by VorJack
Recently, the most popular television show is Malaysia has been winding to a close. The show, “Imam Muda” or “Young Imam,” has been a sort of “So You Think You Can Preach the Quran,” a contest/reality show intended to find the hottest new Islamic clerical talent.
The winner, Muhammad Asyraf Mohd Ridzuan, beat out 9 other contestants over the run of the show. According to The Guardian:
… contenders face weekly challenges such as performing the Islamic ritual of cleansing two unclaimed corpses, preaching to young delinquents hauled in after a police raid and counselling unwed pregnant girls at a woman’s shelter.
The Guardian article points out a potential problem with “Imam Muda.” By focusing on the interpersonal skills over the theology of the wannabe clerics, the show “feeds into a public fascination with charismatic clerics, who have not always been good news for Malaysia.”
Which makes me think it would be the perfect show to adapt for the American Fundamentalist audience, since there personal charisma is far more important than theological consistency, sound doctrine or basic sanity.
In fact, since there is a persistent rumor that American mega-churches are having trouble replacing their founders, this would be the perfect time to bring out such a show. The winner could get a gig being Benny Hinn’s understudy.
Qualification tests would include endurance bible thumping, insane exegesis and really, really atrocious hairstyle. The only trouble is what to call it. “American Idol” seems perfectly appropriate, but it’s already taken.
““American Idol” seems perfectly appropriate, but it’s already taken.”
LOL. Well played good sir, well played.
Yup. The whole ditty is full of WIN!
:)
Maybe the idol people can take advantage of the problems they’re having recently to rebrand the show. They can hire Fred Phelps to replace Simon Cowell as the mean judge.
You know, I think I would actually watch that show. Especially if the contestants were youngish- there’s some pathos there, I think.
Frankly, I’m surprised TBN didn’t think of this first.
One event could be the baptizing of people (young and old) and the one that drowns the fewer amount of people in less time wins.
I think I would participate. Who cares if I don’t believe in god. The prospect of me getting millions of dollars from my “sheep” is good enough for me to pretend to believe.
Doesn’t that describe most televangelists?
Oh wait yes…. hmmm…
seeing as I want to be a non-conformist, scratch my last comment.
Another benefit of such a scam is that fundies are among the few groups I wont feel to bad fleecing (they do like to think of themselves as sheep). And I can always make a cool public apology when they catch me red handed with a Dawkins book. Although I better get Ted Haggard to help me judge it to make sure I’m not over repentant .
Oops. Yeah that shoulda been here…
I live in Malaysia and I honestly didn’t know this was going on.
counseling unwed pregnant girls at a woman’s shelter.
Is that the new euphemism for stoning.
No, helping set up a woman’s shelter and letting pregnant unwed teens would be a euphemism for stoning.
I dunno. Getting caught with a Dawkins book would likely be a career ender. Sexual escapades and embezzlement, on the other hand…
I wouldn’t mind doing a few exorcisms on TV. Cleansing unclaimed corpses, on the other hand…
I’m trying to come up with names already.
“So you think you can preach.”
“Big brother” is taken…
“Project god-light”
“Making the cheesy christian-rock band”
“Qualification tests would include endurance bible thumping, insane exegesis and really, really atrocious hairstyle.”
It would probably need more eisegesis than exegesis, but otherwise, I agee.
Fun to watch, though.
wow… just wow, im speechless