True Fiction vs. False Reality

As you are all aware, we are living in the age of reality television. It is one of the most popular forms of entertainment today. Millions of people tune in each week to watch their favorite "reality stars" either contend in increasingly Machiavellian competitions and/or get into fights with one another. I am not necessarily bringing this subject up to condemn all such programming, but simply to observe the way it can sometimes affect us.

When done well, art (specifically film and TV) can change us. It can make us think, bring us closer to one another or to God, or simply help us empathize with people we could have never imagined. Great art utilizes all the tools of character and conflict to put a spotlight on human interaction. Great art creates believable, interesting characters that we can see ourselves in. We can look at Harry Potter or Tony Soprano or Cinderella and put ourselves in their shoes. Whether they are heroes or villains we can recognize their hopes, dreams, and personality traits and identify with them. These characters not only reveal the humanity of the viewer but that of the artist as well. Great artists want to share stories that elevate us or challenge us to examine ourselves.

I place this in contrast to much of reality TV. Networks love these shows because they are quickly and cheaply produced. They are cranked out one after another but often feature nothing more than temporary entertainment. The process is backwards, in a sense. These shows feature "real" people in "real" situations, but these situations are still staged and edited for television. Since all entertainment is based on conflict, the show creators must strip away the slow and boring parts, creating false tension and reducing three-dimensional people into one-dimensional heroes and villains in the process.

At this point you're probably asking: "I THOUGHT THIS WAS A CHURCH BLOG! WHAT THE HECK DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH JESUS?" Well, everything. The art and entertainment we consume affects our heart. It affects our view of God's people and creation.

Let's look at a recent example: John & Kate Plus 8. Unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably aware of who they are. According to various news reports, Jon and Kate Gosselin (admitted Christ-followers both) are having marital difficulties. It's all over the place: on TV, the internet, and in print media. And to make matters more complicated, people are taking sides in this very personal conflict.

I feel that as Christians we must step up and be examples. We must recognize the situation and pray for the parties involved. (Question: How often do we pray for famous people?) We must realize that we don't have all the answers to take sides, nor do we need to. After all, we are only seeing one (or several) days' worth hugs, kisses, spats, and slaps boiled down to a single episode. We are getting news from tabloid reports concerned not with the welfare of the relationship, but with selling more issues. We need to be careful with our judgements.

I'm not trying to blog about this from a self-righteous standpoint. I'm as guilty as anyone. I gossip every day, often without even being aware of it. But Jesus has put this on my heart recently. I feel we should look to art to help encourage and improve us, and use our newly-found empathy and love to help the broken-hearted and disillusioned.

Instead, the combination of fast technology and short attention spans have made it easier for us to pass judgement and condemnation in quick glances without realizing the results. Again, it is not my intention nor my place to condemn a whole section of American culture. I just fell that art and entertainment reveal a lot about the condition of our hearts, and it's important to guard them carefully.