Sunstone: Smith-Petit Lecture

Dinner with Bork, Genie, Big and Little Bean, Genie's dad and two of his grad students at Mazza, which I love. Especially their chicken with eggplant dish! Then, off to Sunstone.

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Hmmm ... the first time that I've ever heard "Saturday's Warrior" as an opening song. Even more startling wasArdean Watts as the chorister. I think he stopped the music about three times, demanding and cajoling the audience to sing with more verve and feeling.
Mark Pinsky ~
Secular media incorporating more religious themes, driven by capitalism
Christian media trying to create effective alternative

Evangelical Protestants:
concerned w/hypersexualized and violent elements in pop culture
don’t want children to participate in it, but also don't want to marginalize
children from good experiences that their peers are having. Also don't want
to make it more appealing (forbidden fruit)
create viable, alternative culture.
Bonus: preserve constituency, and create vehicle to propagate message.
Secular media:
marketability of Christianity
Incorporation brings in lost constituency, also reached secular (mainline
protestants)
Left Behind series … pulp fiction based on Revelations
Publishing is incremental and low risk, can lead to serious discussions with
light-hearted settings
Oliver North (yes, I was momentarily confused on this one): thrillers with
low key Christian themes and characters
Bonneville books
The DaVinci Code
Harlequin Christian romances
Movies:
Signs w/M. Gibson
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Chronicles of Narnia
Dutcher films
Veggie Tales
The Spitfire Grill
Evangelicas don't have enough product to replace mainline media
What to do?
Christian websites that prescreen movies
Edited films – ruled down by courts
Okay to use software to edit, but not for company to edit and sell
Financial battle … ie: films sold to airlines or edited for tv
Financial impediments to making Christian films/tv (not incremental like books
… all costs all up-front)
Luther (w/Raffe Feines?)
Gospel of John
Quality, low budget films, costing $2 million … but need good talent
(writing and acting)
Major Hollywood Studios paying attention?
Highway to heaven, Touched by an angel, 7th heaven
Producers now salting Christian values, etc into mainline, primetime shows
(instead of making whole new series)
Like the Gay character, the Christian character becoming a staple?
Mostly, but not all, Good. Problematic
Big Love: regular vs polygamous characters, interactions
Christian music vs lyrics
Music can also be incremental and inexpensive
Public Christian rock stations – raise money like public radio
Computer Christian video games – no sex and less violence, salvation by works?
‘I don’t participate in “that” kind … I have my own’
Theme parks (in Florida, with creationist, etc themes?) with interactive games
Is this sincere hunger for spirituality? Or dumbing down of religious discourse,
and capitalistic drive?
Spiritainment? (Left Behind people).
Ressurection: Sony and Tim Lehey
Veggie Tales return to big screen, backed by Universal Studios
Sony hired consultants to “sell” DaVinci Code to Evangelicals, who mobilized
to leverage and use film as messenger for Evangelical values
My musings: increased visibility of mormons in reality tv. It started with that girl on The Real World, who ended up getting the boot from BYU because she cohabitated with guys. Ashley del Grasso from Dancing With The Stars. And the slew of LDS dancers on So You Think You Can Dance, two of whom made it to the finals. Incredible mobilization of members to watch and call in votes. Also, Greg Whitely's documentary, New York Doll.