Jimmy Kimmel’s jokes on Christian Super Bowl ads lack substance and knowledge
Jimmy Kimmel Mocks Super Bowl Ads Promoting Christianity
“Where did Jesus get the $7 million for a Super Bowl commercial? Did he turn water into money []?” asked late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel while attempting to lampoon Super Bowl advertisements for the Catholic prayer app Hallow and nondenominational “He Gets Us” campaign.
The comedian went on to poke fun at Hallow’s Lent-focused collaboration with Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg by saying, “If I sign up for the app, will [Wahlberg] know I skipped Ash Wednesday? If I don’t come back with a Marky Mark on my forehead, will he rat me out to God?”
Bland jokes aside, the nominally Catholic comedian’s monologue reiterates the culture’s ever-present anti-Christian bias.
Unless it bends over backward to accommodate the whims of the era, Christianity is ruthlessly denigrated. Every major cultural institution treats it with disdain and disgust, and viewing it as a threat to its legitimacy, the federal government weaponizes itself against believers.
But even if we set aside theology and logical proofs of God’s existence, Christianity is overwhelmingly a positive influence in the world and the lives of its practitioners. We could measure its effect in terms of civilizations, hospitals, and schools built in its name, or we could just look at how it improves the lives of its adherents.
Children raised in devout households don’t just pray and attend church more often than their peers; evidence suggests they also perform better in school and “complete more college education,” thus setting them up for greater success as adults. Similarly, research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology indicates religious adolescents and young adults are more likely to abstain from destructive behaviors like promiscuity and habitual drug use.
Research from the Mayo Clinic concluded that “religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better health outcomes, including greater longevity, coping skills, and health-related quality of life (even during terminal illness) and less anxiety, depression, and suicide,” and that “addressing the spiritual needs of the patient may enhance recovery from illness.”
Further, individuals involved in religious communities are more likely to be civically engaged and more likely to be married, and people who regularly attend religious services are far less likely to get divorced.
It’s apparent that religious commitment is good for people and could remedy many of our cultural woes. Considering our nation’s Christian heritage — and that a supermajority of Americans maintains at least an identitarian association with Christianity, though many don’t actually know or follow Jesus — one could reasonably conclude that a revival, so to speak, ought to be encouraged.
This is precisely what the Super Bowl ads Kimmel mocked are trying to inspire, although some perhaps miss the forest for the trees when trying to appeal to the masses.
[Read:[Read:This ‘He Saves Us’ Ad Redeems Everything Wrong With The ‘He Gets Us’ Super Bowl Spot]
Despite offering personally manageable solutions to the things ripping our civilization asunder, Christianity remains public enemy No. 1. Unless Christians are willing to forsake their beliefs, they are not embraced in society. This isn’t new. The world has long hated Christ and His followers and sought to restrict the Truth — this is even discussed in the Gospel.
An increasing number of Americans don’t affiliate with any religion, and an alarming amount (just under 50 percent) have stopped going to church altogether. Reintroducing people to Christianity through services like Hallow could change their lives for the better and have a trickle-down effect that benefits future generations of Americans.
Cultural figures like Kimmel, however, will continue to profess commitment to the faith while openly blaspheming and leading people astray. To people like them, Christianity is little more than a label invoked to condescend to other people and something used to justify hedonistic lifestyles.
Samuel Mangold-Lenett is a staff editor at The Federalist. His writing has been featured in the Daily Wire, Townhall, The American Spectator, and other outlets. He is a 2022 Claremont Institute Publius Fellow. Follow him on Twitter @smlenett.
In what ways does religious involvement, specifically in Christianity, contribute to better health outcomes and overall quality of life for individuals and society
To compromise their beliefs and conform to the secular narrative, they are relentlessly attacked and mocked in the public sphere.
Jimmy Kimmel’s mocking of the Super Bowl ads promoting Christianity is just another example of the culture’s bias against the religion. His attempts to make jokes about the Catholic prayer app Hallow and its collaboration with Mark Wahlberg only serve to perpetuate the disdain and disrespect towards Christian beliefs.
However, even setting aside theological arguments and logical proofs of God’s existence, Christianity has had a overwhelmingly positive impact on the world and the lives of its followers. Its influence can be seen in the countless civilizations, hospitals, and schools that have been built in its name. Moreover, studies have shown that children raised in devout households perform better in school and have higher levels of academic success as adults. They are also more likely to abstain from destructive behaviors and have better mental health outcomes.
Religious involvement and spirituality have been associated with better health outcomes, including greater longevity, coping skills, and overall quality of life. Addressing the spiritual needs of patients has been found to enhance their recovery from illness. Additionally, individuals involved in religious communities are more likely to be civically engaged and have stronger marriages, and those who regularly attend religious services are far less likely to get divorced.
It is evident that religious commitment has numerous benefits for individuals and society as a whole. Given our nation’s Christian heritage and the majority of Americans identifying with Christianity, it is reasonable to encourage a revival of faith. The Super Bowl ads that were mocked by Kimmel are attempting to inspire this revival, although their effectiveness in appealing to the masses may be debated.
It is important to recognize that Christianity offers solutions to many of the problems our society is facing today. Instead of ridiculing or dismissing it, we should be open to understanding and embracing its positive impact. Rather than being the enemy, Christianity has the potential to heal and strengthen our civilization if we give it the chance it deserves.
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