The W atchtower Bible and Tract Society has unwittingly unleashed quite a viral sensation within the ranks of its former members. To summarise what has happened so far: - “Become Jehovah’s Friend” DVD is released. It is an animated feature aimed at children with modern computerised graphics. - The antagonist of the relatively brief cartoon is a self-described “warrior wizard” by the name of ‘Sparlock’ which was obtained by ‘Caleb’, the young subject of this material. - The unnamed mother in this DVD guilt-trips young Caleb into disposing of his Sparlock toy. - The video goes viral within the ex-JW community, with youtube videos being posted of the video. The WTBTS Society claims copyright violations and the videos are removed by youtube almost as fast as they are posted. - Sparlock is satirised both on ex-JW forums and spoof videos are posted on youtube. The “Become Jehovah’s Friend” DVD release is notable due to it being the first animated feature released by the WTBTS. It s content is correctly seen by many as bringing shame and guilt upon young Witnesses by forcing them to eschew ‘worldly’ influences. Sparlock seems to be a composite character stemming from the Smurfs in the 80’s, Pokémon in the 90’s, Harry Potter in the 00’s, and the vampire craze of Twilight and True Blood movies and serials of the new decade. Put simply, Sparlock is the WTBTS’s composite answer to these sinful pleasures. I have shown the Sparlock online videos to non-JW friends with always the same result. 'How stupid!' I agree with the notion that you cannot fully understand the surreal nature of the Sparlock phenomenon without being fully inside the exclusive circle of the Jehovah’s Witnesses at one point or another in your life. It’s an inside joke; something which perhaps is not meant to be completely understood outside of this isolated universe. With that said, why the extensive overkill and analyses of what is at heart a facile tool of an intellectually bankrupt and widely discredited American religion? Is this some sort of penultimate endeavour that this loosely organised movement we belong to has built up to? Unrelenting satire of a passing reference and teaching tool in a 15 minute religious and indoctrination DVD? I do admit to some sense of schadenfreude in regards to a religion that has had such a negative effect on my life and which has so literally rejected and shunned me. But the feeling lasted for but 5 minutes upon my consciousness. The stark reality of my own existence and life’s ever present challenges quickly overshadows any thoughts of Sparlock. I’d much rather discuss the background and modus operandi of the organisation which conceived of this tool designed for simple minds, rather than the tool itself. Do they really think their brethren are this provincially minded and dim-witted to accept this lesson precisely as taught? Have we as former members been so psychologically damaged that all we can think about is ridiculing the messenger rather than the overall message? The message has been made abundantly clear. Sparlock could just have as easily been a metaphor for higher education or extracurricular activity that to WTBTS so despises. Nothing distresses me more when I think about what I just came out of. It lies in direct contradiction of basic human principles and humanity in general. When I read about how this movement we once belonged to sprang originally out of the fantasies of a Pennsylvanian eccentric, refined by a sexually deprived and eternally bitter Missourian, and theologically defined by an awkward Kentuckian, it surprises me to no great length. The FDS principle was thus founded and carefully passed down to what is known today as the Governing Body. Anthony Morris III is but one of seven. Sparlock most likely originated in the extremely limited and doctrinally challenged mental thought processes of one of the Society’s anonymous writers. Sparlock in of itself is of no great consequence. The sub-culture that produced such a dull tool for the masses is of more concern to me. They can release more and more of this drivel, and it will make little further impression upon me. This religion is a lie, and is based upon faulty predictions and prophecy. The indoctrination process is as extensive as it is pervading. It is mankind’s own viral infection. We are all the amputated limbs of such a diseased body. Karl Marx is famous for saying that religion is the opium of the people. I say that the Jehovah’s Witness religion is the HIV virus of modern times. It invades and violates the safety and security of the human family. It then weakens the immune system to the point of complete mental breakdown and mindless conformity. We all suffer from it from our own unique backgrounds and experiences. As much as we would like to think we are truly free, there is always the burden of our past lives and connections to this religion. Sparlock is a symptom. The JW disease is pervasive and ever present. Emilie
Sparlock: The Sociology of the former Jehovahs Witness community
by Las Malvinas son Argentinas 33 Replies latest jw friends
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NewChapter
I think we all know that. Humor and satire are ways of dealing with anger and hurt. Sparlock is a symbol---especially poignant for those that grew up in the cult and represents so many things that were taken from then in childhood.
I can't for the life of me understand why this would be a problem for anybody. Sparlock is merely a symbol---big deal. We like symbols. Humans are symbolic thinkers.
NC
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cofty
With that said, why the extensive overkill and analyses of what is at heart a facile tool of an intellectually bankrupt and widely discredited American religion?
I think you answered your own question. It is facile but it is also a symptom of harmful regime that broke many of our most precious relationships and blighted our childhood.
Have we as former members been so psychologically damaged that all we can think about is ridiculing the messenger rather than the overall message?
To mock their blatant stupidity is cathartic. It doesn't mean we aren't also more concerned about " The stark reality of my (our) existence and life’s ever present challenges".
Well written piece by the way.
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sd-7
Excellent points, Emilie. And I think what you said is kind of the whole point of this Sparlock fixation--it has become a sort of tangible symbol of everything, top to bottom, that the Watchtower Society has made us 'throw in the garbage' for the sake of obeying its rules. All the friendships, scholarships, better jobs, movies, books, music, clothes, facial hair, wow, they controlled a LOT of things about our personal lives. The manipulation present in that very brief video just summed it all up, the entire JW experience.
You could say it was a textbook in short form on how to erase the authentic person and replace him with the cult persona.
Personally, it's just more fun to lampoon/satirize/etc. Sparlock because it's a cartoon, and because MILLIONS of people will actually take this as the gospel truth. It's two sides of a coin--it's fun to toy with, but also horrifying. In my case, I would say that I laugh to keep from crying.
To be sure, there are bigger issues to address, but Sparlock simplifies them in one adorable purple toy. That's my take.
--sd-7
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cedars
We are all the amputated limbs of such a diseased body.
Speak for yourself!
Personally, I think you're reading too much into it. Sparlock-mania will come and go. Let us have our fun.
It's not everyday the Society drops the ball so dramatically.
Cedars
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blond-moment
As was pointed out by another poster on this site, we are ourselves were Sparlock. How easily our families threw us out with the garbage because the WT told them "Jehovah hates them"
Yes, he is a symbol for many different things, for many of us.
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snakeface
Maybe this comment should be a separate thread....but I noticed when watching the video "Obey Your Daddy and Mommy" or something like that, where Caleb forgets to remove his shoes before stepping on the floor his mother just finished cleaning....
the video starts out with Caleb playing with a war plane. I think it is a F4U Corsair. Notice the "bent" wings. Here's a photo from Wikipedia (if this link works): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AU-1_Corsair_in_flight_1952.jpg
If he's allowed to play with a war plane, then why is he not allowed to play with Sparlock?
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wasblind
Amputated Limbs are cut off to save the body, You need to come up wit somthin' better
I ain't no amputated limb or as another poster put it yesterday sub of a sub
I love this DVD because I see Caleb in the mindset of quite a few posters
Anyone who thinks so little of themselves need to recognize, Caleb was them
in the makin'
Amputated limb, sub of a sub, THE HELL YOU SAY
Great catch snakeface
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jookbeard
an American religion embraced by those terrible imperial colonists the British
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mindseye
With that said, why the extensive overkill and analyses of what is at heart a facile tool of an intellectually bankrupt and widely discredited American religion? Is this some sort of penultimate endeavour that this loosely organised movement we belong to has built up to?
I think it is a clever counter-weapon, and yes, quite an endeavour! With Sparlock, the org handed the Ex-JW community a powerful meme. The use of it is not only cathartic, but also shows the absurdity of JW doctrine and culture. There have been murmurings of the org pushing for more of a web presence, but this self-destructive act suggests that they may lack the savvy for new media. The Ex-JW community has handled it beautifully, having a lot of fun along the way. I hope we can keep it going!
