For Those of You Attending Comic-Con…

July 21, 2010 By Guest Contributor 37 Comments

Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church will be picketing outside Comic-Con in San Diego Thursday afternoon from 1:15 -2:00 p.m.

You may be asking: Why?

Are you kidding?! If these people would spend even some of the energy that they spend on these comic books, reading the Bible, well no high hopes here. They have turned comic book characters into idols, and worship them they do! Isaiah 2:8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: 9 And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not. It is time to put away the silly vanities and turn to God like you mean it. The destruction of this nation is imminent — so start calling on Batman and Superman now, see if they can pull you from the mess that you have created with all your silly idolatry.

Right…

There will be some counter-picketers there and it’d be great to add more to that crowd.

If you go, remember to be funny and clever if you bring signs. Don’t give them any ammo.

And if you’re there, remember to take pictures and send them to me :)

(Thanks to Tyler for the link!)

…

***Update***: Reader Mark took this great pic (click to enlarge):



Filed Under: General, GLBT, Pop Culture 37 Comments
  • http://themousesnest.blogspot.com Mouse

    There definitely needs to be a sign featuring the Ambiguously Gay Duo. Give them even more to foam at the mouth about.

  • Malachi

    As a thoughtful commenter on another blog observed: in this case Phelps and company are walking up to the mirror and failing to recognize themselves.

    The Bible is their comic-book and God is their comic-book hero. The only difference between them and the Comic-Con attendees is the attendees realize their comic-book heroes aren’t real.

  • Malachi

    One important note to make: Phelps and company are experts at baiting people. They’re real goal is to sue someone for doing something stupid.

    So, if you go, keep that in mind.

  • Aegis

    I love their justification verse on the God Hates Nerds sign they’ve been snapped with: Romans 9:13. “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”

    At first I was like, okay, where’s this Esau chap stand on Kirk versus Picard…but on a bit of a chat with a Christian mate I’ve got, it turns out Esau was a stupid jock who sold off his right to inherit in exchange for a bowl of beans or something. Jacob was the quiet, bookish one. So really, God *loves* nerds.

    (As an aside: My girlfriend saw this and said it tempted her to dress as Supergirl and turn up, and convince a Batgirl cosplayer to make out with her right next to the Phelps twits. I love my life.)

  • Steve

    Totally clueless. ComicCon isn’t just about comic books anymore. It’s about pop culture in general and has become very important for genre television and film.

  • Will

    They were also going to picket lady gaga (our Mother Monster herself). The reason? Idk, but megan phelps made a video parody of poker face. All I remember thinking is “she had to watch that video or listen to that song repeatedly to make this video. Does she not understand the stupidity of this?”

  • Jim

    Stormtroopers and Darth Vader need to make an appearance and crush the angry WBC rebellion!

  • http://NoYourGod.blogspot.com NoYourGod

    I still like the idea of a platoon of bicyclists riding by the Phelps fools, blowing vuvuzelas continuously (unless, of course, that would be illegal due to noise ordinances – the a plan B is needed… anybody got a plan B?)

  • JustSayin’

    Well, at least it gives us queers a break.

  • Troglodyke

    My advice to anyone thinking of counter-protesting: don’t. Phelps is a lawyer and this is how he makes his money, picketing anything to create counter-protests, hoping someone will give him a reason to sue.

    It may seem counter-productive, but completely ignoring these kooks is the best way to shut them up. Literally walk past them and act as if they do not exist. Any countering may bring media attention, which is exactly what they want.

    The best thing that could ever happen to the Phelps clan is for them to cease to exist, and ignoring them will help this along, at least figuratively. Nothing is more maddening than screaming insults at people who don’t even notice you.

    No one outside the family takes anything they do seriously. So, ignore and enjoy the conference.

  • El Perro

    The gayer your costume, the better.

  • ckitching

    There definitely needs to be a sign featuring the Ambiguously Gay Duo

    Sign?? This is a convention. There needs to be someone dressed up as those two, performing in front of Mr Phelps.

  • Demonhype

    Wow, now he’s fallen to protesting COMIC CONS? How pathetic is that?

    This is funnier than that mile of text I once found, which rambled on and on and around itself about how Walt Disney was the Antichrist or the precursor of the Antichrist, and how everything Disney has ever done is pure demonism or some such noise. I couldn’t be bothered to try and untangle that mess and find anything comprehensible.

    @Troglodyke: I understand what you mean, but I don’t think anyone is considering any serious counter-protests so much as a mock counter-protest. Sort of like those things where they show up and hold up signs that say “I have a sign” or “I was promised donuts” or some other humorous thing that pokes light fun at the very nature of the Phelps protest. I realize that a normal insult-shouting counter-protest would help to instigate a more serious encounter and would probably be a Very Bad Idea. (Hell, I’m not gay but I could probably be encouraged to “make out” with another chick just to agitate this asshole, but I think that would be far less suitable than the light-hearted funny sign counter-protest).

    Fact is, if everyone just continues to laugh and hold up the funny signs and not take him seriously at all, he’s lost all his power. It’s like this bitch bully I encountered in ninth grade. She should have been a senior she was held back so long, and she was huge, and she kept getting ghetto in my face. Something snapped in me and I just gave her a soft voice and amused tone, as if I was very entertained by the large and stupid gorilla before me, and the power of her bluster was gone.

    Of course, I had the wherewithall to do what had to be done when she actually escalated her behavior to the physical. I have no idea if anyone in the Phelps clan is likely to take it to that level, seeing as how they are just trying to set a stage for their own lawsuits.

    Of course, on the other hand…these kinds of people get off on “martyrdom”, and no doubt think that the mockery of the “secular liberal socialst” world is evidence of the end times or evidence of their message hitting a nerve or some such crap. Would it hurt them more to be completely ignored?

    Actually, I think they will take the same position no matter whether they are mocked or ignored. But the mockery might help to defuse the situation in regard to passerby who might feel the need to pop Phelps in the mouth and make his wildest dreams come true.

  • Justin

    It’s almost cute. Maybe next time they’ll protest at the casting calls for American Idol or SYTYCD.

  • Dan W

    These WBC nuts don’t seem to realize that their protests just tend to give whatever they’re protesting more publicity. Fred Phelps and co. must be desperate or bored. Protesting Comic-Con? Do they have nothing more controversial to protest?

    I hope to hear some funny stories (and pictures- there must be pictures) about counter-protests of the WBC hate crowd. Mockery of these morons is the best tactic.

  • Zerotarian

    This sounds like a job for…Phelps-A-Thon!

  • PapaJay

    San Diego…the ball is in your court and we all know that you’ll do us proud. Wish I lived closer to be a part of it.

  • Demonhype

    Yes, I second Dan W. Send many many pictures!

  • http://www.noforbiddenquestions.com NFQ

    Augh. I love (read: can’t stand) how for some Christians, not just the WBC, enthusiastically liking anything other than God is “idolatry.” As though we’re just supposed to mope through life all the time we’re not at church or something.

  • http://ottodestruct.com Otto

    Please, I beg of all of you, ignore these people. Show no attention to them, do not watch, just ignore their presence entirely. If you give them any attention whatsoever, they win. That is their entire goal.

  • mouse

    Hello Kitty Darth Vader had better be in attendance again this year.

  • colin

    Maybe Phelps should set up a booth to promote the comics of Jack Chick.

  • Twin-Skies

    Unleash the Man Faye!

  • craig

    I live 2 Blocks from the SD convention center (where the event will be)

    I’d love to shoot some video… I’ll try to make some time!

  • J. J. Ramsey

    I’m surprised that Phelps isn’t complaining about Batwoman being gay. Heck, the comics even got political by having Kate Kane ousted from West Point because of DADT.

  • http://pinkydead.blogspot.com David McNerney

    I really love when religious demagogues let me do this:

    Are you kidding?! If these people would spend even some of the energy that they spend on their Bible, reading comic books, well no high hopes here. They have turned mythical characters into idols, and worship them they do! Spider-Man: The Final Chapter #4 With great power comes great responsibility. Even if that great responsibility means losing that great power. It is time to put away the silly vanities and turn into Superman like you mean it. The destruction of Gotham is imminent — so start calling on Jesus and the Holy Spirit now, see if they can pull you from the mess that you have created with all your silly religion.

  • alex

    It’s been noted before that WBC is a gang of litigious trolls. It is highly possible that they don’t even personally care for the message they are spreading. Think about it. If they are spreading outrageous bullshit that they themselves don’t believe in, then what’s the point of a counter-protest? You are not going to piss them off; making them look stupider than they already do would be difficult and again, will hardly accomplish anything. Live your life and ignore the con-men, if possible.

    That being said, I do like NoYourGod’s idea about vuvuzelas. Vuvuzelas FTW!

  • Claudia

    Well that’s convenient. I mean, by protesting Comic-con they’re saving counter-protestors the bother of having to dress up and act silly specifically to counter them. There will be more than enough outrageously dressed people there just for the event to more than cover that end.

    However if we can get a decent number of people cosplaying Gravitation, Loveless and, for good measure, Bible Black, with some reenactments (short of being arrested, of course), that would be nice.

    Personally my favorite kind of counter-protest is the one that capitalizes off the Phelps brood to raise money for worthy causes like SLEN or AIDS relief.

  • Enrys

    God? Please. The Lanterns are where it’s at foo!
    Batman and Superman are fictional. Just like your God. Except they’re heroes and not villains.

  • http://namelesscynic.blogspot.com Nameless Cynic

    If somebody is stupid enough to confront Phelps & Co, yeah, there will be litigation. But humorous counterprotesting? He wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. The judge would just laugh him out of court.

    Point and laugh, children. Point and laugh. That’s the only effective counter to this kind of idiocy. (Well, there’s this way, too…)

    So, feel free to get out there with your own signs, like “…but God loves porn (Ezekial 23:20)” or “God loves hate?”

    Especially wearing something like these shirts. (A couple of guys or girls making out, as suggested above, would probably be educational for them, too.)

  • http://www.unmails.com Tyler

    Just got back, it was fun. A lot of people couldn’t even tell the WBC was there.

    Anyone get pics? Lemme see I didnt get any of myself!

    I was the tall guy in the red shirt and “God Hates Kittens” sign.

  • Sarah

    The best part to me is that they are going because people dress like whores. I would have thought they’d be going after the chronic masturbators…

  • Moxiequz

    Anyone get pics? Lemme see I didnt get any of myself!

    There’s a post up at Pharyngula with a couple of pictures:

    Comic-con reacts to Fred Phelps

    The best thing about those photos is the shot of the Phelps “crowd”. There’s what – four of them there?

    All Glory to the Hypnotoad!

  • Mike C
  • Mark

    And I can say “I was there”. Not in the group with the signs. Downtown parking is bad enough, even on normal days, so I bussed it and didn’t want to carry a sign, but I jeered. The interesting thing is that the Phelps gang skittered off early under a police escort. I don’t know if they requested it or if they were being thrown out.

  • Iggy
  • L. Foster

    I just want to know if anyone had a “YOU AIN’T GOT NO PANCAKE MIX!” sign or shirt.