I hope this isn’t true.
A tip of the biretta to Jimmy Akin, o{]:¬\ though this is on NPR:
Priest Known As ‘Father Oprah’ To Get Fox Show [Say it ain’t so.]
by The Associated Press
MIAMI January 25, 2011, 05:41 pm ET
A former Roman Catholic priest who left the church to marry his girlfriend after the two were photographed embracing on a South Florida beach is getting a new TV show.
Alberto Cutie (KOO’-tee-ay) announced Tuesday he will host the daily talk show “Father Albert” on Fox stations. A Fox spokeswoman says the show will be aired later this year in cities including New York and Los Angeles. It will be picked up nationwide if it does well.
Cutie, nicknamed “Father Oprah,” changed his affiliation last year to the Episcopal Church. He and his wife welcomed their first child in December.
Fox Television Stations and Debmar-Mercury are co-producing the show. Cutie got his nickname because of an earlier show he hosted on the Spanish-language Telemundo Network.
This would be a bad thing. WDTPRS would have to be firmly against this.
I take it that this isn’t Fox News. It would be the regular Fox channel.
If that priest wanted out… fine. There’s the door. Fly! Be free! Hasta la vista.
But WDTPRS would be against this.
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This is a very bad thing.
I think it should serve to remind us that Fox is not our friend. They have a more conservative (or neutral) take in their reporting compared to the other stations, but I am convinced that this has everything to do with their owner being a smart businessman — Limbaugh’s success showed that there was a huge market being ignored.
One trip to their website to see how much they rely on trashy sex stories (and pictures) would be enough to alert us that they are more about money than delivering a straightforward, moral news service.
I saw an item yesterday that reported this will be a syndicated show that will be picked up by some Fox stations in certain markets. Let’s hope it does not catch on.
He just published a new book “dilemma” in which he trashes the diocese. He did a book signing at a local artsy bookstore, where among other things he accused the Church for not recognizing multiple marriages and gay relationships. Outside there was a groups of ladies protesting his appearance, one of them holding up a sign: “necessitamos Apostoles no apostatas” – we need apostles not apostates.
There’s a YouTube clip showing the event.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCPPBN05spg
I’m shocked that Fox would triumph a man who disgraced the Catholic priesthood in so public a manner.
Doesn’t surprise me at all. He’s a celebrity.
Where do we protest to Fox? “Do you all REALLY want to offend Catholics? There are LOTS of us and we will take GRAVE offense at this!”
I saw this man interviewed on Fox & Friends, I think it was. I was horrified. Lately I’ve found myself giving a lot of thought to where this country’s morals are going and why things seem so bad. I realize that the more sin abounds, grace abounds all the more. But still, it’s a frightening time. I wrote this article on my blog the other day about the moral decay in America.
http://therosarytrail.com/moral-decay-in-america/
Ugh. Let’s hope that people watch it for about 5 minutes and then it will go away.
What’s upsetting is that most “catholics” won’t take offense at this. I can hear it already “Good for him”, “they should’t make priests be celibate.” Ignoring the fact that he freely chose to become a priest knowing all the vows that came with it. Soon enough he’ll begin to convince Catholics that his views on gay marriage and divorce are just fine (that is if they don’t already subscribe to them).
This is bad news especially because the former Fr. Cutie has such an attractive and dynamic screen personality. I recall him from some years ago when he was a mainstay on EWTN’s Spanish channel, and occasionally appeared on EWTN proper (being completely bilingual). At this time he seemed completely faithful and orthodox in the standard EWTN mold, and this combined with his energetic and persuasive manner made him impress one as a bright hope for the future of Catholic TV. But now that he’s gone over to the other side, this same profile makes him a serious threat to lead large numbers astray.
I learned yesterday from the Ignatius Press blog (which was also expressing horror at Cutie’s show) that Fr Robert Barron has a national TV program on WGN Sunday mornings at 9:30 Eastern, the first Catholic priest since Archbishop Fulton J Sheen to have his own show on a national broadcast network. However, there’s absolutely nothing scandalous involved, so perhaps that is why he hasn’t gotten a lot of press.
I can see it now… Fr. Cutie interviews Ann Rice… perfect.
Come come come, where is our ecumenicism, our love of diversity, I mean aren’t we a big and inclusive church , can’t we all just get along, be more accepting, less divisive, kumbya, it’s a small small world after a— oops, need more mystic monk. : ))
I hope he bombs big time, let us pray
Uh oh. What’s going on with you Fr. Z? You seemed to have resisted the temptation to comment on this guy so far. So he is an apostate. And you are a priest with a blog. Your tone is creepy in this post. It sounds like you are taking yourself and your opinions pretty darn seriously. Just want to let your followers what to think? Sheesh, sounds like you’re gonna crack open with the Royal ‘We’ at any moment. Creeeeepy, ick. Come on, your first instinct was the better one; we don’t need this stuff. How about more of that great reflection, like your post on heroic virtue? :)
Don’t forget this man is already a celebrity on Telemundo, which is full of sleazy shows. I think this is a barely disguised Fox move to get the Hispanic television audience. And, if you have ever watched Univision or Telemundo, these producers love so-called “human interest” stories and are both anti-Catholic in some of their programs, while being pro-Catholic in others. Telemundo as of yet has not advertised condoms, but the subject has come up on the shows. Same with Univision, and with the growing Hispanic population, Fox is worried about Univision’s goal of being the Number One Network in America within five years. We have a journalist in the family who works for a company with the local Hispanic station and these groups are on the move up. This sad and immoral Father Cutie”plays to the larger base of Hispanic immigrants who are leaving the Church and find reasons to add to their decisions. See my other posts on Hispanic defection from the Church into secular and non-religious groups.
I’ve seen him on TV. He comes across as a vain, spoiled, pretty-boy. Hard to believe there were no signs something was wrong years earlier.
I, for one, think Cutie is a creep, but then I probably would have thought that anyway. Too slick and sleezey for me.
If people are in a place where they want to identify with somebody like that, we aren’t reaching them anyway. You can’t stop them either. He’s a celebrity like hundreds of other sleezey, creepy, two-faced celebrities out there. Out for the money. And in this case, groveling for attention so he can excuse himself from photos on the beach with his hands down somebody’s pants. Gah. Where is that Pepto-Bismol of mine???
The media, including Fox, is so willing to drag the Church through the mud because of the priest scandals, yet they will embrace a former priest priest like Alberto because of his personal scandal and apostasy. Another blatant example of Satan’s divide and conquer strategy. And Fox is playing right along. The only response to this and to Fox’s immoral website is to boycott them completely. Sorry for the Catholics featured on Fox, but they are playing with fire in the serpent’s lair. They should leave for the sake of their souls and the souls who listen to them.
I think if something is not done he will lead many within the Hispanic community over to the Episcopal Church.
I think it would be good for there to be a book which offers a balanced, honest and thorough rebuttal to this guy, and all the heretical positions he has recently taken.
He wants to make this about the topic of married priesthood. This is insulting for those of us who are fully Catholic and have and support our married priests.
This is not about the married priesthood whatsoever. This is about a priest’s adulterous relationship with a divorced woman and who later abandoned not only his vocation but his Catholic faith, especially in the area of morality, and attempted to capitalize on his media attention through book and television deals.
We need to pray for this poor man that he repent before he leads so many astray. And the bishops need to be the guardians of our faithful from his type of poison, especially for our Hispanic brethren under the Church’s pastoral care.
You know, we – meaning you, me, everybody here – need to evangelize. Go, make disciples of all the nations, and all that. It’s not just the pros, it all of us. So, let us pray that the former Fr. Cutie’s show is the occasion for ample opportunity for Orthodox Catholics to make the faith known.
And then get on it.
This a very bad. I, sadly, only get CNN, not Fox News. I do not know if any of you have noticed, but CNN has had this “priest” on there show for weeks now, glorifying him, praising him, bashing the Church. You do NOT want to see the interview with Joy Behar, its bad.
The things he says are just… It makes you think how in the world was this guy a Catholic priest?!?!?
God Bless.
I can see this report on the NcR’s Facebook page. Oh, how they will love this!
Ok, time to wake up. Fox News is a media outlet. Media outlets are businesses and exist to make money. All the businesses whose products you buy everyday have the same reason to exist. It’s not bad, mind you. Making money is what makes it possible for people to buy groceries, pay medical bills, have children and put a roof over their heads. Making money is why you have this computer in front of you. Somebody bought it, right??? You just have to put this into perspective, that’s all.
If you’re expecting Fox News (or any other business) to go out on a limb and somehow channel your opinions just because you have them, or channel the RC Church just because it happens to exist, you will be disappointed. No business is going to do that, no matter how objectively good and fair it is or how despicable it is. It’s business. Get a grip. Go get a cup of coffee and while you’re at it look at the label on your coffeemaker. They’re in business too but you have one of those, right? It’s all part of life.
The problem is Cutie, not Fox or any other business, even the book publisher which is only selling books. Cutie is a creep. People like to watch creeps. They can be interesting, and what’s more they can provide excuses for people to be creepy themselves. You can’t prevent that. Let it go.
PS. A bigger issue is the fact that the Catholic Church squandered away the goodwill it had with the abuse scandals and that has become the bedrock for all these kinds of creepy events. We’re on peoples’ radar now and not in a good way. And for that, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Some here may not know the difference between the Fox News network and Fox (Entertainment) TV network. Though parts of the same worldwide media conglomerate, they are pretty much opposites.
For instance, compare their web sites http://www.foxnews.com (Fox News) and http://www.fox.com (Fox TV).
Fox News is probably more faithfully Catholic than a “fair and balanced” news network ought to be. Fox TV is . . . well, apparently just raunchy, from what little I’ve seen of it (being an exclusive Fox News regular), nothing resembling anything Catholic.
Father Z has occasionally appeared on Fox News, but I never expect to see him on Fox TV. I take it that “Father Albert” will appear on Fox TV, but I would be shocked to ever see him on Fox News.
Pray for him. I know not his soul, but it seems that the spotlight and glory of the world entrapped him. He put his value more on that than the Lord. How many of us would fall under the lights of the studio?
Pray for all priests.
This is not surprising at all. FOX arguably pioneered mainstream pornography with shows like Temptation. Much of FOX News is prurient pseudo-porn.
Father Cutie also has shown no remorse, jumped to a heretical sect where he mimics his former role as a Priest, and has apparently sought to cash in on his scandal and infidelity to the maximum extent.
As CatholicMidwest points out, corporations are out to make money. That’s in. All this nonsense about ‘social responsibility’ is marketing. By law, management must maximize profit. Failure to do so results in getting fired and possible charges of malfeasance. So, in many ways our system of unbridled corporatism runs directly counter to the Faith.
I agree, this is another blow to the Hispanic community and could accelerate their de-Catholicization.
My understanding is that this air on a local fox affiliate. However, if he is successful, other affiliates can pick it up.
We know that “Fr. Oprah” has he was called, has appeal to a generation of young people who, have been “carried away by all kinds of strange teachings”. The only absolute is that there are no absolutes. Feelings trump truth. Cutie, himself having yielded to the world in this way, appears to have been a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Luke 17:1-2 – 1 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.
Fr. Cutie is huge news down here. He has a lot of supporters. Mind you, this is NOT about priests being allowed to marry. He was still very much a priest when he was caught on Miami Beach with his hand down the bikini bottom of his now-wife. He could have easily said “I fell in love” left the priesthood, and married her. Before doing *whatever* with her. I would be very surprised if he would have left the priesthood had he not been caught. He strikes me as the type who wants to have his cake and eat it too, which is exactly what the Espicopal church offers him. Furthermore, he made a statement about how the Catholic Church views gays as “disordered,” and he doesn’t think God makes anyone disordered. A remark like that stokes the fire IMO. The Catholic Church views are pretty stable. We don’t change with the wind. He knew what he was getting into back then. When he became a priest, what were his thoughts on celibacy and homosexuality? Was he lying then or now? He created a terrible scandal for us down here and frankly just won’t go away.
And Random Friar is right. Let us keep Alberto Cutie in our prayers. We have seen priests leave Catholicism only to come back later.
The importance of praying for priests also cannot be emphasized enough. The mark of the priesthood is in the cross-hairs of the Angel of Darkness. If he succeeds in getting a priest to fall, he can take a chunk of his congregation with him. Being a celebrity only increases the scope. Who knows where the boundaries of that scope will lie. If other Fox affiliates pick up his show, he will lead untold numbers into error.
did anyone see Fr. Cutie on ‘The View’ a couple of weeks back?
ThickMick is against this too.
You really don’t expect Fox to stay morally consistent do you?
This is the same Fox that offers both Fox News and television programs that peddle flesh and greed.
Of course, one could argue that Fox News itself peddles flesh and greed……
Father Z, a gift of your new Cardinal Newman mug to congratulate him on his new show, perhaps? Seriously though, no one who is firm in his faith is going to give credence to former priest Cutie.
Could someone with more web savy than me please create an online petition against this?
This is going to turn into a media circus with a sensationalized, charismatic, young ex-Priest at its’ center. It will most likley fall into the evangelical type nonsence we see so often. He will probably tell his story of hiding and start his subtle attacks on the ways of the Church, while the whole time claiming to love the Church he was once a part of. Passive/Aggressive. The public will eat this up. But a Priest for life in the eyes of God he will be. He should stop and think for a second about how his show may lead people to error. He could be responsible for the loss of souls whether directly or indirectly. I wouldn’t want that on my shoulders. He should quietly decline any offers to televise his messages and go lead a quiet life with his new family, while in disagreement with the Catholic Faith. There was a time when the Catholic Church was his family, and they did for him, shelter, love, support, and education in the Faith. A license to serve. He has turned his back on us, what now could he possibly say that can undo that?
Have you ever noticed that Fox always presents female reporters by panning from their legs up?
Andrew: good find on the youtube video. Cutie, in diplomatic fashion, gives pretense that he is taking the “moral” high-ground, admonishing the Church on tubal ligation, contraception, etc. When, in reality, his real reason for leaving was his own moral failing.
“Furthermore, he made a statement about how the Catholic Church views gays as “disordered,” and he doesn’t think God makes anyone disordered.”
That’s totally correct; God doesn’t make junk. But Satan through Original Sin makes enough disorder for anyone. The Cutie can make whatever cute statements he wants; what we should object to is the notion that is is in any way shape or form a priest. That’s the problem here. People will ascribe to him an authority he doesn’t have, and the “courage” to speak out when he didn’t have the courage to keep his vows.
His name doesn’t help either. It makes the incident easy to remember, unfortunately. It’d be funny if I didn’t believe that the powers of evil weren’t obviously playing hardball with this. Nevertheless, the best thing to do is not engage them. It will pass.
Who’da thought all you have to do to get popular and have little demanded of you while still being a “minister” is commit apostasy?
There but for the grace of God go I.
I would be very surprised if he would have left the priesthood had he not been caught
Cutie was in talks with the Episcopals for two years before his fornication became news. Coincidentally he said on an early TV interview that the relationship had “become serious” about two years before the scandal broke.
I glanced at Cutie’s book recently. He trashes Pius XII as a Nazi in the section I glanced at.
As Ned Flanders said, “Oh, the network slogan is true. Watch FOX and be damned for all eternity.”
I’m trying figure why Cutie is going to have his show called “Father Albert.” Since when have to heard Episcopalians call male ministers “father?” I thought saying father outside of Catholic and orthodoxy was taboo to prots? The other question is, when will this guy get a show on The Oprah Channel? Oprah has all her other flunkies like Oz and Phil running around on there.
Maltese: I have noticed that FoxNews makes the female anchors legs stand out. Most of the women tend to be dyed blondes and their legs are ridiculously tan and shiny and stand out. Same with their low cut tops. I don’t watch their network to lust over Meghan Kelly’s cleavage or Jenna Lee’s bronzed calfs. :(
Henry Edwards,
You should noy be watching either show. They are both from hell. Listen to Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis instead. Or Cherubini’s Requiem.
GregHessel in Arlington Diocese
Teaguytom,
Easy there, Tom. It’s just a news channel. They’re only trying to make some money because that’s the whole point of running any business.
All this goofiness will pass, just like it always does. Take it easy and ignore it if it gets to you. You can’t do anything about it but it won’t go on forever, guaranteed.
If you want to do anything, you can pity this Mr. Cutie and pray for him. He’s made a big fat ugly mess of his life.
I read that this morning. How very sad! Some day he will wake up and realize what he has done, what he has lost! I pray for his conversion.
I would assume this is Fox Television and not Fox News Division. And don’t make the mistake of confusing “conservative” with religious… sometimes the two mesh but not always.
I think the show will flop personally… what exactly does he have to say? And tying yourself, even by nickname, to the sinking ship that is Oprah Winfrey is not a good way to start.
Greg H,
I have never watched a single episode of any Fox TV show (unless you count the occasional NFL football game). I do watch Fox News–the cable network, not the morning or nightly news shows on Fox TV or the other mainstream networks–and Fox Business network, both of which are (for better or worse) straight from this world, hellish as it may be in many respects, and generally represent a more Catholic viewpoint of the world than is available anywhere else in the TV media.
Indeed, I must confess to spending far more time listening to then than to the likes of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis or Cherubini’s Requiem. However, my moral rectitude–or perhaps it’s my obvious intellectual maturity–suffices to prevent the afore-mentioned Fox News eye candy from distracting me overmuch.
Re Elizabeth D’s post :
“I learned yesterday from the Ignatius Press blog (which was also expressing horror at Cutie’s show) that Fr Robert Barron has a national TV program on WGN Sunday mornings at 9:30 Eastern, the first Catholic priest since Archbishop Fulton J Sheen to have his own show on a national broadcast network. However, there’s absolutely nothing scandalous involved, so perhaps that is why he hasn’t gotten a lot of press.”
I am glad about this show. However, why is it on Sunday mornings?! Most people that espouse Christianity are in church at this time. I think it should be on at any other time in order to lead people to the one, true, and Catholic Church.
Tricia:
Because the people you hope to reach are wandering around their houses in their pajamas on Sunday morning, looking for something different to do, and so they turn on their tvs and get the clicker in hand. That’s why.
Church goers are the minority, but getting up and getting to church on Sunday morning requires some effort, so therefore, they’re attached to something already. Your chances of getting them are usually less as a result.
Keep in mind that what we have is not the old Catholic vs Protestant thing here. Protestant churches are losing members just like we are. I know that the old Catholic thing is hatred of Protestants, but that’s not what’s going on here as much as the old prejudices might lead you to believe.
There are millions of people simply sitting around in their underwear on Sunday morning. It’s the quietest time of the week for many people, and one that can lead to introspection that doesn’t happen during the week. Therefore, Sunday morning is a great time for a friendly show about belief.
My solution to the whole problem is not to watch TV…at all. Then I don’t get as disappointed or scandalized. Okay, I do still get outraged and scandalized, but it has to come by a different avenue. Saves me money, too. I admit that this fella is a hot-button issue for me, too, but we DO need to pray for him. ALOT.
You guys have the world’s most adhesive religion. This is a guy who left your church, married, and became an Episcopal priest. That’s the platform from which he derives his moral authority as a minister, whatever that might be.
Rev. Cutie and Glenn Beck. FOX does seem to have a thing for ex-Catholics. Glad I never watch it.
“You guys have the world’s most adhesive religion. This is a guy who left your church, married, and became an Episcopal priest. That’s the platform from which he derives his moral authority as a minister, whatever that might be.”
It would be much better if he confined his remarks to his new affiliation/denomination and all its purported virtues. But he is using his new platform to launch verbal scuds at his previous Church. Are we not permitted to respond?
For two years he betrayed his commitment to the Church by living a double life. If he had had integrity, he could have left the ministry, requested laicization and moved forward with his life as a married family man. Sure there would have been disappointment, and perhaps a smallish scandal by comparison, but in general most Catholics would have learned to live with it.
But now he seeks approval for his lifestyle and is actively recruiting others to his cause. Additionally he is spreading falsehoods about the Catholic Church and he is betraying traditional Christian standards in his embrace of homosexuality as a lifestyle which is compatible with the Christian faith.
Certainly he is free to argue these positions, but neither he nor you should expect that his new views should be without comment or criticism…yes – even by his former co-religionists.
Fr. Barron’s TV program is the first Catholic program on a national, commercial network in the US since the 1950s. Where have we been? For far too long, Catholics have
neglected their responsibility to go out and teach all nations – and to use one of the most powerful means available. Let the true Catholic voice be heard. “Word On Fire with Fr. Barron” airs weekly on WGN America – across the US and Canada at 9:30 EST on Sundays. It costs only pennies per person to reach hundreds of thousands of viewers. Catholics, “ex-Catholics”, Baptists, Unitarians, and Atheists are all tuning in and responding positively. Unfortunately, unless Catholics support the show, it will go off the air very soon.
Who really cares about Fr. Cutie’s television show? Who really cares about Fr. Cutie? For that matter, why should anyone care about Fr. Cutie? So he had no integrity as a priest. Given what has been revealed about priests over the past 1o years, that’s hardly news, sad to say. If he “is using his new platform to launch verbal scuds at his previous church,” of course Catholics have the right to respond! But Fr. Cutie, ultimately, is not the problem. The lack of committment to God’s standards and the sense of entitlement that ensnares many in the clergy is the problem…and has been for centuries! Sadly, that sense of entitlement also ensnares the vast majority of prelates, who are too intoxicated with it to hold the Fr. Cuties of the world accountable. Confront that problem, force prelates to confront that problem, and you solve a lot that is wrong with the contemporary Church.
@Hieronymus: Don’t confuse Fox Entertainment with Fox News. Fox Entertainment, after all, also produces Glee :-(
The good news is that a) local stations tend to be easily influenced by complaints, and b) advertisers are also very easily persuaded by negative mail or email. So a campaign may very well succeed in removing the show. I’d suggest the path through the sponsors, as the local stations tend to rely on network shows in daytime to prop up their revenue at a time when audiences are nos very large.
Don’t confuse Fox Entertainment with Fox News.
Really? If I, like Mr. Murdoch, create different divisions of myself, am I exempt from moral responsibility? Should “Katherine News” not be confused with “Katherine Entertainment”?
“I’m shocked that Fox would triumph a man who disgraced the Catholic priesthood in so public a manner.”
Why? Did Fox become a Catholic network at some point? I don’t recall it.
At any rate, I hardly suspect that the impetus behind this show is to disgrace the Catholic priesthood. This is a television network that thrives on ratings. Sensational personalities boost ratings. Ratings brings advertisers. That’s the only agenda, here. Spare me the “media vs. the Church” conspiracy theories.
At any rate, perhaps he’ll be a less diabolical alternative to the Christ-for-Profit preachers onTCN and the 700 Club. Flipping channels last night I came across a televangelist preaching about his favorite subject: my money. Among other things, he invited his viewers to…let me make sure I get this right…”covenant with an anointing greater than our own”. That means, it turns out, “join this network, today, by making a pledge of financial support”.
God told him (these people have no shame, at all, apparently)…God told him that there were 300 viewers ready to pledge $360.00 this year, and that there were 12 viewers being called to pledge $3600.00 this year. “Remember, my friends, when the Lord calls you into covenant with an anointing, delayed obedience becomes disobedience.” Wow.
Last month, a female version of the same was telling her viewers that God had commanded her (she even quoted the Almighty) to make a jeweled cross-shaped brooch so beautiful that every woman in the world would want to buy one. The God of Abraham also commanded that she allow the brooch to be designed in such a way that it could be attached to a chain and worn as a necklace, if one preferred.
The only thing that stands between me and a fortune is a conscience.
FOX is about as helpful in explaining the Catholic faith as they are explaining the situation in the Middle East:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs773.ash1/166334_10150106135614433_581524432_5901121_5604134_n.jpg
DHippolito,
Last night, a Hispanic seminarian told me that this ex-priest is very popular with and in the Hispanic community. That is who cares about him.
“Really? If I, like Mr. Murdoch, create different divisions of myself, am I exempt from moral responsibility? Should “Katherine News” not be confused with “Katherine Entertainment”?”
The point is, Fox News is a (mostly) conservative news channel; Fox Entertainment makes no claim to a political position. I didn’t say anything about giving them a pass, to the contrary, I suggested that a campaign of complaints would very likely succeed in getting the show removed. These channels serve different purposes, and largely different audiences. Rupert Murdoch may own them, but that doesn’t mean he decides what shows will fill every hour. Again, I’m not giving Murdoch a pass, but simply recognizing that a) something can be done, and b) Murdoch himself is the wrong target. That is, if you want to accomplish something more than venting.