The Flying Spaghetti Monster (2005)

Origin

The Flying Spaghetti Monster began in January 2005 when the Kansas Board of Education was considering making changes to its science standards. The board was considering a proposal that would present “intelligent design” (God created the earth etc) as an alternative explanation to evolution, and teachers would be require to state that evolution is a theory and not a fact. (more info)

Bobby Henderson, a 25-year old Oregon University student, noticed that the Board had only specified “Intelligent Designer” and not the specific name of any one known deity. Thus, Bobby cooked up a satirical protest in the form of The Flying Spaghetti Monster, creator of all things, blessed be his noodly appendanges.

Bobby wrote an open letter to the Kansas school board about his worries that students would hear only one version of intelligent design:

It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories. In fact, I will go so far as to say, if you do not agree to do this, we will be forced to proceed with legal action. I’m sure you see where we are coming from. If the Intelligent Design theory is not based on faith, but instead another scientific theory, as is claimed, then you must also allow our theory to be taught, as it is also based on science, not on faith.

The Board did not responded until Bobby posted the letter on his website and it gained significant interest. You can see the responses here

Spread

The satirical nature of FSM makes Him popular with the internets, and has featured on sites like Fark, SomethingAwful and others. While his obvious invention makes FSM something of a forced meme, He has since been duly embraced.

Typical FSM usage is parody of religious materials, typically Christianity. Ex. 1: Nicholas Jansson’s adaption of “The Creation of Adam”

or this version of the last supper:

Press

On CNN in 2005

This is when He was in the front of the Crossville, Tenessee Courthouse in March 2008

On the Rachel Maddow Show on February the 2nd 2009

Even in a Russian newscast in 1957!

More links

• official website