Here’s the latest from the crossroads of faith, media & culture: 01/13/25
Mel Gibson reflects on the impact of The Passion of the Christ. The Hollywood superstar, who was among those who lost a home in the tragic LA fires (a horrible occurrence I wouldn’t wish on anyone) became an industry pariah when he tackled the greatest story ever told in 2004. After talking with podcaster Joe Rogan about the impact the film had on the faith of star Jim Caviezel, he speaks of what his effort to find a distributor for the film revealed about Hollywood’s attitude toward Christianity. Note: Earlier it appeared that video had been pulled which I actually headlined previously – but as of now it appears to be up again, so here it is.
IMHO: Gibson’s challenge in finding distribution for his movie reveals the huge disconnect between Hollywood’s connected and the audience they claim to serve. It’s not that every movie has to be The Passion of the Christ but there’s certainly a huge audience for films about faith and a simple respect for the beliefs of Christians by so-called mainstream media would be nice.
A good (and, unfortunately, somewhat rare) example of how to do that is a show like Young Sheldon which certainly wasn’t preachy but did treat its religious characters with respect. Yet, despite being TV’s number-one comedy, it never received a single Emmy nomination over its seven seasons – in my mind proving that industry awards are not necessarily a great way of judging worth. Re: the show’s series finale, Jimmy Kimmel quipped “Young Sheldon is coming to an end after seven seasons. I know I haven’t seen it either.” Therein lies the problem.
Here’s a compassionate and respectful scene from Season 2 that Young Sheldon‘s faithful fans particularly appreciated. We should praise and raise up productions like this when they occur because Hollywood’s elites will do their best to dismiss them. I’m sure a lot content creators would like to produce more programs like this if given the encouragement and opportunity. We need to avoid painting any community with a single brush and, of course, we do pray for everyone (regardless of their beliefs) dealing with the tragedy in Los Angeles.
John W. Kennedy is a writer, producer and media development consultant specializing in television and movie projects that uphold positive timeless values, including trust in God.
Encourage one another and build each other up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11