Sunday Matinee #85 Blazing Saddles
Unity? Splendid, splendid!
1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43 | EnterTheBible.org
Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost | 08.25.2024
Context: Now that Solomon is king, he leans on the one virtue he has that his father, David, affirmed before his death: his wisdom. He prays to God for wisdom, he exercises wisdom, and he trusts in wisdom to build the Israelite kingdom as well as a new Temple. At the Temple dedication, Solomon gives a prayerful speech, including this portion that acknowledges the city and the Temple are not just for their own people, for others will travel here, too. Therefore, this is how they shall be engaged…
[Solomon continued,] 41 “Likewise when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a distant land because of your name 42 —for they shall hear of your great name, your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm—when a foreigner comes and prays toward this house, 43 then hear in heaven your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and so that they may know that your name has been invoked on this house that I have built."
Blazing Saddles | 1974
IMDb | Letterboxd | RRMC
Context: In this satirical farce that pokes just as much fun at racism as it does the western film genre, Sheriff Bart (Cleavon Little) tries to unite the white citizens of Rock Ridge with the Black, Irish, and Chinese railroad workers against their common enemy. The White people, all inexplicable named Johnson because Mel Brooks, aren’t having it. But again, this is a satirical farce, and things move quickly. Bonus Context: This scene (and the video, and most of the movie) use racial slurs. I can’t censor the video, but I can censor them in print here. If you don’t like that I’m writing a newsletter about R-rated movies and still I’ve decided to censor these words, feel free to write your own newsletter. Moving on:
Howard Johnson: Who the hell are they?
Sheriff Bart: Railroad workers! They've agreed to help us make our dream come true. And all they ask in return is a little plot of land they can call their own to homestead. Now, what do you say?
Olson Johnson: All right, we’ll give some land to the n****** and the ch****. But we don’t. Want. The Irish!
The crowd of Black, Chinese, and Irish railroad workers boos, shaking their heads and waving their hands.
Sheriff Bart: No deal.
Olson Johnson (smiles): Ah, prairie shit. Everybody!
The railroad worker crowd shakes hands with the white citizens of Rock Ridge.
The Story So Far:
Sunday Matinee #73 - Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
1 Samuel 3:1-20 - God tells young Samuel to give his mentor, Eli, a message.
Sunday Matinee #74 - Night of the Living Dead
1 Samuel 8:4-11, 16-20 - The Israelites tell Samuel they want a king, he tells God.
Sunday Matinee #75 - The Godfather, Part II
1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 - God is not pleased with King Saul, Samuel meets young David.
Sunday Matinee #76 - Commando
1 Samuel 17:32-49 - The giant warrior Goliath taunts King Saul's army, David kills him.
Sunday Matinee #77 - Goodfellas
2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 - David grieves the death of Saul and his son, Jonathan, in battle.
Sunday Matinee #78 - Army of Darkness
2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 - David is made king of a united kingdom for the Israelites.
Sunday Matinee #79 - Kill Bill Vol. 1
2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 - King David celebrates while Saul's daughter, Michal, is upset.
Sunday Matinee #80 - Heat
2 Samuel 7:1-14a - Nathan tells King David that God believes in him.
Sunday Matinee #81 - Donnie Brasco
2 Samuel 11:1-15 - David sends his lover's husband to war, knowing that he'll die.
Sunday Matinee #82 - Heat
2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a - Nathan tells King David that God is upset with him.
Sunday Matinee #83 - Foxy Brown
2 Samuel 18:5-33 - After a family war, David mourns his son and rival, Absalom.
Sunday Matinee #84 - The Joy Luck Club
1 Kings 2:10-12 - King David dies and his son, Solomon, becomes king.
Sunday Matinee #85 - Blazing Saddles (You are here, at the end!)
1 Kings 8:22-43 - Solomon makes a proclamation, including to welcome the stranger.
Commentary:
Maybe it’s because I often felt excluded or made to be the “other” as a kid that as an adult, I truly try to be as inclusive as possible whenever possible. That may be why I find King Solomon’s proclamation in 1 Kings 8 to the stranger so inviting. It may also speak to why I love the scene in Blazing Saddles when Olson Johnson looks over the mixed crowd, smiles, and says, “Ah, prairie shit. Everybody!”
Over the last few weeks, we’ve watched a story unfold as God hears the Israelites cry out for a king and attempt to have prophets anoint the best people possible for the job. God used Eli, who had issues, to mentor Samuel, who had issues, to anoint Saul, who had issues, to mentor David, who had issues, to raise up Solomon, who is now king. Yes, he’ll have issues, too. For now, he has built a mighty Temple to God in Jerusalem and in this moment he welcomes everyone there. Specifically, he instructs the people that there will indeed be foreigners who will come from far and wide to experience what they have built. And yes, you will welcome them. They will know God’s hospitality by your hospitality. It is a long time coming to get to this point.
In Blazing Saddles, we watched the citizens of Rock Ridge reject their Black sheriff, act openly racist and hostile toward him and anyone else who isn’t named “Johnson,” and keep to their insular, familiar ways. When the only way they’ll overcome Hedley Lamar’s plan to take over their town is to take Sheriff Bart’s deal to work with the railroad workers, their immediate response is racist rejection. But with a silly swear, they get over it and get to handshaking. It is a long time coming to get to this point.
Inclusivity shouldn’t be hard for anyone. But it can be. We get an idea in our head about who we are, how we accept others, and how we want to build a community. But then we meet people who aren’t like us and we have to deal with it. It’s the “deal with it” part that comes unnaturally to even the most well-meaning of folks. How many times have you said you don’t judge others… only to totally judge others? When have you been part of an inclusive community… only to witness people give newcomers the side eye? There are ideals of inclusion, and then there are practices. One is a starting point. The other is the next step.
Solomon’s prayer at the Temple dedication acknowledges that this is a house of prayer for all nations, not just his own people. He implies that all people regardless of origin can unite in worship and thus, in God. Solomon is fostering unity, for spirituality from God transcends nations, cultures, and other divisions. For him to put this to the people, he is making a theological statement about God’s loving acceptance.
Sheriff Bart’s proposes Rock Ridge let go of prejudice and rebuild their town’s culture. They have to accept those who were outsiders and only unity will see this alliance through. If they’re afraid of an external threat, it’s not from these railroad workers. It’s from the railroad barons who want to wipe out their town. By the end, it’s their cooperation that sees them through. And as Blazing Saddles is a sizzling satire, this is a broader social commentary on societal divisions and a call to action for inclusion in our own lives.
As a kid, I was left scratching my head over the line, “But we don’t want the Irish!” By then, I’d learned about racist views that White people had toward Black people and Asian people, but I didn’t know about the anti-Irish prejudice of that era. My hunch is I wasn’t the only one to learn this, or need a refresher. The shock of the comment is part of what makes it funny. The shaking heads and cries of “No deal” from the Black and Asian railroad workers is what makes the moment so enduring. They put up with racism, but they won’t put up with prejudice against someone their in solidarity with here. There’s a lot to say about the value of unity.
Who have you judged? Who has judged you? What has inclusion looked like at its best? When did you have to come around and learn inclusion? Or put another way, when was the last time you said, “Ah, prairie shit. Everybody!”?