Response to: The Power of Bieber

After watching this video, I am still on the fence as to Justins intentions for the video. You mentioned the polarization of whether it was to actually bring awareness to critical issues or if it was just a marketing scheme. While Justin can benefit much from releasing a song with such dept, due to his large scale popularity. It is a song which inevitably betters civilization and interaction with others.

I think that celebrities are in a bit of a bind, as to deciding which charities they should support. In your article you mention how one of Justin's tweets created a surge of donor transplants. This proved greatly beneficial for the ottawa woman who needed a lung transplant. But what about the millions of people who aren't privy to his grace. Due to his superstar platform it would be impossible for Justin to help every single person in need. On the flip side, is it actually too much to ask to say celebrities should be completely and unconditionally indebted to the millions of people who lifted him to the status that he is?

Most people can tell when a celebrity is just making a appearance or singing a song to promote them selves as an artist. It is also clear when a celebrity takes steps to ensure that they help change the world for the better. A great example of this is Justin's Believe Charity Drive. Justin puts his celebrity status in the hands of regular citizens to take initiative and create a fundraiser of their choice. This site has gained awareness for copious issues. This all may be a political move for Justin, but in hindsight lives are being helped and saved so all is well in the world of popular culture. This is a contrast from the popular superstars who use their riches for there gluttonous means.

The Socialogy of Jesus

This week in class we uncovered  many ways in which Jesus is presented in the media. We cover a good variety of depictions from the novel such as, The Last Temptation of Christ written by Nikos Kazantzakis, Jesus Christ Superstar, a rock anthem by Andrew Webber, and Most notably The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson. While analyzing how Jesus is portrayed in each character I was drawn away with one commonality that I found in each of the depictions. All Jesus's are Male. 

This got me thinking why are most figures, with Godly traits, represented in the media today as men? Then the realization dawned that, in actuality. Demonic figures in the media today are disproportionally represented by women.

This got me thinking, "where in the christian tradition would support the depiction of women as devils?'. Im sure you all are already at the realization of the creation story. In this story Eve is manipulated by a serpent. She then persuades Adam to eat an apple that God prescribed Adam not to go near. We see that a lot of social norms, customs, and culture is in someway a derivative of christianity. It is safe to assume that these same perspectives have found their way to dictating gender roles. 

To add to that revelation, in movies where there is a demonic female figure, there is also a equally supportive role that is most often played by a male. This allows us to see the juxtaposition of good vs. evil relative to gender lines. 

Society today has taken this gender structure, and has manifested it in the minds of western civilization. For example, go to any halloween party for the last 50 years, and you will most likely see a women in a she-devil costume. Why is being a devil sexy?

Response to Andreia's Friends calling to God

Here is the Link for the article
http://smc305ohmyblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/friends-episode-calling-on-god.html

I think you stumble upon some key features that are associated with christianity and religion for that matter. I am a bit of a scatter brain so hopefully I will be able to transition my thoughts well.

A point that was raised was the fact most people ask for Gods intervention in their time of need. This is partially because  we don't have the personal and spiritual connection that we should with whatever God we believe in. For most of us, God is at a safe distance, not to close and not to far away. A better analogy would be to compare God to a facebook friend.  We don't necessary consult with this person everyday, but when the time comes we know how to reach the friend.

If people had an intimate connection with their supreme creator, it would not feel like they only address their God in their time of need. I find it personally confusing, because it seems that God has become a popular culture icon. Im sure that a significant amount of people have a real spiritual attachment, but an even greater amount dont. With phrases uttered daily such as, "O MY GOD" "GOD DAMN" "I PROMISE TO GOD" and "GOD WILLING". We even see "IN GOD WE TRUST" in currency. And don't get me started on Gods presence in the social media.

Actually there was an incident which I fell victim to my own firing squad. One morning I was on twitter, and the hash tags were filled with #putgodfirst #GODmorning #Godisgood. I felt a social cohesion to mention God myself on my timeline. Then I felt the metaphorical pie getting slapped on my face, thinking to myself. "you haven't even prayed this morning and yet your on twitter saying #putgodfirst, clearly he's second to you.

Another message i got from the article, was the message that people turn to God in matters that they themselves cannot control. Acts of nature and violence is used as transcendent means of communication. For example, say you hear on the news that a mudslide has just killed 4,000 people in a small village, or a serial killer is killing children and leaving their heads on the parents front step(sorry for the analogy, i just started watching Dexter) your first and customary response would probably be "O MY GOD" or " GOD HELP THEM". If this is the only method of  spiritual connection that is socially accepted, I think we are in trouble. As Joey is frantically pleading to God for him not to get old(an occurrence that he cannot control).

A Christian contradiction

This week in class, we uncover 4 main approaches that theologians and people in religious studies take to studying popular culture.

1. Studying religion in everyday life
2. Studying religion function on popular culture
3. Missiological engagement with popular culture
4. Using the texts and practices of popular culture as material for theological reflection

Im going to focus on how religion is viewed in everyday life. For starters lets use music as a form of popular culture, and its relationship with religion.

Here we have a picture of an artist(Kid Cudi), taking a picture of his "Jesus Piece"(vernacular term for a piece of jewelry that displays jesus's crucifixion). Numerous artist in the music industry have been seen with this item. This has both positive and negative implications for religion. 

A disadvantage of this is that christianity has been essentially reduced to a mere symbolic item. More so, the symbol then becomes detached from its original meaning and inspiration, and other artist and fans now wear the logo as a cultural expression. 

 

On the contrary a positive perspective of this artistic expression is that for the few mainstream artist who manage to keep religious content in their music(rare), this symbolic reference can influence and shape the beliefs of many of their followers.

I think that religion can never find a home in popular culture. Reason being that popular culture is an ever morphing entity, unlike religion which requires a strong sense of stability and who's fundamental principles often cannot be subject to adaptation without infringing on the lines of blasphemy 

Religion requires a sort of attachment or connection. In order to survive, popular culture needs to be able to easily detach from any entity to stay relevant.

KAnYe's Conflict

This post is a discussion of some of the key themes found in rapper/producer/songwriter Kanye West's video "Jesus Walks". Mr. West definitely addresses a lot of controversial topics that have plagued the united states for hundreds of years, but he does so in a manner that forms a paradox for the viewer.

We see themes involving slavery, incarceration, racial tension, and racial stereotypes depicted throughout the video. The overarching theme that Mr. West is addressing is that throughout in every action, and through every individual Jesus is with us at all times. On the surface this video speaks about a very positive message that is inherently woven into the christian faith. The controversy is derived because most of the people that are persecuted in the video, aren't the most angelic characters, and seem to be getting punished for there wrong doing.

In society today, we have accepted certain customs and norms, label good and bad behaviours, and we have given accredited citizens the ability to lay judgment on others. Are we wrong for creating these social institutions?

Another poignant issue which is raised is the privatization of religion in north america. Mr. West agues that it is impossible for such a record, that blatantly celebrates the gospel of christ, to be accepted on a national scale in his genre of music. This has proven to be true because millions of people follow and practice one religion or another and yet we live in such an atmosphere where it is something that is unspoken. Religion is has been forced to be confined in the private sphere, out of respect for others. This leaves a wide arena for everything that goes against the gospel of christ to be displayed on a public platform. In the media today we see, premarital sex, greed and violence being openly celebrated. This has thus spread throughout other cultures, isolating religion as a taboo.