Portrayal of Athesits and Theists in Movies/TV?

[Kasz216]

Mr Khan said:

Kasz216 said:

Are atheists actually underrepresented?

I mean, how would you know?

How many shows ACTUALLY deal with religion. 

To have an atheist in a show you would need.

A) A show about religion or that deals with religion a lot.

B) A show who also needs a counterpoint to that.  Aka not a show SOLEY about religion.

I think you'll generally find on the shows where they talk about religion but it isn't the main theme, there are plenty of Atheists.

I just got done watching Babylon 5 again through netflix.  There are a number of atheists on that show.

Or heck, Look at Star Trek.  Every single person on Star Trek I think is an atheist.  Outside of Worf anyway and maybe Riker.  The thing is, nobody knows that... because atheism is kinda useless as a storytelling device. 

I mean, if Chandler from friends was an atheist.  Or George Costanza or the fat guy from king of queens... how would you know?   And why would you care?

There is nothing you can do with an "hey i'm an atheist" angle that would work in a comedy or super drama.  Basically you'd need to have it in a dramadey... and even then it's likely to be a plot point that lasts all of 1 episode because there isn't anything you can do with it.

Unlike say, religions where you can have a crisis of faith or there are things you can go to.

The only thing atheism is really "functional" for from a writing perspective is to show a pessimism to a greater force pulling you out of trouble.  Like during  a big war.

I'll agree with this. Atheism is either an activist belief (where you're actively calling out religion, which would naturally make you look like an overly assertive character), or is a non-issue. That's the main problem of looking at Atheism as a worldview in and of itself, because aside from a few Dawkins-types, it's a non-belief primarily, and one that is a component of other worldviews (like Communism or Nihilism), and not really a worldview in and of itself, and thus it's not really operative as a story component.

Thanks for saying what I was saying but making it sound better.  I couldn't think of anyway to put it without kinda sounding like an ass which obviously isn't my intention.  I mean, on the one hand you'd like to see everyone equally represented, but that's unlikely based on just, storytelling devices.

Law Enforcement for example is WAY over represented, and there are pretty much no TV shows about computer programmers.  Well unless they are hackers anyway.

Entertainment will be representitive of the interest of storytelling potential.

The greatest moment I can think of using atheism was in Babylon 5.  Where there is a race who messed with the development of all the younger alien races, so when they are out of their encoutner suits, they through telepathic means look like angel like being of various races.

One of the aliens has to leave their suit to save someones lives.  One guy who is a member of a race that does believe in gods though, sees nothing, because he never beleived in any of their 49 gods.

It was an interesting and fun way to show his atheism and it was interesting in how he regretted not being able to see something so wonderous like everybody else did.  I mean being able to see a giant glowing angel descend from the heavens would be quite the site to see.