Several months ago the In Other Words community agreed to discontinue our relationship with Portlandia. This was a direct response to a particular egregious filming of the show in our space which saw our store left a mess, our staff mistreated, our neighbors forced to close and lose business for a day without warning, and our repeated attempts to obtain accountability or resolution dismissed. It was also a direct response to a show which is in every way diametrically opposed to our politics and the vision of society we’re organizing to realize. A show which has had a net negative effect on our neighborhood and the city of Portland as a whole. Shortly after this decision was made, a volunteer placed the Fuck Portlandia sign in our window. 
 
 Being on Portlandia Doesn’t Make Us Money 
 
 We are paid a small flat fee per episode filmed at in Other Words. This fee does not cover the profits lost by our having to remain closed for filming. It also does not cover the additional business lost by our neighbors who at times also have to remain closed for filming. The additional exposure we have received from our time on Portlandia does not provide financial or political support of any kind: tourists and fans of the show come to our door to stand outside, take selfies, and then leave. The vast majority of them don’t come inside. 
 
 The Show is Bad 
 
 The Women and Women First segments that are filmed at In Other Words are trans-antagonistic and trans-misogynist and have only become more offensive as the show goes on. ‘LOL Fred Armisen in a wig and a dress’ is a deeply shitty joke whose sole punchline throws trans femmes under the bus by holding up their gender presentation for mockery and ridicule. In a world where trans femmes – particularly Black trans women – are being brutalized and murdered on a regular basis for simply daring to exist, dude in a dress jokes are lazy, reactionary, and actively harmful. They’re also just straight up not funny. 
 
 Also: there are no Black people on Portlandia. There are a tiny number of people of color on Portlandia. Portland is white but it’s not that damn white. It’s also a city with a deeply entrenched history of racism and white supremacy. In Other Words is in the heart of a historically Black neighborhood in Northeast Portland. We have Black Lives Matter written on our window. Black Lives Matter Portland meets regularly in our space. But as more and more Black folks and people of color have become involved at In Other Words, Portlandia has only gotten steadfastly more white. Oh and also: the last time the show filmed in our space, the production crew asked to us to remove the Black Lives Matter sign on our window. We refused. 
 
 Gentrification Isn’t a Joke 
 
 Portlandia is fueling mass displacement in Portland. Fred and Carrie are on billboards and realtors have gleefully begun using Portlandia’s popularity and insipid humor (‘put a bird on it!’) to make displacing the communities that made Portland a great place in the first place something twee and whimsical for the incoming technocrat hordes. 
 
 The current board, staff, and volunteers were not involved in the decision, made six years ago, to allow Portlandia to film at In Other Words. We stand behind our collective decision to discontinue our relationship with the show. And we fucking love the sign. 
 
 Support our stance? Donate today so we can continue to serve as a hub for Portland’s social justice community – any amount helps! And if you’re interested in volunteering, please contact us at scheduling@inotherwords.org. 
 
 Like this: Like Loading... ||||| But to many across the country and even here in Portland, it's best known as the bookstore Women and Women First from IFC's Portlandia. For six seasons of the show, In Other Words has allowed Portlandia to film the saga of feminist bookstore owners Toni and Candace, played by Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen. ||||| UPDATE 1 ! According to sources, Lifeway intends to pull this book from it’s bookstore! Warren Throckmorton has the story, but the gist is that in response to Throckmorton’s questions, “Martin King, Director of Communications at Lifeway issued a statement saying the stores are pulling the book: 
 
 “LifeWay was informed this week that Alex Malarkey has retracted his testimony about visiting heaven as told in the book “The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven.” Therefore, we are returning to the publisher the few copies we have in our Stores.” 
 
 We have commentary on this and will be posting a fuller update tomorrow morning. 
 
 UPDATE 2! The Washington Post confirms that Tyndale House will also stop selling this book 
 
 UPDATE 3! Emails Suggest Lifeway President Knew of Heaven Scam, Chose Not to Act 
 
 Lifeway has been selling The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven for many years now. It is part of the trifecta of books on “heavenly tourism” that Lifeway has sold and has promoted, along with 90 Minutes in Heaven and Heaven is for Real. The co-author of The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven – the boy himself – has written an open letter to Lifeway and admonished them for not holding to the sufficiency of Scripture, and has recanted his tale. For those who may not be familiar with of The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven, the publisher’s description is as follows: 
 
 “In 2004, Kevin Malarkey and his six-year-old son, Alex, suffered an horrific car accident. The impact from the crash paralyzed Alex–and medically speaking, it was unlikely that he could survive. ‘I think Alex has gone to be with Jesus,’ a friend told the stricken dad. But two months later, Alex awoke from a coma with an incredible story to share. Of events at the accident scene and in the hospital while he was unconscious. Of the angels that took him through the gates of heaven itself. Of the unearthly music that sounded just ‘terrible’ to a six-year-old. And, most amazing of all . . . Of meeting and talking to Jesus. ‘The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven’ is the true story of an ordinary boy’s most extraordinary journey. As you see heaven and earth through Alex’s eyes, you’ll come away with new insights on miracles, life beyond this world, and the power of a father’s love.” 
 
 It’s in this context- the context of Lifeway selling this book and making money off of it for years- that Alex Malarkey, the co-author of the book, has reached out to us. [Update: Many people have asked if this is the first time Alex has spoken out directly. Although Alex’s mother has tried to speak out and contacted book-sellers and has been flatly ignored, going back to at least December 2012, on her blog and in other places, I believe this is the first time Alex has himself spoken out in such a direct way in his own…except for posting a comment relaying this information on the Alex Malarkey fan page on Facebook, after which the comment was deleted by moderators and he was blocked from the group. It doesn’t matter that we are or are not the first. That point is utterly irrelevant. What is relevant is that God willing we will be the last, and that we’re able to provide Alex with a wider audience that he had received the first few go-arounds to get people’s attention. 
 
 Alex and his mother are well aware of the #the15 and supports the mission of those who are tired of being marginalized and written-off by those considered to be Christian leaders for bringing up legitimate concerns. We saw an example of Beth reaching out to Christian leaders over a month ago when Thom Rainer, president of Lifeway Christian Resources and one who has become the object of much exhorting and beseeching about these issues, was contacted by Alex Malarkey’s mother, Beth. Alex’s mother communicated to Rainer that her son Alex was against the book that purported to be his story. 
 
 Unfortunately, Thom Rainer has taken no apparent action as result of Beth’s comments. Perhaps he plans to, I don’t know. I do know that, so far, due to the pressure and pleas from the Pulpit and Pen and others, that three of the books that we have taken aim at and labelled “the worst books Lifeway sells” have been pulled from their online store. We’re going for a fourth…not because we’re upset and just want to cause a scene, but out of love and care for our neighbors who might read this. Sadly, messengers to the SBC in 2014 passed a resolution against such books, but Rainer continues to proudly display heavenly tourism on the shelves at the SBC-owned Lifeway bookstores. 
 
 Also, we are publishing this story because Christian publishers and retailers should have known better. They should have had the spiritual discernment, wisdom, compassion, and intestinal fortitude to not sell a book which contains, along with all books like it, deep theological problems. It also doesn’t help that in what is purported to be a “TRUE STORY” that there are vivid descriptions like which test the limits of how far we are willing to go outside the realm of scripture and accept as having been from God.“The devil’s mouth is funny looking, with only a few moldy teeth. And I’ve never noticed any ears. His body has a human form, with two bony arms and two bony legs. He has no flesh on his body, only some moldy stuff. His robes are torn and dirty. I don’t know about the color of the skin or robes—it’s all just too scary to concentrate on these things!” 
 
 With that said, we offer up Alex’s letter. It is directed to the Christian bookstores that sell his book for profit. While I’ve no doubt that Lifeway will see this and will more than likely pull it off their shelves and online store, [UPDATE II. As of 7:30am EST on January 15, the book has not been pulled] I would ask and pray that anyone reading this would contact other major Christian bookstores and organizations and send them this link, so that they too would pull it down. We thank Alex for trusting Pulpit & Pen to release his letter. 
 
 From Alex: 
 
 “An Open Letter to Lifeway and Other Sellers, Buyers, and Marketers of Heaven Tourism, by the Boy Who Did Not Come Back From Heaven.” 
 
 Please forgive the brevity, but because of my limitations I have to keep this short. 
 
 I did not die. I did not go to Heaven. 
 
 I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth. Anything written by man cannot be infallible. 
 
 It is only through repentance of your sins and a belief in Jesus as the Son of God, who died for your sins (even though he committed none of his own) so that you can be forgiven may you learn of Heaven outside of what is written in the Bible…not by reading a work of man. I want the whole world to know that the Bible is sufficient. Those who market these materials must be called to repent and hold the Bible as enough. 
 
 In Christ, 
 
 Alex Malarkey.” 
 
 The Bible is enough. 
 
 The Bible is sufficient. 
 
 Christ is enough. 
 
 Christ is sufficient. 
 
 We don’t need Christian bookstores to sell us books and resources that tell us otherwise. We pray that Thom Rainer, Ed Stetzer, other Lifeway executives and all Christian book retailers will take notice of this courageous and Gospel-centered 16 year-old young man, and that everyone reading this will lift him up to the Lord. 
 
 Note. For an excellent, concise and biblically spot-on analysis of heavenly tourism, please read Phil Johnson’s post The Burpo-Malarkey Doctrine 
 
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– Portland's In Other Words bookstore is well known to Portlandia fans as the fictional Women and Women First bookstore featured in sketches on the show—but it's safe to say ties have been severed between the bookstore and the show, considering a sign that appears on the bookstore's door reading, "Fuck Portlandia! Transmisogyny – Racism – Gentrification – Queer Antagonism – Devaluation of Feminist Discourse." The Willamette Week tried on Tuesday to get an explanation from the bookstore, and a representative at first offered an interview, but also asked (repeatedly) for the Week to post a link to an online fundraiser the bookstore is running. After the Week declined to guarantee a link would be posted (though one did, in fact, end up getting posted in the ensuing article), the bookstore took back its offer of an interview in no uncertain terms. "After some consideration and research we've decided to officially tell the Willamette Weekly to go fuck themselves," read a message from the rep. "Your paper has absolutely zero journalistic professionalism and you are scummy rape apologists. Thanks for the opportunity tho! Have a great night." Then, Wednesday, a blog post went up on the bookstore's website explaining the "Fuck Portlandia" sign. It was placed on the window, and the store's relationship with the show was formally discontinued, as "a direct response to a particular egregious filming of the show in our space which saw our store left a mess, our staff mistreated, our neighbors forced to close and lose business for a day without warning, and our repeated attempts to obtain accountability or resolution dismissed," the blog post reads. "It was also a direct response to a show which is in every way diametrically opposed to our politics and the vision of society we’re organizing to realize. A show which has had a net negative effect on our neighborhood and the city of Portland as a whole." There's a lot more where that came from, here.