Another Perspective on Abortion in Television

In last week's episode of Mad Men, Joan Harris is shown as having kept her baby which she had out of wedlock with Roger Sterling. This episode reveals the often contentious role of abortion in television. There are many depictions of heroines having unwanted pregnancies such as in Sex and the City and Secret Life of the American Teenager but up until recently finding an network television depiction of a completed abortion you'd have to look to 1972's Maude.

In class we discussed abortion as part of an ongoing culture war involving media and christian/conservative values where media watchdogs such as the AFA and Parent Television Council influence media depictions making them taboo. This results in less narratives surrounding abortion and even less where the characters go through with it. While I agree with this argument I believe we don't account for artistic license, that the trend away from abortions has more to do with plot than political statement.

Mad Men's non-abortion is less about pro-life politics than plot considerations. Series creator Matthew Weiner points out that Joan supports abortion, "We already know she's had a bunch. Two, she admitted to the doctor." Her decision for Weiner is not about moral considerations but a desire to start a new chapter of her life "to me, I felt she's 34 years old, she knows there may not be another opportunity, so she'll take the risk."

An abortion can carry a single episode while a baby provides an ongoing narrative and a seasons' worth of material. Maternity is a prominent narrative hallmark  and represents a major milestone in a character's life which families can relate to. It represents change and ensures that things will never return to the way they were in the narrative. It can also be considered much less political then a show which dwells and focuses around the concept of abortion for an season.

This season Joan's decision to have the baby reveals more plot twists. It helps reveal her husband's predatory nature, will he figure out the baby is not his, how the office will run with Joan on maternity leave, and how this will effect Roger.

Weiner could have continued the story with the abortion but Joan's decision on Mad Men show that on screen, advancing the plot is more important than making a political statement and introducing a baby.

A Response to “The Ripper”

*original article can be found* 

http://305upinflames.blogspot.ca/

The example of Stefan Salvitore and his desperate attempt to be human in the Vampire Diaries reminded me of another character from another popular vampire show, Godric from True Blood.

Godric is the former Vampire Sheriff of Area 9 in Dallas, Texas. He is 2, 000 year old and in his lifetime suffers much cruelty at the hands of the human's and his own maker which instilled in him a great amount of hatred and resentment. He overcomes hatred and is depicted as friendly toward humans, interested in their well-being and supportive of a peaceful co-existence between vampires and human beings. Having been witness to so much suffering he often takes on the role of a 'Job' character as he questions why so much suffering exists in the world.

In a move of self-sacrifice to help bring peace between humans and his kind Godric hands himself over to a fanatical church bent on destroying vampires.  He hopes that his death will bring about some sort of reconciliation and atonement for his many crimes against humans during his long life.

When the church's plans are foiled Godric blames himself after vampires and humans die at the hands of a suicide bomber. After such a long life, Godric finds himself weary of existence and saddened that humans and vampires refuse to work together and coexist so he kills himself by “meeting the sun”.

Before he dies Godric he says to Sookie Stackhouse, “A human with me at the end, and human tears. Two thousand years and I can still be surprised. In this, I see God." He is like Dracula as he requires a human to reciprocally care about him and is redeemed before he dies. His redemption is signified he painlessly evaporates into bright blue ash and is scattered on the wind rather than slowly burning when exposed to the sun.

As in our discussion of Christianity and Violence Godric see's God in a moment of violence and death and in doing so is redeemed. Godric unlike the vampires we discussed in class who try to gain their humanity, Godric is seen as possessing more humanity then even the humans in True Blood. 

The Tree of Life: God's Grace vs. Nature

After discussing how monster movies make us think about grace I thought about another film.

Director Terrence Malick in his film The Tree of Life tries to deal with the age old question 'Why do bad things happen to good people?'. The film opens with a passage from Job 38 where God answers Job’s question with another, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? …when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

The creation story parallels that of the O’Brien family. We see Jack O'Brien being born mirroring the birth of the universe and the evolution of the earth while Jack is brought up under the supervision of his parents. When presented with hardship in his life, the death of his brother and his friends, Jack's perception of the world is changed. He becomes angry at his authoritarian father for his misdeeds while lashing out at his mother for allowing it. This further parallels the Job narrative as it reflects humanity lashing out and questioning its creator over suffering it has endured. Jack feels lost in the modern world and reflects on the two opposing forces in his life.

Grace is represented by Jack's Mother while nature is his father. Mr. O'Brien is harsh and his self-absorbed personality is obsessed with being competitive and he tries to impart this onto his sons. In contrast, Mrs. O’Brien exudes kindness often putting herself second for the sake of her family. In one of her voice overs Mrs. O’Brien says “Grace doesn’t try to please itself. Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked. Accepts insults and injuries. Nature only wants to please itself. Get others to please it too. Likes to lord it over them… The Nuns taught us that no one who loves the way of grace ever comes to a bad end.”

Malik's message is that life is a gift and that living in nature is brought to life with grace. If one does not accept this gift and live graciously then they inflict hardship on themselves. The best example is Mr. O'Brien when he he sends his family away at dinner after being defied by his son. They leave him by himself to wallow. His dis-grace is apparent as his pride has left to his being alone He eventually laments the course his life has taken and questions whether he has been a good enough person. He reconciles with Jack, asking forgiveness for his harsh treatment of him.

                                              *The cast and crew discuss the film's narrative*

Jack is a combination of his parents and reconciles himself in the end with a vision where he is reunited with his family and all the people who populate his memory. Malick does not simply depict a simple dualism where nature is bad and grace is good. The point he tries to get across is that “nature” is harsh without grace and both nature and grace are aspects of God's love and creation. Our approach to life hinges upon the appreciation of this gift.

Response Angels in the Outfield: Christianity in a Film about Sports!

Original Article: http://jesuschristthesuperstar.blogspot.ca/2012/03/angels-in-outfield-christianity-in-film.html

Fans praying for a sports teams to win seems absurd to me. I wouldn't think twice about praying for the safety of a player or thanking god for that player's abilities but praying for a team to win seems selfish. Imagine if Roger in Angels in the Outfield had prayed for the Angels to win without it meaning he could be reunited with his family, it would seem incredibly selfish. One would think that God doesn't care which sports team wins which league trophy. Despite how absurd this practice is it is a popular ritual which is undertaken by millions of fans of all different sports teams. 

The Catholic church in Montreal asked fans to pray for the last place Canadiens. The church placed an ad in Montreal newspapers in hopes of an eighth place finish and a spot in the playoffs. The ad shows the Eastern Conference standings with every team listed except the Canadiens and in the final playoff spot it says says "Let Us Pray." The firm who created the ad says it had long considered an ad that combines Quebec's two major religions, Catholicism and Hockey. 

In Vancouver thousand prayed for the return of Daniel Sedin for the playoffs after suffering a concussion. Pastor Louie Giglio, who lead the prayer, did it at the behest of Paolo Anquilini, owner of the Vancouver Canucks. Usually I wouldn't find someone praying for someone else to return to health strange but I wonder whether Canadiens fans would pray for him if he didn't play hockey or played for another team.

For God to help your team, he must harm or neglect their opponents. Both teams have many fans praying to help them win, but do any of them really think that God should see favour their team over the other as being spiritually and morally superior. Isn't this an an example of sinful “pride,”?

My understanding of prayer is that as long as it the nature of the prayer isn't against God's love then it is fair game. Something, however, just doesn't seem right about this practice.

A Response to “The Power of POprah”

*original article at*

http://getsavedordietryin.tumblr.com/

When you mentioned 'Oprah's Army' in jest it got me thinking about how many people follow Oprah and hang on her every word. She Oprah is a very powerful women who's influence is unmatched in the woman’s demographic.

Does this qualify Oprah as a Spiritual Leader? Is there a 'church of Oprah'?

If you look at the numbers she certainly could be. In the past 25 years millions of women have followed Oprah religiously, their admiration bordering on worship. Through her magazines, T.V. Show, and global network Oprah shares her experiences with others and people accept her into their lives. She has successfully built a community based on that shared experience.

A religion requires ritual. Thousands of disciples flock from across the country, and some from around the world to watch a taping of her show just to be in her presence and to have her gifts bestowed upon them. Millions more religiously tune in to watch the show from their T.V.

If you examine her 'self-improvement' message it is filled with Christian values. Charity and good nature towards others is a big part of this message. Oprah is also responsible for getting American's to read more with her book club as she has single handily made books best sellers. Through her show and her foundation Oprah gave and taught others how to be give though the initiative such as the one in the aftermath of Katrina. In many cases Oprah lead by example going on the diets that she recommended, a quality seen in many spiritual leaders. She does make a lot of money but I feel she legitimately does what she does for the cause and not the pay off.

Oprah inspires and teaches people to strive to become the best version of themselves selves. For many her show is more then just a television program, it was a ministry of self betterment. Her willingness share her life changed the lives of millions of people. She lead by example and not command. You can can see the Christian way in what she said and did.  

Medieval and Renaissance Influence on Christian Culture

In class we often discuss the fundamental role Christianity has over shaping our culture whether it be our politics, entertainment, or values. While we acknowledge and emphasize this sometimes we don't recognize the extent that culture has shape some of our preconceived notions of Christianity. I didn't realize until recently how many of my interpretations of Christianity have been culturally conditioned.

The image of an angel is a universally recognizable image. You can immediately spot one if someone makes its impression in the snow or puts one up on the Christmas tree. The Angel that we picture now is very different from the accounts in the Bible. In Ezekiel 10:14 the Cherubim angels are described as a frightening four headed monster with the face of a man, eagle, and lion. The “Cherub” only got it's baby image, often seen with a bow or a harp, in the Renaissance period thanks to practice of 'putti' in Renaissance sculpture. Donatello and other Renaissance sculptors revived the practice of 'putti' by carving depictions of babies dancing and playing on infant tombs. Donatello gave 'putti' a distinct Christian meaning as he depicted these sculptures as musical angels. Today we incorporate this image of an angel in association with St. Valentines day.

        *A depiction Ezekiel's vision.  ACherub and Ophanim (depicted as a burning wheel covered in eyes)

The cup which Jesus is said to use in the Last Supper has become a popular artifact associated with the Christian tradition. The 'Holy Grail' can be culturally traced back to 12^th century folklore and most famously works of Chretien de Troyes, a french poet, and his Arthurian legend “Perceval, The story of the Grail”. The tale has found itself associated with the Eucharist and Holy Communion in the Christian tradition and consequently become tightly associated with the Christian tradition. Otherwise the Bible makes no mention of the cup except within the context of the Last Supper and gives no special significance to the object.

                                                   *The Holy Grail as seen in Indiana Jones

The images of angels and of the Holy Grail are just two examples cultural images and symbols that have been assimilated into the popular conception of the Christian tradition. The latter image has particularly become an important artifact in popular culture as Hollywood has taken the symbol and ran with it resulting in multiple movies and books about the pursuit of the Holy Grail.

                                         *The Holy Grail in The Da Vinci Code

My Take on GCB

The show “GCB” premiered on ABC last Sunday after stirring up a lot of controversy over it's depictions of Christianity in the southern United States. There is great debate over whether the show's content is in good taste or whether it goes too far and makes a mockery of the Christian faith itself.

The series follows Amanda Vaughn, a former high-school bully, a recently widowed mother of two who returns home to Dallas, Texas. Upon her return she is confronted by her former school peers who she used to bully and the tables are turned. Amanda's former peers seek revenge for Amanda's past sins using the guise of fulfilling their Christian duty, trying to save Amanda.

Critics claim that the show depicts all Christians as vain hypocrites who claim to be true believers. They do have a point as one scene depicts Amanda's mother dressing her granddaughter in a skimpy outfit, defending it by the statement 'cleavage helps your cross hang straight'. Liberal influenced media such as ABC do have a reputation of being quick to point out faults of devout Christians in the public sphere, whether it be the depiction of Sarah Palin as a religious nut or making fun of the Mormon religion on South Park.

GCB does portray many of it's Christian characters as hypocrites but I don't believe it reflects badly on Christianity, just on the characters who are inspired by the experiences of creator Kim Gatlin. Comedy is the defying expectations, presenting a real situation and turning it on its head or exposing the way it really is. The humour of the show in this case derives from the contrast between Christian values and the behaviour of the GCB's.

I believe the show is simply an attempts to show the human side of Christians and reveals the flaws in a group of people who create a facade of being perfect. The show is a satire of certain people in Dallas and there just happen to be a lot of Christians in Dallas. Actor Kristin Chenoweth says it best when interviewed,

“as a Christian I would never agree to anything that made fun of my God or my religion. However, I think there is a big difference in making fun of and having fun with. And we have fun in the world that we’re in and it’s very authentic because I grew up in that world and that’s another reason why I wanted to do this show because I know these woman. They exist and I’m related to some of them so I would hope that someone would not watch the show because of that overtone but it’s real, it exists and it’s funny but never disrespectful”.

GCB simply injects humanity and imperfection into a group of people who try to be perfect and that is indeed funny.

                                         *GCB Promo Trailer

A Response to "Dare You to Move"

Original: www.chloesmc305.blogspot.com

I agree with Chloe, Switchfoot are a transformationist band. Their songs contain meanings for those inside and outside the Christian audience. The band's name reflects this referring to a technique in board sports where the rider takes the opposite to their traditional stance, much like the band is influenced by their traditional Christian background while embracing those outside it. When asked about their name the band said, “It's about change and movement, a different way of approaching life and music".

The band's songs often have more than one meaning and offer different interpretations for different audiences. In describing Switchfoot Spin writer Andrew Beaujon wrote “They're sort of interesting because their lyrics often have two different meanings, one meaning for a Christian audience and one meaning for the rest of us. They try to relate to two different groups of people at once.”

The band is influenced by more then just their faith. The band cite their influences are U2, T.S. Eliot, the Beatles, Miles Davis, and Stevie Wonder. This reflects the concept we talked about in class about Christian music not being a genre but a multifaceted music expression which can take on many forms.

“Stars” is a good example of dual meanings for both Christian and non-christian audiences. Using contrasting perspectives the song discusses the forces that hold the world together. The first verse looks at the universe from a Descartes humanistic view suggesting that the centre of the universe is the individual, 'Maybe I've been the problem, maybe I'm overcast, falling apart'. The second verse uses the perspective of the heavens looking over the earth 'Stars looking at our planet watching entropy and pain And maybe start to wonder how the chaos in our lives could pass as sane' . The second verse balances secular and religious themes such as entropy and an entity in space watching over the world. 

A dimension that I don't feel we address enough in class discussion is the possibility for a song or other cultural artefact to allow for dual meanings that are often very reconcilable. In class we will sometimes neglect alternate interpretations based solely on the fact that the author is Christian and that must be the overriding influence on their work.