Christ and Pop Culture

What makes a film (or art in general) good? The directing? The screenplay? The acting? The answer, of course, is yes. All of these things vastly improve a film’s quality. This is what Movieguide views as secondary. For Movieguide, content is king.

In the second response to Tom Snyder (editor of Movieguide.org), Ben Bartlett investigates the true nature of the verse in question. What does Paul really mean by “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things,” and what does it mean for how we view film?

Editor of Movieguide, Tom Snyder writes,”Just because the secular movie critics and secular elites in Hollywood don’t like some of the movies we pick does not mean that they are really bad movies within the categories in which we pick them. In that sense, ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS was a very entertaining, uplifting family movie that kids would enjoy. The mainstream critics trashed it, but the American audience, many of whom still have strong vestiges of their Christian heritage, even though not all of them may understand essential Christian doctrines like the sinlessness of Christ and the biblical doctrine of salvation by grace through faith, not by works, seemed to like the movie very much.”

Oprah has become a true force in American pop culture, and her talk show is just the beginning. Oprah has her own magazine, cable channel, and as of Sunday her own prime time network television show. Of course, none of that is nearly as valuable or important as the influence she has on a good percentage of Americans. Forget the presidential race, Oprah is our real president.

A response from Tom Snyder, editor of Movieguide.com and a plan for continued discussion.

Last week, Ted Baehr and the folks over at Movieguide.org held their 16th annual Faith and Values Awards Gala. The show is dedicated to awarding the best family-friendly films of the year and the best films for mature audiences. In addition, every year Baehr, chairman of The Christian Film and Television Commission, presents his statistical analysis of the Box Office profitability of films with Christian worldviews compared to those with non-Christian worldviews.

Those of us who believe that God creates and controls the universe must also realize that God gives us an opportunity in the medium of television that we can take or leave. The challenge for Christians is not to write off a creation of man (and therefore God), but instead to decide if it’s possible to use it for the growth and expansion of God’s kingdom.

While there are numerous dangers that come with the medium (which we’ll discuss at a later time), there are also some significant benefits that can be associated uniquely with television.

I was required to take a class called Women & Literature, in my undergraduate study. On two particular days of class we were forced to watch the show “Sex and the City” for a classroom discussion. I had never seen the show until that moment and I was appalled! It’s an HBO show, so what is now playing on TBS is most definitely an edited version without the HBO version’s constant swearing and nudity. Those elements, however, are the least of my concerns with the show.

The Christ and Pop Culture Podcast is back! This week, we introduce our new host, Ben Bartlett, a long-time listener and writer for the Christ and Pop Culture Website.

In this particular political season, I don’t know many people who are outright uninterested in the presidential race. The opinions on both sides of the aisle are many, and the stakes are incredibly high. A combination of fascination and frustration grips most of us as the race drags on and seems to take all sorts of odd twists and turns. In short, this whole politics thing is getting crazy these days.

One of the remarkable aspects of our culture is that although we are inundated with advertisements all day long, we are often willing to pay for a tee-shirt or bumper sticker which advertises for someone. As Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes) once said, “A good shirt turns the wearer into a walking corporate billboard.” When we aren’t wearing an advertisement or sticking one to our bumper, we are often promoting an idea or belief which serves to identify us with a group: “I learned these 10 things from playing video games,” “war is wrong,” “gun control is unjust,” or even “Jesus saves!”

He has a brain defect, but that’s not really a bad thing. This particular brain defect allows New York City lawyer Eli Stone to have amazing visions that tell him how to help others. If the story sounds far-fetched that’s okay, because it is the latest plot for a new ABC comedy.

The medium of film is considered to be one of the most helpful in terms of thought-provoking, entertaining, and challenging art. I explored and defended this claim in my last blog. But film is not immune from causing both the consumer and film-maker to lean towards certain unfortunate mistakes and problematic decisions. Here’s a few things to be wary of when we check out the latest blockbuster or award-winning film.

Chuck Norris can divide by zero, cure cancer with his tears, sneeze with his eyes open, and tell you who would should be president. Entertainers have long been a major part of politics, from endorsements to running for office (I actually live in a state where the star of Conan the Barbarian is governor). The reasoning behind the overlapping of politics and entertainment seems to go something like this:

“While we are not experienced or trained in any way to hold office, or knowledgeable enough to tell you who to vote for, we are recognizable and popular, so vote for us or the candidate we support.”