Places, Places!

For the Times, the story behind the Billy Graham Crusade is not the man’s message, the devotion of the flock or even namby-pamby generalized anthropological discourse on the role of religion in culture but rather the logistics, “where even the ineffable must be quantified”, which is actually probably how the Times views religion when you think about it. At least they didn’t use their special red state correspondent:

Since Labor Day, the crusade’s 30 paid staff members have run their campaign from a 12th-floor office in the Fashion District overlooking a nine-story billboard of an underwear model pulling down his briefs to reveal a tattoo of a panther. ([New York Crusade Director Art] Bailey said he found the image inspiring. “This picture is an illustration of what the world sees,” he said. “The world focuses on the outward body. Our job is to put the focus on the inner man, the part that is eternal.”)

It was here that organizers booked the Christian pop bands that will play before Mr. Graham preaches and where they secured the services of Bibleman, a caped crusader in Spandex and silver body armor who will lead the children’s rally on Saturday morning at Flushing Meadows.

Bibleman . . . intriguing . . .

P.S. A little birdie points me to the Bibleman website and an apparent connection to Eight is Enough/Charles in Charge Hunk Willie Aames.