Depictions of Christianity in Films: Saved!

 

After our class last week and our latest discussions about the depictions of Christianity in films and television, I was reminded of a film I had watched a couple years ago, Saved!

Saved! is a teen comedy/drama film from 2004 that was directed by Brian Dannelly and starred Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, and Mary-Louise Parker. The film deals with issues related to religion, particularly Christianity, homophobia and teen pregnancy.

Something I find interesting about the film is that in the beginning the characters that are depicted as the most devout Christians by the end of the film are the characters I sympathized with the least, and the characters who committed actions that go against Christianity-related lifestyle choices, ended up being the characters that were in actuality more Christ-like in their treatment of others.

The film begins with Mary, played by Jena Malone, underwater in her pool as her boyfriend tells her he's gay. She hits her head and sees Jesus who tells her to save him. When she regains consciousness, she thinks to herself, "How could my boyfriend be gay, he's like the best Christian I know." She asks, "Why had he been stricken with such a spiritually toxic affliction?" In an attempt to save him from this 'spiritually toxic affliction,' she decides to have sex with him justifying it as the means to 'save' him and that Jesus would understand as she is doing it to save him from his homosexuality.

Hilary Faye, Mary's friend played by Mandy Moore, and Mary have a talk about spiritually restoring your virginity and how Jesus is able to grant you a virginal heart so that you can be pure again. Mary sleeps with her boyfriend and then prays to Jesus, asking him to restore her emotional and physical virginity in exchange for 'curing' her boyfriend of his homosexuality.

Later on Mary finds out that her boyfriend's parents sent him away to Mercy House, a Christian treatment facility that deals with everything from drug abuse to alcoholism, "de-gayification" and unwed mothers.

At one point, the principal at the Christian school Mary attends, during an assembly refers to Jesus as "the ultimate rebel, the ultimate CEO and the biggest celebrity of them all" --- this really reminded me of our first conversations about Jesus in class. I found his description of how he and his students regard Jesus humorous but at the same time, an interesting way to describe Jesus using modern metaphors.

Anyway, Mary ends up getting pregnant and conceals it from everyone and Hilary Faye organizes a prayer circle for their friends to come together and ask God to rid Mary's boyfriend of his "unnatural perversions and lead him out of darkness." Mary gets offended by this and leaves the prayer circle which upsets Hilary Faye and Hilary Faye throws a Bible at her. Mary hands it back to her telling her that "the Bible is not a weapon." I found this scene really interesting and I was so bothered by Hilary's words and couldn't agree more with Mary that the Bible should never be used as a weapon. I find it really terrible how people often take things from the Bible and use them to classify other people as right or wrong.

There is an obvious parallel between the character Mary and Mary, Jesus' mother, the virgin mother. I found it interesting how the film depicts a teen girl who becomes pregnant as a result of trying to follow her faith believing that Jesus would support her doing so, especially when so often people regard teen pregnancy as going against Christian values.

At the end of the film, Mary says, "Why would God make us all so different if he wanted us to be the same?"--- a sentiment I couldn't have expressed better myself. I really wish people would stop using religion as a way to conform all people and wish people would use it more as a way of creating tolerance, peace, acceptance, and love. 

By the end of the film Mary realizes that getting pregnant was not what Jesus had in mind when suggesting that she help her boyfriend but that she's not the first person to get Jesus' message "screwed up." I really liked how this film deals with faith and the obstacles Christians face when trying to do the right thing as well as trying do the "Christian thing." I liked how by the end of the film you really get the message that the "Christian thing" to do is to treat those around you with acceptance and to not always try to categorize people and their actions as either right or wrong, Christian or Anti-Christian. By the end of the film you really get the sense that the film's title is ironic in that ultimately the only person who can save you is yourself.

A Response to Jessica's Post "Gossip, vanity, sex... reality TV?"

A response to Jessica's entry: Gossip, vanity, sex...reality TV?

Jessica, your entry about MTV and its reality television shows that allow pregnant teenagers to become rising stars is really relevant to what we discussed in class and I really enjoyed reading it. However, having watched 16 and Pregnant myself, I don't think the goal of the show is to promote teen pregnancy, rather, I think its goal is to portray the realities of teen pregnancy. For instance, the topics brought up in the show include the financial aspects involved and whether or not the teen couple has a strong enough relationship to raise a child together. The dynamics of their relationship are highlighted and the show often talks about what happens when one member of the relationship is not mature enough or financially capable of actively participating in raising the baby. There have been episodes that deal with what happens when a teenaged mom decides to give the child up for adoption or to have her parents step in and help raise the child.

In your entry you mention that reality shows like 16 and Pregnant glorify "premarital sexual acts," teach children and adolescents about "sexual behaviours," and have a "profound impact on how people understand life, the world and themselves, especially in regard to their values and their ways of choosing and behaving" -- though I agree with you that reality shows often portray behaviours that are destructive and/or extremely inconsiderate, just as much as seeing these behaviours can influence a younger viewer to engage in them as well, seeing these behaviours also allows younger views to learn how not to behave, and allows them to see the consequences of these actions without having to learn the consequences of such actions firsthand.

Moreover, in your entry you ask "Why are viewers so fascinated with teen pregnancy?" -- this question reminded me about an interview I read about the British television show about young college students, Skins, and how one of the characters in it gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby. In this particular interview, Freya Mavor who plays the character that gets pregnant, says "I think I like that as a road to go down, because you could have gone down the whole 'get an abortion' thing which would have been a big storyline in itself. But it's very rare these days that you hear about young teens who get pregnant and decide to keep the baby - it's quite a powerful and strong thing to decide to do, especially for a character like Mini who's so look-obsessed and queen bee and all this stuff. For her to want to keep the baby, it's quite a bold decision to make." To answer your question, I think viewers are fascinated with teen pregnancy because for a long while it had been a completely taboo topic and if a teen did get pregnant, her family would try to cover it up and often opt for an abortion as the course of action to take. As Freya Mavor noted, keeping the baby as a teenaged mom is quite a bold decision to make--it involves assuming responsibility for the baby and responsibility of the consequences of premarital sex. 

Lastly, in your entry you talk about how the “trivialization of the human body, as presented in social outlets such as advertisements and television series is problematic especially in regards to Christian moral teachings.” Though I agree with you that many of these outlets present behaviours that go against Catholic teachings, I do not agree that these behaviours are presented as acceptable or as normal. For example, 16 and Pregnant often portrays how the pregnant teen’s friends feel about the pregnancy. Often times the friends talk about how unexpected it was, how their parents would be deeply disappointed and angry with them, or how they themselves would not be able to handle a pregnancy at their age. Overall, I think these reality shows that deal with the realities and consequences of teen pregnancy do more of a service than a disservice---they allow young viewers to see the consequences of such actions and help young viewers realize the importance of lifestyle choices and the effect particular choices can have upon their life and the lives of those around them.

A Response to Sandra's Post "The Jonas Brothers and Their Purity Rings"

A response to Sandra's entry: The Jonas Brothers and Their Purity Rings

You make a very good point in your post about how religion portrayed within popular culture can lead to negative biases and stereotypes. I think the ridicule about the Jonas Brothers and their purity rings had more to do with people's skepticism about the Jonas Brothers actually keeping their promise of abstinence to God. Keeping such a promise is almost impossible in an industry that takes childhood/teen stars and rips them of their "clean image" and reinvents them as sex symbols as they depart from their childhood career and begin their adult career.

So many pop stars have made promises or statements about staying virgins only to later present themselves as sex symbols. I'm sure you all remember when Britney Spears first skyrocketed to fame and became the "princess of pop." She claimed to be a virgin and later on she departed from her good girl image and presented herself as a sex symbol with songs like "Slave 4 U," "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman," "Gimme More," "Perfect Lover," and most recently her album, "Femme Fatale." During a performance of her song "Me Against the Music" Britney Spears shared a kiss with Madonna, which was yet another attempt to present her as a sex symbol.

So many celebrities choose sexuality and virginity as their public proclamation of being religious. It gets to the point where people just no longer believe these claims---we all expect that the celebrity will end up recanting their claim and wanting sexual liberation as they reach adulthood. I think it would be more beneficial for celebrities to make public proclamations of other ways of being devout, such as participating in charity, helping those in needs such as the homeless, and other benevolent ways of contributing to society.

And just as we all expected, the Jonas Brothers have ended up abandoning their purity rings. After Joe Jonas started dating actress Ashley Greene in September 2010, numerous gossip mags featured pictures of him no longer wearing his purity ring.

Personally, I think abstinence should be a personal and private matter. There are so many other ways to distinguish yourself as a Christian. There are far more important and influential elements of Christianity other than the lifestyle choice to remain abstinent until marriage.

Jessica Simpson is another example of a popstar whose sexuality began to play a large role in her public success. At first she presented herself as the daughter of a minister who envisioned sex as a sacred and private affair between herself and her husband. When she first entered the pop scene, Jessica Simpson publicly spoke out about being a self-proclaimed virgin. Unlike Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson took her vows of chastity until marriage seriously. Jessica Simpson's religious upbringing had a role in shaping her career in its early stages. She was first signed by a Christian label and performed in youth-conferences for Christian youth. After her very public marriage to Nick Lachey, Jessica Simpson reinvented her image and came out with an album called "In This Skin" that featured songs about losing her virginity and embracing her sexuality such as the song "Sweetest Sin." Since then Jessica Simpson has done numerous videos dancing provocatively in sexy clothing.

I think your point about Lady Gaga not being ridiculed for public identifying herself as a Christian isn't completely true, Lady Gaga has received much ridicule from members of religious groups, particularly from those in the Catholic community, for using Christian imagery in her songs and music videos.

Religious values involve many personal lifestyle choices and I think that no matter how popular one's lifestyle choice may be, there's always going to be people who are offended by it. These lifestyle choices are highly subjective and I think it would be more appropriate for pop stars to keep their lifestyle choices in regard to their sexuality private.

A Response to Rachel V's "A serial killer and God walk into a bar..."

A response to Rachel V's entry:A serial killer and God walk into a bar

 Rachel, I found your entry about Dexter and its relation to the as you noted the "multi-dimensional approaches [of] studying the relationship between Christianity and pop culture," really intriguing and unique.


I find Dexter's reasoning for killing people he perceives as deserving to die due to the torture they've inflicted upon others, an intriguing representation of a moral debate. Moreover, I find the inclusion of Christianity and another serial killer who utilizes Scripture as motivation and justification for his crimes, an interesting addition to a show about a likeable, or as you stated, "loveable" serial killer. I also think Dexter's own internal debate about what to teach his son in regards to religion, very relatable and relevant, as many people struggle with coming to terms with their religious beliefs in today's modern world that is wrought with many influential social forces.

As you noted, many people would find using Christianity in a show like Dexter, which is overflowing with violent, sexual, and corruptible undercurrents, offensive. However, I find including Christianity among these other themes is simply realistic. These other themes are themes that have always occurred throughout history and are important forces that drive some people to respond in opposition of these actions centered upon violence and crime with love, benevolence, and other more 'positive' stances in life.

 I agree with your belief that the inclusion of Christianity among the other, more darker themes in Dexter is an example of how popular culture and religion can be used together in such a way that creates a positive outcome. By portraying the violence and destructive ways of deviant members of society, particular that of serial killers, the show reveals the importance of justice and the importance of asserting positive forms of human nature such as love and kindness, in today's society that is often ridden with evil forces such as crime.


I do not think that it's better to have shows that do not deal with uncanny, dark themes such as violence, as it's best to not sugarcoat the world in our portrayals of it in television shows and films. A more realistic depiction of today's society in television serves a more beneficial function for viewers--- it allows viewers to see the detrimental effects of violence and other destructive human behaviours and gives them the opportunity to reflect on their own behaviour and that of the society they live in.

The Gaga Gospel

In today's lecture we discussed one of the most controversial and iconic pop stars of our time, Lady Gaga, and the music video for her song Bad Romance.

Lady Gaga is not one to shy away from the topics she believes in even if people are offended by her tactics..I'm sure you all remember the meat dress she wore at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2010! There are certain themes that Lady Gaga revisits in all of her music that have become a representation of her image and what she stands for.

Today in class we discussed how Lady Gaga publicly identifies herself as a Christian and a supporter of equal rights for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered community. Lady Gaga has never been one known for subtlety and has caused quite a bit of controversy. Many of her fans view her as the leader of a community governed by love, tolerance, and equality. This Gaga Gospel, if you will, has a massive following of fans of all ages all over the world.

In April Lady Gaga released a song called Judas that is written from the point of view of Mary Magdalene. The music video for Judas is controversial and provocative and has upset some members of the Christian community. It is a video that is overflowing with imagery, and much of the imagery is Christian imagery. The music video begins with Lady Gaga riding a motorcycle alongside a motorcycle gang. She is sitting on the back seat of a motorcycle belonging to a motorcycle rider who seems to be a representation of Jesus, with a golden Crown of Thorns on his head and golden dreads. As the video progresses, it seems to suggest that Lady Gaga is torn between Jesus and Judas, both of whom she loves. She explicitly says in the song that Jesus is her virtue and Judas is the demon she clings to. The video shows her physically struggle with trying to choose between the two.

At one point in the music video she is standing between two men, one representing Jesus, the other representing Judas, while holding a gun, and the video seems to suggest that she must pick between the two. At another point in the video, Lady Gaga is bathing both Jesus and Judas' feet. There seems to be a symbolic use of water in the video in that it seems water is used as an almost cleansing agent.

Some viewers have felt that Lady Gaga's clothing in the video is more accurate to that of Mary (Jesus' mother), particularly the blue veil, than that of Mary Magdalene. In the centre of Lady Gaga's blue outfit there is a large red heart that is striking and impossible to miss. It has been suggested that this heart is meant to represent the Sacred Heart, which in Catholicism is a symbol that represents Jesus' love for all of humanity. The golden lines coming out of the heart are said to represent the light emitted by Jesus and are a symbol of the transformative power of Jesus and his unconditional love and forgiveness. The doctrine of the Gaga Gospel is one built on unconditional love and forgiveness and with this in mind, these qualities seem fitting to that of Jesus'.

It is unarguably quite a bold statement for a pop star to make and it is extremely bold to mix religious themes with provocative, sexual, and at times violent themes. Some find it offensive that Lady Gaga heavily borrows Christian imagery for what some view as mere displays of sexuality and extravagance. Whether or not you're a fan of Lady Gaga, I feel one thing about Lady Gaga must be acknowledged: she always tries to add depth to her songs by creating symbolic and complex situations in her music videos. Although most of the imagery and scenarios in her music videos are used solely for shock value, I appreciate that she tries to mix otherwise overtly sexual lyrics with complex historical themes that are highly identifiable.

Whether or not it is appropriate to include religious symbolism with pop music, in my opinion, comes down to a matter of opinion---appreciation of music and music videos is akin to appreciation of art and films--- it is highly subjective. I certainly find it more artistic to intertwine complex symbolism into what would otherwise be yet another pop song about sex. Lady Gaga's music videos are far more visually complex and engaging than say, Britney Spears' I'm a Slave 4 U, and other pop songs that have no artistry or depth beyond overt sexuality.

 When he comes to me I am ready
I’ll wash his feet with my hair if he needs
Forgive him when his tongue lies through his brain
Even after three times he betrays me

 I couldn’t love a man so purely
Even prophets forgave his crooked way
I’ve learned love is like a brick you can
Build a house or sink a dead body

 In the most Biblical sense,
I am beyond repentance
Fame hooker, prostitute wench, vomits her mind
But in the cultural sense
I just speak in future tense
Judas, kiss me if offenced,
Or wear an ear condom next time
I wanna love you,
But something’s pulling me away from you
Jesus is my virtue,
Judas is the demon I cling to
-- Judas by Lady Gaga

 I'll let you watch the music video and decide for yourself whether Lady Gaga borrowing Christian imagery is offensive or simply an entertaining, integral part of her artistry.