In the latest attempt by the Catholic Church to attract younger people to the church, the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn has launches a series of ads referring to Jesus as "the original hipster".
The ads feature Jesus's bottom half clad in some grubby Messiah-style robes, with a pair of red converse peeking out from underneath them and the text "The Original Hipster" displayed over top. The Son of God: he's just like you! He smokes Parliaments! He reads Pitchfork! He rides a fixi!
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According to a press release on the Diocese's website, the ads make reference to an SNL Weekend Update spot by Seth Meyers, in which he joked that Converse shoes are the reason why more Catholics are returning to the Church. Now, the Church is trying to prove that Godliness and a sense of humor aren't mutually exclusive.
"Ok, maybe Seth's comments are a little aggrandized. But the reference is appropriately suggestive of a major problem in the Church today: that most Catholics see the church as archaic and not relevant, nor valuable, to their everyday lives," the press release reads.
"Catholics yearn for a Church they can relate to. That is what Seth Meyers was jokingly referencing, and that is what the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn's new "All Faces, Everyday Understanding" marketing campaign is trying to achieve."
"Who would of guessed that the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and SNL had similar senses of humor. Whatever the case, imitation is the best form of flattery and the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn is thrilled that SNL can help spread its message," the press release continues.