“Add some snares to the prayers”

Okay, this is funny.

Now, parts of it are just wrong and really off about the Mass – whoever wrote it hadn’t been to Mass in a while and/or had really hazy memories of what happens, when and how.   And it definitely reflects a most superficial version of modern Irish cultural Catholicism.

But just know that my daughter said, “Mom, you have to watch this.  You’ll think the music part is hilarious.”

It is – in a really painful way.  Painful because it’s true, not just in regard to the past it represents (WAAAAAY back in the 1980’s), but also in terms of the now.  In short: Think you’re all cool and down with the kids now.? Fine.  Just wait…..

The show?  Moone Boy, from Chris O’Dowd. 

I’ve watched the first two episodes now (this – Godfellas – is #5) – and I give the series an “Eh” – it’s amusing at times, fun for the late 80’s references, definitely not kid-friendly, although I do like the conceit – O’Dowd plays the imaginary friend of this very well-played and charming boy growing up in western Ireland in the late 80’s.  It shows flashes of authenticity here and there, but there’s also a sort of shallow meanness and neutrality towards weirdness that I find off-putting.

And maybe the portrayal of the er, pastoral musician here is part of that, but maybe because I resonate with the critique I can look past the shallow meanness in this case.. Guilty as charged.

But oh…

“When we sing for the Baby Jesus it’s never awful..…Usually”

(If you watch, note the dissonance, in the first Mass scene,  between the music book in the stand and what’s actually being sung.  Snort.  How can that not be intentional?)

(Also, the frantic search for “some kind of black leather footwear” was….familiar.)