about how somebody you know had sex before marriage, and now they were burning in Hell kind of stuff like that they they took all these things together and they kind of use them as the basis for this outlook on the world, which is humans, art,
totally nuts in a lot of ways and then even more than that they can be dangerously nuts when they try to foist or in pose their own. Craig
thoughts, anti you and make you behave a certain way because of their crazy thoughts that that's the danger.
Comes out of modern life, and I think that's one of the things that really stuck out to them and the thing that drove them did Kennedy can to try to fight that. However, they could
I have to say. I see the appeal of what they did because this year
for a few years ago, TAT is quite a few years ago now are
nobody Joanne Desert and I wrote a tv pilot together
a bit Scientology
ask religion
and it never went anywhere. We even had a few pitch meetings and nothing happened with it, but in writing that script we had to create our own religion. For that pilot, and you can't just say I was his car
this in its whatever, like you, have to really kind of explore. The tenants of it
get a real thing and we did that
and I made a pamphlet Jonah made it together and I can put it together and we brought the pamphlet
the pitch meetings in it I'll send you
some time materially funny are our religion was called Viner rhythm and it was like number. This numbers based can of Scientology thing, but it was so much fun
and all I could think about when these two guys got together and nineteen, seventy, nine and hatch. This idea was yeah. It's a lot of fun to creep,
That's funny religion, death even for a screenplay, yeah,
and they were definitely inspired by IRAN, Hubbard and his success. It basically founding Scientology, based on some science fiction. Ideas
he had and then becoming rich. There is a famous quota attributed to run over that you can't get retraining science fiction, but you can get rich
I writing by founding your own religion and so at the so we should be really careful here,
they were inspired by l, DOT Ron Hubbard in the sense like they wanted to take advantage of people. I think they were more fascinated by the fact that there are plenty of people out there who will buy into this right and I think they kind of wanted to explore that not not in any kind of like it's weird. It's the whole thing is kind of a cynical. It comes from a cynical place where you just have to be cynical, that to to be to be critical enough of society to see it for what it is,
but it's also like a very humanist, booze group as well, where, like they're, not trying to hurt you they're not trying to explore, you think definitely come off his superior lotta times, especially if you're not in on the joke, because there were a few by definition, part
the butt of the joke right by you and Normie. Yes, but for the most part there not they're, not like a group of people who, like hey or despise other people. I think they're fascinated by the fact that that kind of stuff exists and there also fastening by just how conformist the average person is without even thinking about it. So they were fascinated, I guess, is the way to put it by El Run, Hubley
and his successor scientology- and there is another quote, those attributed to staying. I don't know if it was in the documentary that came out recently or not, but he basically said: if we figured they'd have Jim Jones can get nine hundred people, they kill themselves. We could get nine hundred people to send us at all.
Dollar and they kind of wanted a toy around. With that and see you know if that was the case not to exploit people bid just a kind of sea. I think if there is
anybody else out there they're kind of shouting into the wilderness in the way that you
told them that you were out. There was two Malian a dollar instead give semi your pamphlet.
yeah in here's. The deal is staying, it looks like all accounts is
generally made his living doing this over the year. He had worked he's
not gotten ridge, it's not a Scientology thing where it's like insane.
A hundred more dollars and will give you another thing now is really just sort of male us some money and
since you are a comedy good
Yahoo mail, yeah, like any still stuffs envelopes, any still sins pamphlets and cds and
the richer. Today, it's like you know it's like pay,
for a mad magazine or something but has just done from the Skies House. Yeah also get the impression that the far and away the vast majority of people who understand the church said
As for what it is when they say money in their sending it out of my gratitude for what you're doing and end FILA have built together how to prevent it. That's that's what it is. They are there not being
hoped in any way there in on the joke, they're just showing their support by shoveling money towards those guys are. I think that is the great
the annual you're either turning off you're Haifa system now for here back or your intrigue,
I want to come and will talk about the night
all hatched right after this.
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All right
These guys are hanging out its
eighteen, seventy nine they didn't have. I think FILA was the one who always had a pretty decent jobs,
he gonna headed, ok career and he always wanted did
times where he can a dropped in and out of his involvement because he did
a decent career, but he always supported it. Whereas
staying was all in from the beginning and didn't habit the tunnel prospects for work, but their hanging out in they were like you can wondering. Why did you know did
have more and why they weren't successful. They thought they should be in staying said
we aren't geniuses, must be sub geniuses,
and he says in the document are used. Like that's the moment, there was a little like a lightning bolt out of the sky. The hatch this idea, so
a kind of took all their interest in all these weird pamphlets and weird UFO colds in pseudo religions in new age beliefs, and they made the original pamphlet
spent sixty dollars on this original pamphlet, we're just leaving him it dry, cleaners and stuff like that, until stags wife got man, she was like that
lot of money for us at least send this to some publishers and see if you can do something with this
so they senator every publisher under the sun and got rejected by every every publisher under the sun. But it's pretty funny that
later they didn't have having at a fairly successful book, but early on, but publishers didn't know what to do with these guys. Yeah
You can understand why, if you ve ever seen, what's called
fact number one now, which is part of the church doctrine. This is like the sacred writings that the idea is that I've been staying. Is the sacred scribe.
Took down the words of Bob Dobbs and by the way, Bob Dobbs. The Bob is always in quotes it not just when you say, J R, Bob Dobbs, like even if you say Bob Dobbs or even just Bob. It's always in quotes a tell yet right his name and that Bob was getting his.
divine inspiration from Jehovah, one that alien overlord, that that runs earth, and this is kind of like the the conceit of the painful in the front
pamphlet, said things like the world end. Tomorrow, a new may die in all caps. It Asda do people think you're,
strange. Do you
I love it when there is another when they said eternal, salvation or triple your money back so like these are the things on
like on any in the pamphlet near their going around to publishers being like hey you? One of you want to give us some money for this. Of course everybody said no, the most astounding
is there eventually somebody actually said. Yes, I think Mcgraw Hill.
yeah, and if this was much later, when they finally did get their book published after they have
quite a following in the disorder. Writing was on the wall. With these new fairly successful gathering
live chosen, but yet the bouquet
later early on, they they got together and started justice, buddies
on the sea be radio and doing in this again. This was like
The EU would get on the internet today back then it was the sea Baden and they would do these sort of pay
Eddie Voices, basically hatch. What was it
beginnings of what would end up being the hour of slack.
radio show, which is ninety minutes long part of the joke, and people started hollering back at them.
Did. They were trolls before they were trolls you're, gonna, trolling people on the sea be right and then other people
Roll back and call them pigs.
That's where the notion of pigs or pink boys came up and pink boys. They kind of flipped it in the church of the sub
Genius, pink boys are the others there. The square
they're, the ones you just
follow along and go to their ninety five job and spend their consumer money in you know
in on catalogue items in any way.
outside is a pink or a pink boy, yes bite, but there is a distinction between
say people like you and I and actual dyed in the wool pink boys, the car they like middle manager types
you're, like an out only fully bought into the car on the great com? That's going on? They actually like, like almost violently defend it in its existence. In its it rightness, those herb does or pinks their irreparable there's. Nothing is ever going to help him
their genuine humans, another plenty of sub Jean YE out there who don't know their subjects
yeah. They haven't been exposed to the church. They never seen a Dobbs head. Maybe what
reason there they're not aware that there is some genius yet and if your true sub genius thing you have Yeti blood coursing through your vein,
yeah, but if you're an actual some genius. That means that you are a of Yeti Heritage who is who is basically become aware of the teachings of Bob
and are now actively working against the conspiracy and exploiting pink boys anytime. You get a chance because, again there there hopeless there there never going to be converted kazoo they not have
Yet he bled in them right and to reiterate our Nova, I can I just tossed it off early or but theatres. Bob Dobbs is a piece of clip are literally that face that you see was a piece of clip art from clip
log and they loved clip art because it was free yeah.
a lot of their early stuff was just collage from clip art that they had found in this
from a clip art catalogue and now it's you know, one of that you know
obviously one of the most famous pieces of clip art. There is yet- and I dont know if it was a joke, it so hard to tell what's a joke in what's not because they play everything so straight there in character, basically yeah, but that
I saw on one of their websites. It they said reminder this is aid. This is this is a trademarked piece of art now, and it is part of like the subjects. Are copyright sub genius? So I don't know they actually
copyright, I could totally ended in them doing that in real life or if they
just joking about it either way, yeah it's kind of great. So I think we probably can't
further. Without explaining this concept of slack
in their their radio show is called the hour of slack and kind of the major. I guess philosophy
in tenant of their religion, is. Is this concept of slack? Are you having trouble this
driving. No, I mean the day Dave Insane the documentary it is not even to be described that they can even describe it and that whatever we do, it's going to be our own attempt incur slack is different for every person, but that the death
idea, is what you think, which is being slack like a kind of
not just being lazy having
anything you need in life and being content, while giving up is little was passed
more origin, wise yeah, exertion mice, exactly like like having done as little as possible to actually attain it. That's one definition of slack for sure. The point is like. I think it's one of the things where you or what is not slack is easier to recognise them. What is slack and I'll give you an example of
that happened today. Ok, ok, kid I've been thinking about some like how are we going to define slack the area so
knocked over the toilet brush behind the, but the
well in my bathroom ripe- and you know like that-
drippings that end up like the toilet brush holder. Yes, they spill on the floor. Those are the worst drippings, though the worst driven
I would have rather spilled like like, like raw pork juice under my fourth, the nose
their bad drippings right bed dripping, so I spent the next ten minutes
not only like cleaning up those drippings emulate.
Cleaning it up like there's, there's some floor missing now, scrubbed it so hard and then also cleaning the holder for the scrub brush. Before I put everything back- and this is a totally unaware-
nor totally avoidable thing. For me to be doing, they took up ten minutes in my life. I did not want to be doing. It was groceries yuck, and I realise this is the. This is a perfect example of what is not slack. It's the conspiracy. It was the conspiracy that probably had something to do with it,
but the point was is like. I was doing something I didn't want to do, and I was doing it.
I was getting no reward from it whatsoever. I was a little and dressed out about it. It was not slack, so slack is the opposite of that. It's where things are going
way it's where,
You are content and happy in there.
Necessarily mean you have everything in life like all the trappings of life, it very frequently doesn't mean that instead, it's just whatever it is. That makes you content and become
Does it it's undefinable. That means that it's up to every sub genie I to define what is slack for them year in the conspiracy.
Is, are the things that prevent you from attack achieving slack
Originally, I think the conspiracy was literally like the man that Canada,
but it evolved over the years to the point: where
one of the guys in the documentary, said it evolved to me. You know it was like
when it rained really hard on a day you we're gonna, do something like that's the conspiracy I gotcha its things. I think conspiring against you that toilet brush knocking over that's definitely the conspiracy right
because it prevented you from a guess, taking your your midmorning nap right and that under the teachings of of Bob, the conspiracy is actually an acronym for clicks of normal secretly planning insidious rituals aimed at controlling you.
You know that it that's a good one agreed and then under the doctrine like this is an actual group who they don't know it slack
is, but they know it exists in their bent on stealing as much of it is possible and they start stealing it from everybody, pink satin, Yeti from the moment,
you're born, and so
up to you
few to steal a back to get as much slack as you possibly can. But the problem with the conspiracy is they're, the ones run.
The show here on earth they're the ones air behind consumer culture, and they ve created this illusion that that why? What normally in pinks in
non sub. Jean Ya Yeti, who haven't figured themselves out yet by into as life, is all just this vast consumer conspiracy and that they are, they actually offer what appears to be slow.
but, as I promised, my false lack is working out yet manufactured slack. So it's like the sub genius Wiki as awesome, and they give examples of like pre planned recreation.
like days off from work that you earn or our given like these. This is all false lack like
somebody else deciding what you're slack is an buying into it, and that is the that is not slack slack. Is you have to decide what slack is right in there
regional slack we're all born with original slack according to the church and the conspiracy chips away. That's lack or cells you false like over the years and to degrade yours, your natural slack that you're born
and then there's also involuntary slack, which is my favorite slack, and this is like, if you, if you,
lose your job or something if you get fired. This is just involuntary slack
that Bob sending your way to force you to take a little time off you, I saw a video.
from I guess, two dozen, nine or ten, and it called the great recession, the great slack session and a basically said, like the financial markets, have melted down. It had like this real dramatic music
of millions of people are out of jail out of work. No one has occurred,
About what to do about it, victory is at hand.
There is one other thing I want to say about slack too. There are basically two groups. Two approaches are philosophies as far as slack is concerned, and I think it's pretty interesting that, like that that the whole concept is gotten this far, it's it's evolved into something, and I think this is a really good example of what happens with the churches. Tee
Things like these guys just wrote some crazy stuff, like back in the seventies eighties, even in the nineties and then
people who kind of I've done. It came along and expanded it like I read,
I read an essay on the scissors of sight. In apparently that's mentioned
handedly in
pamphlet number one in somebody,
a whole essay on about how they're still trying to figure out what those are and they think it's from a crystal in Atlantis, and it was decided like that's just where they do. It's almost like they're putting stuff out there as like thought starters for other people's creativity. It can sprout from, but anyway, the to the two paths for slack as kind of split between these two groups, the
warnings and the emerging tiles right, yeah, the emergent tiles are getting their slack because they're getting
things done that they can feel like they want and need to get done. But it's under a dead,
and from someone else, but then they have their slack.
And then the reward audience. Don't think this is more like tat of Steve
did you ever see that movie now I need to, though I'm well aware of it? It's sort of that was sort of that guy's
he was just like he had this life philosophy and
would have really fit in with these with these folks, with a rewarding, they basically like slack off all the time
dont, do any work until you absolutely have to cry. I think there's quite a bit of
involved every day, kind of thing. Sure that wouldn't surprise me and that's what I think most people would think of when they think of like slacking
like yeah, that's what you do and you said you don't work. You sit around you smoke, pot you're like never put on pants or anything like that, and you just having the time of your life as long as like that's what you want to do. Emergent house, you, like
there is another way to do this, like I,
oh really good about accomplishing something about like,
a goal and meeting about, but that's me
Our goal like I want to learn how to climb a mountain, so
go, learn how to climb a mountain and climb that mountain and during that whole process, I'm slacking, like that's my slack, so those are kind of like the two ways of doing it. Apparently the two groups kind of pit each other and think that you have it completely back
words, but the point is: neither group is right or wrong because it all up to the individual. What your slack is. Let me what these guys,
Really there. It was at such a time and place thing. They were born out of this sort of spirit of the merry prank stirs, sixties, counterculture, again, QC anything
but they were came along at a time where that had been bulldozed over and the aid,
these were being born, which was about it,
and I you know, sixties counterculture vibe, as you can imagine, but these guys still had that sort of fun. Playful idea- and you know
This was their invention. I just I always think it's just so fine and so cool. I
return my c d viable,
alive, show I absolutely do not want to be there. No, but I think its awesome
I like in it too, when I saw spinal tap in concert, they actually toured
when I was in college, and I was
defended the movie in that they play the Fox theater and we all went and I had it- was now
fun at all because it was like it was fun
he's a movie but you're at this rock n roll show that is supposed to kind of funny
but there are also people that were really getting into the rock and roll, and I didn't know I was stuck in between worlds. I didn't know how to feel that can when I was watching these sub genius
live shows. I was coming out. That's like spinal tap live. I don't want to be there, but I'm glad people are enjoying it yeah, it's kind of like
and do they are enjoying it. The people who go to those who are genuinely having like the time of their lives, like that's there's line to like just like just be themselves as much as they,
for having their lot. I love it. It's almost like. I would compare it to you
a like meeting,
the jugglers aid
comic Khan and
the glass show or mixed together with a viable and stays kind of seem like this. Based on what I have seen on the internet, that's good! I like it and if you
If you think his all really dumb, then you probably would not like there motto: evolution
things are models, but their chief, when that they cannot be allowed at these devices is FM if you can't take a joke or if they can't take a joke right and enemies right there
there it's amazing to me that some people took this too seriously, because the motto is literally. This is a joke right and an
is really kind of like this. Concerning because, like if you'd, do you take it seriously like you really have to go to great lengths to to get past
all the wings, the nods, the absurdity of everything it suggests that there's like ear you're, you're, more soften the average call member cause you're actually taking a joke coal. As a called it's like when fight club at two serious narrative, bona buildings and stuff yeah, I think so, except there was no violence involved in the church of the sub genius. Now
their peaceful dried because her all stoned near. I think a lot of more. I think a lot of a more like the franks appetites where they're just weird and they have nothing to do with drugs or alcohol, or anything that here in a desert there there were born with original stoned. Yes, there exists exactly right requires no drugs,
Early francs apple is real jerk to people who did drugs like he had that cafe, or restaurant or club
we're whatever and you haven't kick you out if he thought you were on pot. That's that's conspiracy! Yeah! He was a little pink from what I can tell interesting yeah and you said
So if this kind of stuff seems weird to you or whatever you don't like it like that's, a pretty laden
fairly normal reaction- doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you now, but one of the reasons that that it might
make you feel a little wobbly or a little shaky or like you're missing something or like you're being made fun of that kind of weird feeling in your stomach is because you probably are being made fun of like if you're, not in on the joke, like I said earlier by definition, you're you're part of the butt
joke. You are a member of that that group and if you actually are active,
getting offended at what they're saying and doing, because one of the one of the threads of humour that they very frequently used is bad taste shock value like legs, just and basically the opposite of pc like they. They really dont care for pc very much and if your deeply offended by the stuff in you actually like respond to it.
there you are actually kind of proving their point that you are maybe a little too wrapped up in this culture that their that their basically saying like this. This is a fraud. This is all a fraud and in like your beer, proving that that there's problems with it by getting mad at something where you know at a joke, basically yeah
But you know before you start feeling too sorry for these people, because they are being made fun of his like squares, who aren't hip to the joke and don't get the joke,
the original reason this started was cause. These very people were outcast in being bullied by the
very people to begin with right. So let's say you break my animals
about some of the lower points in the church of the sub genius that have happening across the user. Let's do it.
So if you
to a divine wanna things you would find. Chuck is especially in early. One is
lot of like put on preaching like evangelical mock preaching, but that what the bad guys doing is like doing a fire and brimstone preacher it bit yeah. But what he is saying is espousing you know Bob stuff about Enough FM if they can't take a joker
whatever and that, like doesn't say very well, usually people be also. It never really sits very well with me because its obnoxious, even in its real,
Four minutes super obnoxious when it's like mocked, because, let's I would want to be there yeah yeah, I need an anti music is another issue. That was the next thing I was gonna. Get too is like if you, if you are not super into this improbably,
the pre decent amount, acid. Back in like thanking eighty five before you, the anti music would probably turn you off to you. I know it. I don't like it at all: either yeah, it's bay,
the ideas that they would get a bunch of instruments and you
just do whatever you want with them in and the ideas that you're, not you can't play these things. These are
skilled musician or not even musicians at all.
They would just make noise with them
you know when watching a documentary you get the idea from some of em net. It's sort of like that
I'm circle that. Finally, if everyone gets in synchronous
you got a minute, you, ok, something has happened that would have
and occasionally, apparently with anti music. Is that it would coalesce at a certain point in or maybe that was a drug stocking, but basically it's a bunch of
making a lot of awful noise and screaming yes, there is
Leah time during the diva active at dividing us, I think during the nineties, maybe where a schism in the church developed will was
very much plant yeah? So the idea was so that one of the big parts of the one of the tenants of the churches there that, like the world's going to end eventually on X day and Ex Deo, was originally slated for July. Fifth, one thousand nine hundred and ninety eight
and that came and went in there were no ufos driven by sex goddesses to come whisk off the the sub genie. I too planet axed it to live out the rest of their eternity. Partying
in, but the fact that this was coming along the this the church decided like we don't know, what's going to happen to the pinks after that, so we need to decide and the skids schism was formed between people who,
said well, they're, probably be sub sub genius who want to stay in rule the world, and we can just let them rule the pinks from there are now and then the
their group said now all the pinkies are going to be slaughtered on next day. There won't be any pinks left an apparently this this. This differing opinions on on basic church doctrine, like was a thread that was carried out for a very long time.
It was- and I think we just need to be really clear. A schism was written into the script of the church of the sub genius. Ok, it was nothing
formed. It was there
The heel, basically into their wrestling, shown his with
Papa Joe Mama, who was the leader of the Holocaust. Those who believed in
in all ingest, but he believe like go out and shoot the rich basically like kill these people, and I think it was
hang was the leader of the evangelical, which was yet was just make enslaved them
ethically and keep them alive
two things here, but first of all in that
they. They eventually had a big show in the eighties kind of jumping back in San Francisco. They had had some sort of small tint devise rules with a hundred people and then in San Francisco. They both this theatre for two nights, nine hundred
eat theatre for two nights and were like. We don't really know if we can do this and they had set builders and set down,
nurse, and it became a real actual thing. The news covered it and they d
they covered it made. They had a fake assassination of Bob Bob finally came out and he walked on stage in bank mediately shot but
they started doing this. Alai Bob had been above, had many many lives and could be killed over and over again or fascinated aims:
There was that and then, after next day, judging
The documentary is is when it seemed to awake kind of go bad
and not go bad in that everybody really started believing, and it became this really scary thing, but it sort of lawsuits,
judge a little bit.
And there were some people on. I think one person specifically even went up to staying zone or if it was that x,
I think that it is able to show in nineteen eighty four. Ok,
and he was you know,
obviously, some one who needed some real help, because he thought this was a real was was lidded that it wasn't me
taken seriously in the people are laughing and that's when staying.
like a man like kind of this was bad,
to happen? But it also-
I am sad because I'd never wanted anything like this right, and that was
the reason why so, like the documentary that was made by Cindy K, Boon who is involved
then a few other, pretty pretty great documentaries recently, including tower. I don't think it's the tower
tower the one about the young, the Charles women, that
shooting at the universities has values. It is our Maison, so remember,
making life that the whole thing link letter did with the animation tat. They did. Effort
document really like hell
Paradise scoping cool. Yes, sir
oh shit
more than that as well, but she made this documentary. Apparently her late husband was like what a great inherent in the trip to the sub genius and she made it also kind of as an ode owed to him as well, but in its staff,
hang in file a break character and, like you, hadn't, broken character, fur thirty, something years right like they ve done interviews they
like black print tv radio, like they ve done, the radio show they ve like written tons of books. They just don't break character, that's just part of their jam and for this document
They did and they said the reason widely stank said. The reason why he did was because there
kind of get nine years and he wants to make sure that is perfectly clear before he dies that this is a joke.
Can that everybody knows it was a joke and it's always been a joke and there's like you need to take it as a joke so that it doesn't accidentally turn is something like Scientology down the down the line. Yet he set at. You
The right, yeah yeah. I didn't want you re before this, as I saw several months ago, yet he said- and this kind
was it up and in the way that it makes sense, but does it- and this is in
patient dead, that that guy, who really came up to him and other people that really thought it was real. He said we want
We always wanted to trick people,
We didn't really want a trick. People right. Yes, that's what I'm saying that's what I'm saying they were fascinated by the fact that people could be tricked you
and they wanted to explore that and make fun of it and they invited other people to explore and make fun of it, but it wasn't to hurt anybody that they work what they were actually trying to exploit. Anybody like the
of you having you become a part of becoming
Amber sending your dollar become ordained by and all that sales stuff was to point out that
it's. What was going on in the real world you know year in this,
we came to a head in the nineties when they it was just after Columbine. They allow
show planned in Boston and Papa Joe Mama, who was again their sort of scripted he'll agent provocateur
honor think a radio show
this somehow reference Columbine? It was a little unclear. I think you're bleeding
Columbine on the church of the sub genius.
was, I would leave sir ok cause. I couldn't quite so what the reference was, but it was.
That that was over the line firm for both follow and staying
and the show is originally cancelled by the theater and then a real church. I think I can episcopal charts stepped up. Weirdly
said you can have it at our church and then
They got bomb threats and they said will now. Yes, we can't do that and then
They ended up having it in a like a public park or something but
sort of like where it you know that,
these weren't, too kind to the knowledge
like the numbers- but you know once the internet was born in, that was like really when the consumer culture in the end,
at boom happen for reopen. It was just so antithetical to the church of the sub genius. It seemed
fade away.
until later on when the internet can I help revive it again. So my take is that what really kind of weighted down hill not to say that there is like, like it
not to say that its it went down hill on its own, like that, just just the world changed yet and there was there, like. The world became the parity.
Not it wasn't like straight any longer. It was just a joke, but there was real life now so yet here
sat her eyes, something that is the sad tyre that you're coming up. What there's no way to do it now, that's absolutely right and that's you know America change quite a bit in the last like twenty years and that the like. What do you like? How will you just can't you can't sat arise, something when it
comes this weird version of itself that you are using before it encroached on your turf kind of thing. You know,
yeah and in the last like ten minutes
documentaries reduce focus on the trumpet.
The situation in these fringe groups that started online. There saying this crazy made up stuff in that really
it puts, are hurting like he said on something like the church of the sub genius. As far as being
their numbers were never huge, but I get the idea.
from watching it did standing still.
people that right end that still send him some money. He told one funny
about getting a payment upon receipt envelope that, like he, had to pay
two dollars to even open this thing and he was all prefer
about that, and there was a thousand dollars in cash and he took
of it immediately took it to a sick friend like that's the kind of guy he Korea. He struck me as that is well, but he still you
pain as mortgage stuff and envelopes. Well,
because I think like if you go back in you read the original books and you know even still I was reading like
the Wikipedia that explained all of the different stuff is hilarious in like a totally worthwhile and still applies today, like it's like enough in a certain way,
timeless, even though its screams Reagan error, you know yet, but the that it still is still makes sense, because we still have like a consumer driven culture,
as there is a lot to do with gender norms in conformity and dumb exploiting people for their labour, like all that stuff is still going on, so the original stuff still sick.
Bans and still holds yet and eight new, no mark mothers, Bob Debo and on the
as I am. Indeed, though, they were way into it and PIN Gillette
offer men Richard Link, land.
Paul Rubens Peewee, Herman's Playhouse Bob Dobbs on his big walk, Elijah these Rights
people that were attracted to it. It was allotted deeds. Of course,
They do interview a few of the women in the original group. That said, like we were outcome
and we wanted to meet these weirdo guys, and this is where we did
like. We went there because it was mostly guys
We know we could meet because these kids
but it was very male oriented and dumb. I don't know I just
like I said I never, I always said
reading about it and hearing about it, but never wanted to get too involved Desgas I'd too much of a pink. I guess yeah.
yes, it is a lot of fun to read about for sure, like there's a lot of stuff out there on the internet to read,
and I was like ten percent of it- I encourage yet there is. There is huge, it's an enormous, huge rambling, like what you call a group of beliefs and in scripture and
during those? I guess maybe I can
be a cannon. That's what I was looking for. There is a huge, extensive cannon. It's a lot of fun, especially the older stuff, some of them.
Were stuff is not that funny, because its
an army new, I mean like MID two, thousands, the mid arts kindest. I started a really lose its sense of humour. Some people lost their sense of humour and got real serious about it. That in the eightys and ninetys stuff is how-
areas. I strongly recommend going to read an explanation of the male to female discrepancy in the church.
a genius. I reverend Nancy Regalia.
And by the real book yeah. Well,
I don't like those in the book that was that we set up a mental, suffers, an essay explaining it, but it also is more like a kind of a call to arms for those girls who never felt like were always recognised, that they were kind of being forced into certain gender roles and two never feel good about it. Yet she she had occurred. It's it's, not
if the simply burn your brows. Why stop there burnt a few bridle, boutiques and city hall while you're at it? This isn't if I could get ass its Jesse, her shirt Tele were three served. Stuff,
yeah, there's a lot more to say about the church of the Subgenius, but we'll just leave it to you. I feel like we should just part with it's a joke. It is a joke. Ultimately, it's a joke and
it is that you
down. You get some yeti, a new pink boy, maybe insincere colchicum, pink boy. It's time for listener, mail,
keep it short and sweet here with a quick correction from a new listener.
I'm, a very new listener and love what I've heard so far. However, just three episodes in
The Magna Carta, one of you all family, suggested that William, the conqueror was a beloved english gang cuz. He annex Normandy, after the battle of Hastings, knows me that's pretty much backwards guys. He was a Norman king
who conquered England that Battle William story would make a great episode that is from school
Scatter, good and so on. Korea was Scott
your new, you obviously don't know that most of the viewpoint that we give on stuff- he should know, is from the Viking viewpoint. So we had it right. Scott scatter get what a great name right. Yeah. What happens if you scramble Scott around scattered, get
If you want to continue this like scout, did you can send us an email to stuff pie, but I heard radio duck
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