The Hobbit Movies Are Holding Me Prisoner

I have mixed feelings about Peter Jackson's Hobbit movies. On the one hand, it has been dragging on, the inclusion of characters like Tauriel and the Laketown mayor were not necessary, and the heavy use of CGI has been distracting. On the other hand, I like the tie-in of material from the LOTR Appendices (because Tolkien wrote more material that tied the events in The Hobbit timeline to the LOTR timeline), I like Martin Freeman's performance as Bilbo, and SMAUG WAS WORTH THE WAIT CAUSE HE IS AWESOME!

Best use of CGI in the movie

Keep all this in mind while revisiting the teaser trailer for the final installment of the Hobbit trilogy

Again, mixed feelings. On the one hand, I know I'll enjoy the action scenes as well as the conflict between the main cast of characters, and all of the main plot points from the previous two movies will be resolved. On the other hand, I know it's going to go on for too long, it's going to involve unnecessary characters, it's going lose focus on Bilbo, and not to mention Smaug is going to get killed off pretty quick. That's not a spoiler. The last movie lended on that cliffhanger, the events in LOTR would not have happened if the dragon had still been around, and Peter Jackson has to make room for 90 minutes of battle scenes.

"Wasn't this whole thing finished in one chapter in the book?"
"Yeah, so what? Didn't it take you 90 minutes to read that chapter too?"

I just feel like I'm a captive of the Hobbit movies, like they're holding me hostage until I see the whole thing through. It's like when the Harry Potter film series was coming to a close. I didn't particularly enjoy the fifth and sixth movies in theaters, so when it was announced that the last book was broken into two movies and the first part was coming out I was thinking "Oh well, I've dragged through all the films so far, might as well see it til the end".

The good news is, I really enjoyed those last two HP movies, they were very well done. So, there is hope that this Hobbit movie will surprise me and be the best one of the series.

The amount of screen time the mountain goats get is the deciding factor

The big question is: Why do I feel the need to see this movie? Well, I have twice attempted to read the Hobbit book and hardly got past the beginning both times. While there is still hope that I will pick it up and finish it before this final movie comes out, there is no guarantee. So the only way I know the full story synopsis of the Hobbit before this is by the Rankin/Bass cartoon version from the 70s.

In case you don't know what I'm talking about, here's this:

That made-for-TV release was only an hour long and covered the basic essentials of the story. The Peter Jackson movies, though, go very deep in depth into the story and the world. Also, as I mentioned before, it includes part of the Middle Earth history that ties in to the events of LOTR. It will be cool to see that part of the story brought to life, which has not made it into a screen adaptation before.

I want to see this last movie because I want to visually see the whole story played out in its entirety. I like most of these characters, so I'd like to watch their story lines come to a conclusion. Also, this may be the last time I get to see Middle Earth and its inhabitants on the big screen (at least it will probably be a long time before someone else does something with a Tolkien story). So, I guess I'll have to be satisfied with being a captive of the movies until the release of The Battle of Five Armies.

My Lament for Saturday Morning Cartoons

In case you haven't heard the news and seen other laments about this event, the CW ended its Saturday morning animation program Vortexx, thereby bringing an end to Saturday morning cartoons on the major (meaning basic TV) networks. Leaving more room for educational programming about animals, which apparently we don't have enough of.

Daaawwww! Aren't they just the cute...Wait, what was my point again?

I realize I shouldn't feel upset by this. My weekend way-of-life hasn't depended upon Saturday morning cartoons in years. I do not have any kids of my own to watch cartoons with. Heck, most of the shows that were on Vortexx were shows that have been rerun over and over again since way back when I was watching those cartoons coming to Saturday mornings for the very first time.

At least I'll finally stop seeing these episodes being played for the hundredth time

Not to mention cartoons still exist on channels like Cartoon Network, Disney XD, and Nickelodeon. And kids these days can watch any cartoon TV series ever invented any time they wish thanks to DVDs, Netflix, and Hulu. And also not to mention I'M A GROWN MAN, WHY DO I CARE ABOUT CARTOONS ANYMORE?

I mean, cartoons are only just for kids, right?

Here's the thing though: A part of me is upset by this event, and I can't help it.

Why does this mean so much to me? After all, I've lived through this period of time where cartoons have slowly diminished from major networks, and yet there are still cartoons remaining accessible on cable/ HD TV. Well, the thing is, I didn't grow up with those cable channels. I only had basic TV, so on Saturday mornings I was switching back and forth between Fox and the WB to get my weekend fix of animation. I couldn't just turn the TV on at random on any given day and expect to find non-educational animated programs.

If I had wanted educational cartoons, I would've watched more PBS!

So while everyone else was able to catch Rugrats, Hey Arnold, Spongebob Squarepants, Rocket Power, Dexter's Laboratory, and Ed, Edd, n Eddy any old time during the week, I waited for those blissful mornings on Saturday to watch stuff like Digimon, Batman Beyond, Beast Wars, Static Shock, and Yu-Gi-Oh!. 

Where's this kid's live action movie btw?

Now, however, that opportunity is gone. That time to veg out in front of the TV on Saturdays is gone for basic TV watchers. Kids are gonna have to get that animation fix somewhere else. Which brings me to another point: the kids. And this kind of thing makes me want to say "Kids these days!",  though hopefully I don't sound like a crotchety old man sitting in a rocking chair.

You know, like this kind of guy

Kids today won't get to experience that intense excitement of waking up at 5am to turn that TV on and watch cartoons. They won't understand the thrill of finally seeing a new episode after waiting all week for it to come. They won't understand the peace of having one dedicated morning a week to justifiably sit in front of the TV for five-six hours. They won't take the same pleasure in watching the morning come to life during the breaks between shows.They won't understand that crushing feeling of knowing an all-new episode of their favorite cartoon is coming on the same morning they have a soccer game or they are on vacation. It doesn't matter that kids today have the capability to do these things, it's not the same because they live in a totally different world.

I think it's one of those things where becoming an adult means watching my way of life as a kid disappear. While kids today still have Saturday mornings free to do what they want and they can spend five-six hours every Saturday morning watching cartoons, it is a different way of life. There aren't animation classics on basic TV there to help kids kickstart the weekend. So, while I'm not going to cry and sob and break down in my lament for the fate of Saturday morning cartoons, I can get super nostalgic. I can look back at the fun and carefree Saturdays of my youth with happiness, rather than be focused on the jaded somberness of the present. And at least I have that.

Entertainment Content: A Conflict

Awkward Entertainment Media

So, in case it was not obvious from previous posts, I like consuming entertainment media. Movies, music, TV, books, I like to be entertained like anyone else. The biggest problem with being a consumer of entertainment today, however, is that the media I consume is hazardous. Hazardous in a spiritual, emotional, and mental sense.

Twilight was so hazardous, I had to put on this suit just to get through it for a class.

One of my earlier blog posts was a review of a movie called About Time. You should read it, but the reason why I bring it up here is because of a small portion of the movie's content. There are a couple of sex scenes in this movie. I was watching this movie with my Reach team and our host mom, a mother of two very young children who had recent been put to bed. When the first scene came, it was definitely an awkward moment, but thankfully a short one once we figured how to fast-forward to the next scene (we were watching the movie on demand on Apple TV), and we were prepared to skip the next one.

Why was that moment awkward? Well, I was watching it with my team of Catholic youth ministers and a Catholic mom who coordinated the Confirmation class. As a Catholic person, my ethics and morality informs me that sex outside of marriage is sinful.

Here was a scene of sinful immorality happening in a home of ethical, moral people in front of a group of ethical, moral people. If it were not for these few moments involving the characters' sexual relationship and lifestyle before marriage, I could wholeheartedly recommend this movie and promote it.


The Media Conflict

During my late high school, early college days, one of the TV shows I discovered and watched all the way through was Deadwood. The show has a lot of interesting characters, intriguing (however coarse) dialogue, and complex plots. However, the show also has plenty of violence, obscene language, drunkenness, sex and nudity. I have, in recent years, resolved to no longer watch the show. Even though the story and the characters are interesting, I cannot in good conscience watch a show that freely and graphically presents unethical and immoral behaviors.

When it comes to music, I enjoy rock'n'roll. Some of my favorite modern rock'n'roll music comes from bands like Arctic Monkeys and Coheed & Cambria. While I enjoy the sounds and the instruments, however, I am cautious of certain songs because of their words.

See what I mean?

Arctic Monkeys, especially with their most recent release, has a major lyrical focus on a sexualized partying lifestyle. Coheed & Cambria has a mythological storyline that involves warfare, violence, and damaged emotional romance and the lyrics on their own are not always positive words to share with others.

Why Does It Matter?

In the end, the media I consume and the media I share with people is correlated to what I am promoting. For example, if I listen to a band called The F@&!#ing Flowers and the message of their lyrics is about killing, and I just say "Oh this band is good", I'm promoting their content without acknowledging the negative aspects of them.

Another example, if I watched a TV show called Teenage Annie's Sex & Drugs Escapades and I just say "This is a great show, it's so complex!" without acknowledging the show's immoral focus, what I'm telling people is "I'm okay with this kind of stuff".

I have noticed a shift in the way I allow media to affect me since I have been more cautious of the media I consume. In high school, I used to watch a lot of stuff that casual threw out curse words and sexual references, and I in turn (usually amongst my peers) would spout out obscene language and sexual references with ease.

Now, I severely limit the amount of media I watch that has curse words or sexual references and I find myself rarely tempted to use that kind of language (which isn't to say I slip up every now and again). My struggles with emotions like anger and envy have also had a positive change because of my shift in media consumption.

My road rage was much worse 5 years ago

Where Do I Draw the Line?

Here's a major dilemma though. Can I still consume media that involves negative things? The Big Lebowski is a favorite movie of mine because it's funny, it's very quotable, and the performances by actors like John Goodman and Philip Seymour Hoffman are good.

However, I also have to be aware of and acknowledge that the movie features frequent obscenities, some drug use, and a small of amount of nudity/sexuality. These are not why I like the movie, in fact I wish they weren't part of the movie, and I would always caution people about these things before telling them to see it.

I can read books like Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter series because they are not promoting witchcraft, violence, greed, and a hippie-flower child fantasy dream.What they are promoting is good triumphing over evil, courage, wisdom, intelligence, friendship, environmentalism, adventure, and love.

Although now I'm wondering if Harry Potter has been secretly evil all along

I think the line has to be whether I can consume entertainment and be able ethically reassured about suggesting it to people and comfortable with consuming that media with other people. I think I can safely say that, even though I haven't seen The Wolf of Wall Street I have read enough about it that I cannot in good conscience see it or promote it because of the explicit content involved.

Whereas something like Braveheart, which features bloody violence and some language, I can promote to a certain audience because of its good vs. evil, right vs. wrong morality, sacrificial warrior storyline, as long as I acknowledge the violence and any other objectionable content within.

St Paul and Food

"here are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols, their conscience, which is weak, is defiled. Now food will not bring us closer to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, nor are we better off if we do. But make sure that this liberty of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak...Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause my brother to sin." 1 Corinthians 8: 7-9, 13.

In this excerpt from St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul is discussing how recent Gentile converts are struggling spiritually between letting go of the old and pursuing the new. St. Paul does not have this struggle eating meat sacrificed in idol worship since it does not cause him to become spiritually conflicted. 

He knows, though, that others do have a spiritual struggle if they consume that same meat. Since St. Paul does not need that food to survive, and he recognizes that the struggle with the food leads others to sin, then he is willing to give that up for the spiritual sake of these people.

In a (somewhat) similar manner, I want to be conscious about my media consumption. Part of my struggle with growing in my faith has been letting go of media that is not good for me spiritually and yes, that media has affected the sins that I commit. If I promote a movie or TV show that causes someone else to go through this struggle, then I have to be willing to let go of that movie or TV show and no longer promote it. If someone raises an objection to a media that I consume because of its content, and they are reasonably right in objecting to it, then I have to let go of that media for my own sake.