A Pop Culture Manifesto

There is a scene in Lady in the Water that I really love. It's were a kid gets an otherwordly message from reading cereal boxes. I love that scene because I identify with that kid. I feel like I have spent my life looking "cereal boxes" looking for deeper meaning in them. Or, to be more direct, looking at the pop culture I grew up with and trying to find the deeper meaning there.

Most folks say there is no deeper meaning there. It is disposable, trash, not worth looking at. I disagree. There is much to be learned there and much that needs to be seen. And I have spent a lot of time in my life trying to argue this. There are times where I feel like I am beating my head against the wall, especially the walls that exist in the church. Christians seem to have this dichotomy when it comes to pop culture. They argue its trash and it has no meaning, but they consume it in mass amounts.

Something weird about that, I think. Seems like a split personality thing. Continue to be involved pop culture by all means. But, consume with your eyes open, understand what is going on, search for the meaning "under the trash". It is there.

It is why I was thrilled to read Chuck Klosterman's book, Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. This guy has some amazing insights into American pop culture and its meaning. And he does it from the perspective not from a guy who stands "above" it, but as an active participant in it.

I realize this post is random and sorry about that. But, I want to finish with a pop culture moment that just happend. If you have seen it, you will know what I mean. It was at the MTV movie awards hosted by Sarah Silverman (what is it with me that I don't think she is funny at all? I guess I forfeit my hipster status). She was commenting on Paris Hilton going to jail. Paris was in the audience. Fine. But then she goes on to make a horribly awful joke at Paris' expense. The camera showed Paris' reaction. She was obviously pissed.

But, that wasnt the disturbing thing about it. It was the way the room reacted to it. They laughed, cheered and thought it was funny. And the stupid thing is, most of the people in that room had probably kissed Paris' butt at one time or another. It was the ultimate picture of what fame and chasing fame will get you, a broken heart.

Now, I am not a fan of Paris Hilton, but, she is a human being. And as a fellow human being, I just hurt for her. It was awful and was such a great illustration of the brokeness that is in all of us.

A Pop culture moment that you might miss if you were not paying attention. If you want to know where most people live, its there, not in the art galleries, or other institutions of higher culture. If you want to know your neighbor, that is where they live. Continue to go to art galleries, art films, etc. I love all that stuff too. But, don't expect that most people in America live this way and that they will follow you to those places. I think that as believers, we have to learn to bridge "high" culture with "low" culture transforming them both.