TV Guide in the Bible
Ξ May 7th, 2007 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Doctrine, Theology, Christian Living |
Is it just me, or is pride the biggest selling marketing strategy today?
I think Paul was probably reading the TV Guide when he wrote this to Timothy:
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
2 Timothy 3:2-6
{Even that last verse is a prime (time) description of how some women are influenced by TV soap operas and con artists!}
Forget the fact that we are supposed to be proud to be - for the most part - whomever we are - gay, not white, American, environmentalist, vegetarian, meat lover, rebellious, unusual, tattooed, pierced etc… - forget all that. Just look at what predominates in the media all over the place and you will see that pride - overt pride - rules the day.
The thing that twigged me to this was an ad for a new show for Robin Hood (it’s only on the BBC channel, so many of you may not even be aware of it). It bothered me. I wasn’t really sure why, at least not at first. It was a remake of the classic - a respin of the character but still trying to be “true” to the semi-fictional hero. What came across was a stylized, arrogant, flashy, superhuman archer. The promo for it may have even been a little overdone (what, promos overdone?!?!? Say it isn’t so!). You know, the heavy, rhythmic music, the catchy lines that are supposed to define a character in about 2 seconds of airtime, the suspense, and the hero’s neverending pursuit of whatever goal is at hand. You are literally bombarded by information, insinuation, impression and innuendo as your brain attempts to make sense of what is being portrayed. Of course, the overwhelming image left afterwards is one of great excitement as you follow the adventures of someone who is just real enough to be believable but perfect enough not to be. And what’s more, the character’s rarely exhibit any doubts. But then that’s what a promo is supposed to do - tantalize you with something incredibly different.
So after pondering awhile, I realize that what bothered me about it was that I would much rather watch Errol Flynn or, perish the thought, Kevin Costner as Robin Hood because their egos weren’t what defined the characters. Sure, there is certainly some pride involved, but that’s part of humanity. What was different was that the hero’s pride was either exalted or just not played down. There was a time not so long ago that the most enduring and endearing heroes were those that were selfless, humble and even self-effacing (perish the thought!). Instead, today’s heroes are being made to be arrogant self-promoters because the enemy can only be defeated by someone who shows no weakness. And, of course, humility is a weakness.
The thing is, this is not just an isolated thing. More and more we are seeing - in film and on television - the portrayal of the self-involved, egotistical, high-minded rebel as a hero. This, it is thought, is more “realistic”. It gives us a character with flaws but who is also a deliverer of some sort. And we should not be surprised when man is all there is. Without God, someone has to be ruler - and that someone will almost always end up being man.
It isn’t just about superheroes. It isn’t just about advertising. It’s about an undercurrent that must either take men down the path of destruction or in the direction of salvation. There are two roads to take - and they go in opposite directions. In one direction, there is no shame, and so there is no need to repent. There is no need for humility because everything is relative. Good is defined by the situation and expedience directs a man’s actions. The means justify the end. Repentance is a meaningless concept because it means you were wrong (gasp!). And being wrong means you have to acknowledge you AREN’T the measure of all things.
On the other hand, there is a definitive line that divides between right and wrong. It is immovable and does not change with the situation. When men make decisions based on this standard, there are often times when it seems foolish to do so because it does not gain “me” anything. Rather it usually means sacrifice. Because of this, men recognize something higher than themselves and heroes are those that define themselves by this standard and are measured by how well they meet it. Because none do, humility is attractive and repentance necessary. Those who seem to be weak are often the strong because they rest on something greater than themselves.
Even in Hollywood, this used to be the general tenor of a hero. But something happened and entertainment is spiraling out of control. It is a reflection of what men have settled for - the immediate gratification of the flesh as opposed to the delayed fulfillment of self-denial and sacrifice. These virtues no longer apply according to our culture. We have grown up and we are all that there is. We are taught that to gratify our desires is most important because we are the highest order of being - we are, essentially, God. Simple things such as fast access to images (internet, television) and information only serve to reinforce that as we ever seek to further gratify the insatiable lust that is the pride of life and the lust of the eyes. We have lost the understanding of patience, perseverance and humility as a result of our exalting the virtue (even just the entertainment value) of pride.
Those qualities Paul wrote about to Timothy are all elevated in some way or another in much of what passes for TV today. None of us should have any difficulty finding examples on programs - some of which we ourselves watch (and maybe shouldn’t). And they all fall under one category - pride.
I sometimes wonder what would happen if a great number of us just got rid of our televisions and internet connections and were more or less free of the constant “reality” of pride and lust that dwell in the human heart. I wonder if life would actually become “real” again.
