Atheists on TV - Updated

PZ Myers on Pharyngula has an interesting post http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/01/the_limited_representation_of.php on how atheists are portrayed negatively on TV shows.

I agree with him some degree. The good & happy guy characters are usually not atheists. However, there are good atheists on TV. The best example is Hugh Laurie as Dr Gregory House. Sure, he is portrayed as brilliant, surly & manipulative but he's definitely lovable. I know I love him!

But I think the real question is; would Dr James Wilson be played as an atheist? I think not. He's not 'complicated' enough and is so non-threatening; not atheist material.

I recall one particular episode in which the Dr House challenges God to a contest. I wanted to see how they would end the episode but I guess the producers chickened out & the score at the end was a tie. Everybody wins :-)

Dr Temperance Brennan on the show Bones is another outspoken atheist. She is shown to be a maladjusted genius. She is portrayed as cold, distant & willingly childless. But again, she is the good guy, working for the FBI to hunt down murderers. So we can call her a good atheist after all.

Update: I just remembered that Dr Cameron on House is also an atheist & she is as non threatening & nice as possible. Hmm... must remember to think my thoughts through before clicking Publish.