23 Comments

1. Sounds like this was written by someone who perceives that they know what youth ministry is about but has never actually bothered to visit us!!!

   Comment by Jodi — Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 6:46 am

2. No way! Not only is that “ad” outrageously wrong, it’s mean-spirited! These people need to get a clue about what goes on in their own church. Babysitting? Come ON!

   Comment by Margo Morin — Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 9:15 am

3. I agree with Margo. This seems mean-spirited, especially when taken in the context of the other “commercials” in the series. The other “ads” seem to be about calling attention to bad behavior (with the intent to change that behavior). It’s offensive.

   Comment by Wayne Hipley — Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 9:51 am

4. I chuckled, a little. I didn’t find it mean-spirited, but I didn’t find it all that cleaver either. Obviously these pieces are aimed at skewering stereotypes. Sure, the field has progressed far beyond this reality, but it is still the image of youth ministry in most people’s minds. So a bit of skewering is called for. Remember thought that according to recent research, people really don’t get sarcasm. Liberals listening to Stephen Colbert feel that he is making fun of everything with tongue planted firmly in his cheek; Conservatives think that he supports the causes he espouses. Who knows how the great unwashed will hear and respond to these promos.

   Comment by Dan Mulhall — Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 10:24 am

5. Thanks for posting this Scott. I agree with Dan in that I wasn’t offended but I didn’t actually find it that good or entertaining. I’ve seen better and funnier spoofs regarding the stereotypes of youth ministers (ie. from APeX Ministries and others at the NCCYMs throughout the years) so this radio ad fell flat for me.

   It’s a good discussion starter to be sure!

   Comment by Clay — Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 11:54 am

6. No funny here at all. Only sadness. This radio spot does nothing but display an utter contempt for the young church, disregard for those who minister to and with teens and an absolute vacuum of respect for the life and dignity of teens. We hear too often in media such negativity about our young people…we DO NOT need to hear this from a radio station sponsored by the church as well!

   Comment by Sarah Holst — Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 12:01 pm

7. To quote “The West Wing,” “they forgot to bring the funny.” The only offensive part to me was the lack of effort. Babysitting? Monopoly? Ski Trips? Seriously – do your homework next time Mr. Smarmy TV Commercial Knockoff Guy, cause we’ve provided way better sarcasm fodder over the years. Oh, and the backup singer was way off key.

   Comment by Chris Weber — Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 12:38 pm

8. I agree with most comments above. I gave up sarcasm a long time ago, because it is not humor; it is a form of attack, couched as humor. There is a fine line between “spoof” and sarcasm, but the designers of all of these ads lack the finesse to walk it. I like the “Real Men of Catholicism” concept, and do think that the right people/person could pull it off in a way that is both funny and makes you still feel good about our Church. But it didn’t happen here. Based upon the ads, I was certain that the Catholic Channel was designed to be critical of the Catholic Church, and was surprised to find out that it was not!

   Comment by Chris Weber — Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 12:46 pm

9. Yes, there are two Chris Webers that read this blog… It messes with me as well. Chris Weber with comment 7 is from Iowa while Chris Weber with comment 8 is from Central Maryland. And you thought the whole two Spocks story-line in Star Trek was confusing…

   Comment by Scott — Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 12:57 pm

10. It really isn’t very funny. I find it lame and just a bit insulting. The stereotype they’re starting with is so old it’s moldy and it really doesn’t fit with any youth minister I know. Maybe this would have been funnier 25 years ago, but I’m not even sure about that. It does make me a little sad because it’s a “Catholic Channel” that’s, seemingly, reinforcing negative, groundless YM stereotyping.

    Comment by Margie Meyers — Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 3:45 pm

11. I definately didn’t end up in Youth Ministry because i wanted a job that was “understood”. I think that in the grand scheme of things… we know that we have a unique vocation that a greater part of the Church is thankful for, but doesn’t necessarily understand. But let’s just be honest people– we ARE a stereotype. We spend weeks at camps on air mattresses, download the Black-eyed Peas off itunes for inculturation (and to get jiggy with it!) and own enough camp t-shirts to clothe a small village. Our calling is to bring teens into union with Christ through knowledge and conversion, but we do it in wierd ways… Most people will not understand what Chubby Bunny has to do with God. I don’t know what the creators of this spoof were going for, but I’m pretty sure that they weren’t plotting an attack on Youth Ministers, just poking fun at one of the wierdest jobs out there. I know that my job is strange… but I’m ok with that, and I laugh about it all the time. Let’s be sure to focus our energy on our real enemies and not get side-tracked. Like, Homeland Security calling Religious groups potential terrorirsts… That’s a jab to loose sleep over.

    Comment by Alison Griswold — Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 3:58 pm

12. After reading the above comments I re-listened to the piece. Parody and lampoon are very hard. I don’t think this is the funniest thing ever written, but I am hurt by it.

    I think a more interesting question is if this shallow stereotype is how the field is seen then what as a field are we challenged to respond to that? If ministering to the young church is seen as “playing with the kids” then a more significant part of our role has to be advocating for the young church and the fields. If these views of ministry to the young church aren’t changed then the vision of having the church community minister to the young church will never come to be and we will always be a group of lone rangers trying to do the work on our own (or with a small dedicated group).

    Comment by gene — Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 4:02 pm

13. “A good discussion starter?” How ’bout a rallying call to storm the offices (or e-mail inbox) of the the Catholic Channel?

    For me this is not just about people not getting sarcasm (not everyone does). Nor is this about the radio spot being not funny (it simply isn’t). The other ads in the series mock the “Catholic Guy” himself. This spot mocks the teens with whom the “Catholic Guy” works. As church, we should proclaim from the rooftops great and wonderful things about our teens. Instead, we have a radio station (sponsored by an archdiocese no less) praising the guy who is apparently the only one willing to put up with teens so others don’t have to. Essentially the ad is saying that we should not work to fully include our teens in the life, community and work of the church, rather we should herd them off and put some wacky “youth ministry guy” in charge so the rest of the church does not have to deal with them. The radio spot is wrong. It is offensive. It is in direct conflict with the USCCB’s Renewing the Vision as well as with John Paul the Great’s institution of World Youth Day and his desire to see the young church’s full participation in the life of the Church. As Clay points out, there are right and inoffensive ways to find and celebrate the humor in our ministry. This radio spot fails to do so.

    And yes, Dan and Clay, it saddens me that on a blog for people who work in youth ministry there are those whose statements imply that we who take offense should perhaps lighten up a bit. We should do no such thing. We work in youth ministry in response to our call to serve the church. This “ad” mocks those we serve as we live out our vocation and mocks our vocation itself. Whether it was made in a mean spirit or as I believe in ignorance, it is still offensive.

    Comment by Sarah Holst — Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 4:07 pm

14. Time to weigh in-
    van Goethe said that “Nothing hurts a new truth more then an old error.” The “new truth” is that we have evolved far beyond this – and as a field we are actively claiming our role as a powerful force for discipleship, evangelization and catechesis. As a field, however, we must acknowledge “old error” before we can move beyond it.
    The “old error” of presenting ourselves as lacking professionalism . . . the “old error” of accepting portrayal of Youth Ministry as “less then” other ministries in the church. . . the “old error” of depicting our ministry as one done by those who never developed beyond their own adolescence. . .It is my desire that 10 years from now, youth ministers will have embraced the “new truth” and will no longer be plagued by the stereotype and “old error.” We have a way to go before the reality depicted in this clip is seen as an obsolete and antiquated notion (see comments above).
    I do not shrink away from the concept that we have improvement needed. However, I am not left with the question “Does this exemplify who we are?” but rather the challenge of “In what ways have we demonstrated that it is not?”

    Comment by Kristin — Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 6:42 pm

15. Great conversation. I’m no shrinking violet, love sarcasm and good humor writing- what really bugs me about this “spoof” is that it does nothing to promote the God-given calling to Youth Ministry at a time when it is very much needed. This is something I can understand coming out of a non-Catholic source, but not from our own Church, and worse yet from a Catholic media source. It’s an embarrassment, and one of the Chris Webers was right, the background singer WAS off-key.

    Comment by Margo Morin — Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 10:04 pm

16. I haven’t heard all of the Real Men of Genius Ads, but I have scanned some of the titles…Mr. Garden Gnome Maker, Mr. Handlebar Moustache Wearer, Mr. In the Car Nose Picker. These are obviously meant to poke fun at a laughable figure, and these stereotypes are not meant to be taken seriously. What bothers me is that the diocese would support youth ministers being viewed in that light? Do we see our youth ministers as babysitters? Or nose pickers for that matter?

    Yes, poke fun at the overambitious sign of peace guy…we all know one of those. But that guy isn’t necessarily employed by the church. The youth ministers I know are active, central figures in parish life, and they do wonderful, valuable work. They should be treated as the professionals they are…not babysitters.

    Comment by kristen — Friday, May 15, 2009 @ 11:07 am

17. I may be a day late, but I am glad I had the opportunity to read all of the previous posts. I heard the radio ad when Scott posted it, I laughed, but did not take it seriously. Catholic youth minister guy affirmed that I am in the right field to create a paradigm shift. While listening to the spoof I was able to call to mind youth ministers who run ski trips, drive buses, and hold lock-ins. This is a personification most youth ministers portray not because we are not professional but because we fail to educate those we serve.

    The latter half of the 20th century school counselors across the nation were questioned by administrators (pastors), colleagues (other lay ecclesial ministers), parents (parents), and students (teens) “What exactly do school counselors do?” Lack of professional advocacy created confusion around the purpose of the school counseling profession. It was not until the profession came together and defined a national standard of professional school counseling and a few years later established a national model for professional school counseling (ASCA National Model 2nd Ed, 2005, pp 8-9).

    The reason why Catholic radio believes this stereotype to be a modest assessment of Catholic Youth Ministry is because we as a profession have failed to creatively vocalize what exactly it is we do and that is “discipleship”. Recently at a seminar several priests were talking about discipleship, one priest phrased “we are about picking up the cross and following Jesus Christ!” Another priest followed up with “then why aren’t young people jumping at the opportunity to bear their cross?”

    All ministries with adolescents must be directed toward presenting young people with the Good News of Jesus Christ and inviting and challenging them to become his disciples. For this reason, catechesis is an essential component of youth ministry and one that needs renewed emphasis. If we are to succeed, we must offer young people a spiritually challenging and world-shaping vision that meets their hunger for the chance to participate in a worthy adventure (USCCB, 1997, p 10).

    The good news of Jesus Christ is not passive historical, but actively alive. Each young person first must come to know Jesus Christ as their best friend and King and then it would make all the sense in the world to “pick up their cross” or “to lay down their life for their friend.” Our work in catechesis should not be aimed at giving our teens facts about the church, but rather it should be aimed at expressing the life of the church. When young people come to know Jesus, then we can invite them into His adventure because they will desire nothing less for their life.

    Two different young people could go to the same ski resort, one with a youth ministry and the other with school. Both would have the same experience of skiing, being with friends, and spending the afternoon doing something they enjoy. The difference is that the adolescent with a youth ministry community has the potential to grow in discipleship through if it fostered by the church as an opportunity of growth through Incarnational relational ministry (Root, 2007). Incarnational relational ministry is a ministry of positive, healthy relationships that are open to the immediate existence of God in the space between two people. Coming to know Jesus Christ happens in relationships of church, of youth ministry where young people experience Jesus Christ in the other person. This is one of the best forms of catechesis, a lived relationship with Jesus Christ.

    We serve the young church and our teenagers are amazing, but before we can lift them up as leaders, we must earn the right to be heard and respected by our church by being able to systematically explain how our youth ministry programs cultivate discipleship or explain “how young people are different as a result of the work that we do” (ASCA National Model 2nd Ed, 2005, p 9). This necessarily does not meaning changing everything, it simply means we explain our rationale and invite the community into our mission of ministry.

    Are we willing to be a voice of change, a voice of hope, and a voice that challenge the current adolescent culture by calling teens into community?

    As a profession, are we ready to clear up all the misconceptions of “what” youth ministry is, that our church dismisses as non-important because it is just fun and games? Can we stand with John as a voice in the wilderness that cries out to make a straight path in our lives for the way of Jesus Christ, our Lord? Renewing the Vision is a gift from our Bishops to us as youth ministers. Are we ready to build off their vision as we develop our profession?

    Scott, for you I have one word “tribe”- have at it brother!

    ASCA (2003). The ASCA National Model: A framework for school counseling programs. American School Counselor Association, Alexandria, VA

    Root, A. (2007). Revisiting Relational Ministry: From a strategy of influence to a theology of incarnation. Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove, Il

    USCCB (1997). Renewing the Vision: A framework for Catholic youth ministry. USCCB Publishing, Washington DC.

    Comment by Joe Mele — Friday, May 15, 2009 @ 11:16 am

18. Thank you everyone for posting your opinions…it has been a very fascinating and enlightening read!

    Sarah, I just wanted to clarify that in no way, shape or form did I mean to “imply that we who take offense should perhaps lighten up a bit.” My 16 years in youth ministry have introduced me to both youth and adults whom I consider my heroes and inspiration. I take my role within the Catholic Church and our collective responsibility very seriously.

    I don’t think I implied anything in my post, rather I simply stated that I wasn’t offended by the ad (especially as offended as others).

    If I offended you, please accept my sincerest apologies. May God bless you and all of us in this wacky and wonderful world of youth ministry.

    Comment by Clay — Friday, May 15, 2009 @ 12:15 pm

19. I work for two ministries that both allow me to interact with youth ministers from across the country and to be honest I chuckled when the ad started but like others stated it fell flat and as such became offensive.
    Here is my real problem with the spoof, It is not innacurate as we would like it to be. For those of us posting here who are actively and dedicatedly growing our vocation in a professional way this is offensive. Based on my conversations and exchanges a minor (10-15%ish) but significant number of youth ministers still function in this or other “traditional” modes of youth ministry that most of us know to be harmful to our vocation (and the spiritual growth of the young people in their ministries). It hurts me everytime I talk with someone who runs their ministry this way but I love the opportunity to broaden their mindset and they often times end up being the best conversations I have each day. My hurt comes from the fact that some of these people have been “doing ministry” for over ten years and a random call from me is the first time they hear of RTV or comprehinsive youth ministry. I will go on way longer if I do not stop, but my question is this are they failing us or are we failing them.

    Comment by Tony Vasinda — Friday, May 15, 2009 @ 12:30 pm

20. Hello. I am a little surprised by how upset people have got over this ad. I found it funny. I understand that it does sum up all the worst opinions that people have of youth ministry. I know people who seem to think that youth groups are there to entertain their horrible children and the leader should be a type of baby sitter. I have to constantly remind people that a church based group should, while be extremely fun, be mainly faith based and a have a focus on prayer. I am as far from “getting jiggy with it” as possible, although I think I might be the sign of peace man. If I can’t reach I have been known to give a bit of nod and a wave.

    If in doubt whether to laugh or cry, I would normally laugh.

    Comment by Peter McGeady — Friday, May 15, 2009 @ 3:30 pm

21. I just want every one to know that I am Chris Weber PRIME.
    (The Emmitsburg Chris Weber)
    I believe that I can claim this right simply by saying it first!

    Comment by Chris Weber — Friday, May 15, 2009 @ 6:10 pm

22. Oh — sorry — I clicked too soon.

    My co-worker, Judy (that would be Judy PRIME), said something I found helpful after listening to ALL of the ads: “I just felt uncomfortable, unsure what they were trying to say.” She explained that she couldn’t tell if they were being mean-spirited or not.

    That is the potential danger of parody.

    Comment by Chris Weber — Friday, May 15, 2009 @ 6:19 pm

23. I personally thought this was funny. No it does not touch on all we do in the ministry but there are times I have felt like this was true. We do a lot with the hopes of reaching all the children we can and I think that is what it is pointing out. I was not insulted.

    Comment by Emily — Tuesday, May 19, 2009 @ 4:29 pm

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