Christ and Pop Culture

Podcast #27: Christianity Today, Boundless, Sex, and the City

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:14:00 GMT

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

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 youâd 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 youâre at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! Weâll 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!

Podcast #26: I Am [Not Using That Stupid] Iron Man [Cliche]

Thu, 5 Jun 2008 00:11:00 GMT

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 youâd 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 youâre at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! Weâll 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!

Podcast #25: Speaking of Narnia...

Wed, 21 May 2008 17:25:00 GMT

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!

Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While youâre at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! Weâll 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!

Podcast #24: Should Christians Cast Down their (American) Idols?

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:15:00 GMT

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.

Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While youâre at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! Weâll 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!

Podcast #24: Pop Culture's Startling Lack of Restraint - Sexuality and Nudity

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 02:51:00 GMT

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.

Subscribe to us in iTunes by clicking here. While youâre at it, give us some good iTunes feedback! Weâll 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!

Podcast #23: Speaking of Politics

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:10:00 GMT

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 youâre at it, give us some good feedback! Weâll love you forever!

Podcast #22: Pop Culture's Startling Lack of Restraint - Violence

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 01:14:00 GMT

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 youâre at it, give us some good feedback! Weâll love you forever!

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

Podcast #21: Oprah's Big Podcast

deadyetliving@gmail.com — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:42:00 GMT

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

There Will Be Blood

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:42:00 GMT

**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!

The Theology of Fall Out Boy

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 17:51:00 GMT

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.

Nothing to See Here: Christ and Pop Culture's New Site!

Wed, 5 Dec 2007 00:28:00 GMT

That's right, we've moved to christandpopculture.com and we're no longer just a podcast! The podcast will continue weekly, but we'll also be blogging often and will be bringing on even more writers. Go check out the new site, I guarantee you'll like it!

Podcast #18: Virtual Communities

Wed, 5 Dec 2007 00:22:00 GMT

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!

#17: Was American Gangster a Bad Idea?

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:59:00 GMT

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.

Where is all the Good Christian Art?

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:22:00 GMT

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!

<a href="http://www.christandpopculture.com">Nothing to See Here: Christ and Pop Culture's Brand New Site!</a>

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:01:00 GMT

#15: Sniping For Christ?

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:43:00 GMT

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!)

#14: Dumbledore's Coming Out Party

Mon, 5 Nov 2007 20:45:00 GMT

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!

#13: The Little Show of Horrors

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:41:00 GMT

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.

#12: The Dumb Guy Archetype of the 21st Century

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 01:35:00 GMT

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!

These Changing Times

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 02:39:00 GMT

David: We're continuing to make changes to the format of our show and we thought we'd let you all in on the news and updates concerning C & PC and the future.

The "Listener Feedback" show is gone! We will no longer be doing a separate show for listener feedback, but will, instead, be consistently talking about feedback on each episode (so long as we have feedback to talk about...that's your job). Also we have some great new shows coming up, dealing with subjects such as: music, horror films, Virtual Communities, The Pop-Culture "Dumb Guy," Television, and evangelism. We also have more special guests, and were going to be putting out one episode a week consistently. So each Monday be sure to check out the latest edition of Christ and Pop-Culture.

#11: Does the Emporer of "The Kingdom" Have No Clothes?

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:01:00 GMT

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!

#10: Listener Feedback - The Simpsons, Football, Television's Side-Effects, Etc.

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 02:33:00 GMT

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.

Fall Break is for Web Sites Too

Wed, 3 Oct 2007 20:39:00 GMT

Rich: You know, it's funny. You always look forward to fall break and plan all sorts of things you will do and catch up on and have fun with... and then you get scheduled for something ridiculous like 45 hours and you STILL have to catch up on things. So, we figured CAPC can be on fall break too, just until a week from today. We hope you will miss us, because we already miss you!

We have a lot of exciting ideas for the next few shows, and David even got a new microphone that should sound way better, so now he won't sound like he's on the telephone. Also, we have a lot of feedback to get through, so we'll probably be doing a whole show on that.

As for those who have linked us, we'll be thanking you in our next show, and we'll also be blogging a special blog to thank you in the next day or so. We really really appreciate you guys support. It's been so encouraging. You like us. You really like us.

For those of you who don't like us quite yet, it's not too late! You can still get that link and mention on our show if we see you in our referrals before we blog the list.

#9: Football: America's Gladitorial Spectacle?

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:51:00 GMT

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!

A Little Help?

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 21:56:00 GMT

Rich: This week weâre asking anyone who enjoys (or at least listens to) our podcast to give us a mention and/or a link on their own blogs or website. Weâre going to link to everyone we see in our referrals in a special post, and weâll also keep a spot in the sidebar for listener links. Weâre just getting off the ground and I think David would agree when I say this thing is a whole lot more fun when there are people listening that we can interact with. Weâre not looking for fame and fortune (if so, I think this would be a giant waste of time), just a conversation!

#8 - 3:10 to Yuma: A Flawed Hero

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 20:34:00 GMT

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!

How You Can Be on CAPC!

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 01:27:00 GMT

We now have a voicemail box at the following number: 206-202-0507.

#7: One (Incredibly Long and Boring!) Night at the Emmys

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:26:00 GMT

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!

#6: Playing Mario to the Glory of God

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 23:19:00 GMT

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!

#5: Is Jason Bourne the Perfect Action Hero?

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 21:12:00 GMT

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.

CAPC Changes

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:33:00 GMT

Rich: Your brand new full-length episode of Christ and Pop Culture will show up here sometime today, but I wanted to give you fair warning that our 5th episode will be our last "full-length" episode as you know it. After today, full-length will equal 20-30 minutes. Our new schedule will offer two twenty-minute episodes every week.

Hopefully you'll find even more benefit from this new format. As always you can leave any comments in the comment box or email us at christandpopculture@gmail.com.

Minisode 4.2: Listener Feedback

Thu, 6 Sep 2007 22:36:00 GMT

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!

Minisode 4.1: Highlighting Books - Movies that Matter

Sat, 1 Sep 2007 08:15:00 GMT

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: Cartoons For Adults - The Final (Fatal) Frontier?

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 01:23:00 GMT

#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!

We're Experiencing Technical Difficulties, Named Rich

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 20:43:00 GMT

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.

Mini Episode 3.2: The Earth, Live! (For Now)

Thu, 9 Aug 2007 23:26:00 GMT

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.

Mini Episode 3.1: Seven Seven Oh Seven!

christandpopculture@gmail.com — Tue, 7 Aug 2007 14:20:00 GMT

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

In The Meantime

Tue, 7 Aug 2007 02:16:00 GMT

Rich: David and I are just starting to get back into the swing of things, but in the meantime, prepare for a few smaller, more easily consumable episodes of Christ and Pop-Culture. In the meantime, check out The Dane's response to last episode's top five list: His own list, more specifically qualified.

Look for a new podcast tomorrow.

#3: Is Harry Potter the Next Great Christian Classic? (No Spoilers!)

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:06:00 GMT

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!

Stay Tuned (is an awful cliche)

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 21:45:00 GMT

Rich: As you may have guessed, I've been spending most of this weekend reading the last installment of Harry Potter. What that means, is that I was NOT spending it editing the show. This means the show will be a little late this week. Sometime tonight at the earliest, Wednesday night at the latest. You can look forward to lots of Harry Potter related talk, as well as another top five.

Rich Backs Down

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 22:30:00 GMT

Sorry David, I was never one to take dares, and I'm certainly not going to start now. There's no way I could list my top-five favorite movies, with no qualifiers whatsoever. That's just way to much to work with. I'm an extremely forgetful person, so all I would end up doing is listing the Top Five Movies I Can Remember Right Now.

So, here you go, the Top Five Movies I Can Remember Right Now:

1. Prairie Home Companion Altman meets Keillor meets Solomon on his deathbed. Awesome.
2. Thank You For Smoking I really wish that guy wasn't starring in that lame romantic comedy with Catherine Zeta Jones. He's so much better than that.
3. 28 Days Later Seriously, because I totally can't think of much else. 28 Days Later is by far my favorite horror film, so that'll work.
4. Donnie Darko I got it the first time, and it was awesome.
5. Waking Life This was added to the list specifically to make you sorry you asked! Also, it's Linkletter's best ever.

David's Favorite Movies

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 19:49:00 GMT

In lue of the recent podcast on summer blockbusters David posts here his favorite films. A top five movies is hard to pick, but here's what he's come up with:

1) The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (I've counted these movies as one, because they should be. It is, after all, one magnificent story. To make a movie about a classic fantasy is hard, and Peter Jackson certainly had his critics. It is the opinion of this fan, however, that Jackson has achieved a masterpiece with this movie!)

2) Young Frankenstein (This is an American classic! Mel Books does some of his best work with this comic take on the old Frankenstein story. With Gene Wilder as the young Dr. Frankenstien you can't fail to laugh. The humor and the storytelling of this film show Brooks at his best.)

3) Rear Window (Disturbia may be a 21st century attempt at this classic Hitchcock film, but it doesn't compare to the original. Jimmy Stewart does a superb job in this suspense thriller, and Hitchcock is the master of good suspense. Filmmakers today should take their cues from him.)

4) Duck Soup (As masters of both physical comedy and witty insults the Marx Brothers may have earned themselves the title of best comedy of all time!)

5) Casablanca (I know what you're thinking, but it's not a chick-flick, and yes everybody mentions this movie. The reality, however, is that there is a reason everyone talks about it, there's a reason it's a classic: because its good! With class, dynamic character development, and excitement director Michael Curtiz crafts this beautiful story. It's a great movie for movie-lovers, for hopeless romantics, and for guys!)

Its my hope that by posting this I will force Rich to give me his top five favorite movies! Bring it on Rich!

#2: The Summer of Three: Discussing the Big Movies of the Past Few Months

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 01:57:00 GMT

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

And Now...

Fri, 6 Jul 2007 20:11:00 GMT

Well, we've gotten some feedback for our first show and have decided to make some various changes. We hope to make the show shorter and more concise. If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know! Stay tuned for the next, new and improved episode, coming Monday, July 16!

#1 Why Should We Care About Pop-Culture?

christandpopculture@gmail.com — Fri, 6 Jul 2007 01:33:00 GMT

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.