Dudeism is a religion, philosophy, or lifestyle inspired by "The Dude", the protagonist of the Coen Brothers' 1998 film The Big Lebowski.
Dudeism's stated primary objective is to promote a modern form of Chinese Taoism, outlined in Tao Te Ching by Laozi (6th century BCE), blended with concepts from the Ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus (341–270 BCE), and presented in a style as personified by the character of Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, a fictional character portrayed by Jeff Bridges in the film.[1] Dudeism has sometimes been regarded as a mock religion due to its use of comedic film references and occasional criticism of religion in its traditional sense,[2][3] but its founder and many adherents take the underlying philosophy somewhat (although not overly) seriously.[4][5][6][7] March 6 is the annual sacred high holy day of Dudeism: The Day of the Dude; the same day the film released in the US.[8]
- ^ Ehrlich, Richard. "The man who founded a religion based on 'The Big Lebowski'". CNN. Turner Broadcasting Systems Inc. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
- ^ Mathijs, Ernest; Sexton, Jamie (30 March 2012). Cult Cinema by Ernest Mathlijs, Jamie Sexton p. 78. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781444396430.
- ^ "Adweek". Mediabistro.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
- ^ "Big Lebowski Spawns Religion". Dontpaniconline.com. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
- ^ Mifflin, Ryan (16 February 2012). "Interview: Oliver Benjamin, Founder of Dudeism & Author of 'The Abide Guide: Living Like Lebowski'". Otis Ryan Productions Blog. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
- ^ The Dudely Lama Discusses Dudeism Archived 2013-11-10 at the Wayback Machine - We Love Cult, retrieved 19 September 2012
- ^ "Cathleen Falsani Interview". Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. PBS. 9 October 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- ^ "The Day of the Dude". Dudespaper.com. 12 February 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2017.