Don Imus is long gone for the moment for his, in part, racist comments. I wonder if Rush is on the hot seat for his spoof, “Barack, the Magic Negro.” Somehow I doubt it. Here’s a link to an interesting correspondence between a friend of mine and a Barnes & Noble representative whose company sponsors Rush’s show. Barnes & Noble Defends Limbaugh’s “Magic Negro” Song Read more
With the overwhelming popularity of Nintendo’s new console, the Wii, more people are playing video games. From swinging a golf club, hopefully like Tiger Woods, to bowling in full motion, the Wii encourages players to get off the couch. However, the Wii is not the first video game require more player interaction as the popular arcade game Dance Dance Revolution hit home consoles well before the Wii launch. Check out this article on how schools are putting it to use.... Read more
What would you do to ensure the safety of your loved ones? What price would you pay for freedom? Is freedom worth sacrificing your ideals, your religious beliefs, or even your faith itself? These are the questions that Dirty Pretty Things (2001) asks. Directed by Stephen Frears (The Queen) and written by Steven Knight (one of the screenwriters for Amazing Grace interestingly enough), the film is a dark, yet at times comedic, look at immigrants struggling to live and work... Read more
No, this is not an oxymoron. Dr. J. Matthew Sleeth gave a lecture at the Graduate Theological Union last night on how evangelicals are working with environmentalists to reverse global warming. Sleeth, a former emergency room doctor and star of the global warming documentary The Great Warming recently published an acclaimed book entitled Serve God, Save the Planet. Sleeth is a plain-spoken, unapologetic evangelical at the forefront of the most pressing issue in the world today. His comments concerning the... Read more
We can continually talk about the spiritual significance of pop culture entertainment, as we should and will do; however, sometimes it’s necessary to pause for a laugh…for its own sake. While we could draw some “spiritual lessons” from arguably one of this years funniest films, I’ll just encourage you to see it so you can laugh longer and harder than you’ve laughed in quite some time. Nick Frost and Simon Pegg, creators and stars of one of 2004’s most critically... Read more
Here’s an interesting article on a media conference coming up this week in California that further highlights the growing attention to religion and popular culture. Mining for Opportunity in the New Hollywood Read more
The Last King of Scotland will be released on DVD tomorrow. Daniel Skidmore reviews this provocative film. (more…) Read more
In light of all the racist/sexist controversy swirling throughout the sports world over the past two weeks, it is even more important to pause and remember and celebrate a life extraordinarily lived. Jackie Robinson’s life is not only an inspiration, but more importantly, a challenge. Follow the link for more… Happy Jackie Robinson Day. Read more
Of course, this may be a tad bit late, but I don’t know what kind of pop-theology website this would be if I failed to address two bits of heated controversy in the sports world over the past two weeks. The first obviously has to do with radio talk show personality Don Imus and his comments about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team and the second is NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s suspension of Adam “Pacman” Jones and Chris Henry. Fair... Read more
On the way home from Easter service just a moment ago, I heard a second great sermon on the radio. One of San Francisco’s better radio stations, KFOG, sounded as if it were playing some Easter-themed music on their Accoustic Sunrise set. We caught a new song by Sarah McLachlan called “Ordinary Miracle,” and this fantastic folk song by Hugh Blumenfeld called “Long Haired Radical Socialist Jew.” Keep reading for the lyrics. (more…) Read more
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