Here are today’s dispatches from the crossroads of faith, media and culture.

1. Aronofsky’s proposed Noah movie rides a wave of support. From SlashFilm: Darren Aronofsky‘s wish to make his Bible-based fantasy epic Noah an “event” film is about to take one step closer to coming true. The project has been seeking a studio to pay half of its $150 budget — New Regency, which has been with Noah since early on, will cover the other half — and it looks like Paramount will be stepping up to fork over the cash. Though the deal is not yet official, the studio is said to be “close” to signing a deal.

2. The Playboy Club finds a Salt Lake City home. From The Wrap: Rest assured, residents of Salt Lake City: when NBC’s new drama “The Playboy Club” premieres this fall, you will receive your fair share of fleshy delights.
My Network TV affiliate KMYU has picked up the series following Salt Lake City NBC affiliate KSL-TV’s decision not to run the series, an individual with knowledge of the situation confirms to TheWrap.
KSL, owned by Deseret Media — which is itself owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — announced earlier this month that it was declining to run the series because it conflicts with the station’s values.

3. Lady Gaga’s Born This Way continues to plummet. From ShowBiz 411: All the numbers are in. Lady Gaga‘s “Born this Way” has dropped to number 8 on the pop charts and number 20 on ITunes. The total for last week is just less than 50,000 copies. By contrast, Adele remains at number 1 with over 100,000 copies sold again last week. “Born this Way” has just completely dropped, like air running quickly from an inflatable ball. So weird…PS The number 9 album this week from Weird Al, featuring a parody of “Born this Way.”

4. Glenn Beck talks about harassment of himself and his family in NYC. From The Blaze: There are those who love freedom of expression, as long as it’s not conservatives who are doing the expressing. Just ask Glenn Beck. On radio Tuesday, he told the stunning story of how he and his family were harassed during an outdoor movie in New York City’s Bryant Park.

5. Media Matters celebrates (and takes credit for) Glenn Beck’s departure from Fox News. From The Blaze: As Glenn Beck’s finale show on Fox News draws near, the folks at George Soros’ progressive Media Matters are tickled pink. So much so in fact, they even hosted a soiree to celebrate their victory. The group gives themselves a hearty pat on the back and all the kudos for “getting Glenn off the air” by claiming to have pressured advertisers into pulling out of Beck’s time-slot. Huffington Post’s Zach Carter interviewed various Media Matterites at the event, many of whom said now that Beck is “gone” they’ll be ever-vigilant of the remaining “right wing media nuts” out there — which, according to one attendee, constitutes the entire Fox News network.
Comment: You don’t have to buy into Beck’s world view to be concerned about a well-funded tax-exempt organization using its power to stamp out political thought that disagrees with its own.  I know citing this poem by Pastor Martin Niemöller regarding the rise of Nazism has become a bit cliché in cases like this but it’s cliché because what it says is true.

First they came for the communists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Diversity should mean diversity of thought too.

6. Daily Show host Jon Stewart continues his war of words with Fox News’ Chris Wallace. From The Wrap: Stewart referred back to his interview with Wallace two Sundays back, in which Wallace suggested Stewart only attacks liberal targets to maintain credibility to attack conservatives.
“That narrative of conservative victimization is the true genius of what Fox News has accomplished,” Stewart said. “Any editorial judgment in news or schools or movies that doesn’t favor the conservative view is elitism and is evidence of liberal bias. Whereas any editorial judgment that favors the conservative view is evidence merely of fairness and done to protect them from media bias.
“And, if you criticize Fox for this game, guess what that’s evidence of? How right they are about how persecuted — ” he cut himself off, adding: “It is airtighter than an otter’s anus. Don’t ask me how I know that.”
Comment: Here’s what Stewart said to Wallace in his original Fox News Sunday interview taken directly from the transcript: “I think that you are here in some respects to bring a credibility and an integrity to an organization that might not otherwise have it, without your presence. So, you are here as a counterweight to Hannity, let’s say, or a counterweight to Glenn Beck, because otherwise, it’s just pure talk radio and it doesn’t establish the type of political player it wants to be.”
Now, I like Jon Stewart. I respect his politics (without, usually, agreeing with it), I’m a regular viewer  of The Daily Show and I actually think he deserves points for occasionally poking fun at his own side.
But, pardon me, didn’t he essentially do what he accuses Wallace of doing during his initial appearance on Fox News Sunday?
In fact, I think you could pretty much restate what Jon said then this way:

“Any editorial judgment in news or schools or movies that doesn’t favor the conservative liberal view is elitism and is evidence of liberal conservative bias. Whereas any editorial judgment that favors the conservative liberal view is evidence merely of fairness and done to protect them from media bias.
And, if you criticize Fox Stewart for this game, guess what that’s evidence of? How right they are about how persecuted…It is airtighter than an otter’s anus. Don’t ask me how I know that.”

You can’t have it both ways, Jon. You can’t say that when you poke fun at liberals its evidence of non-partisan humor but when Fox sometimes gets tough with conservatives it’s just for cover.  Of course, Fox can’t have it both ways either.

7. Is Tom Petty?From The Scoop: Tom Petty doesn’t want Michele Bachmann using his 1977 song, “American Girl,” in her campaign events, NBC Nightly News reports.
The song was played when the Republican presidential candidate left the stage in Waterloo, Iowa, after making a nationally televised speech. Later, NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell reported that Petty’s manager will be asking the candidate’s team not to use his song again.
O’Donnell also reported that Petty asked George Bush not to use his song “I Won’t Back Down” in 2000, but apparently allowed Hillary Clinton to use “American Girl” during her 2008 campaign.
Comment: Why do Republicans even bother to choose songs from liberal singer/songwriters.  Ever since Bruce Springsteen objected to Ronald Reagan’s campaign using Born in the U.S.A. back in the eighties it’s become part of the campaign ritual for a left-leaning musical artist to tell a GOP candidate to lay off using his or her song.  Here’s a suggestion, this time around Born in the U.S.A. would work particularly well for President Obama (I’m sure Springsteen wouldn’t object) and all the GOP candidates should just stick to I’m Proud to be an American by Lee Greenwood who is reported to be a Republican.

Dueling campaign anthems?

Encourage one another and build each other up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11