[Originally posted at Bene Diction Blogs On, April 12, 2010]
What's new with Faytene Kryskow these days? Well, according to a notice that she recently put on her personal website for her work as an itinerant evangelist, the media may not be able to help you find out. (But in the second part of the post, I'll pass on what I can).
The notice to the media that it needs to ask "Mother, may I..?" reads, as I write, as follows:
Notice to media - any media wishing to attend any of the events that Faytene is speaking at must contact admin@faytene.ca for information on proper protocol. Media who do not go through the proper protocol channels may be asked to leave for the purpose of eliminating un-necessary distractions to the event organizers.
I can imagine Faytene et. al not wanting cameras to come into a church, say. But does this mean that she doesn't want print or radio reporters to cover a big outdoor event like The CRY, on public property? Can she do this?
And why would she want to do this?
Well, I can imagine that a leftward leaning reporter from one of the Vancouver dailies might have wandered into The Cry Vancouver last year, and been puzzled, if not aghast, with a few things that happened.
What problem could you have with someone from the press who is quiet, respectful of what is going on, and well mannered? Trying to be a fly on the wall?
As someone who attended much of The CRY Vancouver last summer, I noted that the GOD TV cameras at the event could have been construed as disruptive, filming with their handheld camera to get extreme close-ups of people worshipping in the crowd. But although such things might be a distraction, they aren't an issue, as God TV can be trusted not to look for anything negative.
These days, when news resources are shrinking, "You have to ask us for permission to come!" would result in an assignment editor saying "Fine, I won't." But, my previous posts on Kryskow have noted that she may well be newsworthy.
If editors are wise, they might think that Kryskow fears being caught in a gaffe, and realize that the "hidden camera" approach might be an idea.
Why may that be case?
Faytene is conscious of her public image. Last fall, she showed a moderate and quiet side to her in an appearance on 100 Huntley Street. Perhaps remembering Shirley Temple films as a little girl, she did a pirouette for David Mainse.
A few months previously, at The Cry Vancouver, she occasionally showed her dominionist leanings. I'd like to recite one example of something that she might not like a media reporter to have on videotape.
On Friday, August 14, 2009 Kryskow was on stage at a Vancouver church talking, leading up to taking the offering in the next few minutes. She was in the middle of discussing the possible political results of a past Cry conference (which she also recounts in her recent book Marked ). She was waiting for the audio-visual crew to throw up a graphic with past political poll results to make her point when she said this:
“I want to show you guys something that will help you, will help us all together, to understand the power that is in our hand, the power that is in this room and the power that will be in our hands tomorrow. What you’re seeing right here is actually a political graph because that is what the newspapers, in Canada, currently track. This is politics, like, and like hockey and stuff. One day we’ll chart spiritual progression when we control the media. (Audience cheers and applause"
I suspect that Kryskow, like me, has a painfully dry sense of humour. But what I was struck by is the matter-of-fact tone of her voice when she made this remark, sort of like how you would say “I’m going to the store to get some bread.” “Oh, we’ll control the media one day and it is going to be very different…”
[I'll add emphasis to what I wrote then to give the media another suggestion.]
I figure that non-Christian reporters might want to cover her in self-defense before they have to ask themselves “I wonder why that theocratic-minded new editor just fired me….” At least start a file on her or something…
I will say one very little thing for Todd Bentley. He has had protesters come in and disrupt his service, but he hasn't put anything formally banning the media from his services on his website. But Faytene has...as Bentley is cooperating with a documentary made by an independent filmmaker.
Can we have an explanation from her why this is necessary? Does she have examples of the media being disruptive?
Well, I guess that until you control the media, you can just order them not to show up. Or at least say "Mother, may I..." first.
I felt that, given what Faytene put on her site, I needed to call my Mom to ask if it is all right if I can pass on some Faytene news that I have learned. But I am pretty sure she--Mom, that is--would say "Yes, you may." :)
I have heard, though the grapevine, that the next The Cry, is planned to be held in the midst of the next federal election. None will be held until the writ is dropped, unless things change, Faytene is reported to be saying, at this present time.
As I mention, I do like some elements of The CRY, and if politicians interpreted one held during the election as meaning that social conservatives want their voices to be heard and Jesus given a witness--and no more--I think it would be a fine thing. But as I tried to note in my report on The Cry in Vancouver, The CRY has been rife with dominionist thinking which is very very bad.
I see that the Tories have a 10 point lead on the Liberals in the latest polls, which is close to what they need for a majority, but not quite there. If a CRY was held in the middle of an election and the Tories were to win a majority, I wonder if Faytene Kryskow would be temped to go to sympathetic Tory MPs and say. "Say do you realize that I and my friends did this and so...and you won a majority." We know that last year, Kryskow was hinting heavily--both in her book Marked, and at The Cry Vancouver, that the Tory vote might have been helped by an earlier CRY on Parliament Hill. If--God forbid--this were to happen again, I wonder if the MPs would then think that she has some clout amongst conservative activists or youth. With her dominionist ideas, I wonder if she then might be tempted to do some mischief.
I'm not a partisan Conservative, so this would make me go "Ewww..."
At any rate, with Kryskow's recent admonition to the media, I wonder, tongue in cheek, if she may be taking lessons in the handling of the media from the Wizard of Oz.
"Pay no attention, reporters, to The Cry rally that I plan for during the election campaign! I am Oz! Er, Faytene." :)
If we see Fatyene Kryskow trying to rent a giant, floating in the sky, animatronic head at a party supply shop, on the day that Stephen Harper calls the election, we will know for sure. ;)