Word Of God (160 chars maximum)
There’s a few things I generally don’t talk about on here, one of which is religion. Whilst it’s an interesting topic, it’s not one that generally gets anywhere when you discuss it. However, there was one thing lately that caught my eye.
If you watch Channel 4 at all, you’ve likely seen one of these. They appear after a program has finished, and go something like this:
For daily sex tips direct to your mobile, text LOVE to 83188 Texts cost 25p plus standard rate
I first noticed these after episodes of Sex and the City. I don’t have a particular problem with it, although in the case of Sex and the City it does seem a waste of money, as you could instead reenact some of the content of the episode you’ve just seen. I’m not sure who would want daily sex tips either, but that’s another matter. Some people must just not be very inventive..
So, in general, I have no problems with these. They’re obviously a money-spinner, but hey, fair enough, if someone wants to waste their money on it then that’s okay by me.
However, I saw another one the other day. It went something like:
For daily Christian thinking direct to your mobile, text DIVINE to 83188 Texts cost 25p plus standard rate
Is it only me that finds that slightly offensive? I mean, put aside the fact that what they’re effectively doing is exploiting religion to make a cheap buck and instead think about the content of these messages.. Who’s writing them? The Archbishop of Canterbury? The Pope? I somehow doubt it. I bet it’s some overworked Channel 4 hack who’s nipped down to Waterstone’s and bought a Christian book. They then pump the contents back at unwitting Christians for 25p a time. I was genuinely a little shocked…
Is it me, or is that a little exploitative?