Brazos Valley Atheist Vuvuzela Band, Followup

[kyebean]

who doesn't hate vuvuzelas? the world cup took care of the last fence sitters.

[purplegumibear]

I definitely agree, this is exactly the trouble i was having with it, i didn't find that they conveyed their message well... It is definitely admirable that they did the work to set this up, it takes alot of initiative to do this.. but dunno, i'm not the expert on this.

[thestarstuff]

There is no way to play the Vuvuzela "well".

[Astrobrant2]

I hadn't thought of it as being a conservative group mocking atheists. Probably not, though.

Yes they were playing Jingle Bells, and there are lots of other secular Christmas songs, but here's the irony: The A&M band was playing the Army's fight song! (The Caisson Song). Not very Christmasy.

[daddyleon]

For many people: disgust is all there is.

And about their message: they're students, right? 1st time?

Having a blank message just by being there, might be better. Letting people getting used to them, with out telling what you want, etc.

Let a lone a joke that might fall quite bad :s

[ArchNME]

wah wah wah... you think you have something to contribute get involved

[Turandot29]

Did I blink and miss the vuvuzela-ists?

[mdgraden]

"I'll believe in anything for presents." That's going to be my facebook status on Dec. 25th =P

[welwitschia]

Bah... you're starting to become Thunderf00t.

Please, keep your channel serious. And please, don't go anymore into this atheist vs. creationist byzantine debate. There is more than enough of that already :)

[DonQuixotedeKaw]

Triplley so as a herd of cats.

[leorcc]

I understand what you are saying, but I disagree. If the members of this march had fun doing it, then the mission is accomplished. There is no need to promote some "higher cause".

Out atheists pub crawl doesn't have some deeper purpose, its about a group of people having a good time. We've got plenty of different events to do that.

[C0nc0rdance]

@leorcc

I'd like to challenge you a little to clarify your position:

1. Is there any relevant difference between marching in a community parade and a private social function explicitly for atheists?

2. What purpose do you think a parade serves in a community? Why go to the expense and hassle?

3. For what purpose do you think other groups marched? For example, why do the Aggie Band spend hours practicing, waiting, etc?

[leorcc]

@C0nc0rdance

1: every event is different (and its not explicitly for atheists, just organized by atheists).

2: To entertain and be entertained I guess. Why were you there?

3: Is that relevant? Every group will have its own reasons to participate, it looked to me that the atheist group went there to have some fun.

[alvard4]

There were also some folks from the CS Atheist & Freethinkers Meetup Group and a couple of pastafarians as well.

[alvard4]

Just to clear up some things, our group consisted of five faculty from Texas A&M, two gradual students, two high school students and a rabble from the Agnostic & Atheist Student Group at A&M. I chose to enter our group as a marching band because that category had the lowest entry fee (among those for which we could qualify). Vuvuzelas were chosen because all could play it. Others are free to join us next year, but we remain the Brazos Valley Vuvuzela Atheist Band

[TheAthiCon]

The vuvuzela is just a kazoo that says the party is over here

[shamartube]

Also, this was not just the Agnostic & Atheist Student Group. The event was coordinated and organized by a A&M professor who was not affiliated with the student group or the BCS Atheist & Freethinkers Meetup Group , and the event involved members of both groups as well as unaffiliated individuals.

[shamartube]

See...when we are on campus, protesting some hellfire preacher or whatever, we had signs. We even had one just like one the creator of this video mentioned saying something along the lines of we don't believe in god, but religious people are cool too. The thing is, we didn't want signs pointing out things like that, because we didn't want to be there pushing our opinions and beliefs on others, which is what I would feel like we were doing if we had had signs like that

[HebaruSan]

I think that emphasizing the secular winter traditions would have to be done very delicately to avoid confirming negative stereotypes--specifically, the "war on christmas" nonsense. Some people already fly into a rage when a sign says "Happy Holidays," now imagine that it says "Happy Holidays, Love, Atheists."

[bishiehunterenya]

As said before, we didn't have a lot of time (or money) to prepare anything big. However, a couple of Ol Ags have gotten in touch with me and want to donate money to get us a decent float next year! No vuvuzelas next year, promise! I think a good float focusing on Santa etc. will be good. And I agree, next year I want to pass out candy. I pretty much agree with you... we need to be great next year!

If you're interested in helping out, message me!

[jeffdee]

You don't think marching in a Christmas parade playing vuvuzelas is 'self effacing'? Sheesh.

[grits011]

You mentioned Santa Claus. ShockofGod is going to make a video about you.

[Madoushi90]

1. I thought the vuvuzela fiasco was hilarious.

2. Define playing the vuvuzela "well."

[CMO999]

@Madoushi90 He didn't say 'They played the vuvuzela well' he said it more like 'They played the vuvuzela, well, etc..'

[JayJayAbels]

Loved the cars with the hydraulics at the end.

How random is that???

[generaleskimo]

I laughed my ass off when I saw the first video just because of the vuvuzelas. They might not have had the most effective message, but it's a bunch of college kids; what I took from it was that they were there for the lulz of being in a vuvuzela marching band in a conservative christian town advertising their atheism and thus standing out. They probably felt pretty badass.

[theonlymatheus]

They suck...

[justintempler]

Atheist children like Santa too.

[giliellthesecond]

@justintempler

I think you forgot an apostrophe

Atheists' children like Santa, too ;)

We shouldn't make the same mistakes religious people make and claim that our kids had any understanding of those matters.

Yes, technically my kids are atheists, since the older one never heard about god except while I'm swearing and the younger one is still too young to understand much beyond the word "choclate", but I wouldn't say they're atheist children.

[justintempler]

@giliellthesecond Don't go & complicate things now. Atheists can have theist children too.

I did go to the BCSparade website & looked through the pictures posted on their website & saw a total of one picture that had a religious theme. The official theme of the parade was "Rockin' around Christmas"

The words religion, religious, Jesus, Christ, Birth, Saviour, Nativity are mentioned nowhere on the whole website. Christians have only themselves to blame for taking Christ out of Christmas.

[C0nc0rdance]

@giliellthesecond

Good catch, giliell, and funny comment.

I'm curious, are you concerned about a schoolyard conversion for your Christian-naive children? Not as much a problem for you as me, but I worry that kids without any church exposure will fall prey to proselytizing school friends.

I'd welcome your thoughts; here or PM.

[shadowsguise]

Hate vuvuzelas!? How dare you! :P

[trueleroix]

He said , "You go to church. We'll guard your _____"? Anybody?

[RememberJudas314]

@trueleroix "cheese dip"

[RememberJudas314]

@trueleroix "cheese dip"

[mikevalla]

@trueleroix Cheese dip, I do believe.

[trueleroix]

@mikevalla Thanks for that.

[pigballs911]

@trueleroix wallet

[saxmanchiro]

Maybe next yr's parade will be much better and more polished. Then again, maybe the parade officials might ban them because of complaints from the delusionals.

[TaNgLeD2121]

i stand by my previous statement,... Christmas is the most religious time of the year,....its something that believers consider important and holy,....i dont think there is anyway to come across to a theist at this kind of an event,.... the world is not ready for that,... let evolution, and science be taught too a few more generations, and let the older ones die off....then maybe..............because once the god virus has got into your head,... you cant change your mind,..your stuck

[darkwhitedirewolf]

So you want a vuvuzela for christmas, and two for your kids. :) Also the Justin Beiber and the vuvuzela band sing christmas.  :) (Hope I am not blocked from his channel now :) )

[Aresftfun]

I don't disagree with anything in this video. 

[boss1001]

I don't have enough faith to be an "avuvuzelaist".

[tbdaemon]

Wait, were those donks in the parade at the end there? You can hate on vuvuzelas, I'd much rather hate on donks!

[antonc81]

They weren't playing the vuvuzelas, they were just singing/humming through the instruments. All their vuvuzelas are the same size/shape - therefore produce the same note. If they had been playing them they would have just created a mono-tonal buzz to the rhythm of the song.. so you can't really object on the basis that you don't like the sound of the vuvuzela, because it wasn't the sound of the vuvuzela that you heard, it was just people humming.

[hobbitsarecool]

C0nc0rdance the Avuvuzelaist. :P

[stefzula]

So you won't play a vuvuzela, eh? How about a kazoo? :P

[AtheistActivist]

Since you live in the area, perhaps you can get in contact with them and help them out. I know with my group in CO, things improved dramatically with an adviser

[laraesque]

I'd have put someone in a Santa Claus suit and tossed out candy canes. Smiles. . .lots of smiles. Santa hats. Handouts are always good, if you have the money. Stringing beads with a paper message on the string that says, "Peace and Good Will to All"

[lazyperfectionist1]

I think this is a great idea.  Every propaganga-based image of us depicts us in a light intended to evoke some combination of fear, hate, and pity. But it's not so easy to fear, hate, or pity silly people. What better way to give the lie to these images?

[AccidentalAtheist]

"I'm atheist and I like Christmas."

I feel like I need to carry one of those signs around some of my *atheist* friends!

[ProphetTenebrae]

@AccidentalAtheist I've known people who were semi-practising JEWS and bought a Christmas tree and "did" Christmas.

Honestly, Christmas is so commercialised and so secular these days - must one shun an excuse to exchange gifts and spend time with family and friends?

[sausage4mash]

Good Ideas concoradance I myself didn't give it that much thought :)

[StarfaQtory]

Do the cars at the end represent the Christmas drunk drivers?

[MrStillmans]

I think you mentioned the biggest problem: clarity. I had no idea what their intent was. Were they mocking the town, mocking a CHRISTmas carol, or making a serious appearance?

If they lacked time or resources to prepare, then they should not have participated.

[WeekendTuber]

I totally agree,

I also will never ever EVAH play the vuvuzela

[tammyscotland]

@WeekendTuber Vuvuzela's are useful at times. My neighbour woke up me up playing loud, horrible music at 8 on a Saturday morning so I picked up a golf club and a vuvuzela and repeatedly hit the wall out of beat with the golf club while loudly playing mary had a little lamb on my vuvuzela. The music stopped and I went back to sleep

[WeekendTuber]

@tammyscotland

But that still begs the question was it the golf club or the vuvuzela that made the difference?

Also "mary had a little lamb" on a vuvuzela?, wow I'm impressed that's like playing beethovens 5th blindfolded while being drunk ;)

[tammyscotland]

@WeekendTuber I'd just been switched to a new inhaler. My lungs were feeling especially strong lol. I'd like to think it was the vuvuzela but the girl next door was probably wonder why the hell someone was hammering rythmically on the other side of the wall. It never happened again incidentally :D

[WeekendTuber]

@tammyscotland

:D

[WKaliberr]

fuck atheists 

[Hereticbooks]

"You go to church. We'll guard your cheese dip." LOL

[skorpen2]

Thanks for another great video! In pt. 6 disappointment you almost seem to judge them by the respons they are getting. Like if there were more "childish" atheists there cheering, it would be ok..?

[Scarlatti2007]

It seems to me that there was plenty of humor represented in their act. After all, they are a vuvuzela marching band. What could be more ridiculous than that?

[WavegirlThinks]

@Scarlatti2007

Vuvuzelas are more annoying than funny. But a ukulele band -that would be awesome.

[Scarlatti2007]

@WavegirlThinks Good idea. I don't particularly fancy the idea of overt propaganda, however humorous, in a situation like this. It seems gauche to me.  I think the subtlety of being identified as atheists, coupled with an enjoyable performance of some kind, should speak volumes about who we are.

[WavegirlThinks]

@Scarlatti2007

I agree :-)

[drfoxcourt]

Thanks Concordance,

I appreciate the honest opinions you summarized. I hope the BVAVB marches next year and shows greater organization, sincerity (w/ humor), and spirit of the season.

I nope you march with them (college students could use a bit of "adult supervision" in organizing). I thank you in advance for not playing a vuvuzela. Peace.

[EntinludeX]

I really think "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" conveys a desire to be included in the the holiday 'reindeer games' with humor and also ANY instrument but the oh-so-hated vuvuzela.

[SAsgarters]

What was the story behind that helix, again?

[gaglamesh731]

I agree wholeheartedly.

Better message but great they are open.

It's harder to stereotype and hate a human being when you actually see them in person.

Also , C0nc0rdance , try playing a Didgeridoo :))

[wwwATHEISTATOMcom]

Maybe the Texas activists should join them next time. There are many in nearby Austin (ACA, Secular Student Alliance - high school and university). If people have better ideas, and money to fund them, it should be considered.

[Leadman1989]

all easier said then done... and you don't know if some of the other people felt like they accomplished that or not? they only had a couple weeks probably no money and few people i think keeping that in mind they did ok

[TritonAlias]

@Leadman1989 The problem with your attitude is that it only encourages disappointing behavior. Even in two weeks with no money, it is entirely possible they could've done better. It would have required more effort. Their motivation to put forth that effort must come from somewhere other than the attitude that they "only had a couple weeks probably no money and few people," therefore, a mediocre effort is fine.

[Leadman1989]

@TritonAlias

ok... with NO money and two weeks what could they have done?

[TritonAlias]

@Leadman1989 Without knowing more I couldn't say with any certainty, but I suspect they could have found more time (assuming they found any as it was) to practice marching and playing in sync, for one. Despite being free and only taking a few hours of everyone's time, this would probably have had the most impact on the quality of their performance, as well.

[Leadman1989]

@TritonAlias

they're college students they don't have anytime... they aren't a band so they don't have uniforms and they all probably don't play instruments i don't see how they could have done better unless they EXCLUDED people they didn't have already to make it more homogeneous plus trying to herd atheist is like trying to herd cats it just doesn't work :P

[AvatarOfAvatar]

I think it's more of a social commentary than anything else. Atheists are growing in numbers every single day. As we as human beings learn more and become more intelligent, the quicker we cast aside such stupid beliefs as religion. Science is, and has been disproving religion in every facet for all of time. It will continue to do so until the last street preacher dies off. It will happen, it is happening.

[TheFifthGreatApe]

You conclusions are about exactly what I thought.

[johnnyd101]

i hate the vuvuzela too.  being inclusive is a good thing and im glad they got and oppertunity to do the parade and took it.

[CentralIndex]

Vuvuzela....uggg...why...

[laflugantabastardo]

@CentralIndex

Because they can.

[StanMarsh1]

They have balls as well. :P

[CamW30]

I'm glad you agreed with me.