Deseret News | Reader comments: Get HBO's attention

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Readers' forum: Letters: Get HBO's attention

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JD | 12:51 a.m. March 13, 2009

Wow, a little bitty tv show even threatens most of you, just fresh off of your gay marriage ban. You just continue to make your religion look foolish. HBO will be just fine without your subscription. What are you afraid of.....could the world think it is a cult?

Sid Vic | 1:44 a.m. March 13, 2009

I have an HD PVR, if you ever want to watch it, give ma a call. You know you want to watch it...

Grant Cleverly | 3:16 a.m. March 13, 2009

I moved into a new home a few years ago and got cable TV and HBO. The next day, I cancelled HBO after I tried to watch a movie. It was nothing more than pornography and smut. Not my idea of entertainment. If it is to you, maybe you should take a look into your soul! The world would be a better place without HBO.

Comments continue below

MEB | 3:59 a.m. March 13, 2009

In the eyes of the Entertainment World, nothing is sacred anymore. Truth doesn't matter, accuracy doesn't matter, sensitivity to others doesn't matter. It's about what's new and on the edge that matters to them.

Lets Not Over React | 5:26 a.m. March 13, 2009

Mr. Ormond, instead of canceling my HBO subscription as you did I'm going to follow the advice of the advice of the First Presidency and just ignore HBO's tasteless depiction of what I regard as sacred.

In the grand scheme of things their misdeed is simply not that big of deal.

I sure get tired | 6:16 a.m. March 13, 2009

of all the idiots that rip on their neighbors every chance they get, I know it's been said before, but if you don't like Mormons what are you doing in Utah?

HBO sewage..... | 6:23 a.m. March 13, 2009

much to do about polygamy, porn and adultery. Just what our world doesn't need... MORE FILTH & CORRUPTION!

Anonymous | 7:13 a.m. March 13, 2009

If anyone subsribes to HBO and doesn't know what they are getting, they are pretty stupid. And MEB, while you are correct, it has always been that way. The entertainment industry is all about making money. Even the revered Disney is just about money. The family thing is just an angle to take money from people. That's just the reality.

Chill Pill | 7:37 a.m. March 13, 2009

Re: I sure get tired.
"if you don't like Mormons what are you doing in Utah?"

Oh, I don't know, maybe that's where the work is or because Utah has great schools and a low crime rate, maybe because the skiing is awesome or because it's close to family. It could be for lots of reasons.

Maybe we can change people's minds about whether they like us by being good neighbors, turning the other cheek, being tolerant and charitable. We need them more than they need us. Let's expand our world view a little bit. What I've learned since I moved out of the state is that we don't hold the corner on the market on good people.

Look, we're all idiots in one way or another. Let's worry about ourselves first and not worry so much about how others define us or think of us. Chill pills come over the counter, not just by prescription. They're very tasty (most of the time).

Sell Short | 7:37 a.m. March 13, 2009

If you are upset with HBO, don't get mad. Just get a few dozen like minded people and short sell Time Warner stock.

Perception | 8:09 a.m. March 13, 2009

I called HBO and subscribed just to see it. DTV told me twice as many people are jumping on rather than canceling. So I guess HBO is dropping a dime picking up a dollar.

Respect??? | 8:12 a.m. March 13, 2009

So it's okay for the LDS to butt into the issue of gay marriage in CA, misrepresent the issues to maximize the scare factor, then claim that they were just acting out of love for gay people and nobody should take any offense because they were only exercising their constitutional rights.

And it's also okay for LDS to continue baptizing Jewish Holocaust victims posthumously because it's part of the church's core doctrines, and once again, it's only done out of love so nobody should take any offense.

Now, let HBO exercise its constitutional right to air the LDS temple endowment, and go to great length and expense to ensure it's accurately portrayed, and showing as much respect as possible while still staying true to the story line, and now the LDS are all about respect for others and the right to be left alone to practice their most sacred beliefs in private.

Whether the producers of Big Love are acting as part of a personal vendetta or not, you can't say you didn't ask for just what you're getting.

Watch how little sympathy you get from the world

please explain | 8:39 a.m. March 13, 2009

I still don't get it. It's ok to baptize for the dead jewish holocost victims, but it's not ok to show a temple cerimony. Both are sacred to the people that value their religion. As a few mormons have stated on this board regarding the baptisms for the dead, "it's not hurting anyone." So, I guess when the shoe is on the other foot, it isn't the same?

Dave | 8:54 a.m. March 13, 2009

I am amazed at how seriously some take movies. Disney tries to tell me fish can talk, but I am not so sure.

I cancelled | 9:02 a.m. March 13, 2009

I called and cancelled my subsription. It's the only way you can get your message to them in a way they understand. The more that cancel the better.

They directors (Olsen and Scheffer) appopogised for any offense this scene will cause but they still intend to show it. How does that work? Appologise but go right ahead and do the thing your appologising for? Sounds like a sincere applogy to me! (NOT)

In the appology (but were still going to do it) they pointed out that it was as "Acurate" as possible. Do they REALLY think the offense is from it being INACURATE? I don't care how acurate it is, the problem is... it's sacred to the people they KNOW they are offending. But they think being "Accurate" should make it all right?

I could make a bunch of analogies to point out how stupid this position is... but I think those who would get it already get it.

CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION ASAP!!! GET THE MESSAGE OUT! They may not actually care but their going to hear from me.

Nobody said HBO doesn't have the "Constitutional Right" to air their impressions of this sacred ceremony.

Me | 9:05 a.m. March 13, 2009

HBO says it is doing this with respect and that they are showing respect by portraying it accurately. The exact opposite is true; by airing this they are disrespecting the LDS church and all of it's member because they are airing something that they know the church considers sacred and should not be shared outside of the temple.

If they want to do it, fine. They have every right. Just don't say it's with respect.

open door policy | 9:13 a.m. March 13, 2009

It's like when people complained about illegal, unwarranted wire-tapping by the last administration, the neocons asked: "What do you have to hide?"

You Can't Be Serious | 9:18 a.m. March 13, 2009

Chill Pill wrote, "Look, we're all idiots in one way or another."

Really? Please tell me you're just joking, that you're just playing with us.

I thought being a member of the church kept us from doing idiotic things from time-to-time. Now you tell me we too are idiots?!

Can I get back to you on that?

Ummmm... | 9:20 a.m. March 13, 2009

If polygamists can't get into a Mormon temple, but a temple ceremony is being depicted on a polygamist show, isn't it logical to assume that the ceremony being depicted is a polygamist ceremony instead of a main-stream Mormon ceremony?

Have any of the people objecting to the portrayal actually verified it is a portrayal of a Mormon event?

In light of efforts by the Mormon church to distance themselves from polygamy and "Big Love," does it really make sense to now start screaming that they are so closely related that this episode exploits one of their tenets? Wouldn't it make more sense to continue the distancing efforts by saying, "These guys are different from the Mormon church and so anything they depict has no reality in the Mormon faith." (And then, even if it is perfectly displayed, who is to know except those who have been there and done that and they know all about it anyway!)

Wrex | 9:22 a.m. March 13, 2009

I just signed up for HBO. Anything that makes "THE CHURCH" cringe, squirm and squeal is a good entertainment value. Bring on the popcorn!

The chosen | 9:22 a.m. March 13, 2009

Well, me and my wives all enjoy Big Love, so why not take a chill pill and let others live their lives in the right way, in right manner, that god has chosen for us. My older wife doesn't like HBO so we send her off to shop while the rest of us settle down and get on with life.

Prop-8 retaliation | 9:31 a.m. March 13, 2009

Many seem to assume this is retaliation for the church's support for Prop-8 (in California) and they seem to feel that's totally appropriate.

To those who share that point of view, I'd just like to re-state my opinion that Americans with the freedom to VOTE their concience without FEAR of retaliation, intimidation or reprocussions based on how you voted... is fundimental to our free society.

If you're OK with cracking down on people for how they voted, or tracking down people and punishing them for how they voted, or even just EXPOSING how people voted so others can take retribution on them for their vote... is totally AGAINST everything this country stands for.

People that share this, "It's OK to retalitate for votes", point of view should look at the American LIVES that have been sacrificed just to insure this same thing DOESN'T happen in Iraq. It would be amazing if we could guarantee the people of Iraq these protections... but we can't even guarantee our OWN CITIZENS are free to vote their own concience without fearing reprisals from bands of radical_gay_activist's vandalism_of_temples, intimidation_tactics, etc.

These_people_are_roughly_analagous_to_AlQaida_in_Iraq or_the_taliban_in_Afanistan. Trying_to_control_the_people_and_their_votes using_intimidation_and_violence.

No mystery | 9:38 a.m. March 13, 2009

What's the big deal?
Details from the Endowment ceremony have been circulating on the NET and in books like "The God-Makers" for a long time.

@ "open door policy | 9:13 a.m. | 9:44 a.m. March 13, 2009

open door policy | 9:13 a.m.

That's about the most lame analogy I've heard.

There's NOTHING to hide here. It's just sacred.

A better analogy would be... If you were talking about something sacred on that intercepted call and the government recorded it and broadcast it to the world. Not because what you said was 'bad' or 'wrong'... just because it was "SACRED" to you, and they wanted to expose it and sensationalise it to the world.

Is THAT what the wire taping program worked?

Lame analogy 9:13.

@ "Wrex | 9:22 a.m" | 9:54 a.m. March 13, 2009

Wrex | 9:22 a.m

Such a mature and sensible outlook as usual from you anti-church guys. What a suprise!

Neat! | 10:03 a.m. March 13, 2009

I'm going to call Comcast and add HBO.
Polygamous marriages occured in all the older temples and still do, as long as the first wife has passed away.
I don't understand the outrage. It's a HUGE part of our past.

Capitalism uber alles | 10:09 a.m. March 13, 2009

"Get HBO's attention?"

People forget how Pat Robertson once wanted people to boycott the Disney company for hiring gays.

Sorry, but capitalism will always be ahead of anything deemed religious - "secret" or not.

Chill Pill | 10:13 a.m. March 13, 2009

Re: You can't be serious.

My only point is that none of us are perfect. We all fall short and have our own issues that we should be focusing on. Let me also rephrase: at times I'm an idiot and others certainly do idiotic things. We should be focusing on cleansing the inner vessel first, which I would argue we all need. The church provides the medicine (taken daily for the rest of our lives) to help cure our ills but doesn't keep us from making mistakes and at times doing idiotic things. If it did we'd have no need for the atonement.

SteveD | 10:23 a.m. March 13, 2009

Everything is sacred to somebody, so nobody should do anything!

Big Love | 10:30 a.m. March 13, 2009

The writer obviously hasn't watched the show, or they would know that what is being depicted is a flashback the character Barb is having on her days as a faithful member of the LDS Church, before she is excommunicated from that church for participating in plural marriage. In other words, it's not showing Polygamists participating in LDS temple ceremonies, it is a rememberance of this characters experiences as a faithful LDS member.

l | 10:30 a.m. March 13, 2009

Why did you subscribe to HBO in the first place?

l | 10:33 a.m. March 13, 2009

Also, did you happen to read the statement from the LDS church which basically said, 'ignore them and they'll go away' rather than throwing a fit and grabbing more attention?

Do it, but not to send a message | 10:38 a.m. March 13, 2009

Given HBO's longstanding reputation for producing filth, I don't think they were ever trying to cater to the Mormon audience to begin with, so I don't know how much of a message it will send to cancel those subscriptions. However, LDS people who happen to have an HBO subscription do have plenty of good reasons to drop it.

How is it "Accurate"? | 10:39 a.m. March 13, 2009

The directors in their mock-appology published in the Tribune and HBO's website said, "All precautions have been taken to insure that the depiction is accurate and not offensive, we even had an "EX_MORMON" on the set during filming to insure everything was Kosher". What???

If "ACCURACY" was their main concern... Why would you even show a normal Mormon Temple Wedding to depict an FLDS (polygamist) wedding??? They aren't the same thing at all!

Why not depict an FLDS_wedding if that's what your trying to accuratly depict? They're_not_interchangable.

Just because both churches have temples, doesn't mean they are the same. My understanding is that FLDS temples and how they are used is totally different. The crime-scene pictures from inside the FLDS Temple in Texas didn't even look like it could be used in a similar manner to an LDS Temple.

If you want to see what a REAL LDS temple looks like inside... Run over to Draper and get on a free tour of the Temple before it is dedicated (tours go through Saturday)! Don't settle for a hollywood Facsimile on TV! Get the real thing!

to "I Cancelled" & Scott Ormond | 10:45 a.m. March 13, 2009

My question to you two: If you are such upstanding LDS folk, what in the world are you doing with an HBO subscription in the first place? And, since you are subscribers to a channel such as HBO you should KNOW that they push the envelope on everything. Just because you find something sacred does not mean that they do. You've probably enjoyed many a film, show, documentary that others have found offensive. But, now that the spotlight is on your religion, you freak out. Sorry boys, but if you were truly following the tenants of your religion you wouldn't have had a subscription to cancel in the first place.

Forget Own History | 10:48 a.m. March 13, 2009

Did you forget that the polygamist broke off from the mainstream LDS church? They would have taken temple ceremonies with them - especially since a temple marriage allows one man to be sealed to more than one woman.

Even today, if a man's wife passes away he can take another woman to an LDS temple and be sealed to her. This sealing does not end or break the sealing to the first wife... just adds a second wife to the man.

Didn't Warren Jeffs and his group build a temple in Texas? Why would they build a temple if they weren't performing temple rights and ceremonies?

Seems clear that the producers of Big Love HAVE kept their word - they are portraying polygamists performing their temple ceremonies, seems pretty straight forward.

No such thing as bad publicity | 10:51 a.m. March 13, 2009

Boycotting and expressing outrage is very counterproductive. People posting their outrage has only rocketet the subject to the top 4 articles of Deseret news, its created tons of free publicity for HBO. This is a WIN-WIN for HBO.

Mormons dropping HBO subscriptions will hurt the company as much as Vegeterians threatening to throw away their bacon. And as for dropping AOL, people should have done that a decade ago.

Mormon outrage has been the best thing to happen to Tom Hanks and Time Warner in a while.

Monogamist | 11:04 a.m. March 13, 2009

First, the FLDS and other polygamists perform the same kind of temple rituals as the LDS.
Second, despite the LDS attempt to completely dissasociate themselves from the polygamy of the past, it is still a doctrine. It is just not practiced temporally. And ones wife does not have to be deceased to be sealed to a second wife. I know of many who have gotten a civil divorce, but not a temple divorce, and have been sealed to a second woman. Interesting is that a woman cannot do the same thing.

selective moarality and outrage | 11:15 a.m. March 13, 2009

know wait are you not the same people that come on these threads and decries the Gays for boycotting that car company? No selective morality when it comes to people that believe in good their not moral relativist at all. (sarcasm)

Hatuletoh | 11:17 a.m. March 13, 2009

Good start, Mr. Ormond. Now cancel the other 600+ channels beaming into your little Direct TV dish and you'll REALLY be sending a message.

Separtation from the TeeVee will give you withdrawls for about a month, but after that you'll find it almost impossible to suffer through the banality even a brief 30 minute show. And you'll be happier for it, trust me.

@ "Neat! | 10:03 a.m." | 11:19 a.m. March 13, 2009

Neat! | 10:03 a.m.

The difference is... They're not portraying it as part of our past or when a first wife has passed away or anything like that. They are portraying a normal-LDS wedding as part of a modern (not historical) FLDS/polygamist's life.

I know some polygamists, but none that have had their weddings in an LDS Temple. I think THAT is the lie they are trying to tell with this show.

Does anybody out there know a polygamist who had their plural marriage sealed in an LDS Temple? I don't.

The deception is... The producers of this show from the start have professed that this show is NOT about an LDS family or the LDS community or lifestyle. But then they keep showing images of the LDS Temple in SLC when they talk about the religion of this ficticious family, their wedding, etc, and now showing mainstream LDS ceremonies as part of this ficticious families background. That sends a mixed message.

1) This is NOT about the LDS... but 2) We keep showing LDS references during the show indicating these people ARE just a 'kinky' LDS family.

the never-ending hypocrisy | 11:39 a.m. March 13, 2009

More unbridled hypocrisy from some of "The Saints."
Don't they know these far-right types are making them ALL look bad?

speculation | 12:08 p.m. March 13, 2009

Well it's all speculation at this point, isn't it? So many of you are up in arms without even a basic understanding of what they will show and how it may be relevant to the series.

So let's drop the logical arguments you're trying to hold up and just say, "No matter the reason, we disapprove of our temple ceremony being replicated for a national audience."

Seriously, if this upsets you it won't make a lick of difference whether the ordinance is relevant to the plot. Stop speculating about a show you've never even watched, and just be content to admit that you disapprove. The principle upsets you, not the (imagined) details. So spare us the details, will you?

Joe Moe | 12:12 p.m. March 13, 2009

HBO may or may not make more money because of this. They may or may not lose more viewers than they gain. Truth is, a lot of people and organizations make money every day off immoral and/or unethical products and services.

The only thing to do is turn of the trash, do or watch something else, and manage your own life the best you can. I've never seen HBO programming, but from what I've heard, I'm not missing anything of worth. As a latter-day saint, I'm concerned with what I've heard about this show. So I sent my email to HBO with my opinion, but now I'm done thinking about it. Moving on now.

I Cancelled | 12:15 p.m. March 13, 2009

I didn't "freak out", I just canceled my subscription. Is that OK with YOU 10:45 a.m.?

I didn't know having HBO was "not following the TENANTS of my religion".

P.S. Since you seem to know so much about MY religion... Can you show me where HBO subsription is against the tenants of my religion?

You're probably one of those who thinks Mormons can't watch TV, can't have the internet or those new-fangled Warless Celulaar Teleefones.

While you're judging me...
Keep in mind, Just because you have it doesn't mean you have to watch EVERYTHING that comes on HBO (or ANY channel for that matter).

Rich | 12:15 p.m. March 13, 2009

We would all be better off in so many ways (intellectually, culturally, spiritually) if we just killed our television.

As far as the controversey surrounding the Big Love program and the producers...

I'm still waiting for these Hollywood types to ridicule Islam and try to say they are doing it with "respect"...

which leads me to believe they (Hollywood) are exacting payback for Prop 8...

which makes me believe the church is true.

Thanks Hollywood!

peperlake | 12:18 p.m. March 13, 2009

if you mormons keep making an issue of this i suspect way more people will sign up or tune in to "big love" than mormons will cancel!!!! food for thought (open minded thought)

no to censorship | 12:19 p.m. March 13, 2009

As a liberal, I cannot support censorship in any form.

Publicity | 12:20 p.m. March 13, 2009

About "No such thing as bad publicity" Also think of all the publicity the LDS Church is getting with no expenditure of funds. Publicity is publicity helping HBO, Big Love, and the LDS Church. Who watches HBO anyway? Probably more than if all those stirred up by this had kept their ire to themselves.

SLC gal | 12:21 p.m. March 13, 2009

I don't have HBO. We dropped it long before this becuase we have better things to spend our money on. But I have seen the show. Yes, they'll try to duplicate it, "they'll be sensitive", etc...However what makes the temple so sacred is NOT the actions, it's the authority that seals those actions. That can never be duplicated on a TV screen.

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