Now offline, formerly here.
Okay, first of all, are you totally serious?
Yes. No funny shtuff. Except that Dudeism is pretty funny. Laughable, man! So it’s pretty hard to be totally serious about it. It depend on how you define the term, I guess. But that’s not a problem because the Dudeist tradition has always been lighthearted and humorous in comparision with mainstream culture – Taoist vs. Confucianist, Troubadors vs Theologists, Stoners vs Alcoholics, Dude vs. Lebowski. We think funny and true go together better than serious and true.
Is The Dudely Llama your official ordained title?
Not Llama. Lama. Llamas are Andean camels. Lama is the Tibetan word for “teacher.” Sorry, don’t mean to pull a Mrs. Jamtoss on you. As the current fella-in-charge of the Church of the Latter-Day Dude, I’m the “Dudely Lama”. So that’s what you call me. But it’s not permanent. I hope to step down one day and let someone else take over become I burn out and get very undude about it all.
And are you, like, a high priest? (excuse the pun)
Ha ha. Yes, I’m all fucked up on life. I’m adhering to a strict Dudeist regimen to keep my mind limber.
When did you decide to start Dudeism as a religion?
Back in 2005. I watched the movie for the second or third time and had a religious experience, not unlike that of Paul on the road to Damascus, or George Harrison on the road to Poona, or Jack Kerouac, just, uh, On the Road.
And it’s based on Taoism? What’s it all about?
We believe that the Dudeist tradition started as a response to the excesses of civilization. That was Lao Tzu’s deal anyway. Lots of similar traditions dealt with issues of work and status and anxiety and nature in the same way the Tzu did. But they were all eventually pretty much taken over by the Fascists and Real Reactionaries. Even Taoism was taken over by charlatans and phonys–that’s most of what you see in practice today. But the pure undogmatic center of lots of traditions (Christianity, Vedism, Buddhism, etc) is all the same – and that’s Dudeism. Aldous Huxley sort of took a stab at it in his idea of the “perennial philosophy.” Alan Watts may have been the most dudely of all modern spiritualists, though. Many learned men have disputed this.
Is smoking weed and drinking White Russians part of it?
Sure, if that’s what you dig. A lot of people find that smoking dope and having a nice creamy cocktail can be profoundly relaxing. But it doesn’t have to be that—you can also take a bath with candles and whale sounds, lay on your rug and meditate to tapes of old bowling tournaments, go bowling with your buddies. Anything that helps you to relax and not take life so seriously.
What about bowling?
Bowling is probably the most accepting, unathletic sport in the world. Where else can you smoke and drink while you compete? And it doesn’t matter if you’re fat or thin, young or old. Plus it’s a perfect metaphor for how to live your life: Ups and downs, strikes and gutters; take something heavy, set it in motion without hitting either extreme until it reaches the end of its journey. Then relax and wait until you get another turn.
And Metallica?
The Dude says they’re a bunch of assholes. But they’re cool about being called a bunch of assholes in the movie, so that makes them not a bunch of assholes. On the other hand, Glen Frey of the Eagles was supposedly unkind to Jeff Bridges for the same reason (the Dude says he “hates the fucking Eagles, man”), so that would make him undude. It don’t matter to the Dudeist if you’re an achiever or not, only if you’re dude or undude.
Do you see The Stranger character as a kind of God figure?
Dudeism is non-theistic. We don’t see anything as a kind of God figure. That’s not to say we’re not religious. But since the word “God” can mean anything, it doesn’t actually mean anything. We do think there’s some far out shit out there, but it’s not some old guy with a mustache. Anyway the Stranger is probably more like a mirror of ourselves. He also may be the ghost of America past – taking stock of what’s become of the nation’s integrity.
Where are your head offices? Where are you based?
We’re based in Los Angeles, but I live most of the year in Thailand. It’s an easy place to take er easy.
And where are you from originally? What’s your background?
From L.A. I Grew up in the 80s in “the Valley,” which is where shopping malls were invented, I think. The 80s were very undude. As soon as I graduated University, I hit the road, living lax amongst the low end leisure class of international backpacking culture. I wrote three novels during that time, all of which desperately need an editor. After that I was a travel writer, journalist, and graphic designer. I’m also a musician and am currently working on an album of Lebowski-inspired material.
To quote The Big Lebowski, “Are you employed, sir?”
At the moment I earn enough to pay the bills with proceeds from the sale of tee shirts and stuff at Dudeism.com. But that’s not saying much — Life in Thailand is very cheap so the monkey is easily fed. I still have a few writing gigs. And I’m just finishing up a book called “The Abide Guide” that will be published in August. It’s a Dudeist self-help book I’m writing with the Arch Dudeship Dwayne Eutsey and other members of the church.
Were you part of any other religion, before Dudeism?
Nope. I wasn’t raised with any religion, but I always dug learning about them. I studied a lot of mystical traditions on my travels and a lot of that has been incorporated into the Dudeist canon.
Is it an official religion, according to the law and so on?
Separation of church and state is so strong in the US that it’s hard to say what is “official” or not. Each state seems to have its own take on it, so we ask our ordained Dudeist priests to check with their local county clerks before presiding over a wedding or whatnot. Other countries tend to be a lot more strict. At some point we’re going to have to launch a full scale recognition program so that we can stop being discriminated against for our religion. Hopefully we’ll get recognized faster than the Christians did. It took them at least 100 years. We’re hoping for maybe 5.
What’s your take on other pop culture-related religions, like Jediism?
Jediism is cool. There’s a lot of Dudeism in Jediism. But that’s probably because Jediism was based on Taoism and Zen, and those are the two most Dude religions that currently exist. Besides Dudeism, of course.
What about Scientology?
Uh, no comment. Those guys have an army of lawyers and will sue you for looking at them funny.
You’ve met Jeff Dowd, what’s he like?
Dowd himself admits that he’s not all that much like the Dude. He’s full of energy and ambition, for one thing. But he was part of the Seattle Seven and is a political activist in addition to being a film producer, so he might be a lot like the Dude when he was younger and full of vim and vigor and idealism. Anyway, he’s a nice guy with a good sense of humor and a liver of steel.
How does he compare to Jeff Bridges’ Dude?
See above.
What were his thoughts on Dudeism?
We only hung out for a few minutes at a Lebowskifest, so I can’t say for sure. We named him one of our Great Dudes in History and he dug that (see the Dudespaper: dudespaper.com/great–dudes-in-history-jeff–dowd.html/)
Have you met Jeff Bridges and the Coens?
Nope. I hope to do so one day. Other Dudeist priests have met Bridges and say he’s the coolest guy ever. Supposedly he digs Dudeism but for now he’s keeping his distance. It would be great to get him involved somehow but it’d have to be the plan for its time and place. The Coens seem to have less affinity for the cult of Lebowski than Bridges does, so it’s hard to imagine them being very proud of what they’ve spawned. But I can’t think of two people I’d rather shoot the shit with than them. Besides Bridges, of course.
What’s Lebowskifest like?
It’s like a huge party with thousands of the nicest people you’d ever meet. Lebowski is the perfect shibboleth – anyone who truly digs the movie is almost sure to be a cool, easygoing, unpretentious and affable person. Scott and Will (the creators) are also really nice guys. You can see that in the film “The Achievers”. They love the fact that they’ve brought so much happiness to so many people. We’re glad to do the same. For people who no longer can derive solace from old religions, the love of Lebowski can offer a nice substitute. There is no bottom.
How many ordained members do have now in the church of the Latter Day Dude, worldwide?
We’re coming up on 120,000. Not exactly a lightweight. But I’m hoping that after this article is published, that number will at least double.
Are the members mainly male or female?
About three quarters male. But that’s going to change, especially once we set up our Dudeist social network, tentatively titled, “The Rug.”
Do you make any money from the site?
See above
Favourite line from the film?
The whole film is my favorite line. I could quote it here but it would take up too much space. Sorry, I guess I’m being fatuous. But would you ask a Christian “whats your favorite line from the Bible?”
Are you a fan of the Coen brothers’ other films?
Most of them. I’m a bit puzzled why most critics think Miller’s Crossing is their best. I find it too cold and postmodern for my taste. But pretty much everything else is amazing. I think some of their lesser-loved films like The Hudsucker Proxy and The Man Who Wasn’t There are among my favorites, though. But then, Barton Fink, Raising Arizona, No Country For Old Men…jeez, they’re really the best films of our times. The Coens are better candidates for heroes of modern literature than Philip Roth or Don Don DeLillo or Will Self or Ian McEwan or other award-winning novelists.
Lastly, what are your views on interior design? What ties your room together?
The most important element of Fungin Shway (Dudeist Feng Shui) is a nice big sectional sofa. Everything else is just vanity.
