Monday, February 29, 2016

No one watched the Oscars last night




Hey - the Oscars were on last night . . .

Oh, you didn't watch either?

That's weird - almost everyone I know didn't watch it.  In fact it was at an 8-year low.  Down 6% from last year.  Not even the controversy about Hollywood producers and actors not nominating black actors was enough to get people to see what Chris Rock was going to say about it.

Do you know why?

Donald Trump.  He is the sole reason behind this year's ridiculous race to Oscar night.

No, wait, sorry - wrong race.

Actually - there is no reason.  No one really cares.  I mean - look at the movies that won:

Best Picture:  Spotlight.  (A movie about priests abusing children).  Let's go see that!
Actress: Brie Larson.  (A movie about a mother who is abducted for seven years and routinely has intercourse forced on her while her son sleeps in a closet).  "I'll grab the popcorn!"
Actor:  Leo DiCaprio (A movie about someone surviving a bear attack and then getting vicious revenge).  "and at the end his friend floats on a large piece of floating wood watching him drown"
Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander (A movie about a woman's husband who turns into a transgendered woman).  "Now that sounds like a romantic date movie"
Supporting Actor:  Mark Rylance (A movie about defending a Soviet spy in court)  "da - you can't handle the truth."

Wow.  Talk about a series of movies that just make you want to go take a long nap and hope that humanity is not so dark and pathetic when you wake up.  I need some milk and cookies - and maybe I can ask my wife to read me a bedtime story.

Who actually saw these movies?

I did see the one animated winner - Inside Out.  I liked parts of it but it was depressing when Bing Bong vaporizes.  I mean seriously - Disney made a movie in which a childhood toy named Bing Bong vaporizes!!!  What is wrong with us, people?!

Our stories come from within us.  Are we as a people this dreary and depressed?  Perhaps that is why no one cares.  I don't want to see any of these movies - who wants to subject themselves to gore, rape, abuse, hopelessness and despair?

But perhaps I am in the minority.  There must be a reason people finance these movies to begin with.  I am sure millions of people watched and were moved by these films.  But what is it moving us toward?

Is this all we have left when we walk away from faith?

No one watched the Oscars last night.

Hey - the Oscars were on last night . . .

Oh, you didn't watch either?

That's weird - almost everyone I know didn't watch it.  In fact it was at an 8-year low.  Down 6% from last year.  Not even the controversy about Hollywood producers and actors not nominating black actors was enough to get people to see what Chris Rock was going to say about it.

Do you know why?

Donald Trump.  He is the sole reason behind this year's ridiculous race to Oscar night.

No, wait, sorry - wrong race.

Actually - there is no reason.  No one really cares.  I mean - look at the movies that won:

Best Picture:  Spotlight.  (A movie about priests abusing children).  Let's go see that!
Actress: Brie Larson.  (A movie about a mother who is abducted for seven years and routinely has intercourse forced on her while her son sleeps in a closet).  "I'll grab the popcorn!"
Actor:  Leo DiCaprio (A movie about someone surviving a bear attack and then getting vicious revenge).  "and at the end his friend floats on a large piece of floating wood watching him drown"
Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander (A movie about a woman's husband who turns into a transgendered woman).  "Now that sounds like a romantic date movie"
Supporting Actor:  Mark Rylance (A movie about defending a Soviet spy in court)  "da - you can't handle the truth."

Wow.  Talk about a series of movies that just make you want to go take a long nap and hope that humanity is not so dark and pathetic when you wake up.  I need some milk and cookies - and maybe I can ask my wife to read me a bedtime story.

Who actually saw these movies?

I did see the one animated winner - Inside Out.  I liked parts of it but it was depressing when Bing Bong vaporizes.  I mean seriously - Disney made a movie in which a childhood toy named Bing Bong vaporizes!!!  What is wrong with us people?!

Our stories come from within us.  Are we as a people this dreary and depressed?  Perhaps that is why no one cares.  I don't want to see any of these movies - who wants to subject themselves to gore, rape, abuse, hopelessness and despair?

But perhaps I am in the minority.  There must be a reason people finance these movies to begin with.  I am sure millions of people watched and were moved by these films.  But what is it moving us toward?

Is this all we have left when we walk away from faith?

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Do we really believe on a two-way street?




Thank you Jon Stewart!

You said it well  - there is a two way street for standards.  I agree.  I think we all agree.  I am so happy he brings up the idea that supporting one does not mutual exclude the other.  If only we as a culture could support this . . .

Because the two-way street applies when it is doubled on itself.  As a culture we should expect more from citizens - holding them to a higher standard . . . and that is not insensitive to people's socio economic class or race.  You can be deeply caring about the plight of the inner city while expecting those who live there to not break the law as a way of life.  The two are not mutually exclusive.  In fact, only caring and understanding and not calling our fellow citizens to a higher standard is a form of classism.

And it applies to our culture . . .

As a culture we can be deeply touched by Grammy performances by Kendrick Lamar - in chains and in prison - while at the same time wanting to get rid of the cultural elements that glorify being sent to prison in the first place.  It is a two way street - paying homage to the ground-breaking works of NWA but committed to a future in which young people will not resonate with drug-fueled, misogynistic and murderous themes.  It is not moralist to hold our entertainment industry to a higher standard.

And wealth . . .

You can have a great respect for those who lead in industry and capital and grieve over the life choices they make that send them deeper into an often obsessive whirlpool of selfishness.  1% is still a percent - one of us humans.  Corporations  and corporate leaders enable all of us to create a living - we can enjoy the benefits of this partnership while still holding them accountable to their fair share of the burden of an equitable society.  It is a two-way street.

And beliefs . . .

You can disagree with someone and still honor them - the two are not mutually exclusive.  This is an almost-dead idea on social media.  We rally to people who agree with us while mocking and de-friending those who think differently.  We should treasure those who fall outside our perspectives because they see things we don't.

I love Stewart's ideas here.  The real test of the idea, however, is whether it lives and breathes outside of the Police Brutality issue.  Otherwise it is just another issue-driven polemic.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

I'm not kidding Maddi


 And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” - Matthew 22:21



So apparently there is a woman named Maddi who got an email from the Hillary Clinton organization that pressured her to donate to the campaign saying:

"I'm not kidding Maddi, I'm asking you to give $1 - right this second."

You can read the full text here.

In fact if you click on that link you will find a bunch of really funny memes around the subject.  I mean - really funny.  Some are a little tasteless.

That is the business of politics - support, urgency, passion . . . money.

So what is Mrs. Clinton going to do with $1?  Perhaps it will help hide the enormous amounts of money she takes in from the very people she says that she is against (banks, walls street, the 'institutions' etc).

Maybe it will help her to seem as connected as Bernie Sanders (who has the most individual donations among all the candidates).  He just seems more real because of the number of people who want to give him a dollar.  So Clinton is in a race to seem more real.  Which is a weird race to be in.

Who am I kidding - the whole thing is weird.  This is an equal opportunity weird-fest.  You don't have to be Democrat, Republican, Green Party, Independent - whatever.  I love being outside the whole politics thing because you can really appreciate what a mess it all is.

But it is the urgency that got me - I'm not kidding, Maddi.

Kind of like those creepy preachers on TV.  Pushing us to believe.  Pushing us to support them financially (for who knows what).  All of them in an effort to connect with us - to lead us.  Trying their best to appear real.  Just as much to be ignored.

This email and it's connection to slimy TV preachers begging for money is another reason to never put your faith in politics or political leaders (and smarmy televangelists).  Notice how many times Jesus prays to God for political influence.  How many times He makes appointments with Governors.  How many times he pushes out the vote.

Zero.

In fact he asks the question, "who's likeness is this?"  Of course He knew who it was - it was a rhetorical way of pointing out how all too often the political goonery that we get all amped up about is a game.  Those who think they are in power are not.  Those who want to change history become history.

So by all means, vote.  Just remember that the people who really changed the world were often disconnected from those that pretended to run it.


Monday, February 8, 2016

The Cam Newton meltdown was overshadowed by something at halftime . . .

Last night was the Superbowl - an American spectacle - the final game of the season between the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference.  But last night was so much more than that . . .

Some people think it was a game of the old guard defense vs. the new fast-paced offense - it was more than that . . . 

Some tried to make it about the Dab.  The Bronco's defense made that a moot point . . .

There are lots of comments today on social media about the way that Cam Newton threw himself down on the field and then sulked through an interview afterward.

Tempting.

I mean, here is an impressive young man who athletically is able to accomplish so much.  Off the field he is helping to change the lives of young people.  He has so much going for him, but he is inadvertently building the reputation as a showboat and a poor sport.  I know - I have never been in his position.  And yes, I am not a part of his culture - blah, blah, blah.  There is a standard for sportsmanship that we hold athletes to and that is okay to do.  It doesn't mean that I am mean spirited or insensitive for pointing it out.  Next time try to absorb a loss with a little more class.  

Still not the point of the night, however.

Not even Lady Ga-Ga nailing an impressive National Anthem.  Although that was pretty cool - I don't think it bested Whitney's.

It happened in the middle of the Half-Time show, as Coldplay turned their epic "Fix You" into a soppy "We Are The World" (still cringing from this moment - all they needed was a child choir with flowers and flying unicorns from the Beijing Olympic opening ceremonies).  

Nope - the real moment last night was the yawn heard across the country as Beyonce once again made us watch her strut shoulder-heavy into the camera in tights and boots.  I think we may have reached the end of a cycle that I am okay with.  Wind-blown determined looks or sideways bump-n-grind moves that just seemed so blah.  It felt overplayed.  I worried as my 10 year old girl watched, but then I saw in her a kind of shoulder-shrug in response.  I think she figured that is what older ladies do to get attention.


(and this is image is from 3 years ago)

Is it possible that we might eventually move past the unhealthy casting of the male lead fully clothed and in command with women half-naked and needing to demonstrate their worth through attraction?  It looked pretty ho-hum last night.  Maybe it was just the cast that was chosen to play the parts.  The Beyonce thing seemed old.  

I hope it signifies something deeper - that perhaps we are ready for women artists who really sing - not just seduce.  

Thursday, February 4, 2016

My wish for a Superbowl where we don't focus on who is black, white or hispanic.

Superbowls have been for the most part boring games.

I still remember the handful of years watching the Buffalo Bills lose to a different team.  Thank goodness there are parties that surround them - food and conversation to keep the night fun when the game gets lopsided.

Last year was an exciting exception - but I am not sure we can count on that two years in a row . . .

It is kind of assumed that the Panthers are going to steamroll the Broncos, but if this was a close game I don't know who to root for:

- I love how the Panthers give the game ball to kids in the endzone (point to Panthers)

- But I also love Peyton Manning and would love to see him go out on top. (point to Broncos)

- I love seeing Cam Newton and the offense just click so amazingly.  (point to Panthers)

- Not a real big fan of the whole unsportsmanlike-endzone-dance-thing (and the strange association now that this makes me racist because I think this is in poor taste).  (point to Broncos)

It is a shame that this last point is even a part of the conversation.  I mean we are watching people play a game in uniforms - can't we just keep track of Horses or Panthers?  Let's not even see the skin color.  My biggest issue with the Superbowl is that there won't be an Eagle.  Anywhere.

So here is my hope for the game:

* That it is close.
* That Peyton has a great game.
* That we aren't subjected to ridiculous interviewers that ask if race has anything to with it.  Please God, no.  How can we move on from our problems when we slap labels on everything so much?
* That a handful of kids get some footballs - from both teams.


Oh and the Eagles get there . . . someday.

Monday, February 1, 2016

A few things to remember . . .


That people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the 
Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things.  Isaiah 45:6-7



Tonight the voting takes place in Iowa.  People set into motion who becomes our next president.

Just a few things to remember:

1.  God is in control even when we think everything has gone crazy.

The 1st century environment of the early church was just as insane as America seems to be right now.  The ruler of the free world torched his own capital in order to rebuild it.  Sit tight, people - we are going to make it through whatever these nutjobs throw at us.

2.  Some of the best advancements in human understanding come after we really, really blew it.

Like a pendulum, the human psyche goes through crazy periods and then times of great spiritual renewal.  In the early 1900's major cities shut down to study the Bible.  And then of course the same century had Woodstock.  We are fickle people - ride this out.

3.  As much as people like to pretend it, they really aren't in control.

If some crazy person takes over at the top - you don't have to fear.  If your faith tells you that God is the one who is in charge then start acting like it.  Less political conversations and more "hey guess what, there is something more powerful than politics at play here . . ."

4.  If we wind up picking crazy people to lead us, then that means we are crazy.

You might think that dark forces are behind the current events.  The problem is that the majority of the people being polled right now identify as Christian.  Like serious Christian.  So . . . guess what?  We are crazy.  This might be a really good time to look again at the word Christian and see what that means.

5.  The end times.

If we believe that Jesus will return when things get really crazy, then maybe this is just the start of a very interesting era in human history.  No seriously, I don't think this is a sign of the times - but we should be open to sudden script changes if we believe the Bible.  Our faith is loaded with ideas that tell us God is returning someday - and that things will flip upside down.  But it is interesting that it talks about that day of His return as a day in which no one saw it coming.  Which means it will gradually get us there.  

So stay alert.  Stay close to God.  Don't panic - we have the everlasting creator who holds together atoms and spins galaxies.  The next few days are a great opportunity for us to exhibit how our faith guides us - not Fox News.  




Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.  Proverbs 19:21