A Danner Tanner Nation

by Sarah Dolan, December 12, 2009

For those who have not heard about the two sides of Bob Saget—best known for his acting role as the squeaky-clean father figure Danny Tanner on the 90’s television show Full House—it may come as a shock to hear about his extremely “blue” off-the-camera (and sometimes on) personality. The exposure of Saget’s dark-side went mainstream in the 2005 release of The Aristocrats, a movie where Saget reportedly trumped about 100 comedians in his ability to tell one of the “filthiest” jokes on-screen in history.

What about Bob?

This article is not about Bob, but what he represents; a step further, he is a symbol of what our nation is in-danger of representing. Penn Jillette, who produced The Aristocrats, made a telling observation about Saget’s personality: “The joke is not that in an R movie, Bob Saget gets dirty; the joke is that in a dirty world, Saget got clean.”

In a book that addresses morality problems on a national level, the prophet Isaiah remarks, “woe to those who call evil good and good evil…who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness…bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” His statements serve to warn a people who publically front one face, yet privately foster another—absent of light, morality or the truest sense of justice.

What about America?

America. The land of the free, home of the brave. In her freedom, she dips her hand into an increasingly uncensored movie industry; plants bars, nightclubs and casinos alongside churches and educational institutions; and promotes the eternal face of youth through starlets who age dramatically through the process. In her bravery, she fights endlessly for equality to the point where the proven corrupt and proven righteous are often barely distinguishable from each other.

When crisis befalls the nation, a first reaction is to instinctively question how adversity can entrench upon a society full of innocent people. But are we so innocent? The harsh enviornment fostered from skyrocketing unemployment rates beckon the threat of increased crime, violence and chaos. In such a time as this, where do people go for answers?

Back to Saget for a moment: a symbol of misguided hope, an iconic family-man-gone-wrong. Google up the name, and proudly displayed within the first few links is the website titled “Bob is God”—a name that speaks loudly of its content. The site is a collaborative voice of those who trancend mere fan status into the realms of worshipping the man.

It doesn’t take a far stretch of the imagination to see a parallel between this and our hope in politics and politicians, people who stand for the symbol that resurrects a “dying” America to offer the promise of what it could be. The outgoing President is charged as a “satan,” while the incoming is hailed as a “messiah.” Bumper stickers and coffee mugs display political images of what we hope to be. We identify ourselves with the vision of being part of something greater, yet struggle to see beyond the veil that is blinding us as to who we are right now.

The answer is certainly not lying in the symbol that is Saget. Nor is it looking at our nation soely throught the eyes of political campaigns. The answer begins with turning on a light to expose the darkness. Instead of looking at the face of man, we need to cry out to the face of God.

Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing
In whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving
So that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of Go

But we all, with unveiled faces, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord
are being transformed