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Monday, July 18, 2005
There's no business like show business
 That bastion of anti-truth, the New York Times, has a fascinating article in today's business section (subscription required) about Hollywood's new marketing approaches toward Christians. It's a good read, and I would consider it essential for any believer getting ready to enjoy the new crop of Christian-ese films. Here are some of the best quotes:"We decided to make the next-door neighbor, whose crucifix it is, be hip, young, cool Christians," explained the movie's director, Doug Liman. "It's literally in there for no other reason than I thought, This is cool." ...So this is what the new secularization of Christianity has come to: a niche market for Capitalist production. The only reality worse than reading the schemes of the marketers is the realization that youth groups, families, and even congregations will undoubtedly flock to consume these new customized Christian products. Unaware and (most likely) uninterested in the fact that they have been created for no other reason than to entertain by people who most likely are not Christian and are first and foremost interested in creating a profit. The average Hollywood movie now costs over $100 million to create and market. The Chronicles of Narnia, which is to be marketed directly to Christians, is expected to cost over $180 million, before marketing. It seems likely that this film (the first of the series) will cost a quarter of a billion dollars to produce and market. Which seems to beg the obvious question: wouldn't this money be better spent somewhere else? It is obvious that the producers of this film, Disney, Inc., believe they will make a hefty profit off this movie, and that Christian dollars will play a large role in their take. Disney, of course, is a part of the ABC network which pedals wares like "Desperate Housewives" in prime time. But I digress. While the world is burning and millions die each day of starvation or preventable diseases, Hollywood has finally caught on that Christians have a lot of disposable income. The point of the NYT's article is not that Christians are spreading their influence throughout the country and now God Himself is taking the reigns at Dreamworks Pictures. No, the point of this article is that Christians are ready to start making their influence felt in the marketplace. We have money left over, and we'd like, no we deserve, to be entertained. Just cut out that dirty word, and maybe drop the nudity a bit? Thanks. Here's my $8.50. Let's get some popcorn, hun. In but not of the world?  
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4 Comments:
You're right, this is a high standard. But I am not the one holding us to it. That is between the Lord and each of us individually.
I am just trying to do my part tonkeep Christians from falling further into secularization. Personally I love going to movies, and am looking forward to the Narnia films. But there is a part of me that believes I am sinning by giving my money to these people. This, of course, is life: we do what we don't want to do. We fall short of the Glory.
My point here is just to get you and anyone else who reads this to think about how we are marketed to, as Christians. I strongly believe that Jesus wants all of our pennies accounted for, and he does not want us to be fools. This is a tough issue, and may have no clear answer, but I think it is worth thinking about, and discussing.
Besides, I had the day off. :)
I think you hit the nail on the head: who are we giving our money to? That is fundamental to our lives as Christians, and I am uncomfortable sending God's dollars to hollywood.
It would be great if independent Christian filmmakers were making these films. I am sure there are tons of Christians in Hollywood making movies (and hopefully working on Narnia :)), but the profits are going to the top. That bothers me.
But I'll probably still go see two or three movies this year. Ugh.
I completely agree.
I read a statistic once (which I'm sure was like all other such statistics and completely made up but did have a very good point) that said that if all of the people who call themselves Christians in the US were to tithe and if their churches were to manage that money even marginally well, the AIDS epidemic in Africa would be wiped out, poverty among US residents would be a choice and not a circumstance, and every public school would be overfunded.
Thinking about that made me really upset at the millions of Americans who just throw their money out the window. My husband and I gave away about a quarter of our income last year, and (although some people might not think so) we still lived like kings and were not for want of anything at all. That it is beyond so many to give away just 10% - even just DINKs in our income bracket - just drives me crazy.
I think I've become some kind of weirdo exception though - I have become so picky about where my money goes that unless it's under 30 or above 90 I bike to work in an effort not to give big oil companies my money.
I'm really glad to see that there are other people out there thinking about stuff like this. Sometimes my husband and I feel like we're in a vacuum. Great blog, btw.
I don't think you're a weirdo at all - I wish I rode my bike more often. And I applaud the amount that you give out - especially if the money is going to folks who are really using it for Good (we gave quite a bit to UNICEF last year to help the Darfur crisis, for example).
I actually think there are a lot of folks who give their time and money quite freely. There are probably tons of people who have a hard time wringing out the 10%, but I'd bet there are just as many who are eager to give. At least I hope so.
I personally find it easier to give my time than my money, and my church seems to want more of the time anyway. I think we all have to work out a balance between ourselves and the Lord.
But the less I give to Hollywood the better. :)
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