Fame has a price, and for popular Christian speaker and author Joel Osteen, this means that he has to contend with some critics' mockery of himself.
A comedian named Ben Palmer created a parody social media account called "Joel Oldsteen Ministries" and kept posting ridiculous comments on the Joel Osteen Ministries Facebook page, according to Chron. The absurd posts have since then been deleted, and the fake account has been taken down as well. However, the posts have already caused enough damage and tricked a lot of people.
"Don't tell anyone I told you this, but when I finish a great sermon, I feel like ripping the Bible apart and smashing it on the stage," Oldsteen told a Facebook user named "Denise."
The comedian took particular fun in mocking Osteen's status in life. When Osteen used his Facebook page to encourage people "to serve an eviction notice to negative thoughts," the notorious Oldsteen account commented: "Some of the items I have in my house are more expensive than your house. I have a tooth brush holder that could pay a year of your rent. How does that make you feel? Are you jealous?"
A Facebook user named "Linda" then criticised Osteen for not giving back to the poor, to which Oldsteen replied saying that the poor would "be fine" if they only bought his book called "The Power of I Am" for $16.22.
"For example, after they purchase the book, they could say 'I am' and then finish it with, 'Out 16 dollars,' " Oldsteen wrote.
Lakewood Church spokeswoman Andrea Davis said they are unsurprised by the attacks made on Osteen's character by the parody account, given Osteen's powerful social media presence (he has over 11 million followers on Facebook). "When you achieve a certain level of influence on social media, parody accounts are a fact of life," she said in a statement. "Satire is a part of the American way."
