I finally got around to watching this “mock-umentary” a few weeks ago, and while there were a handful of amusing moments, on the whole, I found its tone, posture, and premise to be much more ridiculous than the “religious simpletons” that Bill Maher makes into easy targets.
The fundamental mistake that Maher makes is genre. He mixes equal parts satire, documentary, and ardent agnosticism into this film, and what comes out of this haphazard concoction is an aimless, preachy attempt at social commentary that in the end shows Bill to be the ass that he is. (more…)
With the Deadly Viper controversy now in full swing (and a public statement from the authors/publisher forthcoming), I’ve been both encouraged and frustrated by the “dialogue” that is happening on numerous sites, blogs, forums, and so forth. On one hand, if there’s anything I’ve learned from numerous encounters of the digital kind, it’s that genuine communication is very difficult through web media; it’s inherent limitations can be debilitating (not to mention all the weird posturing that happens through online anonymity). But on the other hand, the technology exists and is certainly being used, so why not make the best of it and hope for actual exchanges that could cumulatively work towards engaging in civil discourse? (more…)
Maybe I’ve just had a long day, or perhaps I’ve had one too many race conversations in the last week, but whatever it is, I’m really not feeling the love for Zondervan right now, and I’m especially perturbed by this ridiculous book that shamelessly exploits pseudo-Asian “kung-fu-karate-ninja-chinaman” stereotypes to push a marketing agenda- and it’s all Christian, of course!
Now in fairness to the authors (ignorant as they appear to be of the offensive nature of the book), I realize this exploitation is not intentional (oh, it hardly ever is), and that there’s surely good intentions in the content of the book. But you know what they say about good intentions (how can this be put delicately?)- the path to hell is paved with them. (more…)
Even though we didn’t let him eat any of the candy, Jonas really enjoyed his first Halloween trick-or-treating experience. How often do you get to wear a turtle suit and walk around collecting free candy?
Chris is both mom and Mandarin tutor, and here she’s going through Jonas’ growing vocabulary, which mostly includes family members, animals, and vehicles at this point. You know, just the important stuff. (more…)
Filed under: culture, just news, justice, politics, sexuality | Tags: Referendum 71
It’s interesting to me that in a place as “progressive” and “free-thinking” as Seattle, there is still a considerable amount of controversy and indecision over Washington State’s Referendum 71, which would re-confirm the expansion of domestic partnership rights to equal those of marriage.
You know you’ve caught the nation’s attention when Colbert Nation starts making fun of Washington state. Though predictable in his sarcasm, Colbert is hilarious, and in the spirit of the Daily Show, his observations are both comedic and cutting. This is news satire at its best. (more…)
Filed under: global, just news, justice, life and death, media | Tags: One Day's Wages
Sometimes I regret my habitual tendency to check the news at the beginning of my day. I suppose it’s an entirely normal routine, given the information saturation of our society, but in many ways, browsing stories like this one just reinforces my desensitization to violence and global disparities.
While it’s good to be reminded of the ordinary people caught up in these terrible circumstances, doesn’t it also seem at least somewhat unfortunate that part of our “normal” existence in the West is to compartmentalize and insulate ourselves from the harsh realities of our global neighbors? We may want to care, but we’ve been socially conditioned into a million justifications that free us from accountability. And we certainly don’t see ourselves as complicit, so why bother? (more…)
As I wrote about the urban context in my dissertation this week, the irony in the process struck me as I was explaining the significance of the street corner through the lyrics of Common’s “The Corner,” a tribute to the corner’s place in urban life. Translating into academic terms (for Christians, no less) what most any kid in the ghetto innately understands seems silly, but there it is. Meanwhile, I also came across this classic Black Star track, “Respiration,” which continues the urban poetry.
Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann has said on numerous occasions that one of the primary roles of the prophets was that of the public poet. If poetry does indeed have the capacity to convey prophetic language, then these urban lyricists are street prophets in the truest sense. (more…)
