Okay, this is probably going to offend someone...maybe it should. I don't know, but I had a thought this morning...
What is the DEALIO with Christian women being so excited and enthralled with "Sex and the City" and "Desperate Housewives" and (this one's going to hurt) "Grey's Anatomy"?
Ouch. This is gonna come back and bite me, I'm pretty sure.
I have lately seen an overwhelming excitement over the new "Sex and the City" movie. I have never watched even one episode of any of the above shows, so I have NO IDEA if they are as trashy as I suppose them to be. So, I am talking without knowing; I realize that. And, I am not above watching something ungodly--I probably do more than I should anyway--just so you know, I am not any better, and I realize that too.
But, here's the thought I had this morning:
If a woman says she watches one of these kinds of shows for the story/romance and not for the sexy fantasy/attractive men, isn't that like a man saying he looks at Playboy for the articles?
Just a thought.
I hope it doesn't come back and bite you! I have wondered that a lot about Sex and the City in particular, actually. I've never seen the tv show but I ended up at the first movie with a group of girls here and I HATED it. It was so over-sexual and I felt so disgusting and embarrassed that I was watching the movie. Then I have girlfriends who rave over it and they are christian girls which is what perplexes me the most.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do like Desperate Housewives and refused it for years but there is FAR less sexual content in it than on Grey's and it's very clever and funny. I stopped watching Grey's early on, it just disgusted me.
It's a tough topic these days it seems to me. I tend more toward prudeness in my perspective. But not so much prude as aware. I'm more of an old-soul on this topic, I've found. But I feel kinda alone on it much of the time so it's nice to hear you pose the question too. To clarify, I don't feel like people are all "bad and living in sin" for liking and watching these things but I just think so much of it is really unhelpful and not beneficial.
Which brings me to another point I heard recently about christian romance novels and how they are guised as "christian" but so much of the time they create a very unrealistic version of men and romance and really mess with women's expectations and in the end create a lot of disappointment in their current or future relationships.
Hey Amanda:
ReplyDeleteI'm like you-hope I'm not getting into trouble here, but I feel (and have for some time felt) the precise same way. Good to read a girl say these things, as I genuinely have wondered about this precise parallel.
Again, like you, I've never watched episode one of the show nor seen either of the movies, but just from what I've been able to glean from the ads for the franchise (which is as official a glimpse as any as to how the franchise ought be perceived, I would think) and the talk of its fans, it seems to me stuff that I'd want to have nothing whatsoever to do with and would certainly question the same for any godly girl I was interested in. (A lot of it, to be frank, has seemed to be specific stuff I thought we Christian people were supposed to FLEE!)
That's always been more a 'I need to ask a girl I respect about this' question for me than 'I most assuredly feel this way about this' judgment, however.
And boy-not to get into details... but I chased after a gal in seminary who was BIG into 'Grey's Anatomy' who was, well, how to say it... not terribly realistic or stable emotionally.
I've always had a bad taste in my mouth re: that show since then and have been glad that I didn't contort myself into something that particular girl would have approved. (I mean... she tended to QUOTE that show to me... urrrgh...)
So, thanks to Crangela and you, Amanda, both, for some enlightenment here. I really mean it.
I agree. I think we don't realize how we're sacrificing our ideals with the gradual and subtle (sometimes not so subtle) messages in these type shows. There just aren't many shows with clever writing and stories that don't also throw in things that we're all supposed to just accept and embrace, like bisexual relationships, or open marriages. The message in shows, news, media, etc., is that Christianity is unacceptable. It seems to be a trend among many in the church, like we have to apologize for being believers, because we don't embrace every lifestyle and look the other way. The church has done some stupid things in isolating the world too, don't get me wrong. But, we can't stay strong in who we are if we don't guard our hearts and minds, and be wary of what we expose ourselves to. Our need to be entertained is such a hindrance to enjoying real life sometimes. I'm guilty as charged, but I'm also growing in my awareness that Hollywood entertainment does not give me much growth as a person.
ReplyDeleteThis is a topic that our house church has discussed...the media we allow into our eyes, minds and hearts...I have seen AN episode of Sex in the City....one word...EEEWWW! I've never seen their movies and don't plan on it either.
ReplyDeleteI'm not gonna lie...I used to watch Desperate Houswives and it just got plain cookey...I had to Stop.
On to the major confession...I DO watch Grey's Anatomy...I do like the story lines almost as much as I love me some McDreamy & McSteamy! LOL...lately they have lightened up on the sex content and went straight to the interesting story lines...HELLO..the Finale was CRAZY and pretty much sex free...I could do without the Homosexual story line that almost every show on t.v. has decided to adopt...but yes...it's one show, that I, a Christian woman, have not cut out of my life...I really do enjoy it! I know you don't judge me and I don't feel judged or condemned. I think each person is different and certain medias affect people differently...on physical & spiritual levels...we each need to pay attention to how those things affect us and reconsider if we should continue watching or not.
Great discussion ladies! :-)
preach. i feel like women have adopted a convenient double standard when it comes to issues like this.
ReplyDeleteHmm, I must admit that I was quite turned off of Sex and the City 2, like really? It appears that Kerry is once again messing up a relationship with the person she thought was the one and so on and so on. I have watched several episodes of the show, on TBS mind you where the sex is almost completely cut out. When I watched the first movie I was horrified by the graphic sex, but I do think that the show does represent unconditional love very well. These women love each other despite their flaws, and they all have them very openly. The most sad thing in that show is the overwhelming sense that a woman without a man is just a lonely cocktail dress at a bar. This is not good for our hearts. I won't be watching the second one! I don't watch either of the other ones offered, but it's hardly fair at all to condemn certain shows. House, 30 Rock, The Office, even American Idol and Dancing with the Stars on and on and on are all proponents of sin. Sex, money, drugs, greed, etc. Television is secular! Unless...you want to just watch reruns of 7th Heaven (even that got a little out of hand) or Benny Hinn on TBN. It seems like a pretty clear thing that Sex and the City is a worse show for a Christian to watch than American Idol, but sweet Louise the word "Idol" is in it for goodness sake! I don't think God sees any of it in those shades of gray that we so easily create for ourselves, but thankfully He's merciful! I'm not offended at all btw, because I am fairly certain that the plank is firmly stuck in my eye according to my DVR list!
ReplyDeleteLove it! Agree with every word:) never seen any of them and never had a desire to.
ReplyDeleteAND congrats about being pregnant!!!!!! So happy for you!
Just to reiterate: I am not exempt from the dirtiness of tv because I don't watch these shows in particular. The shows I have are just as questionable. This was merely standing out to me as the craze over the new SATC movie was premiering. Some shows are very blatant in their advertising--and we are often too weak-minded and weak-willed to turn our heads. These shows are just examples of what KTAment called women's "convenient double-standard." a new thought I had was this: if it would bother me that my husband was watching this, then what right do I have to watch it? Just more thinking...good discussion.
ReplyDeleteThis IS a wonderful discussion. It really resonates in my heart with - as Anjanette writes - guarding my heart and my eyes. Some can say, "I'm strong enough that it doesn't affect me." Others can claim they are post-modern and looking for the beauty and truth of God in it all. But where do we draw the line? Of course, this is rhetorical. It's different for everyone and thank God for the Holy Spirit to guide us.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that SATC turns me off, as does Desperate Housewives. I used to watch Grey's (Alecia knows!) but when the overtly-homosexual themes started showing up, I cut it out. That's where I drew the line.
It's not always cool to be a Christian, but now that I'm in my thirties, I'm starting to be ok with not being cool. I wear tennis shoes (not work-appropriate or cute shoes) to walk to work, people! I stopped being cool when I moved to D.C. ;) God works in mysterious ways.