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.
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| 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
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.
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.
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| See what I mean? |
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.
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.
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| 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.
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.
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.
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| Although now I'm wondering if Harry Potter has been secretly evil all along |
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.
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