Gah Gah

The daughter granddaughter of “God Hates Fags” cult leader Fred Phelps has made a parody of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” as part of the cult’s campaign against the performer. Apparently because Lady Gaga is supportive of gays (or wears weird outfits or who knows what) the Phelps cult has decided to picket Lady Gaga concerts.

But you gotta give the song a listen. It’s comedy gold:

@LadyGaga "Poker Face" parody by WBC is done! Lyrics: http://tiny.cc/LGL2 Music: sound bite

Just a reminder: this isn’t the first time the Phelps crew has cut a song parody. However, their previous efforts have sparked lawsuits by music publishers.

I don't think we can mock these folks enough.

Today In Hate

Actually, it was yesterday, at Steve McNair's memorial. Two people with four signs each. I'd say the Phelps clan is spread a little thin these days:



I've said before, I don't understand why some enterprising journalist hasn't figured out whose bankrolling these assclowns, who seem to do nothing except travel the world looking for attention. I suspect the money trail will lead in some very surprising and interesting directions.

Anyone interested?

Media Whores

Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist cult Church will protest the funeral of actress Natasha Richardson:

On its Web site, Westboro Baptist Church said it plans to protest at St. Joseph's Church because Richardson supported research for a cure for AIDS.

No. They are protesting because the media will be there. End of discussion.

Here’s something I’ve never understood: where does Fred Phelps’ money come from? His “congregation” has fewer than 100 people, made up primarily of family and extended family members.

Church members fly all around the world staging their protests, claiming 22,000 such protests since 1991. That’s over 1,200 events a year. That number is certainly wildly inflated but still, they appear at enough events around the country to rack up the frequent flier miles.

And finally, the group’s actions have made them a target of expensive lawsuits, which they’ve appealed ad nauseum. In November 2007, Phelps was ordered to pay $11 million to the family of a solider whose funeral the church had picketed. A judge placed a lien on Phelps’ Topeka, Kan., church building and law offices.

So I’d just like to know who is paying for the Phelps cult to travel around the world spreading their hate, paying all of their court costs and related expenses (though several members of the family are lawyers, they still need to pay for things like posting $225,000 in bond ordered by a judge last spring). And that doesn’t even mention stuff like keeping the lights on and food on the table at the Topeka compound where they all live.

So who is keeping this mission of hate afloat? And why isn’t someone in our media doing some digging to find this stuff out, instead of doing the hate crew’s biding by reporting every time a Phelps family member shows up to picket someone’s funeral?

Come on, doesn’t anyone do investigative work anymore? Anyone?

Bueller?

I suspect learning the identity of Phelps' backers will do wonders for promoting gay rights in this country.

Oscar Hate

If you wondered what Sean Penn was referring to Sunday night when he mentioned “the signs of hatred” seen on the way into the Oscars, apparently the Phelps cult was out in full force with this:



Love the pic of Obama with the horns. It's almost a parody.

Since Phelps and his daughter were denied entry into the UK this week, I guess they had an opening on their Intolerance Tour. I only wish the media had covered this. The Phelps cult is so reprehensible, their message so repulsive, that I think they do more to swing people away from gay-hate than to win recruits to their cause.

The Kids Are Alright

Here’s some news that’s very cool:

Upon learning that members of Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church planned to protest at the school, students acted quickly — and on their own — to mount a counterprotest showing their disdain for the church’s anti-gay message.

The students, along with like-minded parents and other adults, gathered at 75th Street and Mission Road, swelling onto three corners of the Prairie Village intersection. The Phelps group was confined to the fourth corner.

[...]

Several students were taking donations for AIDS research with a goal of raising $250 for every minute the Phelps group stood across the street.

“We’re going over that goal now,” said Alexxus Abreu, a 17-year-old senior wearing a T-shirt that read “God loves me” and carrying a bucket of donations.

It's great to see kids, on their own initiative, take a stand against intolerance, and raising funds for a good cause, too. My hat’s off to them.

Holding Out For Some Royalties

Kudos to Nashville-based Sony/ATV Music Publishing for suing bigot cult leader Fred Phelps and his band of merry hate-mongers for their unlicensed use of the song “Holding Out For A Hero”:

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The Rev. Fred Phelps' group known for picketing soldiers' funerals around the country has been accused by a music company of violating copyright laws.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing wrote Phelps, telling him to stop what it called unauthorized use of the song "Holding Out for a Hero."

Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church produced a parody it calls "There Are No Heroes," which is on the Internet. Phelps responded Friday in a letter to the Sony saying the video is a parody and not covered by copyright laws.

Last year, another music company accused Phelps of infringing on the song "We Are the World" with a parody it called "God Hates the World."

I eagerly await the day when the Phelps clan are put out of business.

And please don't call them a church; they're not. It's a family cult, no different from Warren Jeffs' polygamy cult, except this one is centered around hatred of gays. Phelps' "church" has 71 members, "60 of whom are related to Phelps through blood or marriage or both."