Hey everyone! Sorry my previous posts have been so few and far between! Every time I start a new topic, I end up deciding not to finish it, think I have a better topic, or just plain forgetting about it and starting a new one, rinsing and repeating.
I figure I need to start posting again to make up for lost weeks that I haven’t written anything to turn in for my College Writing Journal. I lost 4 pages of a story I was writing recently, so this is something I need to stay on top of.
The topic today is one that I’ve discussed with people several times, and may be one of my more debatable opinions -- why I think that entertainment is more influential than politics.
First, my views on politics. I, personally, consider myself to be a conservative independent, but more and more I dislike attaching labels like “conservative” onto my beliefs. I stand for what I stand for, and my views on government, economics, gay rights, abortion, and all those other issues are all based on what I think of the issue -- not what those I associate myself with say. I am a Christ-follower first and foremost.
That being said, there are people who attach themselves to political parties and alignments, and I do not think it’s wrong for them to do so. Nor am I trying to imply that all members of a given party think the same way or have the same opinions. There are just assumptions one gives to those party labels I do not, personally, want. But the labels exist, and people are given them.
Now, regardless of your political beliefs, ask yourself what you would do if you heard that a famous politician you disagreed with was going to be in your town. Either you wouldn’t bother going -- you don’t care to hear what he has to say, or you would go, but take everything he says with a grain of salt (I know my readers though, and I know that some people might go with an open mind -- and the more credit to them, but that’s not the norm). People try to avoid political speeches they disagree with.
Now think of the TV shows or books you watch regularly. Do you honestly agree with the ideas in the show? Have you ever been influenced or challenged by an idea in a movie you disagreed with? I know that I, personally, am a fan of the TV show House, though there is virtually nothing in the show I agree with, it’s funny and interesting to watch. Some of my favorite shows, such as Star Trek, Stargate, and Psych, also have ideas and morals behind them I often find myself disagreeing with, and I know a lot of my friends who have the same view. People will watch a show or read a book they like, even if they disagree with everything about it.
Imagine, then, the power the entertainers of the world have. Obama can get his followers support and explain his ideas to them, and the people who end up fighting for or against it are the ones who try and stay politically informed and involved. James Cameron can make a movie about the evils of imperialism and the military, and over 2 million people will watch it in theaters, and even more when it comes out on DVD. Even if we disagree with it, we are exposed to the idea, and affected by it.
The entertainment media, then, has a power to either manipulate us or inform us, just like politicians, only they face the reality that those who listen will not only be those who already more or less agree, but rather those who are interested in the movie’s plot and characters. I think this is something a lot of Christians can overlook in their ministry, and now so many of us fight for political issues that we’ve practically turned our faith into a political party of its own, when almost no one who doesn’t agree with us is willing to listen.
This is a big part of the reason why I am pursuing a career in cinema. I would like to communicate my values, my beliefs, and even my faith to the rest of the world, but I would like to do it in a way that they would still be willing to listen even if they ultimately disagree.
So what do you all think? Agree? Disagree? Anything to add? I look forward to reading comments.
YBIC
-Caleb
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