Comments on: Atheists in the Media

By: Scotty B

Scotty B — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:33:37 +0000

Its a movie, not a TV show, but Bridge to Terabithia has a nice portrayal of atheists. The main girl in the movie points out at one point that her parents are atheists when the main boy asks her to go to church with him and she says she’s never been to church. She goes with him and the boy is complaining about church when she says “You have to believe it, and you hate it. I don’t have to believe it, and I think it’s beautiful.”

I don’t know what category they would fit in, but the girls parents are writers and are portrayed as being really fun people who enjoy their family time.

By: stogoe

stogoe — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:40:18 +0000

Of course, I also can’t think of a single actor who isn’t conventionally attractive in some way, so maybe that’s why they are all hot.

“We wanted TV Ugly, not Ugly Ugly.”

Even Ugly Betty is apparently just an attractive female with dowdy clothes and a pair of glasses.

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 03:48:15 +0000

My wife wants to make sure you add Dean Winchester from Supernatural, the (hot) snarky (hot) misanthrope hottie. True, there are demons and such in the series, but Dean doesn’t believe in any supreme beings or Gods. He has some ’slutty’ in him also but he isn’t ‘angsty.’

By: Jen

Jen — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 03:38:40 +0000

It’s true, atheists are just better looking.

Of course, I also can’t think of a single actor who isn’t conventionally attractive in some way, so maybe that’s why they are all hot.

There have to be other TV atheists… hmmm, I am not proud to admit this, but a few weeks ago I watched The Big Bang Theory, which may or may not already be canceled. The sister from Rosanne was on, playing a super religious mom, to her son (the… taller roommate on the show) who was a scientist, and took none of her rantings seriously. I think he was supposed to be an atheist, but I was flipping channels.

Oh! And Miranda from Sex and the City, who allowed her baby to be baptized as long as the preist cut out all religious mentions from the event.

And I think maybe Buffy was, but then she died and went to heaven or something.

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 03:37:49 +0000

Hmmm… I can’t think of any definitely identified agnostic characters. Seems a bit nuanced for TV.

I nominate Mal Reynolds as best TV atheist. He was brilliant and snarky but also a bona fide “good guy” and hero. And, needless to say, smokin’ hot!

By: Loren Petrich

Loren Petrich — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 03:22:54 +0000

I wonder how agnostics fare; has anyone checked on that.

I mention agnosticism because a lot of atheists call themselves agnostics because (1) they do not consider themselves absolutely certain that there are no gods or (2) they do not want to seem belligerent about their beliefs.

By: Jane

Jane — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 03:14:13 +0000

The coolest atheist character on TV is definitely Charlie Eppes on Numb3rs. This doesn’t come up often, but during the episode “Thirteen” (which you can watch on the CBS website), he makes some comments that definitely identify him as an atheist.

For those who don’t watch the show, Charlie is brilliant. And a nice guy. And hot.

By: John Pritzlaff

John Pritzlaff — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 01:37:54 +0000

I dislike the negativity that most atheist characters are portrayed as having.

By: writerdd

writerdd — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:38:15 +0000

I happen to love Brilliant, Snarky Misanthropes. I’d like to think I am one. And I’m happy to be in the fictional company of the characters listed.

By: Greta Christina

Greta Christina — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:16:12 +0000

To “brilliant, snarky misanthrope” I would also add “cynical.”

And I’d add another trope (or maybe just modify “lab geek”): “Overly-intellectual, emotionally out-of-touch social misfit who can’t take a leap of faith.”

Myself, I’d probably put Mal from Firefly in the “brilliant, snarky, cynical misanthrope” category. But it’s far from a perfect fit. Maybe because Joss Whedon, the show’s creator, is a self-described “hard-line, angry atheist.”