Betty Bowers
Encyclopedia
Betty Bowers is the fictional central character on the satirical website BettyBowers.com. The character is a parody of a hypocritical American Christian.
The character and the content associated with the character were created by writer Paul A. Bradley. Betty Bowers is currently portrayed by voice actor and comedienne Deven Green
, appearing both in photographs and numerous satirical videos.
, which she claims is "God's favorite church". Bowers is depicted in "photographs" as prim and proper, usually with a look of disdain or disapproval on her face.
(a parody site concerning religion) and Whitehouse.org
. Bradley is the sole author of all material on the Betty Bowers site, as well as the author of What Would Betty Do? (Simon & Schuster 2002), based on the same character. Bradley was also a co-author of The White House Employee Handbook (Penguin 2004) and Welcome to Jesusland! (formerly the United States of America) (Time Warner 2006). The character Betty Bowers appears in all three of these books.
Via the Betty Bowers website, the character is used to make satirical statements regarding the Religious Right
, homosexuality
and gay rights, creationism
, religious fundamentalism
, and the Republican Party
, among others. The content of the website and site "newsletters" varies; sometimes the satire is a tongue-in-cheek spoof
of its intended target, whereas other pieces may have content that is directly critical of those targets.
Bowers also has written several movie reviews, most notably for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
, Hannibal
and The Passion of the Christ
. She claims Harry Potter is a "one-way ticket to hell
," and that it is a terrible movie due to its depiction of witchcraft
, while commenting that Hannibal is a wonderful depiction of God's true nature and that The Passion of the Christ
is a great family film.
The character's surname, along with that of fellow Landover Baptist member Brother Harry Hardwick, derives from Bowers v. Hardwick
, the 1986 U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a Georgia sodomy law.
The character and the content associated with the character were created by writer Paul A. Bradley. Betty Bowers is currently portrayed by voice actor and comedienne Deven Green
Deven Green
Deven Green is a comedian, comedy writer, and musician. She is best known for her performances with the comedy duo Devon & Joel and her parody work as Betty Bowers, "America's Best Christian".-Biography:...
, appearing both in photographs and numerous satirical videos.
Betty Bowers 'biography'
According to Bradley's fictional satirical biography of Mrs. Betty Bowers, she proclaims herself "America's Best Christian". Bowers operates several Christian ministries with names like "Bringing Integrity To Christian Homemakers" (B.I.T.C.H.) and "Baptists Are Saving Homosexuals" (B.A.S.H.). She is a member of Landover Baptist ChurchLandover Baptist Church
The Landover Baptist Church is a fictional Baptist church based in the fictional town of Freehold, Iowa. The Landover Baptist web site and its associated Landoverbaptist.net Forum are a satire of fundamentalist Christianity and the Religious Right in the United States.-Origin:The site was created...
, which she claims is "God's favorite church". Bowers is depicted in "photographs" as prim and proper, usually with a look of disdain or disapproval on her face.
Website content
The character, as well as the content of the website, was created by Paul A. Bradley, who is also one of the lead writers for the websites LandoverBaptist.orgLandover Baptist Church
The Landover Baptist Church is a fictional Baptist church based in the fictional town of Freehold, Iowa. The Landover Baptist web site and its associated Landoverbaptist.net Forum are a satire of fundamentalist Christianity and the Religious Right in the United States.-Origin:The site was created...
(a parody site concerning religion) and Whitehouse.org
Whitehouse.org
Whitehouse.org is a parody website that Chickenhead Productions created in 2001, though the domain was first registered in 1995. The banner at the top of the website's front page read: "THE WHITE HOUSE" "OFFICIOUS WEBSITE OF PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH". The website is a parody of former U.S....
. Bradley is the sole author of all material on the Betty Bowers site, as well as the author of What Would Betty Do? (Simon & Schuster 2002), based on the same character. Bradley was also a co-author of The White House Employee Handbook (Penguin 2004) and Welcome to Jesusland! (formerly the United States of America) (Time Warner 2006). The character Betty Bowers appears in all three of these books.
Via the Betty Bowers website, the character is used to make satirical statements regarding the Religious Right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
, homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
and gay rights, creationism
Creationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
, religious fundamentalism
Fundamentalism
Fundamentalism is strict adherence to specific theological doctrines usually understood as a reaction against Modernist theology. The term "fundamentalism" was originally coined by its supporters to describe a specific package of theological beliefs that developed into a movement within the...
, and the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, among others. The content of the website and site "newsletters" varies; sometimes the satire is a tongue-in-cheek spoof
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of its intended target, whereas other pieces may have content that is directly critical of those targets.
Bowers also has written several movie reviews, most notably for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in the United States and India as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. The film is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series,...
, Hannibal
Hannibal (film)
Hannibal is a 2001 psychological thriller film directed by Ridley Scott, adapted from the Thomas Harris novel of the same name. It is a sequel to the 1991 Academy Award-winning film The Silence of the Lambs that returns Anthony Hopkins to his iconic role as serial killer Hannibal Lecter...
and The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...
. She claims Harry Potter is a "one-way ticket to hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
," and that it is a terrible movie due to its depiction of witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
, while commenting that Hannibal is a wonderful depiction of God's true nature and that The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...
is a great family film.
The character's surname, along with that of fellow Landover Baptist member Brother Harry Hardwick, derives from Bowers v. Hardwick
Bowers v. Hardwick
Bowers v. Hardwick, , is a United States Supreme Court decision that upheld, in a 5-4 ruling, the constitutionality of a Georgia sodomy law criminalizing oral and anal sex in private between consenting adults when applied to homosexuals. Seventeen years after Bowers v. Hardwick, the Supreme Court...
, the 1986 U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a Georgia sodomy law.