Rich and Ben discuss not only the controversies surrounding the now infamous first person shooter, Modern Warfare 2, they also discuss the industry context in which the game is designed, published and marketed and how that should inform our decision making and thought process towards games like these. Plus, we share our top 5 dangers inherent in interacting with Popular Culture! Note: Forgive the lack of intro music, and any other rough edges. We are experimenting with a new recording/editing technique, and it's been tougher than we thought.

This week, Ben and Rich discuss Where the Wild Things are, and why it makes a better film for children, grown-ups, and everyone in between. Plus, a short discussion about the emergent church.

Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

Okay, so we don't know anything about Westerns, and couldn't pull off talking about them in any helpful way. Instead, we spend 30 minutes talking about our relative Michael Moore related articles, as well as how the experience of watching Capitalism: A Love Story in the theater actually went.

Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

By now, everyone knows about David Letterman's recent confessions, but not everyone agrees on just how aggravated we should be by the whole thing. Ben and Rich discuss this, plus pop-culture's emphasis on community, and reality television's exploitation of the uncool.

Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This week, Ben and Rich take on the subject of science fiction. What (if anything) makes science fiction more interesting than other genres? What does biblical science fiction look like? What can we learn from science fiction and what should we watch out for? Also, we count down our top five science fiction book and video games! Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

The Pop Culture 180 experiment was a week devoted to giving up our most loved media activities (reading/playing video games) for less appreciated activities (social networking/reading). In our last chapter of the Pop Culture 180, Ben and I Rich commiserate and debate the experiment, touching on what we learned, the ways the experiment changed us, and things we love and hate about the mediums we devoted ourselves to for a week. (program note: please forgive Ben's low volume and quality. We'll have that fixed next week.) Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

It's no secret that a significant number of people have lost their faith in our President. But why? And is this something we should be happy about? Ben and Rich discuss this, plus list their top 5 reasons they love politics. Also, we read your letters from the Sports Dilemma podcast!

Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

At the tail end of baseball season and the beginning of football season, for many Americans, the fall air doesn't remind us of anything to do with farming or natural events as much as it reminds us of the sports calendar. I don't know about you, but around here it's starting to feel like football. Starting this weekend, men will begin spending an incredible amount of time watching their favorite games and making judgment calls about who should be playing, who they should cheer for, and just how angry they should be about their favorite team's loss. Believe it or not, Ben and I will be joining in on this ritual, so we thought we'd discuss the myriad of issues inherent in these past-times.

But wait, there's more! In the last 10-15 minutes of the show, Ben and I discuss a series we'll be publishing next week that we're calling the Pop Culture 180. Listen to find out what it is, or wait until tomorrow to read an update on the site with all the specifics.

Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

We assume that by now you've either seen District 9 or decided not to. District 9 crept up on all of us, suddenly becoming the must-see film of the summer, primarily as an antidote to the glut of really bad films that had discouraged so many film-goers over the summer. So what was so popular about this film? I've already addressed this to an extent, but in this podcast we explore the movie even more, touching on the satire, the action, the flaws and the violence.

Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: We were both relieved to get back to a normal show that didn't last just under an hour this week, so we spent our time talking about some fun things that are happening in pop culture! Like what? Sotomayor's confirmation, Splosion Man's Twisted Vision, and Into the Wild's lesson on community. All worthy topics. But just in case anyone thought "You know, theyjust don't do enough Top 5s anymore," you're crazy. But yeah, we did do a top five for you anyway: Top Five Movies We Like that Everyone Else Like Too.

Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: We continue our arbitrary hallmark celebration with a few more top fives and a whole lot of listener feedback! This time we get a bit more personal: Top 5 Reasons we Love Writing and Podcasting for CaPC, Top 5 Old Things, and a co-operative Top 5 Reasons to Care About Pop Culture.

Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: In an effort to celebrate an arbirtary hallmark, we figured we'd countdown our top 5 bunches of things, an idea that ended up taking a REALLY LONG TIME and requiring two parts - the first of which is something like 50 minutes - to do so. In this part you can look forward to hearing our top 5 Movies we Watch Over and Over Again, English Novels, and Movie Moments. Good times. Also, stay tuned to the end for our first ever blooper segment. (I keep my promises, Ben) Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: This week we talk about Revolutionary Road and the all-to-common (especially in Hollywood films) suburban existential crisis. Then, we discuss our online identities, whether it's okay to put pictures of your baby online, and more. Good fun! Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clickinghere. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: We almost didn't want to talk about Michael Jackson's death this week. So many people have repeated one another's thoughts over and over, and the news has over-reported the story to the point that I'm pretty sure most of you groaned at the subject for the week. In fact, I'm impressed you're even reading this. We tried hard, though, to discuss the subject with a little bit of objectivity. We took a step back from the situation, saw what others were saying, and we spent most of our time discussing the way Christians should respond to a situation like this. We think you'll find the conversation both maddening and refreshing. Would you want it any other way? In addition to that, we discuss the recent trend of politicians cheating on their wives. Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clickinghere. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: Rich and Ben discuss the ways the use of Twitter affected the Iran revolution, and apply the same principles to something more close to home (literally). It was hard for them to ignore the Southern Baptist Convention this past week, since they both went to the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Rich works there, and they both go to a Southern Baptist Church. Did I mention it was held in Louisville, KY this year? That's where they live! But even if you don't know much about the SBC, you'll at least find some help in their talking about how twitter changes the dynamics of these big events. In addittion to that, Ben and Rich discuss more trivial things: Letterman versus Palin and Jon versus Kate. Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clickinghere. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: Whether or not you ever get bored during the summer, you're going to benefit from the discussion Ben and Rich have about how to handle the various lifestyle differences that result from summer. Plus, we discuss the value of old stuff, and whether or not Christians should support Proposition 8. Lots of fun surprises lie within. Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: If you play video games, know someone who does play video games, or simply live amongst a people who play video games (have I covered everyone?), you'll want to listen to this discussion, in which we discuss some of the announcements at E3 and how they will change the way we play and think about video games. Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clickinghere. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: Here are some questions: Is it possible someone actually likes Terminator Salvation? Is there a spiritual benefit to watching "dark" films? Is Twittering in church really a good idea? Should we feel guilty about having fun? These questions have one thing in common: we try to answer them! If that doesn't make you want to listen, how about our Top 5 Worst Ideas for a Twitter Update? Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clickinghere. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: Ben and Rich marvel at the ethical complexities intermingled with pure stupidity that results when television enters the realm of Summer. Topics discussed include the obligatory "Elephant in the Room," (Jon and Kate), how to approach summer television shows (if at all!), reality shows, the Moment of Truth, So You Think You Can Dance, and More! Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clickinghere. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: The elephant in the room this week is Obama's speech at Notre Dame in which he attempted to take a moderate stance on an extreme practice. Ben and Rich weren't too thrilled, and they talk about why exactly. Also, they discuss the ways people tend to think about vacation and how they should think about vacation. Try not to feel too guilty. Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clickinghere. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: Rich and Ben kick off the summer by introducing CaPC's Summer of Pop-Culture, answering some listener mail, discussing the nature of summer blockbusters, and listing our top 5 favorite and least favorite summer movies. If you like hype, you'll love this! If you hate hype, you'll love this! Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clickinghere. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: Rich and Ben cautiously address the elephant, er, um, pig in the room as well as discuss recent articles on the Christ and Pop Culture web site, including the Gospel Coalition Conference and relevance, whether capitalism is where it's at, and more discussion about choice in games. Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clickinghere. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: Rich and Ben take a week off from talking about articles and instead spend time talking about Miss California's recent act of courage/mishap (depends on who you ask) at the Miss America pageant. But they don't stop there. They dig deeper, and talk about how Christians should go about making a stand for our faith in our culture. You don't want to miss this one. Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clickinghere. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: Rich and Ben address Susan Boyle's sudden rise to stardom, the appeal (and lack of appeal) of Sliders, and the cultural effects of the iPod. They also have a strong disagreement over the nature of Facebook. Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: After a week off, Rich and Ben are back together again. Even with Rich being sick and no gummy worms this time, they manage to have discussions about Rachel Getting Married, Fallout 3 and choice in video games, and how to choose what geeky television we should watch! Also, they count down their Top 5 Video Game Moral Quandries! Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, review us in iTunes! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: Those of you expecting another fight are out of luck. But you will hear the exciting conclusion to the Ben versus Rich epic! Hint: mud-wrestling. Also, we discuss NBC's Kings, casual video-game Peggle, and the death of print. Also, we list our Top 5 Favorite Pop Culture Sources! Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: Ben and Rich have a varied conversation. The Elephant in the Room this week is March Madness, which Ben and Rich discuss congenially. That all changes once the discussion of the past week's articles begins. Ben and Rich discuss (but mostly debate) Rainn Wilson's SoulPancake.com, Barack Obama's position on stem cell research, and U2's celebrity status. Believe the hype: Ben and Rich Throw Down in an Epic Battle for the Minds of their Listeners!.. By which we mean, there's lots of awkward pauses and interupting. Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: Ben and Rich set out to discuss a lot more, but end up spending the whole podcast talking about the debate between Jon Stewart and Jim Kramer. Mainly we touch upon the validity of The Daily Show, the nature of satire, and the folly of CNBC. Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! We’ll love you forever!

This Week: After starting off with a delicious gummy worm and most of Ben's cream soda, Rich kicks off a discussion about the games, books and music that CaPC is looking forward to in 2009. Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! We’ll love you forever!

Ben and Rich discuss the things Christ and Pop Culture writers are (or were) looking forward to in 2009, including: Dollhouse, The Oscars, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, the truth about Obama, The Soul of the Republican Party, and Local Politics. Something for everyone!

This Week: Ben and Rich run through the things that Christ and Pop Culture said they were most looking forward to in the coming year and share their own thoughts. Lots of talk about the Christian's challenge in this economy, Harry Potter (we know you can't get enough), and Watchmen. ---------------------------- Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! We’ll love you forever!

This week: Ben shrugs at the latest political scandal while Rich wants to know what it all means, they both lament the latest Christian copy-cat products, and Rich explains with a series of rants his reasoning for abandoning the Wii and embracing the Xbox 360. Posts Discussed in this episode: Sunday School Musical: Why do Christians Do This? Why I Made the Switch Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! We’ll love you forever!

This week: Rich and Ben discuss an unlikely, but surprisingly imperative subject: Beyonce. Listen to hear why you should even care. Also, "Brighten the Corner Where You Are," Facebook, and death on Black Friday. Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! We’ll love you forever!

This week: Rich and Ben take the gloves off and go head to head! Duels commence over the following topics: how Christians should celebrate Christmas, Twilight, and Redemptive themes in film. (SPOILER: They are still friends in the end.) Posts discussed in this show: The “Twilight” Movie: Redefining “Natural” by Means of the Supernatural Robert Downey Jr., Walk the Line, and the Problem of Redemptive Themes Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! We’ll love you forever!

Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. This week: Rich and Ben discuss the cultural phenomenon known as Black Friday, argue over a canceled TV show as metaphor for Romans 7, and discuss the implications of living in an iPod Culture. -------------------------------- We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com, or go to our contact page. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! We’ll love you forever!

Every week, Richard Clark and Ben Bartlett sit back and discuss the posts of the previous week on Christ and Pop Culture, acknowledge and respond to the big issues in popular culture, and give a sneak peak at the week ahead. This week: The new Bond movie, The Secret Life of Bees Bible Study, losing an election, and Heroes. --------------------------------- We love feedback! If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com or best yet you can leave a voice-mail at 206-350-8475 (seriously this time. It works now). We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! We’ll love you forever!

Ben Bartlett and Richard Clark return triumphantly with an in depth discussion about pop culture's nihilistic tendencies, which attempting to avoid talking too in depth about the philosophy of nihilism itself. It turns out, nihilism is all over the place in popular culture, and it may not be such a bad thing. Tune in and find out why! Plus, Richard and Ben give really lame reasons for not having done a podcast in forever and they also count down their Top 5 Nihilistic Moments in Popular Culture. You don't want to miss this! Then again, what's the point? ------------------------------ We love feedback. If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com or best yet you can leave a voice-mail at 206-350-8475 (seriously this time. It works now). We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now! Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! We’ll love you forever! The music in this episode is by SoberMinded and awesome rap duo featuring our own writer and co-founder,Alan Noble. Check them out!

Over the past few weeks, a discussion has been taking place in the Christian blogosphere. Here's how it went:

• Christianity Today published a review of Sex and the City.
• Christianity Today got lots of feedback.
• Christianity Today defended their review.
• Ted Slater of Boundless.org (a website of Focus on the Family) accuses Christianity Today of "Relishing Sexual Perversion."
• Everyone else picks a side.

Other noteworthy links: Jeffery Overstreet posts a long defense of the review. On the Boundless Podcast, Tim Slater discusses the issue. Tim Slater from Boundless clarifies his Open Letter. Jeffery Overstreet responds to Tim Slater's clarification.

We didn't really want to pick a side, so we blogged an aside which generated quite a bit of discussion. And today we publish a podcast in which Ben and I... well, we don't really pick sides.

In this episode, we discuss why Christianity Today was right, why Boundless was wrong, why Christianity Today was wrong, and why Boundless was right. If it all sounds a bit confusing, wait until you hear us try to say it in audible words!

Also, we count down our top 5 guidelines Christians should use when deciding whether to see a film. Combine the two lists, and you'll never see a film, ever! Guaranteed!

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We love feedback. If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com.

Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! We’ll love you forever!

The music in this episode is by SoberMinded and awesome rap duo featuring our own writer and co-founder, Alan Noble. Check them out!

The hype has calmed down a bit for Iron Man, one of the most wildly successful movies of the summer so far, which makes this a perfect time to sit back and have an in-depth discussion about what many assume to be a morally neutral action film. Is it? Or is it something more? Listen as Ben and Rich discuss that, plus our top 5 Sci-Fi Elements.

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We love feedback. If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com or best yet you can leave a voice-mail at 206-888-2471. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now!

Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! We’ll love you forever!

The music in this episode is by SoberMinded and awesome rap duo featuring our own writer and co-founder, Alan Noble. Check them out!

After having seen the latest installment in the Narnia series, Ben and Rich have a round-up discussion about its merits as a movie, as an adaptation of the book and as a spiritual allegory. They also count down their top 5 Stories that Sparked Our Imagination! You don't want to miss it!

We love feedback. If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com or best yet you can leave a voice-mail at 206-888-2471. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now!

Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! We’ll love you forever!

The music in this episode is by SoberMinded and awesome rap duo featuring our own writer and co-founder, Alan Noble. Check them out!

About three weeks ago, Ben and I sat down and discussed American Idol, including the morality of American Idol's infamous audition episodes, whether or not Christians should embrace and support Idol Gives Back, and more. Also, we give out our Christ and Pop Culture Awards for Voting Shows.

We love feedback. If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com or best yet you can leave a voice-mail at 206-888-2471. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now!

Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! We’ll love you forever!

The music in this episode is by SoberMinded and awesome rap duo featuring our own writer and co-founder, Alan Noble. Check them out!

If there's one thing that most of us can agree on, it's that popular culture has gone too far in the area of sexuality. For the sake of freedom of speech, showing off beauty, and putting to use "what God gave ya'", men and women have bared it all. And we all know what this is really all about.

So where do we draw the line? How far should they go, and how much of it can we take? If you thought the last episode was awkward, wait until you hear Rich and Ben attempting to discuss Pop Culture's Startling Lack of Restraint: Sexuality and Nudity.

Also, we offer up our Top 3 Best Love Stories and our Top 3 Worst Love Stories.

We love feedback. If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com or best yet you can leave a voice-mail at 206-888-2471. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now!

Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! We’ll love you forever!

The music in this episode is by SoberMinded and awesome rap duo featuring our own writer and co-founder, Alan Noble. Check them out!

We all have something to say about the upcoming presidential election and all of the issues surrounding it. The problem is, we don't all know what we're talking about. In this episode of Christ and Pop Culture (which features possible the most awkward opening to the podcast yet!), Ben and I talk about the best way for Christians to engage in political discussion. The debates will only heat up in the future, so this one's important!

Also, we count down out Top Five Craziest Things Heard in a Political Conversation, and debut brand new music from Soberminded.

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Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good feedback! We’ll love you forever!

We love feedback. If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com or best yet you can leave a voice-mail at 206-888-2471. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now!

From the Roman Coliseum to present day film, Christians have struggled with the question of violent entertainment. What can we see, and how should we think about violence? Ben and Rich discuss these questions, answer some listener feedback, and give out the first ever Christ and Pop Culture Awards in the area of violence. You'll love it!

Note: There are some graphic descriptions of violent content in this podcast. You should probably just know that.
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Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While you’re at it, give us some good feedback! We’ll love you forever!

We love feedback. If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com or best yet you can leave a voice-mail at 206-888-2471. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now!

The music in this episode is by SoberMinded and awesome rap band featuring our own writer, Alan Noble. Check them out!

Oprah has become a true force in American pop culture, and her talk show is just the beginning. Oprah has her own magazine, cable channel, and as of Sunday her own prime time network television show. Of course, none of that is nearly as valuable or important as the influence she has on a good percentage of Americans. Forget the presidential race, Oprah is our real president.

Is this really such a bad thing? How did it end up like this? How should Christians respond to such a phenomenon? In this episode of Christ and Pop Culture, Ben and Rich discuss these questions and more.

Plus, they count down their "Top 5 Ways Oprah Touched My Life."

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We love feedback. If you’d like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com or best yet you can leave a voice-mail at 206-888-2471. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now!

The music in this episode is by SoberMinded and awesome rap band featuring our own writer, Alan Noble. Check them out!

**WARNING** THIS PODCAST HAS SPOILERS.

The Christ and Pop Culture Podcast is back. This week, we introduce our new host, Ben Bartlett, a long-time listener and writer for the Christ and Pop Culture Website.

After that, we discuss There Will be Blood. With tons of critical success, you'd think this film would be perfect. So why do so many regular people hate it? Is it worth sitting through the whole thing? And does P. T. Anderson had Christians?

We'll discuss these questions, plus list our Top Five Depressing Movies in this twentieth episode of Christ and Pop Culture!

We love feedback. If you'd like to respond you can comment on the website, send an email to christandpopculture@gmail.com or best yet you can leave a voice-mail at 206-888-2471. We would love to respond to feedback on the show, so do it now!

MTV isn't really known for profound thought about life, death, God and philosophy, but Fall Out Boy has brought those concepts to the braindead masses. In this episode, David and Rich discuss the implications of such a surprisingly profound band, and also share their top 5 most profound rock songs.

The concept of spending time with and getting to know people is as old as humanity, but recently that concept has been turned on its head. All of a sudden, it is claimed, we have the ability to relate to one another without even being in the same country. With the advent of various communication devices, most notably the internet and its accompanying breakthroughs, the concept of "virtual community" has become a commonly acceptable notion.

But is it really possible to have quality time, make friends, build relationships or fall in love over the internet? And if not, what is all of this good for, anyway? We'll address these questions, plus list our top five "virtual communities" in today's episode of the Christ and Pop Culture Podcast!

THIS IS NOT THE REAL SITE. CLICK HERE TO GO TO CHRISTANDPOPCULTURE.COM

Ridley Scott's newest film, American Gangster stars a cold-blooded killer who is also a hip, likable, Robin Hood, family man type played by everyone's favorite actor, Denzel Washington. He kills and beats numerous people in the movie, and most of the time it turns out pretty well for him.

The "good" guy in the movie, played by Russell Crowe - who's know to throw phones at random people's heads - is by contrast a horrible father and husband, kind of a loser, and not very suave. Also he wears really bad shirts.

So is this film really such a good idea? Listen and find out.

Look around and you probably don't see a lot of Christian art. Walk into a Christian bookstore, and you probably don't see a lot of good art. Look... well, anywhere and you probably won't see a lot of good Christian art. So is there such a thing?

We have good news and bad news:

The good news is that Christian art is possible (remember the Rennaissance?) and that it's becoming more common all the time.

The bad news is that it's kind of hard to find. And by that we mean it's not really at your local theater, and it's probably not in the Billboard Top 40. MTV isn't all about it.

You have to look for it.

In this episode, we get you started, discussing the nature of Christian art, what makes it good, and listing our Top 5 Examples of Good Christian Art.

But we know we didn't cover it all. Want to add (or subtract) something to the conversation? Just comment below, email us (at christandpopculture@gmail.com), or leave a voicemail at 206-333-0211. We'd be especially interested in hearing your own top fives!

These days, churches use all sorts of things to aid in evangelism. Movie nights, Super-bowl parties, and yes, even Halo 3. Recently Owen Strachan posted on his blog about this growing video-game evangelism trend. We liked what he had to say so much, we thought we'd have him on the show to talk about it.

Owen is a soon-to-be graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is also an assistant to Dr. Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also just a really really smart guy with a heart for ministry.

All three of us also count down our Top (Bottom?) Five Misguided Uses of Pop Culture! You don't want to miss that!
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We would love to hear your top five. Maybe it will include us! Send that or any other questions or comments to christandpopculture@gmail.com. Or you can leave a comment below. Even better, you can leave us a voicemail at 206-333-0211. (Note: some of you may have left voicemails at the old number recently. We're sorry, we never got them. That number has expired and is no longer used. Please call and leave your message at this number. Thanks!)

It goes without saying that without Harry Potter there would be no show. What else would David have to bring up every single episode - relentlessly - without bringing up Rich's brilliant (Or misguided?) claim that Harry Potter was a Christ figure?

Well, J. K. Rowling is clearly messing with our heads. A few weeks ago, she announced to the world, "I always thought of Dumbledore as gay."

Okay... this is a good time for some awkward silence, and maybe a meticulous hindsight 20/20 montage...

Now that we're done with that, what now? How do we respond to this as Christians who see homosexuality as sin? Can we still read this to our kids? Should we just give up altogether and acknowledge that we will never discover another Chronicles of Narnia? Is modern Children's literature a lost cause?

We answer some of those questions on this episode of Christ and Pop Culture!
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Want to respond? Leave a message at 206-202-0507, email us at christandpopculture@gmail.com, or leave a comment below!

With Halloween upon us, everyone will be itching to be frightened, and these days movies are just a bit more popular than the haunted house. Of course, this used to mean suspense, ghosts, maybe a murderer on the loose. But now, for some reason, it means staring at unlimited amounts of blood and gore for 90 minutes. These things don't scare, so much as they shock.

So what has become of us? Why do we crave such exhibitions, and what will happen if we indulge ourselves? We discuss these issues, plus we count down our top five terrifying films.

In this show David and Rich discuss the current cultural emphasis on the idiocy of men. Also, they list their Top Five Stupid Films. Enjoy!

Remember back in the day, when Rich and David used to disagree on things? Man, those were the days. Fortunately, those days are back, and now Rich and David are convinced that the other is completely wrong! It makes for spirited conversation, and an interesting show!

This time around, David and I saw a movie called the Kingdom. How was it? It was fun and meaningful! Or it was boring and overly pretentious! Or it depends on who you ask!

We got a lot of good feedback, so we figured we should probably devote a show to it. Enjoy!

Also, a special thanks to the following, who were kind enough to link to our podcast:

Nowheresville
Scott
The Thoughts of Bezalel

We've also added a permanent link section for anyone who has linked to us.

Rich: When David told me he would be out of town last weekend, we both agreed that it was the perfect time to talk about sports. Though we are both college football fans (Me: Auburn/Florida/Louisville; David: Ohio State/Ohio State/Ohio State), we aren't really all that knowledgeable about the subject. And yet, no other aspect of pop-culture evokes the sort of passion and devotion as sports, and more specifically American football.

We decided our first-ever guest host needed to be someone who was passionate about football, but even more passionate about Christ. We found that person in Keith Goad, an elder at our church and a Ph.D. student at our school. He played in high school and has been a fan ever since. In today's episode, Keith breaks down the season for us, defends his sport, addresses the scandals, and more.

Want to respond? Leave a message at 206-202-0507, email us at christandpopculture@gmail.com, or leave a comment below!

We recorded our show on action heroes not realizing that we were about to come face to face with one of the greatest action movies we've seen in a long time. After David and I saw 3:10 to Yuma, we were pretty stunned. It was one of the most well-made, unique and unlikely movies we'd seen in a long time, and after chewing on it for a while, we decided we just had to talk about it.

What makes a good Western? What makes a good villain? What's the true nature of bravery? Yeah, we cover all that, plus we read some viewer mail from our Action Hero show.

Sure, if you really wanted you could email us (christandpopculture@gmail.com) or leave a comment, but even better than that, you can leave a voice mail at 206-202-0507 and you just might end up on our show!

This past Sunday, the world watched as Hollywood commended itself for producing such brilliant television, and at the same time acknowledged that it really doesn't put out brilliant television. So what's the deal? How good is television, really? And what do the winners of the Emmys say about, well, anything?

This episode, David and Rich attempt to answer this question, and they also try their hardest to come up with five new Fall television shows they kind of want to watch. It's harder than you think.

Let us know what you think by emailing us at christandpopculture@gmail.com or by commenting below!

On a dark, cold night in December, Rich and his wife camped outside of Best Buy on a whim. After braving the cold for eight hours (and you better believe his wife got the sleeping back), they left the store with a Wii... and it was totally worth it.

Or was it? If the iPhone is overrated, is the Wii the truly revolutionary invention of the decade? Can a video game truly embrace community, or are the two concepts mutually exclusive?

Well, David's skeptical. And so are you. But in this episode of Christ and Pop Culture, Rich tries to explain the lure of such a machine, and explains how it's made his life just a little bit more fulfilling.
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Show Notes:
Next week we begin our consistent, more structured version of CAPC. Twice a week we'll put out episodes that are hopefully more up-to-date and beneficial.

Show topics to look forward to: The Emmys, 3:10 to Yuma, and more!

These days, a good action movie is hard to come by. The high cost and risk inherent in this genre means that the film studios must be convinced (more than usual) of a film's success before they take a chance. This means most of the action films we see are long-lasting franchises which do well time after time. The Bourne series, though it seems new, has become one of those series.

And so, now that Jason Bourne has entered into the same cannon as Indiana Jones and John McClane (and I'm sure on that point many will cry blasphemy), we turn to ask just why he has become so popular. What is it about Jason Bourne - and what was it about Jones and Mclane - that makes us weep when they weep and rejoice when they rejoice?

In this episode, we discuss this issue and we also share our own Top Five Action Heroes.
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Show notes:
This is our last really stinkin' long show. The rest will be 20-30 minutes and will come out twice a week. So look forward to that!

The article by Owen we mentioned can be found here.

This episode we respond to those of you who wrote feedback! Listeners address the existence of decent Three-quals, the true meaning of the Shrek series, the merits (or lack thereof) of Pilgrims Progress, the Christian merits (or lack thereof) of Harry Potter, their top fives, and more!

If you want us to respond to your comments on the air, just email us at christandpopculture@gmail.com or leave a comment below!

What makes a good movie review? Are movies just conversation starters, or something more?

Well, David read a book. In this book, Richard Leonard attempts to look at various movies through the eyes of faith. Does he succeed? Well, David has an opinion, and we discuss that and the answers to the questions above. Don't miss it, and don't forget to check back Thursday for another episode of Christ and Pop Culture!

#4:The Simpsons movie was a true cultural event, captivating the nation and causing Christians to ask a number of searching questions: Should I take my kids? Should I go myself? Should I laugh at every joke?

Nonetheless, the concept of adult cartoons (and consequently the Simpsons) is old hat these days. The cartoon is seen as yet another neutral genre against which we can display a worldview that may or may not inspire faith.

But you may be surprised to find out that the truly important questions have yet to be asked by most Christians: what affects does this medium have on its' message?

We discuss this issue, as well as the Simpsons Movie in this podcast, and we finish off with a countdown of our Top Five Kid-Appropriate Cartoons.

The hiatus has been worth it. THIS is Christ And Pop-Culture!

I am sorry to report that Rich has not completed the editing for this weeks podcast yet. He's on top of it though, and hard at work! I suppose I can't really blame Rich, because I don't really know anything about editing these podcasts or I could help out. He's sort of on his own until he trains me.

In any case the podcast should be up online sometime in the next day or two. Our subject is "Adult-Oriented Cartoons," that is shows like The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Family Guy, etc. Hear our thoughts and our Top Five Cartoons we wouldn't object to our kids watching.

And be sure to send us any feedback you have for our upcoming Listern Feedback Show. You can do that by e-mailing us at christandpopculture@gmail.com or by leaving us a comment on this website.

Don't worry, David and Rich don't claim to know anything about global warming, but they do discuss the cultural impact that Al Gore has had on the typical American. They also argue over why exactly Live Earth was pretty much a big failure.

It's 12 minutes long, and wonderful!

Any feedback is welcome! Just leave a comment at our website or email christandpopculture@gmail.com.

On July 7, 2007 many people chose to get married. Why? And what does this say about our view of marriage?

Rich:
David and I sat down on the 16th of July, one week before the last book came out and one week after having seen the fifth movie, and I did what very few have the guts to do: I made a prediction concerning the end of the book, based solely on a "pet theory". Was I right? Well, that's for you to find out, when you listen to the latest episode of Christ and Culture!

This time, we discuss not only what's going to happen in the next book, but also whether or not the series can be called "great," a "classic," "Christian," or all of the above!

Also on the show, we discuss the fifth movie, and give our top five books we'd read to our children, or encourage our children to read (other than Harry Potter of course).

We hope you enjoy this show, because it'll likely be the last one for a couple weeks. David and I are taking some time off. I'm leaving for vacation for a couple weeks, and David has a new baby, which I figure is a reason to take a break for a while. Look out for smaller episodes on single-issues in the meantime, and look for a new episode sometime in August!

And remember, you can always send your feedback to christandpopculture@gmail.com (or just leave a comment). Maybe we'll read your email on the air!

In this episode, we attempt to get the summer movies out of our system by discussing a number of big summer movies:

*Does anything happen at all in Spiderman Three?
*Should Shrek 3 even exist?
*What on earth happened with Pirates of the Caribbean 3?
*Why did Live Free or Die Hard cause Rich to have a moral crisis?
*What's really wrong with Michael Moore's Sicko (and it doesn't have anything to do with insurance)?
*Why is Transformers a dangerous movie for Christians?

Also, we talk about the upcoming format change for the podcast!

Please let us know what you think by emailing us at christandpopculture [at] gmail.com

Pop-Culture permeates all of our lives. It influences the way people speak, think, and how the view the world around them. As Christians we know that Christ and the gospel are to dominate our lives, but we do live in this world of pop-culture. All this begs the question, "How should Christians interact with the pop-culture around them?"

Rich and David, in their first podcast, ask this question and pose some answers. What is pop-culture, why should Christians care about it, and how should they interact with it are all on the table for discussion.

Besides this main topic the two will also be talking about two new blockbuster films: 1408, and Evan Almighty as well as counting down our Top Five Favorite Moments in Pop Culture History.

We welcome feedback and would love to address some of it on the podcast. Please send any comments, questions, etc. to christandpopculture@gmail.com.