Monday, January 19, 2004
Incredible! Breaking news!
No, not really.
It's been a while since I posted, so I thought I might as well jot down a few thoughts and events. Not much has changed in regards to school. Oh, except supposedly (I myself haven't seen them) the girls' costumes for the circus are a bit suggestive. By that I mean skin. Cleavage. Lots o' leg. You get the idea. I know that some girls (such as Souwa and Clau J.) just will refuse to wear that type of clothing. In case any of those girls happen to be reading: I support you. It would be like me running out in public shirtless and wearing a leopard skin thong (fine, so maybe not that bad). I feel your pain.
Other than that, not much has happened to me lately. Except I did update my website (finally) with a review of Intolerable Cruelty. And last weekend I watched The Last Samurai starring Pretty Boy Tom Cruise. I was forced to watch it alone after a friend couldn't make it - there was a huge political demonstration or something that caused a big traffic jam. But the movie was good enough that I didn't mind. Hopefully I'll have a review written and posted by this weekend. (Mental note: Remember to write reviews of Edward Scissorhands and Finding Nemo as well).
Hm. Other news: Lucy has begun menstruating. She goes through huge mood swings. Sometimes she's really hyper and wants to play, while at others she just lays in a "ho-dog" position (on her back with hers legs spread). My dad thinks we should let her have a litter of puppies. He seemed to think the poodle a few houses down would make a good father since Lucy is half poodle. But whenever I think about it I just want to shudder at the mental picture. That dog is so old he can barely walk, let alone impregnate Lucy. I think it would be best if we let her keep her virginity. For now.
Church was good yesterday. Humorous yet thought-provoking statement: "The Israelites saw Goliath and thought, 'He is so big that it would be impossible to fight him.' David saw Goliath and thought, 'He is so big that I can't miss.'"
I've been thinking I should probably post something on my site about how exactly I rate the movies. I already have some idea of what I look for, but lately I've been pondering what might make a movie bad, specifically in regards to the elements some people might find offensive (and comments on what I'm about to say would be much appreciated). Let's face it: Hollywood, for the most part (there are exceptions) is not exactly one of the world's bright spots in terms of morality - and by that I mean from a Christian point of view. Entertainment today - and I mean in all mediums, not just film - is filled with violence, profanity, sexuality, nudity, drugs, etc. etc. Many Christians have the idea that because of Hollywood's immorality there is no way Christian principles or ideas could be spread by any of its productions. And they have a point - it is hard not to watch a movie without being confronted (and in some cases, overwhelmed) with what we would consider "sinful" practices.
However, I've done a lot of thinking about the issue, and I disagree. Yes, movies are filled with sin. Yes, I agree that sin is not a good thing. Yes, I agree that movies show characters taking part in immoral practices. However, does this mean that nothing good can come from them? No. For I also agree that this world is filled with sin. Sin is not a good thing. In this world people take part in immoral practices. I've found that many movies are immoral but that this is okay for the following reasons:
1) They serve as a wake-up call to people by shouting, "What have we become?"
2) They show real people living in the real world facing real problems. People truly relate to these characters, and when the positive ideas, themes, and messages are displayed they are then more easily able to apply them to their own lives.
This is what makes film such a powerful, and in my opinion a good, thing. Would, for example, The Deer Hunter have such an impact on people if the violence was any less extreme? Would the characters be as believable if instead of using a lot of profanity they all talked like highly educated pastors? No. Even though it might make some Christians happy, the average person would not be able to relate as much to the movie, and would soon forget it instead of actually thinking about what it had to say.
As HollywoodJesus puts it: Christianity is not morality. Although they are linked, they are not the same thing. Morality centers on morals. Christianity centers on Christ. If a movie contains material offensive to Christians, does this mean God can't use it? No. Does this mean people, even non-Christians, can't see hints of Christ shining through? No. Just look at the Bible: here's a book filled with violent wars, sexual immorality, and people rejecting God for their sinful natures. Sin sin sin, everywhere you look. And yet through it all, Christ gets through. Christ came to save real people, and real people are sinners. Movies are about real people, and therefore real sinners. Can the two combine? Without a doubt.
Basically, what I've decided: a movie cannot be considered good or bad based solely on the morals it displays. A film might be filled to the brim with sin, but still a movie that arguably has Christ at its center (eg. the film Thirteen, I've heard). On the other hand, it might be squeaky clean but a complete waste of time (The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, anyone?). Other factors must be taken into account: the entertainment value, the dominant themes, etc.
Once again, I would apreciate your comments. Some people will agree completely with my idea that morality doesn't determine whether a movie is worth seeing or not. Others will think I'm completely wrong. Bottom line: I want to know. Oh, and don't think that I've forgotten the argument about not letting sin get in your mind. That is a separate issue, and one that is different for every individual. Paul said to think only about things that are good and pure. Some people will be able to watch tons of sin without having their minds start to become "impure". Others will only be able to see a little - and I'm not saying one is better than the other. In the end, these are issues that will be dealt with differently by each person.
Ugh. It's late. Nighty night.
It's been a while since I posted, so I thought I might as well jot down a few thoughts and events. Not much has changed in regards to school. Oh, except supposedly (I myself haven't seen them) the girls' costumes for the circus are a bit suggestive. By that I mean skin. Cleavage. Lots o' leg. You get the idea. I know that some girls (such as Souwa and Clau J.) just will refuse to wear that type of clothing. In case any of those girls happen to be reading: I support you. It would be like me running out in public shirtless and wearing a leopard skin thong (fine, so maybe not that bad). I feel your pain.
Other than that, not much has happened to me lately. Except I did update my website (finally) with a review of Intolerable Cruelty. And last weekend I watched The Last Samurai starring Pretty Boy Tom Cruise. I was forced to watch it alone after a friend couldn't make it - there was a huge political demonstration or something that caused a big traffic jam. But the movie was good enough that I didn't mind. Hopefully I'll have a review written and posted by this weekend. (Mental note: Remember to write reviews of Edward Scissorhands and Finding Nemo as well).
Hm. Other news: Lucy has begun menstruating. She goes through huge mood swings. Sometimes she's really hyper and wants to play, while at others she just lays in a "ho-dog" position (on her back with hers legs spread). My dad thinks we should let her have a litter of puppies. He seemed to think the poodle a few houses down would make a good father since Lucy is half poodle. But whenever I think about it I just want to shudder at the mental picture. That dog is so old he can barely walk, let alone impregnate Lucy. I think it would be best if we let her keep her virginity. For now.
Church was good yesterday. Humorous yet thought-provoking statement: "The Israelites saw Goliath and thought, 'He is so big that it would be impossible to fight him.' David saw Goliath and thought, 'He is so big that I can't miss.'"
I've been thinking I should probably post something on my site about how exactly I rate the movies. I already have some idea of what I look for, but lately I've been pondering what might make a movie bad, specifically in regards to the elements some people might find offensive (and comments on what I'm about to say would be much appreciated). Let's face it: Hollywood, for the most part (there are exceptions) is not exactly one of the world's bright spots in terms of morality - and by that I mean from a Christian point of view. Entertainment today - and I mean in all mediums, not just film - is filled with violence, profanity, sexuality, nudity, drugs, etc. etc. Many Christians have the idea that because of Hollywood's immorality there is no way Christian principles or ideas could be spread by any of its productions. And they have a point - it is hard not to watch a movie without being confronted (and in some cases, overwhelmed) with what we would consider "sinful" practices.
However, I've done a lot of thinking about the issue, and I disagree. Yes, movies are filled with sin. Yes, I agree that sin is not a good thing. Yes, I agree that movies show characters taking part in immoral practices. However, does this mean that nothing good can come from them? No. For I also agree that this world is filled with sin. Sin is not a good thing. In this world people take part in immoral practices. I've found that many movies are immoral but that this is okay for the following reasons:
1) They serve as a wake-up call to people by shouting, "What have we become?"
2) They show real people living in the real world facing real problems. People truly relate to these characters, and when the positive ideas, themes, and messages are displayed they are then more easily able to apply them to their own lives.
This is what makes film such a powerful, and in my opinion a good, thing. Would, for example, The Deer Hunter have such an impact on people if the violence was any less extreme? Would the characters be as believable if instead of using a lot of profanity they all talked like highly educated pastors? No. Even though it might make some Christians happy, the average person would not be able to relate as much to the movie, and would soon forget it instead of actually thinking about what it had to say.
As HollywoodJesus puts it: Christianity is not morality. Although they are linked, they are not the same thing. Morality centers on morals. Christianity centers on Christ. If a movie contains material offensive to Christians, does this mean God can't use it? No. Does this mean people, even non-Christians, can't see hints of Christ shining through? No. Just look at the Bible: here's a book filled with violent wars, sexual immorality, and people rejecting God for their sinful natures. Sin sin sin, everywhere you look. And yet through it all, Christ gets through. Christ came to save real people, and real people are sinners. Movies are about real people, and therefore real sinners. Can the two combine? Without a doubt.
Basically, what I've decided: a movie cannot be considered good or bad based solely on the morals it displays. A film might be filled to the brim with sin, but still a movie that arguably has Christ at its center (eg. the film Thirteen, I've heard). On the other hand, it might be squeaky clean but a complete waste of time (The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, anyone?). Other factors must be taken into account: the entertainment value, the dominant themes, etc.
Once again, I would apreciate your comments. Some people will agree completely with my idea that morality doesn't determine whether a movie is worth seeing or not. Others will think I'm completely wrong. Bottom line: I want to know. Oh, and don't think that I've forgotten the argument about not letting sin get in your mind. That is a separate issue, and one that is different for every individual. Paul said to think only about things that are good and pure. Some people will be able to watch tons of sin without having their minds start to become "impure". Others will only be able to see a little - and I'm not saying one is better than the other. In the end, these are issues that will be dealt with differently by each person.
Ugh. It's late. Nighty night.
# posted by Andrew Johnson : 1/19/2004 10:55:00 PM 
