Response: Rated T for Toddlers

This is a response to: http://faithisourmedium.blogspot.ca/2012/04/disney-rated-t-for-toddlers.html

Although I agree that the creation of 30-minute-a-day series can increase viewership and sustain the interest of audience, I do not believe there is a new targeted demographic on Disney's agenda. If we were to take into account Mickey Mouse and other related shows, children have arguably been the center of Disney's target audience for quite some time now. Moreover, there already exist toys, books, and plentiful other commodities to further attract their attention and this, again has been going on for quite some time. With that being said, it is the wide age spectrum of Disney fans acquired, from children to adult, which illustrates how powerful the Disney brand is in shaping not only popular culture, but preconceived ideas that children may have as well, ideas which can very well extend into adulthood.

However, one must always take into account the cognitive capacities of children at a very young age—such children cannot process complex ideas at a deeper level compared to their older counterparts. By the same token, these children may very well be watching Disney shows simply for the sake of colours, having a good laugh or because they like a certain character. This is no way suggests that parents should not be concerned with what their children are watching on TV; the suggestions here are to (1) lessen the worry and expose children to as many different, age-appropriate movies as possible to expand their understanding and horizons and (2) immediately address what can be faulty stereotypical formations, perceptions, and beliefs later on in the future. Children's brains are like clay—early on they are easy to mould, but once the clay hardens, efforts to change things become quite challenging if not ever the more next to impossible. The bottom line is that Disney is a heavyweight in popular culture and if used effectively, it can actually be a positive influence to society.    

It's The End of the World! No Wait...It's Not.

What do the above movies have in common? Apocalypticism—a belief that there will be an apocalypse, an imminent ending of the world. Such a belief is a defining feature in the Christian tradition, notably the book of Revelations and the book of Daniel. Moreover, this belief system has become a means behind many blockbuster hits, generating a wealthy amount of profit for the entertainment industry. As the selective few posters illustrate, there are various interpretations as to how such an event will unfold—global warming, viral infections, natural disasters, these are just a few possibilities out of many. In a sense, these apocalyptic movies are quite "monstrous" in their own way; like zombies, vampires and other literal monsters, the "end of times" also addresses yet another fear humans have surrounding death: global destruction. The difference, however, is that apocalypticism addresses humanity's fear on a much more macroscopic and global level compared to that of monsters.

Usually imbued at the end of such apocalyptic movies are survivors and the restoration of the Earth back to its simplistic way. This can actually reflect the way of thinking that many apocalyptic Americans hold—that there has been a loss of a golden age, creating both nostalgia and a hopeful mindset that it such an age can be restored again. From a Christian perspective, survivors in apocalyptic movies can be comparable to Jesus himself in the sense that both were able to triumph over death although within such comparison also arises a contrast: Jesus resembles the triumph of death towards a path of eternal life; human survivors, on the other hand, are still mortal and susceptible to dying. Furthermore, Jesus is s redeemer, a saviour of all humanity whereas humans cannot achieve the same feat. Nevertheless, the ultimate idea here is that apocalypticism is but another "monster" bringing the reality and idea of death closer to humanity and aside from its entertainment purposes; it also helps us address the sociophobics surrounding death. 

Response: Real Monster

This is a response to:  http://whatwouldchirstdo.blogspot.ca/2012/03/real-monster.html

The metaphorical usage of cancer in representing a form of “monsters” that are prevalent in the world today is actually quite a clever move on ccandelario’s part.  Death is, indeed, an endpoint feared by a majority of people, if not all human beings. However, how people grapple and cope with this fear is tremendously diverse and varies between one individual and the next—some are profoundly terrified, others more accepting and understanding as evidenced by ccandelario’s reference of Jamie in “A Walk to Remember”.  

From a Christian standpoint, present us a way of better understanding humanity and God; they illustrate the extreme of what we do not want to be like and what we fear can happen to us when it comes to death: being trapped on this earth (vampires), being lifeless corpses (zombies), being buried alive (mummies), and the sort. Monsters also demonstrate the omnipotence of God’s power. Although cancer does not fall into any of the former’s categories, it can still be classified as a “monster”. Cancer addresses yet another fear surrounding death—that of knowing when one is about to die, dying slowly, and of course, leaving loved ones behind. Moreover, what is currently still an incurable disease illustrates the unlimited powers and creative control that God has over the world, a power that can create both good and evil, a power that is solely at God’s own discretion and jurisdiction.

To have movies like “A Walk to Remember” brings another fear surrounding death into reality (despite the fictional love story lines): sickness. Although a tear-jerker and regardless of the grand entertainment and profitable agenda behind them, such movies of the same genre:

  The Notebook

Titanic (WHO IS WATCHING THE 3-D VERSION?! :) )

The Vow

...all bring into reality different ways an individual can die, sensitizing audience members to death’s reality and multifaceted ways of occurrences. In a sense, these movies help us to come to grasp with death and tries to buffer its tantalizing fear so that we do not enter it paralyzed and immobile without an idea of what to do. This extends both to the person that is dying and those who have to witness and deal with the eventual loss of a loved on. Having death in our face teaches us to appreciate the people and things around us. As the saying goes “live everyday as if it were your last”. 

Monster-copalypse

They are everywhere, and they are after you. Well, your attention and money that is. Even if you're not a fan, you've probably heard of it. Twilight, The Walking Dead, True Blood, Vampire Diaries, heck if you're a Lady Gaga fan you're one—folks, I welcome you to the era of monsters.

In relation to Christianity, monsters have played a pivotal role in revealing things about knowing humanity and knowing God. For instance, vampires (i.e. Twilight, True Blood, and Vampire Diaries) are the illustration of the idea behind human form seeking redemption, a life free from the binds of Earth. This redemptive ethos is actually a key concept in Christian tradition; humans look towards Jesus as the one who has triumphed over death and the saviour who will redeem humanity. As for zombies, these grotesque figures point to the limits of our knowledge and our lack of unknowability of this world and God. Furthermore, they serve to be a reminder of how precious our lives are, how special each moment is because it could be our last. Monsters in general, along with offering us a way to cope with the sociophobics of death, allow us to accept the good things about ourselves.  

The fascination with monsters is not a recent phenomenon; rather, it has existed for centuries and scholars have been studying them for quite a long time. (On a side note, it's given producers quite a substantial amount of money!) It is worth noting that the existence of monsters is not teaching us how to be human; they are teaching us how to be better people in a different way. Let us take The Walking Dead for example. This recent popularized TV show addresses how people are affected by drastic situations and how humans live in dire circumstances. The world has not changed, but it has become exaggerated where the evil still plunders and the wear are left behind. If it were not for monsters, moments of grace cannot occur for without death, there cannot be living. It is through the anticipation of death where we confront our biggest fear and survive to live a life where we can be better people; it is in death were we are the most in life. 

Response: Sublimation and Psychoanalysis

This is a response to: http://ghazala-ahmadzai.blogspot.ca/2012/03/sublimation-and-psychoanalysis.html

In response to your post, I wholeheartedly agree with your assertion that the inability to draw out violent behaviours and tendencies in no ways correlates to these individuals not being affected by violence. That being said, it is also worth noting the ambiguity of violence and how violent behaviour in one context can very much differ in the next. For instance, if I were to walk down the street and hit someone out of the blue that would be considered by most as violence, but if I were to imbue this hitting in a different context, say, in response to being robbed, this would then be seen as self-defense.

Violence is pervasive throughout many mediums—television, the Internet, newspapers, etc—and although there exists many individuals who do not exude violent behaviours, one cannot make an explicit discernment as to what happens on an internal and subjective level. As you noted while drawing upon Sigmund Freud that people respond to their inner drives in three different ways (expression, repression or sublimation), by extension, the same can be applied to the reception of violence: some directly exhibit physical, on-the-surface violent and aggressive tendencies; others more subtle through verbal means such as gossip and the sort. There are even those to respond to violence by inducing harm on their own bodies (i.e. cutting, excessive dieting, negative thoughts).

Finally in addition to your notion of the difficulty to detect creative forms of aggression, I feel that one must always keep in mind: correlation does not prove causation. Sure there is a very strong link between watching violence on television—or any media outlet for that matter—and aggressive acts, but there are a plethora of different human dispositions that to generalize these results as being conclusive for everyone would be quite an irrational claim. The unconscious is, as you phrased it, working in ways that is harder for us to see. 

The Princess and the Frog

Drawing from Towbin et al's report on Images of Gender, Race, Age, and Sexual Orientation in Disney Featured-Length Animated Films, this blog post is going to examine whether or not newer Disney films have improved in their positive portrayal of cultures and gender differences by looking at one movie in particular: The Princess and the Frog. The Princess and the Frog was released in the United States in December of 2009. It was inspired in part by E.D. Baker's novel The Frog Princess and in part by the Grimm brother's fair tale The Frog Prince.

After watching the movie, it appears that there has indeed been an improvement to a certain extent. With regards to gender roles, there still exists the emphasis on the beauty of women as evidenced by Tiana's (the protagonist) childhood friend, Charlotte who is a debutante. Domesticated roles are also illustrated by Tiana's interest in culinary arts. However, barriers are broken as we see Tiana ambitiously working two jobs so she can open up her own restaurant Prince Naveen (a male) unwilling to work and is intent on marrying a rich woman instead. When both Tiana and Prince Naveen turns into a frog, gone is the inferior-superior between genders and in its place a sense of equality. 

There are even certain scenes where roles are reversed and it is the man who requires help from the woman (cue Naveen being turned into a frog first and requiting a kiss from a princess to be set free).  

As for the portrayal of cultural stereotypes, we do not see much of an improvement. The Princess and the Frog borrows from syncretic religion practices in Haiti, Voodoo, and when paired with both the movie's antagonist Dr. Faceiller and his act of killing one of Tiana's friend (an alligator named Ray) it gives the practice an evil connotation. Such an act can serve to be an exaggeration of Haiti's religion and if one is not well versed in it, one might believe this to be the only component of such a religion, especially children.

Nevertheless, irrespective of the extent of changes new Disney films have undertaken compared to its predecessors with regards to representing gender and culture norms, two facts remain true: (1) Disney films reflect the current stereotypes that are majorly held in societies and (2) in turn, they continue to have a substantial impact on popular culture today due to both its pervasiveness across cultures as well as its accumulated audience members. Long Live Disney!

For information on Towbin's article, please see:   

Towbin, Mia Adessa et al. "Images of Gender, Race, Age and Sexual Orientation in Disney Feature
            Length Animated Films." Journal of Feminist Therapy 15.4 (2004): 19-44

For a synopsis on The Princess and the Frog:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780521/synopsis

Response to: Christian Apps: There's An App For That

This is a response to: http://theinternetisthemessiah.blogspot.ca/2012/03/christian-apps-theres-app-for-that.html

In response to your question concerning the goals of both Catholic-based and non-Catholic based app creating companies, I agree that there exists a division of interest between "genuinely promoting the Christian faith" and simply acquiring profit. As for the agenda of not only Surgework, but any religion-based companies out there, it is indeed hard to discern their motives. As we continue to live in a consumerist world, religion has become heavily infused with popular culture. As such, religion then becomes, in a sense, commodified—certain features can now be bought (cue funding for churches, expenses to purchase the Bible, and in your case, applications themselves) and there is a mentality of generating an appeal to captivate the mass population. Boundaries are expanded as religion chances upon a myriad of mediums to promote their faith—television, the Internet, smart phones, radio, etc. Consequently, an inextricable link ties religion and consumer culture together to a point where the former can actually take upon the identity of the latter: the more "consumers/followers" we obtain, the more powerful the religion or product becomes.

I believe it is due to this link between Religion and Popular culture that makes it challenging to discern the motives of not just Catholic and non-Catholic app making organizations, but for any companies in general. One example that comes to mind is companies advocating to assist children in developing countries. Would this be a genuine act or is there profit driven intent behind it? The line between authenticity and consumer/popular culture has been so heavily blurred that to give a clear demarcation is irrevocably challenging. Sometimes, a religion needs to take upon a consumerist approach and acquire profit in order to promote their ideals. This can occur unintentionally and without awareness, likewise for altruistic acts: I can help someone without being aware that there was a hidden sense of relief of being troubled by the person's distress. 

The Yellow Mamba

Introduction:

Ever since Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant is arguably one of the best players currently in the National Basketball Association (NBA), leading the Los Angeles Lakers to acquire five championship titles in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2010. And now in 2012, there has recently been another name in town: Jeremy Lin—an Asian-American basketball player for the New York Knicks who was once an unknown on the NBA's Development League, but out of nowhere (and out of luck or fate), catapulted to the forefront of franchise. Lin is now one of the most critically acclaimed players this year after leading his team to seven consecutive victories while putting down numbers comparable to veterans that have been in the franchise for years, outscoring even Mr. Bryant himself in one game. Lin currently averages 26 points and 6.3 assists per game. For more detailed information on Lin's progress in the NBA franchise, visit: http://www.hoopsworld.com/fantasy-focus-jeremy-lin

***

Jeremy Lin has vocally credited his success to God and attributes it as a miracle. Quoting Lin from an interview:

"Anytime something like this happens, a lot of stuff has to be put into place, and a lot of it is out of my control. If you look back at my story, doesn't matter where you look, but God's fingerprints are all over the place where there have been a lot of things that had to happen that I couldn't control. You can try to call it coincidence, but at the end of the day, there are 20, 30 things when you combine them all that had to happen at the right time in order for me to be here. That's why I call it a miracle (Isola, NY Daily News)."

Moreover, to further consolidate his Christian belief, Jeremy Lin has also been involved in philanthropic activities as well, such as helping to improve communities that are in dire need of help.

This attribution of success to God is a concrete illustration of the inextricable link between Sports and Religion that has existed for quite some time now. Dubbed Muscular Christianity or even Sportianity, the underlying ethos here is that Christianity is implicated in many sports around the world (hockey, basketball, etc). Needless to say these sport organizations are heavily fuelled by money and a lot of profit can be generated from them, but on the receiving end is an unexplainable euphoria that captivates fans and commands not only their money, but their undivided attention as well. Sports entitle fans to a sense of belongingness; a social, hermeneutical and even a transcendent feeling and this is what led many researchers to view sports as some kind of Religion, despite ongoing debates. In the case of Jeremy Lin, he has re-energized the crowds at Madison Square Garden, bringing the New York Knicks back into the center of sports for the first time in ten years (Keith, Sports Illustrated). 

For more information:

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-02-14/news/31060928_1_manny-pacquiao-filipino-fighter-floyd-mayweather

http://www.christianpost.com/news/jeremy-lin-shows-gods-love-in-community-service-project-during-all-star-weekend-70359/

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/ted_keith/02/16/kings-knicks/index.html

The Rise of Jeremy Lin 

Response to: "Are You a Belieber?" (Let Your Light Shine)

On Jessica’s “Are You a Belieber?” (http://let-your-lightshine.blogspot.com/2012/03/are-you-belieber.html), I agree with what she has to say. We cannot disparage the fact that Justin Bieber is one of the most influential celebrities of our time. We can question his authenticity, but we cannot deny that his philanthropic actions have done more good than bad for the world. Not only has Justin Bieber brought greater awareness to the social injustices of the world, people’s lives are continually changed by it. Quoting Jessica, “Bieber seems like a great role model” and I would argue that he is. Intentions cast aside; he is portraying himself as an example of how to carry out the Christian ethos of caring for the oppressed, needy, and the poor. We can even see Justin as an integrationist in Contemporary Christian Music (CCM): one, who seeks to integrate the Christian faith into a career beyond the genre itself, or even a transformationist: an artist who moves beyond CCM and transform those ideals with innovative ideas and being the best at what they can be. Take Religion out of the equation, Justin Bieber is simply lending a hand to those in need.   

Undeniably there are reasons to doubt for with greater power comes an equal if not greater risk of consequences that could arise should Justin Bieber decided to steer his influence in the opposite direction (i.e. drug use, hazardous partying, etc). Moreover, being in the consumerist culture that currently encapsulates us, there could always be a hidden agenda of positive image building to widen the fan base and in effect, generate more profit. 

However, as correct as it may be to proceed with caution and take Justin’s actions with a grain of salt, I believe critics should be wary and take note of a few interrelated things: (1) Being a celebrity is indeed a business and a business’ primary goal is to make money. We may not know how much of the money earned by charities go towards those in need, but we cannot deny the significant awareness that celebrities, or those managing them for that matter, bring to the situation. (2) Overanalyzing something can sometimes lead one astray and cloud an analysis, notably when assessing something as subjective as altruistic motives and (2) a big portion of Justin Bieber’s fan base range between young children to teenagers. Although it is imperative to educate children on how to critically think about what they watch and see on TV, more often than not, their tendency is usually to take entertainment at face value. In Justin Bieber’s case, when he reaches out to those in need, these fans will immediately and primarily see Bieber as a helper before attributing any other scrutiny. Of course there are exceptions, but I highly doubt that the numbers override the former.         

Altru-Bieber-ism

Introduction:

"I'm a Belieber", "Bieber mania" –from his discovery in 2008 and the release of his first debut single, One Time, in July 2009, Justin Bieber's musical career has catapulted and skyrocketed over the following years. Bieber has now become a global phenomenon and has secured himself as one of the most recognizable stars of 2012, being dubbed as one of the most influential person in the social networking sphere, surpassing the likes of Barack Obama or the Dalai Lama (The Observer, 2011).

Throughout his career, Justin Bieber has been involved in numerous philanthropic activities both on a microscopic and macroscopic scale. Such activities include, but are not limited to: visiting children in the hospital, running a charity drive allowing donors to send money to any charity of their choice via his website: http://www.justinbiebermusic.com/believecharity/, and more recently, making 6 year old girl, Avalanna Routh's, dream come true by coming in to meet her. Routh was diagnosed with a rare type of brain tumour called atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (AT/RT).

*****

From the aforementioned examples, it appears this teen-sensation is quite the fellow, but is he really? Many are skeptical of the ulterior motives lurking behind such actions; a hidden promotional agenda to expand his already widespread-international recognition and status, which in effect can produce multiplied profits not just for our celebrity, but also for the record label and companies that stand behind him as well. It is worth noting that this scepticism is equally applicable to other celebrities who perform philanthropic activities as well; because celebrities are so commodified nowadays, the authenticity of their actions are constantly subjected to questioning.

So is Justin Bieber really authentic? Here's my answer: we just don't know. We may listen to his songs, jam out to 'Baby' being incessantly playing on the radio, and we may read about the occurrences of his life vis-a-vis magazines and the news, but the ultimate reality is that we really don't know who or how he is. We're not granted complete access into the discussions that preclude a philanthropic event or into his life behind the scenes for that matter; what we do know is fed to us through a lens with different parties regulating its focus. A better question, then, is to ask: does authenticity really matter?  With the influence and recognized status that Bieber currently has, it is inevitable that: (1) he is drawing awareness into the social injustices of the world, and, intent cast aside, (2) people are being helped. In both cases, the attention drawn and the recipients being helped far exceed the capabilities that a single, non-celebrity can manage. Celebrities are powerful; they can draw attention like no other (cue Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Britney Spears). In my opinion, I believe it is better to view Bieber's actions in relation to the widespread impact they have on society instead of narrowing our focus on his character because again, we cannot deduce anything given that we do not really know him. In Justin's defence, he can easily say: "Hey, I am a millionaire now. I have all the attention I need. I really don't have to do all of this." But he hasn't and still continues to help others, so I believe we should give him credit where credit is due.

For more information on:

Justin's social networking influence:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/02/klout-social-media-networking

Justin's meeting with Avalanna Routh:

http://chickashanews.com/features/x1704540913/Justin-Bieber-makes-dream-come-true-for-child-with-brain-tumor  

One of many videos of Justin visiting children in the hospital:

The video that encapsulates the variety of Bieber's philanthropic work:

Pray- Justin Bieber 

Response to: Christianity in Reality TV? (The Holy Blogle)

This is a response to: "Christianity in TV?" a post on The Holy Blogle:  

http://christandpopularculture.blogspot.com/2012/02/christianity-in-reality-tv.html#comment-form

Although I do not follow 19 and Counting, and Jersey Shore, I believe shows like these, or those also imbued with Christian themes, tend to steer away from an explicit depiction of faith because it deviates from popular demand. Despite the importance of religion and the links it may have with popular culture, other appeals such as entertainment, sex, money, and even materialistic possessions provide greater appeal. Not only are they more easily accessible, taking into account how society has developed over the centuries, they have become primary means that can easily evoke consumption from the masses. For example, the models on Abercrombie and Fitch barely have any clothes on, yet they are still able to attract many customers and establish a name for themselves in the fashion industry. Models are slapped onto commercials to accentuate the product and give it an alluring appeal, even though they may have nothing to do with the purpose of the product itself. Rerouting this back to 19 and Counting, although initially filmed for religious purposes, it is true that the bulk of the appeal of this show is due more to its uniqueness and originality rather than the Christian ideals that the Duggar family fashions themselves after. After all, how often do you hear about a family having nineteen kids and counting?

Moreover, despite certain characters making explicit references to their faith, there can be situations where these characters (producers, screen play writers, and directors included) do not fully comprehend both the content and implications of what they are saying. As human beings, we can sometimes be unaware of the impact that our words and actions may have on others; we can remain completely oblivious of how explicit it may appear to others, yet to us it might be implicit. For instance, I may be an Atheist who wears a rosary around my neck simply for accessorial purposes. To those that do not know me and see this, immediately they create an assumption that I am a Christian.  I believe the same thing can apply here to media and popular culture; religious objects may be incorporated into shows, but it can easily serve to be a means of attracting a wider audience; its purpose may be strikingly different, subtle and hidden even.  

Radio Broadcasting Gone "Popularly" Wrong

z103.5, 104.5 CHUM FM, KISS 92.5, 99.9 Virgin Radio—as a Torontonian, all these must ring a bell. But if it still doesn't, the italicized word in the previous sentence (or the title itself) should have given you an answer. It doesn't matter how many flat screens, iPods, iPhones, iPads, or any other media devices you and or any individuals may have at home nowadays, the fact still remains that traditional radio broadcasting is still very much alive and more influential than you think.

Created in the 1920s by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), radio was the first form of broadcasting media. As the years unfolded, advertisement companies began to believe that radio can be used to sell items so from that point on, radio began to take on a commercialized identity, superseding print advertisement in 1937, which was the dominant mode of advertising at the time. By this time, Christians took advantage of this and used the radio to broadcast their own messages as well and they still continue to do so today. One example of such is Family Radio.

Founded by Harold Camping and colleagues, this radio station was infamously known for their predictions (using "biblical evidence") made on air regarding the end of the world, the most recent dates being May 21, 2011 and October 21, 2011. 

Needless to say since I am still able to write this post here, Camping's predictions were false. Many, like me, didn't bother to give a second thought to such a ludicrous prediction, but that doesn't mean others did the same. In fact, some people were so swayed by Camping's prediction that they went to the extreme to "prepare" for such an apocalyptic event. Here are two examples:

Case 1: Robert Fitzpatrick

To warn others about the end of time, this individual spent $140 000 of his life savings on transit-ads promotion. For more information, visit:

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/992600--nyc-man-spends-life-savings-on-doomsday-ad-campaign?bn=1&sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4dd2b0c52aa15486%2C0

Case 2: Lynn Benedetto

This woman tried to kill herself along with her kids before the end of the world came to pass.

The above are but two examples of the extent of impact that Family Radio had on Americans. If these people were swayed or "brainwashed" to this extent, it is evident that there are others who succumbed the same way seeing how Family Radio broadcasts to more than 150 markets in the United States. But to expand the demographics, here's a link to an article about a fourteen year old Russian girl who committed suicide because of Harold Camping's prediction:

http://www.christianpost.com/news/fearful-teen-commits-suicide-due-to-harold-campings-doomsday-50542/

It's definitely unfortunate to hear such tragic stories, but Family Radio is but one example that demonstrates how radio still continues to be a great influential force in today's economy, even within religious domains. Sometimes such influence may be adverse, but more often than not, even though we may hear it every day, they are subtle. Cue music on a car ride.    

Till the World Ends - Britney Spears

(No pun intended)

Welcome

This blog will explore the link between Christianity and Popular Culture. You are more than welcome to comment :)