Kevin Smith is a guy who lives for a good story. Usually, those stories involve him talking for three hours on a stage in a hockey jersey, but back in 1999, he pulled off a stunt that felt more like a deleted scene from one of his own movies. He joined a mob of angry religious protesters to picket his own film.
It sounds fake. It sounds like something a publicist would dream up to grab a headline during a slow news cycle. But Kevin Smith protesting Dogma is a stone-cold fact of cinematic history.
He didn't just stand there, either. He made a sign. He talked to the news. He even managed to keep a straight face while a woman next to him lamented the downfall of society. Honestly, it’s probably the most "Kevin Smith" thing he’s ever done.
Why Was Everyone So Angry?
To understand why the director was standing on a sidewalk in Eatontown, New Jersey, holding a cardboard sign, you have to remember the climate of 1999. Dogma wasn't just another comedy. It was a religious satire featuring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as fallen angels trying to find a loophole into Heaven. Oh, and God was played by Alanis Morissette, and she didn't speak—she just made people's heads explode with her voice.
The Catholic League was not amused. They hadn't actually seen the movie yet, which is usually how these things go, but they were already calling it "blasphemous."
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The backlash was intense. Smith received roughly 300,000 pieces of hate mail. He got three bona fide death threats. Miramax, owned by Disney at the time, was so spooked by the optics that they actually dropped the film, forcing Harvey Weinstein to sell the distribution rights to Lionsgate just to get it into theaters.
For Smith, a guy who was actually a practicing Catholic at the time, the whole thing was surreal. He didn't think he was mocking God; he thought he was celebrating his faith in a weird, potty-mouthed way. So, when he heard there was a protest happening at a local theater in his home state, he did the only logical thing.
He went to the mall. He bought some cardboard. He made a sign that said "DOGMA IS DOGSHIT." ## The Undercover Director
There were maybe 15 or 20 people at this protest. It wasn't exactly a massive uprising. Smith just blended right in, wearing his signature oversized coat and looking like just another disgruntled citizen.
A local news crew from News 12 New Jersey showed up to cover the "controversy." The reporter, Caroline Shiveley, started interviewing the protesters. She eventually made her way to Smith. She didn't recognize him. Think about that for a second. The man who wrote and directed the movie she was reporting on was standing right in front of her, and she had no clue.
"I don't think it stands for anything positive," Smith told the reporter, keeping a completely deadpan expression.
When she asked him what the movie actually stood for, he leaned into the bit perfectly. "I don't know, but I've been told not good," he replied.
He stayed there for about an hour. He chanted. He held his sign. He even spoke with a woman who told him that the movie was a direct attack on the "Church Militant." It was a masterclass in staying in character.
The funniest part? The reporter eventually figured it out, but not until later. Smith’s friend and producer, Scott Mosier, was also there, watching the whole thing unfold from a safe distance. They were basically living out a real-life Jay and Silent Bob sketch.
What Kevin Smith Protesting Dogma Taught Us
Looking back at it now, 25 years later, the stunt feels prophetic. We live in an era of manufactured outrage and "review bombing," but Smith did it first—and he did it to himself.
He realized that the protesters weren't really there because they hated the art. They were there because they were told to be angry. Most of the people picketing hadn't seen a single frame of the film. By joining them, Smith highlighted the absurdity of the situation without saying a word of defense.
It’s also a reminder of how much the "outrage economy" has changed. Back then, 300,000 letters meant you had to hire extra security at Cannes. Today, it’s just a Tuesday on X (formerly Twitter).
The Long-Term Fallout
While the protest story is hilarious, the actual fallout for the movie was a headache. Because of the rights issues between Disney and the Weinsteins, Dogma spent years in "legal purgatory." You couldn't stream it. You couldn't buy it on a new Blu-ray. It became a ghost of the 90s.
That changed recently. In late 2024 and early 2025, Smith finally regained control of the film. He’s been touring with it again, and guess what? There aren't many protesters anymore. Mostly just middle-aged fans who want to see the "Buddy Christ" on a big screen one more time.
Moving Forward: How to Revisit the Controversy
If you're a fan of 90s indie cinema or just love a good "prank on the media" story, here is how you can actually engage with this piece of history today:
- Watch the News 12 Footage: It’s all over YouTube. Search for "Kevin Smith News 12 Dogma Protest." Seeing him try not to laugh while holding that sign is worth the three minutes of your life.
- Look for the 25th Anniversary Screenings: Now that the rights are cleared, Smith is bringing the movie back to theaters. It’s the best way to see it, especially since the old DVDs are still weirdly expensive on eBay.
- Check out the SModcast Archives: Kevin has told this story in excruciating detail on his podcasts over the years. If you want the "behind the scenes" on the death threats and the Disney drama, that’s where the real tea is.
- Understand the Nuance: Don't just see it as "guy makes fun of religion." Read Smith's older interviews about his faith. It adds a layer of irony to the protest that makes the whole thing much more interesting than a simple prank.
The story of Kevin Smith protesting Dogma isn't just a funny anecdote. It’s a snapshot of a moment when the line between creator and critic completely blurred. It shows a filmmaker who refused to take the world—or himself—too seriously, even when things got genuinely scary.