Kevin Smith is a genius. That is an established fact. The 37-year old actor, writer, producer has brought us such favorites as Clerks, the lesbianic Chasing Amy, and even appeared on our favorite teen soap, Degrassi. Now the bearded geek's bringing what may be the most exciting project yet: the horrific Red State.

Smith recently sat down with Rotten Tomatoes to discuss the project and one of its equally horrific inspirations: Fred Phelps.

That dude has always fascinated me and he's really informed the horror movie that I'm working on. The movie's called Red State and it's very much about that subject matter, that point of view and that position taken to the absolute extreme. It's certainly not Phelps himself but it's very much inspired by a Phelps figure.

While some horror movies employ sadistic slashers to provide the thrills, Smith's taking a more nuanced - not to mention intelligent - approach:

...The notion of using a Phelps-like character as a villain, as horrifying and scary as that guy can be, there's even something more insidious than him that lurks out there in as much as a public or a government that allows it and that's the other thing that I'm trying to examine in a big, big way... I'm sure there'll be people saying, 'This ain't a horror movie!' But to me, it is.

(Also, we agree with this post: Phelps looks exactly like Kane from Poltergeist. Creepy.)

BBC has aired a documentary on everyone's favorite fag-hating family: The Phelps of Topeka, Kansas. As you know, papa Fred Phelps has bred his virulent anti-gay politics into his hellish horde of homo-haters, thus resulting in a brood so large and so venemous BBC has deemed them America's Most Hated Family. This here's just a taste of the madness.

While we're used to the Phelps' funeral picketing, ridiculously broad Biblical references and general bad attitudes, it's particularly entertaining to watch a seemingly prim and well-mannered British journalist Louis Theroux's dumbfounded shock at the family's unabashed bigotry.

As you can see, he's at once scandalized and somewhat amused by this exchange with current leader Shirley Phelps:

LT: So, these are your signs. You've got 'God Hates Fags' here."
SP: Uh-huh. And God hates you. Just don't think of fags as just those guys who are taking it up the tail pipe.

Don't worry, BBC warns viewers, "There's some strong language and offensive attitudes". They do not, however, warn of the totally awesome opening number. The Westboro Baptists again prove what we've long known: they're rock stars. And those girls are definitely going places. Where...well, we'll let you decide.

Also, we have to say we're totally in love with Louis Theroux. Watch some more of his investigation over at Good As You.

• Now that you're mind's been completely blown by Hilary Duff's incredible charisma, you may be interested to hear that pot activists, Americans for Safe Access have filed a lawsuit against the federal government. Basing their argument on last week's study affirming marijuana's medicinal affects in HIV patients - that is, the patients getting high felt way better than those getting a stupid placebo - the ASA hopes to end the government's reign of bummer-inducing tyranny. [CBS News]

• Meanwhile, the democracy-seeking Second Life Liberation Army has launched its first attack against cyber-world Second Life - blowing up an American Apparel and Reebok stores, thus sparking what may become a virtual war on terror. One militant member said, "The population of the world should have a say in the running of the world". Um, he does know Second Life doesn't really exist? [Second Life Liberation Army]

• Utah-based journo Jay Walker's blowin' up Fred Phelps and Friends' spot. He thinks that if the "God Hates Fags" protesters insist on blowing Leviticus out of proportion, they'd better start practicing the Bible's other "outrageous" laws, like stoning rape victims. [The Daily Utah]

• Come hell or high water, New York Bishop Mark Sisk will not let the Anglican Communion blow up his moral integrity. Of the group's prescribed ban on the American Episcopal's gay loving ways, Sisk says, "I am not in the least prepared to make any concession that strikes at the heart of my conviction that gay and lesbian people are God's beloved children." Go on, girl! [NYDN]

• Speaking of girls going on: is Britney Spears looking to blow up the world record for most rehab visits in a week? [Jossip]

• The Roxy will close its doors on March 10th. It'll will be blown up a few days later. [Joe. My. God.]

• Go blow up David Lachapelle's spot at Soho's Taschen store. In turn, he'll sign your copy of his new book and give you an invite to the after party. It's going on right now, you'd better get going. And so should we... [Gothamist]

It seems Reverend Fred Phelps isn't content sowing his rank seeds of haterade in America. In addition to his nonsensical God Hates Canada website, the bigot's got his alleged Christian sights set on Sweden.

Aside from the fact that Sweden locked up Reverend Ake Green for using his pulpit to spread homophobia, the Swedes are, according to Phelps, "...drippings from the Devil's own penis - a veritable sperm bank for Satan's queers."

Wow. That may be one of the best things we've ever read. And we mean that.

Bad news for Fred Phelps and his marine-funeral picketing bandits. A Kansas judge ordered them to pay Albert Snyder $3150 for a summons and complaint Snyder filed against Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church. WBC protested at Snyder's son Lance's funeral back in March. Needless to say Albert wasn't pleased. NBC affiliate WGAL reports:

[Albert's] federal lawsuit, filed June 5, alleges church members violated the family's right to privacy and defamed the Marine and his family at the funeral and on the church's Web site.

Phelps and the church refused to grant a waiver in the serving of summonses in connection with the federal lawsuit, making the church liable for those costs.

We were just cruising around YouTube and came across this video of an Australian reporter chatting it up with Fred Phelps, Jr. You know, one of Papa Phelp's million or so children who follow in their daddy's homo-hating footsteps.

The headline's pretty self-explanatory, so why don't you just watch the video and have a good, healthy laugh.

We've just seen yesterday's episode of The Tyra Banks Show on which Kevin Aviance (looking fab, we must say) tearfully recalled his attack and Shirley Phelps Roper (daughter of everyone's favorite homophobic monster, Fred Phelps) explained that Tyra's a fag-enabler. Tyra, of course, was none too pleased and proceeded to get into an argument with Shirley about how she wouldn't argue with her. (Hey, she's a model, what do you want?)

Is it us or does Shirley look a little too excited to be on Tyra? She's either thinking she's totally made it, cumming in her pants over the millions of homos she's about to piss off, or is attempting to send death rays through the television. Either way you cut it, it's one of the most disturbing things we've ever seen. And we've seen a lot of disturbing things...

If there's one thing we love about America, it's free speech. Any dumb fuck can say (almost) anything and get away with it.

After the jump, experience a fine example of free speech: a Fred Phelps follower explaining how gays run America. Except he calls us "fags" and "feces eaters." Bigots say the sweetest things, don't you agree?

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In a delicious twist of social justice, everyone’s favorite, alliteratively monikered Reverend Fred Phelps (pictured, looking dashing as ever) found himself outnumbered when he marched down to Meade, Kansas to protest the much-publicized gay pride flag mounted at The Lakeway Hotel. Brandishing the same tired slogans, such as the brilliant “God Hates Fags,” Phelps and his crew of hate-mongers came up against a force twice their size. As a show of support, the owners of the hotel blasted “Macho Man.” The only way this altercation could have been better is if a macho man had actually appeared to show Phelps a thing or two. And we had been there to see it.

[ Phelps Bashed By Gays [365 Gay]

We may have found the only recorded evidence that Fred "God Hates Fags" Phelps can blush. An Australian reporter proves himself to be a "fag pervert" in this video where he compliments Rev. Phelps on his "very nice voice," his "very firm butt," and even asks if Phelps "gave him a look."

There is also a cameo appearance by Queerty favorite Shirley Phelps-Roper.

Watch the video after the jump. We have been giggling since the weekend over this.

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The Mistress of the Westboro "God Hates Fags" Baptist Church has not been deterred by her run-in with Fox News siren Julie Banderas, and she has taken her fight to the Southern Baptist Convention, where she rips into a pastor who has the patience of Job (and a really long battery in his video camera), telling him how the Convention is a whorehouse and a leper colony that worships the idol of the U.S. flag, where the red represents the rectal blood of fags. Yep.

We love being defended by Southern Baptists perhaps even more than Fox News anchors. Shirley Phelps-Roper is really doing the gay community a huge favor by making centrists out of even the most socially conservative people in the nation. She has raised the bar of bigotry so high that she and her family dwell pretty much alone, and in doing so have changed the dialogue. The biggest coup of all will be when Phelps-Roper makes her inevitable appearance on The O'Reilly Factor and Bill O'Reilly, after being cowed by her formbidable oratory skills (she is a lawyer, after all, albeit a totally crazy one), is forced to say we're not so bad after all.

Watch the three videos of Shirley Phelps-Roper outside the Southern Baptist Convention after the jump.

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Julie Banderas of Fox News recently lost her cool and started quoting scripture while "interviewing" Mistress of Protesting at Dead Soldiers' Funerals Shirley Phelps-Roper on some show called The Big Story. After Phelps-Roper called Banderas a "bimbo," it all went downhill, and Banderas even went so far as to say, "You are the devil. If you believe in the Bible, Miss, you are going to Hell."

And then things got really out of control when the normally calm and collected Banderas started swearing, "'God Hates Fags.' You are breaching absolute B. And you know the final letter!" Whoa there. We don't think Bill O'Reilly would approve of that sort of language or, more importantly, the pro-gay sentiment even if it was a slip of the tongue.

Watch the video after the jump.

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