I am still trying to figure out just why just why ministers are typically portrayed, on television shows, as being milquetoast. Usually, stereotypes are based upon that which is typical--or, at the very least, frequent. But it has not been my experience, at all, that it is typical (or even frequent) for ministers to be milquetoast. At one end of the spectrum, there are the fundamentalists. (No, I am not one.) And these typically are fiery--and therefore, far from milquetoast. But even those rather far removed from this end of the spectrum do not impress me as being milquetoast. What do others think?
Because movies are mostly made by dope addled idiots and assorted deviants with no real life experiences, live rather artificial suburban lives, and watch TV a lot themselves.
Are they? Maybe we watch different shows (and I am in the UK rather than US) but I see quite a mixture. Pretty much any character based on a type of person (rather than an actual rounded character) will often be depicted based on an exaggerated stereotype but I'd say that for ministers or priests that can vary between the meek, the fundamentalist firebrand or the well-meaning charmer.
I'm with HonestJoe, I think it depends on your selection. Archdeacon Frollo, Pastor Abin Cooper, Bishop Myriel, Cardinal Ignatius Glick, Father Alexander Anderson, Caiaphas, Friar Tuck, Mr. Eko (although I guess only his brother was a real priest - Lost spoilers), Reverend Sykes, and whatever Nathan Fillion was playing in Buffy, I wouldn't exactly call milquetoast. Even ones that do go in that direction, Reverend Lovejoy, Father Ted, certainly have their own spin on it. That being said, I think the stereotype as priests as caring and lenient to a fault is not uncommon. It probably has some background in that many people know this stereotype from real life, which I guess in turn has to do with how they come to interact with the general public. I've certainly known a few priests in my day who, if you satirise them, would be milquetoast (although in actuality, I would just as well characterise many of them as pensive, intelligent, caring or accepting). I guess it is also a standard subversion. Priests are an unfortunately directly mundane representative of something supposedly majestic. Contrasting those two things seems to me like an easy concept to work with, like the scatter-brained scientist or the thug with a softening heart.
Depends upon what you watch. I'm seeing a lot of devious priest characters (Peaky Blinders) and sexual molesters (Ray Donovan) in the TV I watch.
Vatican ain't worth a damn, US Council of Catholic Bishops ain't worth a damn, most local parish priests are still good people.
I do appreciate your response. It seems honest. I am guessing, however, that we really do watch different TV shows, since we do not even live in the same country.
In the case of priests, there may actually be something to this. (I say that because of the Catholic doctrine of priestly celibacy--which did not really become prominent until the split with the Reformers, in the sixteenth century.) But I see nothing, as regarding pastors or ministers, that would lead me to believe that they are generally less masculine than other men. Note: As an aside, I just responded to a person from the UK. Are you also from there? (I ask because some of the word spellings look more like British English than like American English.) Just curious.
I don't think the things I listed were particularly linked to celibacy. In my understanding of the stereotype, protestant ministers are meeker than catholic ones, so I don't think that's the source. Is masculine the opposite of milquetoast? Again, it depends on your comparison, if you're comparing priests to dock workers, I can see it, but maybe not when compared to teachers. Especially in the past, maybe 50 years ago and before, for most people, your priest may have been the only adult you regularly come into contact with who wasn't a manual labourer. I guess the amount of study required means that you're unlikely to get a lot of jocks or rebels in the clergy. I can't point to the exact path that causes it, but I am not surprised finding it as one angle in the public consciousness. How are other similar professions often portrayed? Teachers I can often see portrayed as meek (although every person tends to come in contact with many teachers, so you're likely to get a more nuanced picture). Librarians? Probably meek. I am from Sweden but I'm currently living in the UK. That being said, my spelling is as taught in school in Sweden (although I guess many other swedes end up further towards American english than I).
