Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Discussions toward a better understanding of LDS doctrine, history, and culture. Discussion of Christianity, religion, and faith in general is welcome.
User avatar
moksha
Posts: 5050
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2016 4:22 am

Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by moksha » Mon Dec 07, 2020 1:09 am

Hey, I have been reading about this hot story on a couple of sites? Has anyone else heard about it?
If so, can you tell us?
Good faith does not require evidence, but it also does not turn a blind eye to that evidence. Otherwise, it becomes misplaced faith.
-- Moksha

User avatar
Just This Guy
Posts: 1514
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2016 3:30 pm
Location: Almost Heaven

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by Just This Guy » Mon Dec 07, 2020 5:51 am

I have been half following this over the weekend.

My understanding of the story so far.

Kwaku El & Cardon Ellis put out a video as part of the FAIRMormon group where he added names to various characters in the infamous baseball bat scene in Quintin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards. He labeled the bat after his apologetic Youtube channel and labeled the people who get clubbed to death in the scene John Dehlin and Jeremy Reynolds. It's not a safe for work video, so be careful looking it up.

Lot's of internet outrage.

Bill Reel and Sam Young have both condemned this video.

David Bokovoy is calling for all academics to boycott FAIRMormon due to the allowing this video to be released under their name.

Jeremy Reynolds is rporting a large spike in interested in the CES Letter. He stated he is seeing a large increase in downloads and sale of print copies of his letter.

John Dehlin has filed charges against Kwaku for threats against him. Kwaku pulls out the race card saying that he is being attacked because he is black.

This will be interesting to watch. Time to make some fresh popcorn.
"The story so far: In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move." -- Douglas Adams

User avatar
jfro18
Posts: 2064
Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2018 8:41 pm

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by jfro18 » Mon Dec 07, 2020 7:15 am

Just This Guy wrote:
Mon Dec 07, 2020 5:51 am
Kwaku El & Cardon Ellis put out a video as part of the FAIRMormon group where he added names to various characters in the infamous baseball bat scene in Quintin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards. He labeled the bat after his apologetic Youtube channel and labeled the people who get clubbed to death in the scene John Dehlin and Jeremy Reynolds. It's not a safe for work video, so be careful looking it up.

John Dehlin has filed charges against Kwaku for threats against him. Kwaku pulls out the race card saying that he is being attacked because he is black.

This will be interesting to watch. Time to make some fresh popcorn.
So the video was *not* released by the FAIR Mormon series TITS (This is the Show), but was tweeted by some random DezNat type to Kwaku and others, and Kwaku retweeted it saying "now THIS is something" and then the director of TITS replied to ask for his info so they could talk, seemingly impressed by it.

On one hand, it's not a death threat anymore than any other DezNat replies are, but it's still really disturbing and the fact that Kwaku and the "director" of TITS endorsed it is awful.

Kwaku apparently tweeted out some things about Dehlin calling the police but I believe he took them down? Not sure on that one.

These TITS videos are an absolutely abomination, but that's where FAIR Mormon apparently wants to go.

User avatar
Hagoth
Posts: 7075
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2016 1:13 pm

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by Hagoth » Mon Dec 07, 2020 7:22 am

Just This Guy wrote:
Mon Dec 07, 2020 5:51 am
Kwaku El & Cardon Ellis put out a video as part of the FAIRMormon group where he added names to various characters in the infamous baseball bat scene in Quintin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards. He labeled the bat after his apologetic Youtube channel and labeled the people who get clubbed to death in the scene John Dehlin and Jeremy Reynolds. It's not a safe for work video, so be careful looking it up.
That's pretty bloodchilling. Who is StoneXVI?
“The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.” -Mark Twain

Jesus: "The Kingdom of God is within you." The Buddha: "Be your own light."

User avatar
Red Ryder
Posts: 4144
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2016 5:14 pm

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by Red Ryder » Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:03 am

Why does this sound so super crazy?

TITS?

I can see the thursday apostle meetings going like this?

Elder Gong: we are losing the youth.
Elder Oaks: what do you suggest we do Garret?
Elder Gong: we could throw some memes out.
Elder Oaks: what’s a meme??
Elder Gong: it’s an internet thing the youth do.
Elder Oaks: let’s do it!

Elder Gong calling FairMormon:
Send some promising youth over.

Kwaku and Hannah: what is wanted?
Elder Gong: make us proud kids!
Kwaku and Hannah: yes sir!

Internet Mormonism: who the hell are these clowns?

Kwaku and FairMormon are single handedly the best anti-Mormons right now.

Let the strange times continue!!
“It always devolves to Pantaloons. Always.” ~ Fluffy

“I switched baristas” ~ Lady Gaga

“Those who do not move do not notice their chains.” ~Rosa Luxemburg

User avatar
jfro18
Posts: 2064
Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2018 8:41 pm

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by jfro18 » Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:17 am

The TITS videos are absolutely awful. Not only are they just terrible apologetics/scholarship, but they are beyond cringey.

I would imagine they are helpful to those who have never read the CES Letter to distrust it, but at the same time the moment you dig into this stuff you'll see that they are flat out lying about a number of important points.

Why FAIR attached themselves to TITS I have no idea, and the ensuing drama is certainly welcomed by Kwaku (who is an entertainer spreading COVID around Utah), but I can't imagine that it's something FAIR wants to have attached to them.

The inmates have taken over the asylum at FAIR.

User avatar
Yobispo
Posts: 208
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2016 2:35 pm

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by Yobispo » Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:25 am

Kwaku also stoked the flames after John brought attention to the threat with stupid comments about John's "grave". My opinion: Kwaku is engaging in parody, but he's missing the key ingredient that parody needs, which is truth. When Thinker put out the fake apology a while back, it was clever. You can hate what he did, but the parody at least made sense because it pointed out the sad fact that the church has never apologized for their blatant racism. Again my opinion, but I think Kwaku sees himself as clever and funny. But he is neither, so it just comes across as crass and mean.

He also takes no responsibility. There are nutjobs out there who might actually be violent towards church critics, and this hip-cool-edgy parody might be taken seriously by a nutso. Again to Thinker, he actually listened to the criticism and made an apology. (Which I didn't think he needed to do, but I digress)

Lastly, Kwaku is a wannabe-celebrity jerk. He's done stand-up, religious videos, parties and now this garbage. He just wants to be the popular kid and to make a living off being that guy. If he could wear a tu-tu and juggle bowling pins while making fun of people and get more likes/clicks, he would shift gears and do that. He just happens to have found a place where his stupid schtick is getting attention. 5 years from now he's as relevant as Mr. Belvedere.

User avatar
Red Ryder
Posts: 4144
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2016 5:14 pm

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by Red Ryder » Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:37 am

So help a 40+ year old guy out here.

Their plan is to mock the CES letter so the little Mormon children will distrust it? But their going to do it with over the top lunacy, booby acronyms, and death threats?

Where’s the Mormon leadership watching this? Seems the reputation of the church could be at stake here?

Or is that the idea, you know for plausible deniability?

This really is a circus. F*cking Mormonism....
“It always devolves to Pantaloons. Always.” ~ Fluffy

“I switched baristas” ~ Lady Gaga

“Those who do not move do not notice their chains.” ~Rosa Luxemburg

User avatar
Just This Guy
Posts: 1514
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2016 3:30 pm
Location: Almost Heaven

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by Just This Guy » Mon Dec 07, 2020 11:04 am

jfro18 wrote:
Mon Dec 07, 2020 7:15 am
So the video was *not* released by the FAIR Mormon series TITS (This is the Show), but was tweeted by some random DezNat type to Kwaku and others, and Kwaku retweeted it saying "now THIS is something" and then the director of TITS replied to ask for his info so they could talk, seemingly impressed by it.

On one hand, it's not a death threat anymore than any other DezNat replies are, but it's still really disturbing and the fact that Kwaku and the "director" of TITS endorsed it is awful.
Thanks for the clarification. As I said, I have only been partially following this.
Red Ryder wrote:
Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:37 am
Their plan is to mock the CES letter so the little Mormon children will distrust it? But their going to do it with over the top lunacy, booby acronyms, and death threats?
The problem is they forgot about the Streisand Effect*. This is something that many church apologists miss. They more they try to put something down, the more interest that people have in it. Jeremy Reynolds is saying he has seen a large uptick in interest in the CES Letter since they all started going down.

So in a backwards way, the more they attack the CES Letter, the more harm it does to the church. In a way, the church is in a danmed-if-you-do,-danmed-if-you-don't position. If they ignore something, then they will be attacked for hiding their history and people who encounter it are blind sided and unable to process the info when they do find out about it. If they attack it like they do here, more people will look into it and have the same reaction.

Of course, the one thing that would solve the problem is for the church to take owner ship and address these problem head on with honesty and transparency. But we know the church will not do that because they neither accept or give apologies.


On another note, I wonder how TBMs handle this sort of stuff. Between an acronym like TITS and using footage from a very R rated movie, how would they feel about something that they probably should not be looking at if they really followed Mormon standards?

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect
"The story so far: In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move." -- Douglas Adams

User avatar
2bizE
Posts: 2405
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2016 9:33 pm

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by 2bizE » Mon Dec 07, 2020 11:44 am

I’ll be honest, I’ve haven’t ever looked at any TITS on YouTube before.
~2bizE

User avatar
jfro18
Posts: 2064
Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2018 8:41 pm

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by jfro18 » Mon Dec 07, 2020 12:42 pm

Yobispo wrote:
Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:25 am
Again my opinion, but I think Kwaku sees himself as clever and funny. But he is neither, so it just comes across as crass and mean.
I think Kwaku sees himself as an aspiring actor and entertainer, and he saw a niche to jump into with the DezNat apologetic type. I don't know how sincere he is or is not, but I do think he saw that opportunity and figured it could help him build a brand, much like we've seen with Hannah Seriac and FAIR.
Yobispo wrote:
Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:25 am
He also takes no responsibility. There are nutjobs out there who might actually be violent towards church critics, and this hip-cool-edgy parody might be taken seriously by a nutso. Again to Thinker, he actually listened to the criticism and made an apology. (Which I didn't think he needed to do, but I digress)

Lastly, Kwaku is a wannabe-celebrity jerk. He's done stand-up, religious videos, parties and now this garbage. He just wants to be the popular kid and to make a living off being that guy. If he could wear a tu-tu and juggle bowling pins while making fun of people and get more likes/clicks, he would shift gears and do that. He just happens to have found a place where his stupid schtick is getting attention. 5 years from now he's as relevant as Mr. Belvedere.
He doesn't care. I don't want to get into politics here, but Kwaku is very similar to the current political climate in that he saw the DezNat kind of Mormons who crave this kind of approach and he wanted to create material that would appeal to them. What we're seeing is that those DezNat types are willing to say awful things and he finds any feedback fulfilling because he wants the attention for his brand.

And that's the problem that we see over and over again, starting with Joseph Smith. Bad climates incite bad people to say or do bad things, and some people see that more as an opportunity to build a following than they do a chance to reflect and calm things down.

I did a write-up on their seer stone video and I can't imagine doing another one unless it's just a copy and paste type thing- the content is so dishonest that on some level it's just hard to even deal with, and the tone and attacks really speak for themselves, which is why TITS was trending on the "Cringe" subreddit a few days ago.

User avatar
wtfluff
Posts: 3629
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2016 3:20 pm
Location: Worshiping Gravity / Pulling Taffy

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by wtfluff » Mon Dec 07, 2020 12:48 pm

Just This Guy wrote:
Mon Dec 07, 2020 11:04 am
...
Jeremy Reynolds ** is saying he has seen a large uptick in interest in the CES Letter since they all started going down.
...
** Jeremy Runnells

Nothing against you or your phone spelling Jeremy's name wrong JTG, it's just driving my fluffy brain nuts looking at it associated with the CES Letter.
Faith does not give you the answers, it just stops you asking the questions. -Frater Ravus

IDKSAF -RubinHighlander

You can surrender without a prayer...

User avatar
Hagoth
Posts: 7075
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2016 1:13 pm

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by Hagoth » Mon Dec 07, 2020 1:17 pm

Yobispo wrote:
Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:25 am
Kwaku also stoked the flames after John brought attention to the threat with stupid comments about John's "grave". My opinion: Kwaku is engaging in parody, but he's missing the key ingredient that parody needs, which is truth.
And wit. Acting like you're witty and funny is not the same as actually being that way.
“The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.” -Mark Twain

Jesus: "The Kingdom of God is within you." The Buddha: "Be your own light."

User avatar
Hagoth
Posts: 7075
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2016 1:13 pm

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by Hagoth » Mon Dec 07, 2020 1:23 pm

I wrote to FAIR to thank them for finally helping me make up my mind about their claims of commitment to scholarship. I asked them how they feel about attaching themselves to these clowns who just demolished all of their hard work in one fell swoop.
“The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.” -Mark Twain

Jesus: "The Kingdom of God is within you." The Buddha: "Be your own light."

Wonderment
Posts: 450
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:38 pm

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by Wonderment » Mon Dec 07, 2020 3:21 pm

I have always found FAIR to be an extremely toxic group. Toxic people latch on to other toxic people, which is why Kwaku and Cardon Ellis got involved.
Dehlin is reporting that his family is very worried about what might happen to them, and that's why he called the police. I think he was right to notify law enforcement, as he's trying to protect not only himself, but his family. It's a very serious situation, and if Kwaku and Ellis thought they were being entertaining by jumping on board as a means of clickbait, they are entirely mistaken. JMO -- Wndr.

User avatar
slavereeno
Posts: 1247
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 8:30 am
Location: QC, AZ

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by slavereeno » Mon Dec 07, 2020 3:24 pm

It seems to me that they are loosing enough in the 15-30 age bracket that they are willing to sacrifice anybody who might find this objectionable.

Is this a "Hail Mary" to try to stem the tide?

User avatar
Just This Guy
Posts: 1514
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2016 3:30 pm
Location: Almost Heaven

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by Just This Guy » Mon Dec 07, 2020 5:06 pm

wtfluff wrote:
Mon Dec 07, 2020 12:48 pm
Just This Guy wrote:
Mon Dec 07, 2020 11:04 am
...
Jeremy Reynolds ** is saying he has seen a large uptick in interest in the CES Letter since they all started going down.
...
** Jeremy Runnells

Nothing against you or your phone spelling Jeremy's name wrong JTG, it's just driving my fluffy brain nuts looking at it associated with the CES Letter.
Doh!!!

Thanks for the correction. That's what I get for trying to write this quickly while at work.

Wonderment wrote:
Mon Dec 07, 2020 3:21 pm
...if Kwaku and Ellis thought they were being entertaining by jumping on board as a means of clickbait, they are entirely mistaken. JMO -- Wndr.

My guess is he is trying to break into YouTube stardom and he is trying anything he can to get views. If you remember the hoopla a few months ago when he doxed RFM, the videos that were the topic then only have a thousand or so views. My guess is his normal work only get a few hundred views. The best way to get views is put up something controversial. All the ex-mo views where they check it out to get outraged over the childish content are more than he can normally hope to get. That's views and possible income that he normally won't get with his largely completely forgettable channel. So yeah, build a brand through any means possible. And if he can get brownie point by defending his faith, then all all the better. Maybe he can get a church leadership roll to help him build his brand. If it works for MLM's, why not Young-Dumb?

Of course, every time someone says the name of Kwaku's entertainment company, I can't help but think of the Weird Al song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVuzz4q68E4
"The story so far: In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move." -- Douglas Adams

shrugged
Posts: 56
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2019 11:54 am

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by shrugged » Mon Dec 07, 2020 6:45 pm

Have you seen the indie movie he helped write and star in in 2018? Its on Amazon Prime, Seven Hundred Miles. Doesn’t seem very Mormon. Is this guy really a TBM??? I almost get the impression he’s pulling some Borat-style prank on the church.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

User avatar
Hagoth
Posts: 7075
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2016 1:13 pm

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by Hagoth » Mon Dec 07, 2020 7:31 pm

shrugged wrote:
Mon Dec 07, 2020 6:45 pm
Have you seen the indie movie he helped write and star in in 2018? Its on Amazon Prime, Seven Hundred Miles. Doesn’t seem very Mormon. Is this guy really a TBM??? I almost get the impression he’s pulling some Borat-style prank on the church.
I think he has found an audience and is milking them for all he can get. Don't forget this is the same guy who charged $10 a head for large rave-style parties in defiance of health recommendations "due to us not being little b****es."
“The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.” -Mark Twain

Jesus: "The Kingdom of God is within you." The Buddha: "Be your own light."

User avatar
Hagoth
Posts: 7075
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2016 1:13 pm

Re: Kwaku, FAIRMomon, and terminating Dehlin

Post by Hagoth » Mon Dec 07, 2020 7:34 pm

I commented on the FAIR facebook page about my concern that T.I.T.S is destroying FAIR's hard work at looking respectable and got erased immediately. The only comments left are gushing praises for the T.I.T.S videos.
“The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.” -Mark Twain

Jesus: "The Kingdom of God is within you." The Buddha: "Be your own light."

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Zeezrom and 34 guests