The creator behind “The Chosen” has apologized to supporters of the popular series.
A new campaign meant to be humorous has instead proven to be controversial for those who were unaware it was coming.
Director Dallas Jenkins explained that the new campaign uses reverse psychology to tempt untapped viewers, like atheists, to watch “The Chosen” series.
Jenkins, son of Left Behind author Jerry Jenkins, said he understood that some supporters were shocked. Many of them saw “vandalized” billboards for “The Chosen” without knowing the full context. He apologized for not alerting them ahead of time as to what they would be seeing.
Fans React to ‘The Chosen Sux’
Fans of “The Chosen” expressed offense and confusion over the billboards, although some thought the marketing ploy made sense.
“I didn’t realize until just now this was actually a marketing ploy. I’m not amused,” wrote Jane Fiedler-Jones in response to an April 14 Facebook post highlighting a billboard.
Janine Kohlhorst Gulich, also writing on Facebook, said she felt “uncomfortable reading the signs” but understood their purpose.
“Good Lord! I was so confused by this, but after reading the logic behind the marketing, I get it,” she wrote.
However, there were dissenters, like David Foelber, who didn’t see anything redeeming about the marketing effort to attract nonbelievers.
“Horrible guys. I’m just gonna say it,” Foelber wrote. “Everything you were doing was classy, powerful, so well done and honoring. This is honestly gonna backfire on you and just making a mockery of the Chosen.” He ended his comment with “Psalm 1.” The Bible passage contrasts the actions of the “godly” from those of the “ungodly.”
The Chosen Is Not Good Campaign
“The Chosen Is Not Good” billboards feature artwork that ridicules the series and its characters. For example, one of the four billboards shows the program’s Jesus (Jonathan Roumie) with the phrase “Binge salad (gross).” The usual saying attached to “The Chosen” is “binge Jesus,” — the latter word scratched out on the billboard and replaced with “salad.”
#ChosenFeedback pic.twitter.com/E0sd0X4aQg
— TheChosen (@thechosentv) April 12, 2022
All of the billboards point to chosensux.com, which actually takes web users to thechosenisnotgood.com. At the site is a video that seems to riff off of C.S. Lewis’ classic book, The Screwtape Letters. The book is described as a “masterpiece of religious satire.”
In “The Chosen Is Not Good” short film a devil teaches a class of other low-level devils about “shutting down” and “discrediting” the Christian series. However, as it turns out, some of the devilish students are actually fans of “The Chosen” or tempted to watch it.
Watch the video on YouTube or below.
