The artifact I chose for my second cultural artifact post was People Magazine. It is a weekly American magazine that focuses on human interest related to pop culture. Personally, I find it to just be the lastest and greatest drama of the television, movie, and fashion industry. But needless to say, every week it captivates the attention of numerous amounts of Americans standing in the grocery store check-out isles.
The focus of the People magazine I read was on the Television show The Bachelor. This is a show in which 25 young American females get the opportunity to simultaneously date a young American “hottie” in search for true love. The magazine focused on all the backstage drama happening amongst the women on the show in their fight to win their “bachelor”. The magazine also talked about several celebrity romances and the gossip behind their romance, marital bliss, and also reasons for their breakups. Like The Bachelor as well as the other romances, I think the magazine really just gives a clear view of how the empire expresses what true love is supposed to look like: physical attraction and good sex. This was made obvious by numerous other parts of the magazine which had numerous weight loss ads, girls in bikinis, parties, latest fashion styles, nude guys advertising cologne, etc. The list could go on as every page I flipped to offered some form of attraction toward the opposite sex. I have read People Magazine before and found it to be highly entertaining, but after this class I just found it to be very repulsive. The way our society so crudely falls into promiscuity, lust, and outward appearance directly counteracts the Kingdom of God. It’s sad to see that our culture is so strongly influenced by evil and what’s important to man rather than the redemption and will of God in His kingdom and this magazine just made that all the more clear for me.
1. How as Christians how can we go against the strong pulls of our society in order to represent Christ?
2. In what ways are we allowing ourselves to get involved in the “physical attraction” of our empire?
Ali, I found your post to be very interesting and encouraging. It is great to know that you have realized a magazine like "People Magazine", goes against everything the Kingdom wants us to know, and for everything the Empire wants us to think. In response to your first discussion question, I would respond that we should try our best to avoid the negative elements of pop culture, no matter how hard it may be. It may mean that you might have to stop watching your favorite shows or favorite magazines, but in the end, you will be more equipped to fight what the Empire is trying to make you believe. In response to your second question, I would say we should look at people through Jesus's eyes , not the world's. We should remember we are all beautiful in God's eyes and that's all that really matters.
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Good observations, Ali! You're pointing to the commodified sexuality that Walsh and Keesmaat address in Colossians Remixed. When we've commodified every other area of culture, can we be surprised when our relationships also end up being presented to us as merely additional consumer choices?
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