Category: Media

Oscars & the Celebrity Culture

  

Last night was the Oscar extravaganza. I see a lot of comments about it on Facebook this morning. That, and other news reports, is how I’ll get my info on what happened. I stopped watching this Hollywood self-congratulation “look-at-us-we’re-stars” self-esteem movement years ago. No, I’m not a film curmudgeon, but there’s enough smugness in the world without spending an entire evening viewing the preening and self-admiration of a largely narcissistic community. Actually, I love movies. My first degree was not… Read more »

Eternal Vigilance . . .

  

A few follow-ups today on topics I’ve mentioned recently. Yesterday I commented on Secretary of State John Kerry’s insistence that global warming is settled science and that anyone who questions it belongs to the Flat Earth Society. Never mind, of course, that no one of learning ever really believed the earth was flat; to point that out would be inappropriate. I came across what I consider to be a fine rejoinder to Kerry’s rather smug assertion: Our modern-day skeptics of… Read more »

The Senate Benghazi Report: Assigning Blame

  

Periodically, the American public needs to be reminded that on September 11, 2012, four Americans—including the ambassador to Libya—were murdered in Benghazi. Investigations into what happened, who was responsible for the lack of security, why the military sent no help, who was involved in the attack, etc., have been ongoing. One of the main problems with getting answers is that the Obama administration has refused to cooperate fully. Some people who were on the ground in Libya and others in… Read more »

A Tale of Competing Scandals

  

So now we have “Bridgegate.” Here are the facts—well, some of them, anyway. The George Washington Bridge, a key connector between Manhattan and New Jersey, and one of the busiest bridges in the country, had a number of its lanes closed a while back, thereby creating a massive traffic jam. The lane closures apparently were politically inspired, payback from some people who work for New Jersey governor Chris Christie for a Democrat mayor’s refusal to endorse Christie’s reelection bid. When… Read more »

Duck Dynasty & Double Standards

  

Last Thursday’s post on Phil Robertson and the Duck Dynasty controversy received more “likes” than any post I’ve ever written. It’s because this whole episode has touched a nerve, particularly in the evangelical community. Ever since President Obama declared his support for homosexual marriage and the Supreme Court refused to uphold the Defense of Marriage Act, our society has begun a mad rush toward Sodom. Now along comes Phil Robertson, who gets to the root of the problem: homosexuality is… Read more »

Duck Dynasty & the Homosexual Controversy

  

I don’t hunt. I don’t fish. Skinning an animal or cleaning fish are not on my bucket list. I don’t concoct ingenious, makeshift contraptions to make things work. I’d make a lousy redneck. Yet I absolutely love Duck Dynasty. I resisted it for over two years, but so many people were referencing it, and I heard that the Robertson family are Christians, so I finally succumbed to watching an episode. I was hooked from the start. The writing is clever,… Read more »

What Movies Ought to Be

  

My first degree was in radio, tv, and film production, and I’ve remained fascinated with these forms of communication even as I’ve moved on to the field of history. Historical settings within movies are of particular interest to me; period pieces are a natural draw. I’ve seen two exceptional movies recently that effectively recreate historical periods while simultaneously communicating a worthwhile message. The Christmas Candle is one of the new genre of Christian-based films that has superior production values along… Read more »