Response Post: Art is wonderful no matter how many times you've Googled it

     I believe Arianna has valid points to her argument that the availability of having artwork viewable online at anytime can take away from the surprise of seeing it in person, yet I do think  that the ability to view such work in the comfort of one's own home is more of a benefit than a disadvantage.

     For many people it is difficult to take off time from work and school to travel extensively. The cost can also be a factor holding some people back. There are so many beautiful works in the world however and while we may never be able to see all of them online or not, it is definitely an aid to be able to view and study them over a computer. If it were not for this easy access we would be lacking in what the world of art has to offer. Not only would many people not be able to see such works, yet so many would be ignored or not even known about.

     Personally, I am grateful for the information I am exposed to because I know that many of these pieces I will never see and while in an ideal situation I could have these works up in my living room (or maybe see them in their habitats), the fact that I can type in "Mona Lisa" into Google and see her in all her glory makes me feel alright about the sad but harsh truth. (Though for the record I have seen the Mona Lisa in reality and she's very popular. It was hard to get near her).

     When it comes to the element of surprise, I have to say that no matter how many times you see something on a computer screen, whether it is a photo or a video if you really desire to see something in person it will be amazing nonetheless. The best example I can give of this is when I saw my favourite band for the first time. I had liked them for about three years and had watched and viewed possibly every photo in existence and made available to the public of them. Despite that they didn't play many shows I always knew I would see them perform live. Call it a delusion or wishful thinking but my interest in them was so great that I could not fathom never seeing them. Finally when the day that I went to their show came and the lead singer walked on stage I was in shock. I didn't think it would hit me so hard but I was awestruck for a few seconds and then I simply enjoyed the music.

     Despite teenage me searching, reading and viewing this band many times, when I had the opportunity to do it in person it was unlike any other experience I previously had in relation to them and their music. It was simply the best, and no amount of Google or Youtube searching took away any of the luster from the experience.

Television can help cultivate a child's mind

     We were given a list of words which were used as metaphors for television in Detweiller and Taylor's article. Many of these words resonated with me as I spent much of my childhood watching television. Most people would think this would be detrimental to a child yet I believe that many of the shows shaped my personality into who I am today. (I am not a carbon copy of Sesame Street, and my idols are not Samurai Pizza Cats if that's what you're thinking). Instead, many of the shows I watched were funny, educational and age appropriate which are all very important factors. From watching shows like Lamb Chop's Play Along and Recess I got my sense of humor, learned right from wrong and attained an imagination that I wouldn't give up for the world.

     Of course my parents and school had a large impact on me as well but these shows gave me something that they couldn't. They were constant companions that I could turn on when the former were not available. Also, I don't think my parents or teachers would have been able to make up daily stories of the adventures to be had by a boy football shaped head in the middle of New York City or what evil forces a beautiful warrior princess had to save the world from. I mean, that would have been tiring!

     The stories I watched and absorbed helped me create my own. My imagination grew and became rich. I could make up stories instantly when we had creative writing assignments and playing with my Barbies turned into three-act plays.

     The negative connotations people attribute to television and children such as it being a replacement baby-sitter, taking away from the responsibility of parents and acting as a sedative are false. If the children are watching the right programs that teach them things it helps their minds flourish which later in life will allow them to create beautiful things. Parents allowing their children to watch the right kids' shows is a healthy and important aspect which will help a child's mind develop to a creative and intelligent adult mind.

Advertising within shows

     Commercials seem redundant to me nowadays. I rarely pay attention to them, instead opting to change the channel when they come and tune back in when the show I was watching returns. If on the rare occasion the remote is too far for me to reach and I do somewhat register the products that are shamelessly trying to be sold to me I laugh at the idea that I would be interested in purchasing Bounty instead of the other leading brand of paper towel because it's quilted and can be use to clean the entire kitchen. First of all, that's gross; I don't want to use one piece of soggy paper towel to clean the spills on my counter, stove top and kitchen table. Secondly, I wouldn't purchase either brand because I buy the no name paper towels that get the job done and are half the cost of the fancy quilted cloud like ones. True, I may not be the target market for this product but when a perfume commercial plays which I definitely am the target for I still feel nothing. In fact, I think it's a little ridiculous how most perfume commercials have nothing to do with the scent of the product and instead feature a celebrity running through a city such as Paris or Barcelona wearing a flowy gown while a male model chases them. This must mean the perfume smells like daffodils!

     Since commercials tend to have a lackluster effect on many people, advertisers have turned to television shows and movies to sell their products. They clearly have a target audience and the resulting products featured in these films and shows are directed at selling to them. I remember even at the young age of eleven when I went to see Josie and the Pussycats in theatres I realized that the entire film was loaded with ads from Target to Coca-Cola. I can't remember if it necessarily made me crave an ice cold coke or beg my parents to take me on a Buffalo shopping trip so I could buy some items at Target but it stuck with me to this day at how crowded the movie seemed due to the product placements.

     The most popular shows today feature advertising. Modern Family, 30 Rock and The Office all do it and while some more subtly than others it's still there and something is definitely trying to be sold to us. Obviously advertisers are paying big bucks to get their products featured and how well the writers ad in the products in completely up to them but viewers are smart and not much gets by them.

     This form of advertising is more effective as it is done within a story line and can add humor, or help move the story along if even in a slight way. It's also not as in your face as commercials tend to be which strongly helps the cause, as a softer approach in marketing is more popular now

     I think that the most important factor in this newer advertising format is to be conscious of it. Advertising is always there even if not always apparent and we are always seen as consumers. If we can be smart about what we choose to purchase and we do so for the right reasons then I believe we, along with the ad agencies are winning.

Women as Jesus and Christ-like figures

     The class in which we spoke about Jesus films and Christ figures was extremely interesting. I am going to be declaring my major next year and I'm planning to choose cinema studies. I enjoy not only watching films but also studying the way in which they were made, the messages they are trying to convey and the way in which viewers interpret those messages. Listening to all the different depictions of Jesus and Christ like figures depicted in films started to worry me. I mean, almost none of those depictions included any women. Kozlovic does mention superheroes and among them Batgirl and Wonderwoman are Christ-like figures. Also written about is the character of Bess in Breaking The Waves, (though her Christ-like mission is controversial as she prostitutes herself in hopes of saving her husband). Lastly, one of the attributes Kozlovic talks about is a Mary Magdalene. She is "a sexually tagged woman who is related to him in some close way, but who does not know how properly to

express her sexuality with him." It seems as though almost all the women who are associated with Jesus or Christ-like figures have one thing in common; their sexuality.

     Why is it that the only way women can have a Christ-like effect is by using their looks or promises of sexual interaction to do good? Do scholars not see women as being able to help others and do good in the way men do? It is surprising to read that men and women are seen so differently and that the main difference is how they can help people. I believe it is putting humanity on the whole many steps back to suggest that women can only aid others with sex and not with their minds or hearts.

     I have mentioned this before, but one of the only films I have seen a Christ-like figure and a God figure represented by women is Kevin Smith's Dogma, where a woman is the descendant of Christ and must save the world without seducing anyone and Alanis Morisette plays God. An additional film (though originally a book) that includes a Christ-like figure who does not have to show off her sexuality is The Davinci Code, where Audrey Tautou is the descendant of Jesus.

     It would be nice to see more women in Christ-like roles. Understandably most of the time it is men featured as such because Jesus was of course, male. Yet his journey and attributes can easily be contributed to a woman who does not have to dangle her sexuality in front of a man to make a difference in the lives of others.

Response Post: Jesus' many looks

   

Eric's post on the different depictions of Jesus were very interesting. It's funny how one man whose story is the same to everyone can look so differently within cultures. I always picture Jesus not as a baby nor wearing a tuxedo t-shirt as some might. I see him as a Caucasian man with long brown hair, brown eyes and a beard. This is probably the most depicted of all Jesus but most certainly not the only one.

From Kozlovic's article I realized that many of the attributes that constitute Jesus' identity are not merely physical aspects. Jesus can be personified within an object as the house which he mentions in Woddy Allen's September and even animals! If they have those qualities about them such as kindness, the want for change and the ability for salvation then anything or anyone can be Christ-like.

Most people don't think of Jesus as a woman, yet Kozlovic mentions numerous films where the female protagonists are very Christ-like. One he doesn't talk about yet I have before is Kevin Smith's film Dogma. He depicts God as a woman, (as played by Alanis Morisette). Even though it isn't Jesus being portrayed, it is still someone very close to him (or her) and the ultimate religious figure which few people would consider female.

In fact, many times a Christ-like figure is depicted in films, books, and even comics. This can strongly shape the way people think of Jesus because of all the allusions made to him via Superheroes, cute animals and even architecture.

In conclusion, Jesus can look like anything you imagine as long as it follows the characteristics that Kozlovic explains and the outcome is always a redeeming one.

Response Post to Kanye West blog: Using God as an escape route

I agree with Riley's post on Kanye West's wayward religious following. Many rappers, not just Kanye, claim to follow the teachings of Christianity and have immense faith in Jesus yet their actions in their everyday lives would tell us a different story.

     How many times have we watched an awards show where when a rapper won they would thank God first and foremost? How many rappers wear chains around their necks with symbols of crosses? It's ironic then when we're invited into their houses while watching MTV cribs and these same celebrities own the most ridiculous and over the top things...have they not heard of the seven deadly sins? All that Vitamin Water in the fridge definitely would fall under "gluttony".

     This does not only happen with rappers however. Country music stars, pop stars, and even rock stars all seem to be ungrateful while claiming to be devoted Christians. (Three examples would be Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears and Kings Of Leon.) All of these celebrities at one point have claimed to be Christians yet all have been connected to negative things such as drugs one time or another.

     One could think that they're just following the religion in their own way as Riley mentioned yet what I believe is really going on is that they're using the idea of religion as a cover up. They believe...or should I say their publicists tell them to say they believe in Christianity to the media so they seem like good, devoted and honest people. While all the artists I mentioned were raised in Christian households and the teachings of the bible were surely ingrained in them at a young age they have clearly changed their ways over time.

     It's also an escape. If they do something such as smoke salvia and are careless enough to get caught doing it on camera (I won't mention any names) they can claim the old "God" excuse. That's where they say that it was a slip up and that really deep down they're good Christians and in the end it doesn't even really matter what we think because only God can judge them. (Maybe they should get that last one tattooed on them and save themselves the time).

     Basically, artists use religion as a safety net. They think they will be forgiven if they claim to have faith and want to make amends for their mistakes because of God. In the end though should they not want to make things right for the fans? After all, it is us buying their albums.

Advertising at a new low: The empty promises of Benny Hinn

     Twitchell's article on advertising within religion was very interesting this week. It made me realize just how much the two go hand in hand. One of the most obvious forms of marketing within religion would have to be Evangelical programs featuring pastors who not only sell products pertaining to their service yet also their ideas.

    A very prevalent idea, especially that of famed Evangelist Benny Hinn is "saving" people from their ailments. Now while it's completely someone's prerogative if they want to preach to people and theirs if they choose to listen, I believe Mr. Hinn goes way out of bounds with his freedoms. He claims to heal people of illnesses yet there have been several reports; including an HBO documentary and a CBC Fifth Estate show detailing his false promises.

     Most of us know by now that we shouldn't believe everything we read or see on television. Ads often "glamorize" their products so people will buy into them. Yet Benny Hinn has been proven to blatantly lie to his devoted followers. According to the CBC report, he refuses seeing people with visible ailments and gets his screeners who find afflicted people to turn those with diseases that render them in wheel chairs or other clear disabilities away. Additionally he has been accused of asking for donations for a $36 million jet and his ministry is not a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, which is an organization that ensures the validity of ministries that qualify for tax-exempt status.

     While marketing in religion isn't a new idea and advertising itself is not always telling the whole truth (and nothing but it) the length of pure fabrication and deceit that someone such as Benny Hinn amounts to makes me think that there should be more stringent laws put against his "services". In the end it will only protect the faithful and would portray the person making the promises as valid if they can deliver them.