Idol Chatter

I have been a fan of comedian and satirist Steven Colbert since he began doing segments on “The Daily Show” such as “The Week in God.” No religion or religious figure was above Colbert’s barbs. That certainly hasn’t changed since he started his own show, “The Colbert Report.” I have been waiting for the chance…

The New York Times has a few stalwart religion writers, like Laurie Goodstein, whose work saves the editors’ decided parochialism when it comes to religion. (See “Rites,” an oddly inanimate photo series of Jewish, pagan, and other supposedly arcane ceremonies that seems to have been discontinued.) But only John Leland—not a religion reporter at all,…

Queen Latifah made me cry. I wouldn’t normally admit that I teared up during a heartwarming, inspirational romantic comedy, but I’m willing to go on the record so that others might not pass up “Last Holiday, “a remake of the 1950 movie of the same name. In it, Queen Latifah plays Georgia Byrd, a demure,…

Most of last night’s episode of “Lost” focused on revealing the secrets of Mr. Eko, one of the survivors from the tail section of the plane, who we learn knows all-too-well the history behind the crashed plane Charlie had discovered loaded with statues of the Virgin Mary. Nevertheless, it was some of the smaller moments…

In yet another step aimed at enhancing its image as an eco-friendly grocer to the world, Whole Foods is set to have its energy needs met by Colorado-based Renewable Choice Energy, a purveyor of wind-generated energy. This leap into “green” power makes Whole Foods the largest user of renewable energy in the United States, and…

“24” returns to Fox this Sunday after a loooong lay-off, and it’s about time. “24” is the kind of dynamic and necessary post-modern good vs. evil story that we need, because most of us have little tolerance for easy feel-good answers. Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer is neither perfectly good nor dastardly evil, making him a…

In addition to a L’il Kim reality show–chronicling the rapper’s last two weeks before going behind bars–BET, the cable station aimed at African-American viewers, is hoping to liven up its lineup with a weekly show called “Meet the Faith.” The concept is modeled on NBC’s venerable Sunday political chat show, “Meet the Press,” with CNN…

As my effort to catch up on “The Sopranos” continues, I am now making my way through Season Two, currently available through HBO’s “On Demand.” Two episodes in particular have caught my attention with their interesting religious themes. Episode 20, “D-Girl,” revolves around Anthony Jr’s introduction in school to existentialism, which provokes him to suddenly…

Although it may surprise a lot of people, I find the new face of religion on TV in the form of the “Dog: The Bounty Hunter” (Tuesdays at 9), A & E’s highest-rated series ever. The show, which gives us a look into the often-misunderstood world of bail bonding, focuses on Duane “Dog” Chapman and…

From Jay Leno last night, referring to Jesus’ occasional appearances as a character in NBC’s “The Book of Daniel“: Tough year for Jesus. Last year, He was the superstar leading character of the biggest movie of the year, “The Passion of the Christ.” Now, he’s relegated to a recurring role in a dead show on…

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