MOVIES: Crass movie content -- how'd we get here?
The Hollywood/entertainment medium has definitely been a catalyst in the corruption of the American/western
culture. How we (believers; body of Christ; His bride and church) have responded to it (in general) may prove to
be about as detrimental to the church and cause of Christ as it has proved to be to the culture in general.
Interesting the “7 deadly sins” he enumerated. They roughly equate to that which is presented in Deut. 7, which
outlines 6 negatives the people of God were to strenuously include in their daily functioning as they established
their new society in the promised land: (1) no covenants [vs. 2]; (2) no marriages [vs. 3]; (3) no pity [vs. 16—pity
results in toleration of that which is pitied]; (4) no fear [vs. 18]; (5) no desire for the wealth
accompanying the idolatry [vs. 25]; (6) no abomination in the house [ vs. 26]. It is in the 5th and 6th, and
particularly the 6th, that the danger to the people of God can be readily seen in the entertainment/Hollywood
phenomenon.
The world is and always will be full of abominable practice. That is a fact of life. Where it never has to be
influential is in the home or the assembly. Those things that are considered abominations are well documented in
Scripture:
Homosexuality (Lev. 18:22) and transvestism (Dt. 22:5)
Idolatry (Dt. 7:25)
Irreverent worship (Dt. 17:1)
Spiritism [to coin a word] (Dt. 18:9 FF)
Illicit marriage (Dt. 24:4)
Dishonesty in business (Dt. 25:13; Prov. 11:1)
Violent criminality (Prov. 3:31-32)
Lying (Prov. 12:22)
Deliberate injustice (Prov. 17:15)
A listing of 7 diversities (Prov. 6:16 FF)
I agree with the author’s observations of cause to effect that the entertainment medium has had on the
culture. However, I tend to think that time would be better spent on challenging believing families and
assemblies to a correct, Scripturally balanced resistance to this degenerate, coarsening aspect of our society
influencing the church. Bemoaning the effects it has already exhibited on a degenerate culture that was doomed
to destruction from the get-go is an effort in futility until the believing community steps up to the plate in
assuring that this societal influence has insignificant sway in the home and church.
culture. How we (believers; body of Christ; His bride and church) have responded to it (in general) may prove to
be about as detrimental to the church and cause of Christ as it has proved to be to the culture in general.
Interesting the “7 deadly sins” he enumerated. They roughly equate to that which is presented in Deut. 7, which
outlines 6 negatives the people of God were to strenuously include in their daily functioning as they established
their new society in the promised land: (1) no covenants [vs. 2]; (2) no marriages [vs. 3]; (3) no pity [vs. 16—pity
results in toleration of that which is pitied]; (4) no fear [vs. 18]; (5) no desire for the wealth
accompanying the idolatry [vs. 25]; (6) no abomination in the house [ vs. 26]. It is in the 5th and 6th, and
particularly the 6th, that the danger to the people of God can be readily seen in the entertainment/Hollywood
phenomenon.
The world is and always will be full of abominable practice. That is a fact of life. Where it never has to be
influential is in the home or the assembly. Those things that are considered abominations are well documented in
Scripture:
Homosexuality (Lev. 18:22) and transvestism (Dt. 22:5)
Idolatry (Dt. 7:25)
Irreverent worship (Dt. 17:1)
Spiritism [to coin a word] (Dt. 18:9 FF)
Illicit marriage (Dt. 24:4)
Dishonesty in business (Dt. 25:13; Prov. 11:1)
Violent criminality (Prov. 3:31-32)
Lying (Prov. 12:22)
Deliberate injustice (Prov. 17:15)
A listing of 7 diversities (Prov. 6:16 FF)
I agree with the author’s observations of cause to effect that the entertainment medium has had on the
culture. However, I tend to think that time would be better spent on challenging believing families and
assemblies to a correct, Scripturally balanced resistance to this degenerate, coarsening aspect of our society
influencing the church. Bemoaning the effects it has already exhibited on a degenerate culture that was doomed
to destruction from the get-go is an effort in futility until the believing community steps up to the plate in
assuring that this societal influence has insignificant sway in the home and church.
Lee
There was http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/07/15/is-hollywood-ruining-ch…] an article recently about how ‘adult’ humor has invaded kid’s movies.
In the new Smurf movie, the blue guys are in “the harsh world of New York City where Gutsy Smurf fans his private parts, Smurfette mimics the famous Marilyn Munroe scene of the wide dress being blown up…”. In Toy Story 3, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPxHWJF3VGs] Barbie compliments Ken on his ascot .
Second, why do we think that this kind of humor is ‘over’ the heads of children? My kids might not know specifically what something means, but they instinctively sense a play on words and know that a situation, joke, or turn of phrase was off color.
Third, this is nothing new. Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry were full of sexual innuendo, usually in the form of well-endowed female characters inspiring the male characters to ogle, drool, and wolf whistle.
Fourth, this kind of ‘cool’ and risque humor has invaded study Bibles aimed at teens. An older edition (1993?) of the NIV Teen Study Bible was full of ‘alternate definitions’ of various terms, I suppose to keep kids entertained while in church, since “church” was defined as “what you have to get dressed up for so you can be bored for an hour”? Other examples- “sex” was defined as “another fun thing mean adults tell teenagers to keep away from”. “Prayer” was “talking to the ceiling and wondering if anybody’s listening.” “Witnessing” = “a way to get friends to laugh at you by telling them about God”. I think they changed these in the newer editions, but why would anyone think the Bible is an appropriate place for such frivolity?
Do we believe so strongly in the necessity of entertainment that we can so easily compromise morality?
In the new Smurf movie, the blue guys are in “the harsh world of New York City where Gutsy Smurf fans his private parts, Smurfette mimics the famous Marilyn Munroe scene of the wide dress being blown up…”. In Toy Story 3, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPxHWJF3VGs] Barbie compliments Ken on his ascot .
In the first “Cars” installment the giggling female vehicles “flash their headlights” at Lightening McQueen, a fishing rod with Barbie legs is referred to as “a hooker” in “Toy Story,” and Johnny Depp’s “Rango” was rife with smoking, gun showdowns, nooses and naughty words (“hell,” “damn,” “tart” and “trollop”.) Meanwhile, Syndrome exclaims that Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl got “biz-zay!” when he notices their children in “The Incredibles,” and “Finding Nemo” cleverly falls short of some explicit language: “Don’t you guys realize we are swimming in our own—!” “Shhh! Here he comes.”First, I don’t know why crass and sexual humor is assumed to appeal to adults. I can’t stand the term ‘adult’ humor- it may be inappropriate for children, but it is also immature. It takes a lot more skill and thought to come up with accurate and humorous metaphors, caricatures, and irony than to just go for the titillation and shock value of the naughty and obscene.
Second, why do we think that this kind of humor is ‘over’ the heads of children? My kids might not know specifically what something means, but they instinctively sense a play on words and know that a situation, joke, or turn of phrase was off color.
Third, this is nothing new. Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry were full of sexual innuendo, usually in the form of well-endowed female characters inspiring the male characters to ogle, drool, and wolf whistle.
Fourth, this kind of ‘cool’ and risque humor has invaded study Bibles aimed at teens. An older edition (1993?) of the NIV Teen Study Bible was full of ‘alternate definitions’ of various terms, I suppose to keep kids entertained while in church, since “church” was defined as “what you have to get dressed up for so you can be bored for an hour”? Other examples- “sex” was defined as “another fun thing mean adults tell teenagers to keep away from”. “Prayer” was “talking to the ceiling and wondering if anybody’s listening.” “Witnessing” = “a way to get friends to laugh at you by telling them about God”. I think they changed these in the newer editions, but why would anyone think the Bible is an appropriate place for such frivolity?
Do we believe so strongly in the necessity of entertainment that we can so easily compromise morality?
Personally, I believe Hollywood’s influence is one of the greatest reasons we have lost our youth. They are won over to the world by glamorized sin long before they leave home and church and go out into the world. Christian youth today are swimming in a sea of moral pollution through the popular culture.
Leadership often sets a horrible example. The “favorites” lists among Evangelical leaders are often among the very worst. How many sermons and Christian books call us to be like Braveheart, that fellow who flashes his privates, commits adultery as a means of revenge, and murders people in their beds. (I’m looking at you, World magazine!) At its heart, it is a leadership issue. My generation was “set free” from restraint by Franky Schaeffer’s books attacking those who believed in objective moral standards in entertainment as “pigs.” Current pastoral leadership in Evangelicalism imbibed Schaeffer and the frog in the kettle has long since boiled to death.
To say there needs to be a lot more teaching and discernment exercised in this area is like saying America spends too much. A little too obvious, but still unheeded.
One point of interest regarding the article on the history of the seven deadly sins in Hollywood is that basically, from 1935 until the early sixties, Hollywood was under the thumb of the Production Code. While efforts were made to skirt it at times, overall, Hollywood movies promoted virtue, honor, faith, and were comparatively modest. (Remember when married couples slept in separate beds, and if they had one bed in a bedroom scene, they were never lying down together –the “one foot on the floor” rule.)
Oddly enough, those times of censorship and virtue were the days Bible-believing Christians were supposed to avoid Hollywood! Many churches forbade movie attendance as a condition of membership, as did many Christian colleges. Now, when the vast majority of film and TV is designed to undermine virtue, and delights in all kinds of evil, it is considered legalism to suggest any sort of restraint. The vast majority of Christian publications and “movie review” websites suggest caution, but can’t bring themselves to condemn anything that is blantantly evil.
Leadership often sets a horrible example. The “favorites” lists among Evangelical leaders are often among the very worst. How many sermons and Christian books call us to be like Braveheart, that fellow who flashes his privates, commits adultery as a means of revenge, and murders people in their beds. (I’m looking at you, World magazine!) At its heart, it is a leadership issue. My generation was “set free” from restraint by Franky Schaeffer’s books attacking those who believed in objective moral standards in entertainment as “pigs.” Current pastoral leadership in Evangelicalism imbibed Schaeffer and the frog in the kettle has long since boiled to death.
To say there needs to be a lot more teaching and discernment exercised in this area is like saying America spends too much. A little too obvious, but still unheeded.
One point of interest regarding the article on the history of the seven deadly sins in Hollywood is that basically, from 1935 until the early sixties, Hollywood was under the thumb of the Production Code. While efforts were made to skirt it at times, overall, Hollywood movies promoted virtue, honor, faith, and were comparatively modest. (Remember when married couples slept in separate beds, and if they had one bed in a bedroom scene, they were never lying down together –the “one foot on the floor” rule.)
Oddly enough, those times of censorship and virtue were the days Bible-believing Christians were supposed to avoid Hollywood! Many churches forbade movie attendance as a condition of membership, as did many Christian colleges. Now, when the vast majority of film and TV is designed to undermine virtue, and delights in all kinds of evil, it is considered legalism to suggest any sort of restraint. The vast majority of Christian publications and “movie review” websites suggest caution, but can’t bring themselves to condemn anything that is blantantly evil.
Discussion