Danes-worthy Anecdotes - 2/17/2008

These are the best stories I heard this week:

It’s All The Same

In Janson’s History of Art, Anthony Janson discusses a classical painting of a dinner scene involving Jesus. In this painting, Christ is portrayed as dining with buffoons, drunkards, Germans, and dwarfs. The Italian painter, Paolo Veronese (1528-1588) created the work in 1573 on a canvas 42 feet long and 18 feet tall.

The painting was Veronese’s interpretation of the Lord’s Supper. Not surprisingly, the Inquisition took exception to its irreverence. While they did defend the painter's right to “take the same licence as poets and jesters take,” they objected to the painting nevertheless. Veronese eventually changed the title rather than changing the artwork itself. Its new title “Supper in the House of Levi,” changed it content to a meal Jesus had with a reputed tax collector and his friends (Mark 2:13-15, Luke 5:26-28). Janson notes that Veronese really did not care. For him, there was little distinction between the house of Levi and the Last Supper.

The painting now hangs in the Academy, Venice. (History of Art, 381).

Shoot it

This is my favorite story of the week. I like it so much I have included it in the three places it could go as it makes me smile each time I tell it.

During the post-game radio broadcast after the UT-Georgia game, Chris Lofton arrived to be interviewed. Lofton was bombarded by fans wanting a variety of things from him One woman handed Lofton her baby so that she could get a photo of the two. An obliging, but uncomfortable Lofton posed for a picture with the child. Somewhere amidst the Tennessee partisans, a voice cried out, “Shoot it!” That could be interpreted many ways, none of which would be in the baby’s best interests.

The Ridiculous Facts of Life

MLM is leading a married retreat this week titled “The Facts of Life.” I supplied him with some information on the 1980's television show of the same name, some of which I knew for no apparent reason. One anecdote concerns the decision Lisa Whelchel made to not only abstain from premarital sex, but also have her character do so. The situation is very dated, but the conversation on premarital sex remains and Whelchel is more in the minority now than she was twenty years ago. Now a popular Christian living author, I admire Lis Whelchel and the stance she took. Here is the story:

In the series’ ninth and final season, the producers of “The Facts of Life” wanted one of the four primary characters to loose her virginity. Director John Bowab stated, "It was one of those things that you knew had to happen, but not to a ‘Facts of Life’ girl." It was a different era and sex was taboo. The original script called for Blair Warner to lose her virginity. Lisa Whelchel (who played Blair) objected because it was everything she was opposed to, "They said it was just a normal part of growing up. I didn’t believe that and I certainly didn’t want to have that rested on my shoulders of some girl contemplating that and saying you know Blair did it so it must have been ok." Mindy Cohn (who played Natalie Green) interjected, "I mean it is ridiculous all of these cute, great girls and no ones getting laid. I mean it is ridiculous. It is ridiculous. I volunteered I totally opted Natalie for the job, I thought she would be perfect." On 2/6/1988, “The First Time” aired with Natalie and her boyfriend Snake becoming intimate on their one-year anniversary.

I wish more people were ridiculous like Lisa Whelchel.

I would like it noted that though this television show has been referenced in two blogs this week, I had not thought about in some time prior. Seriously.