In the beginning, Hollywood discovered that there was a market for serious Christians who would enjoy entertainments based on a more orthodox view of the faith. The prophet Gibson showed them the way. Though he was despised for revealing this unpopular truth, his already significant fame grew and the actor became an icon. And it was good.
Having learned Gibson's truth, the behemoth company Disney did seek to dwell in the promised land and thus became the makers of a film based on a story by an older prophet Lewis. By all accounts from those who have seen the early results, it too was good.
However, it may be the case that all this marketing sometimes goes too far and that may not be good.
I say, Christians need to take our lumps. Commercialization is, in its very essence, an anti-Christian thing, but the alternative is far worse. We regularly deplore the commercialization of Christmas, but without it, the stores have no decorations for the holidays, no carols playing, no signs greeting visitors with reminders of the festivities; and TV has no Christmas-themed commercials or specials- in short, a bland, ordinary (but wintry) marketplace, which is no fun at all.
ReplyDeleteThe key is to remember that Disney has learned something, and perhaps the studios will follow suit. Remember, it's the old studio classic, "The Ten Commandments", that gets replayed every year on TV, not "The Omen".
The commercialization of Christmas is indeed not necessarily a bad thing. I agree.
ReplyDeleteBut I understand that many of the Narnia promotional games for children on cereal boxes include things like helping young Edmund find the Turkish Delight. Why ever would you want to help him find that? Would you want to help someone find a pile of heroin to ingest?
I haven't read any of the books. Is "Turkish Delight" something that appears in the book? Is it something that C.S. Lewis would have approved of? If so, I have no problem with that sort of promotion, unless "Turkish Delight" can only mean heroin.
ReplyDeleteAnd since when did Howie Mandel become a Christian home-schooler?
The Turkish Delight in LWW is enchanted by the White Witch, so that it has the effect that the more you eat, the less you are satisfied and the more you want. She uses this unwholesome desire to trap Edmund into betraying his siblings. So in one sense yes, it is heroin -- but of a spiritual sort.
ReplyDeleteThe regular Turkish Delight probably would have been very much approved for children's consumption by Lewis. (I find it kind of nasty, but my kids like it -- on the other hand, I like Belgian beer, Islay single malt, and Stilton cheese, which they find baffling.) That's the whole point -- the devil doesn't tempt us with things that disgust us.
Sorry, Merrick, I didn't flesh it out enough. In the book, the Turkish Delight is an unhappy temptation that hurts the one who consumes it. Thus, the silliness of having children help a character from the movie find some Turkish Delight to eat!
ReplyDeleteVery astute, HB. Perhaps we need some potato chips called "Grace."
ReplyDelete