About Us/Mission

(Below is an pretend interview that Benjamin Thompson (Creator and writer of Spy Sprain and Foster Sister) wrote trying to show the mission of CleanComedyClips while facing his fears of answering the questions of a zealous interviewer.)

Question: Okay who are you? And what do you do?
    Benjamin: We intend to create television shows for the Christian/Family market.

Question: And so?
Benjamin: And so what?

Question: There are so many people. That think that they have THE TV show idea. So what? How many other shows are there on TV?
       Benjamin: Oh, I see what're asking. We at CleanComedyClips believe there is a potentially large market for television shows that have Christian and moral messages.

So basically you believe that television channels should be censored from airing “inappropriate� content? Even when it is part of the artistic work.
    Benjamin: No, yes, no, kind of. Forget it. Can someone else interview me? Please?

    Benjamin: Ok, I'll take that as a no. For our own shows at CleanComedyClips we will have very strong standards from our scripts all the way to the editing bay. The language, violence, and other various “inappropriate-ness.” will be determined by; First in our belief that as Christians we will stand before God and have to give account to all of our “artisticâ€� choices. Second: asking ourselves when our children watch the episodes that we helped make, whether writing, directing, acting, or even lighting, will we be ashamed of what our children know we have made? Third, and this one I think every entertainer should ask themselves. Is this act I'm going to commit, questionable? If it is questionable, is it necessary?

Oh, then you think every show on television should be like the Andy Griffith Show.

    Yes, I would prefer that.

Now that really is typical simple minded...

    Thank you.

I just called you simple minded.

        Yes, but you also called me typical. Which means there is going to be a large group of people that think the same way I do. They are going to absolutely love our shows.

The modern audience will not watch shows like the Andy Griffith Show. Television audiences have matured a lot since then.

        Well, first Andy Griffith show is a classic, however while I do love watching Barney Fife, make a fool of himself, I would agree to some extent. Television writing has improved a lot since the '60's. Character development, comedy, motivation, and drama have all seen new heights in TV in recent years. I'm all for that. Television was once looked as inferior to working on feature films. Today that is no longer the case. With shows like CSI, Psych, and Band of Brothers rivaling the majority of feature films made by Hollywood whether in drama or in comedy. While I enjoy and appreciate better writing and more interesting characters and situations, I think there is a difference between interesting and being dirty.

Does that mean you are against violence?
        Well, aren't you?

No, I think violence can be good in a story.

        Oh, you mean staged violence, fake. Well, most of the shows I do are comedies. There's very few sitcoms that have a lot of violence. However Spy Sprain and Foster Sister does contain slap-fighting, throwing pot holders, wrestling, and the such like. I think that can be very funny, and entertaining.

You just went in a circle.

    No, I didn't.

Yes, you did
    No, I didn't

You came full circle.

        ...No, that's just you. What I said was that we at CleanComedyClips are not dirty. Not that we would never have brothers being brothers. What we think is the most important in a film is not the things involved in them, but what it's end is. What does the film say? For instance Courageous, made by Sherwood Pictures was rated pg-13 because of violence and drugs. However the film was widely praised by Christian organizations, why? Well, the film was about police officers; violence and drugs are a normal part of police officer's life. Drugs or violence doesn't necessarily make a movie bad. What is important to find out is what the message is. If the violence had been glorified, the movie would have been bad. Also if Courageous had made drugs look fun or exciting, we would have condemned it as a terrible movie. Instead the message of the film was being Courageous or more specifically the dangers that come when a father is not there for his family.

I'm feeling spun around again.
          What I was trying to say earlier is that the most important and the most potentially dangerous are the messages that are in films and TV shows. Someone could insure that their kids did not watch any bad thing, but what the kids do watch have bad messages and morals. Bad philosophies can be even worse then objectionable content, because our philosophies are the way we view the world. How we see good and evil. Every good film says something. Even if it is one of the modern films that says "there is no meaning."� That alone is a meaning. Which if believed would have adverse effects on morals and life of the person that believes it.

Well, if grown up shows are too real for you. There is always children TV channels like Disney or Nickelodeon.
        Actually, they make several shows that I do like. As an example Disney's Sweet Life on Deck was the first sitcom that I realized was entertaining in a long, long time. While I did think the show was funny and entertaining and fairly clean when compared with adult sitcoms, there are a few episodes where I believe that the message portrayed was at best inaccurate. In the Episode “Much Ado About Nothing,” Bailey asks Cody if she should leave the criuses ship and go back home with her former boyfriend. Cody at first starts to say “Stay here!”, but he catches himself and says “I think you should follow your heart.” This part of the episode was shown as if Cody was being very wise. I do like the fact that Cody was being unselfish by not trying to make Bailey stay with him. Instead Cody was trying to have her choose what is best for her. However what I disliked about the conclusion of the episode was the phrase “follow your heart.” On the surface it sounds like innocent and even smart philsophy. However the truth is people's hearts are many times wrong. Wether it is married people getting divoriced because they aren't in “love” anymore, or when people excuse their hurting other people because they "need to follow their heart." The Bible says “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

Wow! Just wow!
        While in a way it is a very, small thing. I picked this as an example for that reason. Because I want people to think on where that thinking will lead. This thinking is a very common "moral"� in children's shows. "follow your heart" mentions nothing about morals, or duty, thinking of others better then ourselves. How I think kids will take this is do what I want, how I feel, trust my inner goodnesses. Which even as a family show maker, I realize that people aren't born without evil. All is not marshmellows and daises. People are fallen beings ever since the garden of Eden. And showing wrong messages to the audience has potential to change people.

Are you saying that people are controlled by the films and TV shows they watch?

        Influenced. Just as someone is influenced by things that happen in their past, and influenced by the people they live around and with.

I have talked about this for a long times, sometimes discussing, other times arguing. But I would like to read a post that John Moore, (Christian filmmaker of award winning Widows Might and Ace Wonder.) posted on the ChristianFilmmakers.org forum. This is a post written from the perspective of 13 year old girl writing in her diary Disclaimer: This is purposely over done to demonstrate the point.

“Dear Diary,

I am a thirteen year old girl. I recently watched my new favorite film, “Tangled.” I wanted to watch Twilight, but my parents wouldn’t let me. So instead I watched Tangled, and it became my favorite. I’ve watched it probably, like, fifty times. (ok, not that many, but maybe ten times. It’s hilarious!)

Anyway, I’m writing you, Diary, to tell you that after I watched Tangled, I realized why my life is so boring and empty. It’s because I’m not allowed to go live the adventure! There’s this guy from church who is, oh my gosh, AMAZING! But my parents said I’m not allowed to date him, and I have to ask you, Diary, is that fair? NO, it’s not fair! I have been an obedient kid and loyal to my parents, but they just keep holding me back. My destiny is out there!

Sometimes, I’m certain that my parents are like Mother Gothel. They don’t want what’s best for me or what will make me happy! They just want me here to keep them happy, and to make them look good! If I love a boy, they should just let me go! My Mom keeps saying that Jason would be bad for me because he will try to take advantage of me. Like he’s some stalker! I mean, he’s 16, and he stole a car. Big deal! He has a good heart, and I think he’s amazing. Besides, didn’t Flynn steal stuff too? It’s not like he was hurting someone.

Anyway, Diary. I’m doing it. Tomorrow, I’m running away with my Jason. My “Gothel” parents aren’t going to tell me every stupid detail of how I should live my life! All I want to do, is go out! I want to be free! I want to know what it’s like to be kissed... IS that so bad? IF my parents don’t want that for me, they are being selfish. Just like Mother Gothel. If they were like Rapunzel’s REAL parents, they would just forgive Jason for stealing (that’s in the past! It happened, like, three days ago, and he feels bad about it now!) and let me be with him!

GRRRRR. Parents.

I love you, Diary. Sleep tight. Tomorrow is our big adventure!

~ Sincerely, A 13 Year Old Girl.”

aka. John Moore

Wow! That is sooo creepy.
You think so?

Yes, seeing inside the warped thinking of a ultra-conservative. It's creepy! No, offense.
Actually, I'm a Libertarian. But I'm not sure what politics has to do with messages in films and the impact on morals.

Oh, so your one of those radical, revolutionary types?
No, and I'm pretty sure thats not a type.

Hitler, Stalin, Lenin they're all pretty much the same thing.
Well, communism is different then Fascism in some ways. Fascism controls the large companies, but not the smaller ones. But they are similar that they all had a huge amount of power over their people.

So is that your goal? To force your beliefs on everyone else?
No, our goal is to create TV shows that are outrageously funny. And to have positive, inspiring messages woven into the stories. We hope our audience will enjoy the entertainment watching our shows. As well as appreciate the moral messages.

Where can people watch your shows?
  Episodes of Spy Sprain, are on our YouTube page. Also the pilot for Foster Sister...

Hate to brake it to you. But that ain't TV
That's true. However our goal is to have some of our shows to be picked up by a Christian/family TV channel. Right now we have a new series, The University, in development

There you have it folks. A radical, aspiring TV show creator criticizes modern television. When we come back. We will discuss his childhood. You don't want to miss it!
No, wait! Actually I'm... I'm done.

What?
I'm done. I'm leaving. I came to talk about my television shows. Not my childhood.

That bad, uh?
Yes, then I became an adult.

What's that mean?
Now I know, my childhood was paradise!

Ok, then after we pause for a commercial break. I will be talking to myself, apparently. You wouldn't want to miss it.