Christ and Pop Culture

9 November 2007 116 views One Comment Print this post

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In light of the Writer’s Strike, I’ve been feeling sort of guilty at just how broken up I am about the whole thing. I find myself wincing at the idea of The Office disappearing in two weeks. I cringe at the thought of a giant break after the first eight episodes of Lost. I just assumed this was a sign that I was way too into television.

But the more I think about it, the more I realize that it’s probably an appropriate reaction. There’s something about serialized narrative that allows us to invest ourselves in the types of people we normally wouldn’t get to know very well. And well-written and acted shows like Lost and The Office give us a real feeling of empathy and understanding towards all sorts of different people and worldviews. Sure, I should be getting to know real non-Christians, and I do. But they only expose so much of themselves. These characters, they’re open and authentic. They’re real, in a way the people we work with just aren’t sometimes.

This is all very odd sounding, and I should point out that these “people” on television are no substitute. Instead, they’re merely footnotes to the real people we know. The well-written character, whether it be in a book, film or television show can be an insight into our co-workers, family members or friends. And I am really going to miss them.