Picture a nun – what do you see?
Some might see a (controversial) sexy nun Halloween costume. Others, a character in a horror movie (from The Exorcist to The Conjuring, across film history Catholicism and Catholic theology has often been played for scares).
But these common depictions of nuns in pop culture have been rubbing faith communities the wrong way for years.
Now, a group of media-savvy nuns have taken to TikTok in an attempt to reverse decades of Hollywood stereotypes about them and their sisters.
Welcome to NunTok
With more than 150,000 followers on TikTok, and some 3 million likes, the Daughters of St. Paul – also known as the #MediaNuns – are hoping to change the perception of nuns with the power of the internet.
Their often silly videos are resonating with audiences, with several reaching millions of views. Popular videos include a humorous depiction of the nuns being late for prayer, showing their preference between advent and lent, and clips of them joyfully singing hymns.
The nuns say they're hoping to show the true side of Catholicism.
"There's a lot of misconceptions (that) nuns are mean, or we can't talk to anybody, or that we're just really somber all the time, or that we're scary because of all those awful horror movies," explains Sister Chelsea Bethany Davis, one of the nuns featured prominently in the #MediaNuns’ videos.
"I'm personally trying, on social media, (to) show people that being a follower of Jesus Christ is intrinsically joyful and that should show on our faces and in the way that we laugh and the way that we are."
Interfaith Popularity Grows
The response from audiences has been overwhelmingly positive, even beyond the Catholic community.
“I’m an atheist, but the vibes here are amazing :))” wrote one TikTok user in the comments. “I'm so fully Jewish but YOUR VIDEOS ALWAYS MAKE ME SO FRICKING HAPPY I LOVE U GUYS,” exclaimed another.
Some even wonder how they got to NunTok in the first place. “How did I get here? I’m a MUSLIM 😂” one user jokingly pondered.
Good Habits
If the nuns’ goal is to demystify and humanize the sisterhood, spread the word, and bring Christ to the masses, it’s hard to argue that the #MediaNuns’ TikTok experiment is anything less than a rousing success.
As Sister Bethany explains, “what we're called to do is really just to let people know that you're made for more and that you're loved."
And by inviting TikTok users into their world and sharing the gospels with humor, they’ve amassed an audience that extends far beyond Catholics. Individuals of seemingly every faith have commented on the Sisters’ videos, sharing how happy they are to have stumbled upon their happy little corner of TikTok.
But how has a group of nuns amassed an audience that extends beyond faiths and borders? Honesty and earnestness, say their fans. Those also happen to be qualities that the Catholic Church has struggled within the court of public opinion, amid widespread sexual abuse scandals.
What is your reaction? Do you think "NunTok" can help revitalize the Church's image, while busting media-fueled stereotypes about nuns in the process?
28 comments
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Darlene Marsh
I love their videos! And good for them for trying to have a little levity along with their religion. I think it's refreshing and I hope they keep making them!
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Rev. Carol M Anaski-Figurski
lol that's so funny. I have a nun in my family tree. maybe they'll be another sister act or the flying nun will make a comeback but the best movies have been the the nun, nun ii & the pope's exorcist. etc. never before have you seen such modern christianinty. Holy places in Hollywood. Embrace it. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. It's extrodinary to see the visions of the life of a nun lived.
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Ted Prettyman
Why must we continue to feed the info coffers of the CCP?
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Father Frederick
I've never understood the vitriol towards the nuns, nor other who are not what we would expect the messengers of Christ to be. There was a priest, who in a former career worked in a metal shop, and his activities were mocked because making parts out of metal was somehow unbecoming of a priest. Same for a local fellow who is, (quite frankly), one heck of an Italian chef. What is it that makes people uncomfortable with religious representatives being human? I fail to find one credible reason for the vitriol some cast when someone simply has a hobby or vocation which is outside the church. - Father Frederick
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Rolando Couce
WE ALL COME SHORT THE GLORY OF GOD HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN CAST THE FIRST STONE
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
They did it again!!! Now I think they're messing with my head. Once again, replace the words mind and mine with NUNS!
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
They messed it up again!!! Replace the word mind with mine, in my above comment. I guess they don't want anyone to know about the lesbianism of mind.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
They cut me short on my last comment. As I was saying I'd like to see those mind on TikTok engaged in a three minute orgy. I bet they would if it's mentioned to them.
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Father Frederick
Just my opinion, but TikTok seems to be awash with people who feel their opinions and feelings supersede general society. They seem to be like one member in a church trying to push their opinions and needs on a congregation of 300, and feel they are right, and everyone else is wrong.
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Carl Bernard Elfstrom
IdId like to see those mind on TikTok engaged in a butter min
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Russel A. Kester
Delightful. It's certainly better than many of the things on TikTok. This is very creative of the sisters. Kudos to the sisters.
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Daniel Gray
They have no say on tick tock. IN fact the Catholic church bans them from having anything to do with it in the first place
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Stacey Owens
This is nothing but Sister Act in real life, don't hate. Only God can judge.
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Lionheart
Which mythical non-proven god would that be, Lady Stacey?
🦁❤️
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Nicholas J Page
I dont do TikTok and never will
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Reverend Tabraea
Tried it… didn’t like it. Moved on!
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Nuns are not only religious but they have taken it far enough to be on the right side of the religiously delusional bell curve. Dress funny and have given up sex. Right up there with the homeless woman on the street with a tin foil hat and has sworn off sex. The only difference is that there is probably porn with nuns being the focal point,
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Russel A. Kester
Dr Z, sometimes you come across as the Grinch of the ULC. It's wonderful that these women have dedicated their lives to something they find worthwhile.
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Colleen McAllister
Well, it certainly couldn't hurt.
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
Nuns— a cult of females, who’ve renounced any intent, of engaging in sex, with a man, so that they will remain childless; except for a woman, who started dressing, and pretending to be a man, so that she could, as a cross dresser, become the Roman Catholic Pope, which she did, in, as I recall (because I’m too lazy to Google it) 850 ACE, and is now known as Pope Joan. However, while pope, she miraculously became pregnant, but was able to keep it secret, under her papal attire (vestments). Nevertheless, while riding sidesaddle in a procession, she fell off the horse, and gave birth on the spot, to a son who grew up to be a bishop, and the Catholic Church has managed to quash this fascinating saga, to date. Nuns, as Roman Catholics, oppose the use of birth control, which in an overpopulated world, is tantamount to committing a crime against the future of humanity, The same thing goes, for DJT, whose only goal, is to avoid going to prison.
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Russel A. Kester
William, I didn't realize they were trans people in the church back in 1850 CE. How very interesting.
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Anita Rogers
Maybe she was just cross dressing, that would be different than being trans. She would be hiding her gender to get into a position of power that she was obviously qualified for despite having a uterus.
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Russel A. Kester
Anita, that might well be true.
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ServantOfJudgement
William,
You must get royalties when you use a comma, it's the only explanation for your overuse of the thing.
Nuns do not avoid sexual intercourse to avoid pregnancy. With your opening statement being false, we can trust the rest is also false.
In a world with no God, there is no such thing as overpopulation. A universe that orders itself dictates the strong survive and populate accordingly. Indeed, the hypothesis of evolution demands we behave precisely the way we are.
A Donald Trump bash from a Nun on Tic Tok? Crimes against the future of humanity? Do you have a crystal ball that lets you peer into the future? Isn't aborting a healthy baby killing billions and trillions of future humans? Isn't killing trillions of humans a crime?
Your Hive Mind Programming has some glitches in its code. I recommend get the Jesus 1.0 operating system, it runs remarkably smooth and adds eons to your life.
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Alissa M Clough
Which is a Protestant myth. Pope(ss) Joan never existed.
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
How many Roman Catholics, who are also ULC ministers, know anything about the official Catholic law, called the “Doctrine of Discovery” communicated directly from the Christian God, to “his” representative on Earth, then, Pope Alexander? It’s the doctrine that mandated, that envy discoverer (i.e, Columbus) who discovers anyone (Native Americans) whose not a Roman Cathilic, must be converted to Catholicism, even if to do so, requires the use of pain, or death. This Pope made all sorts of references to Pope Joan, so to say that Pope Joan is mythological, suggests that you probably think that that all the other things the Catholic Church pontificates are mythological too.
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MIchael Sean Halden
A true Roman Catholic, wouldn’t become a ULC Minister because he or she would know they would be excommunicated. 😉
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The sisters should watch THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS and it’s follow-up, WHERE ANGELS GO, TROUBLE FOLLOWS staring Rosalind Russel as Mother Superior!! These are the Sisters I know. (5 of my Great Aunts were Nun’s as was my Aunt Virginia) Not only are they truly classic movies, I’ve a feeling it’s a closer interpretation of who the are!!! ❤️❤️❤️