I am taking a break from Wagner for the time being; even though I enjoy the story and the acting all that high-pitched singing in a language I don't understand gets on my nerves after a while. Honestly, they could condense the story down to two or three hours and not miss anything. But you have to remember "The Ring" was written at a time when there really wasn't much competition entertainment-wise.
So last night I watched the Dolly Parton-Queen Latifah movie "Joyful Noise" about a Gospel choir that seeks to win a national competition. And it just so happened that Queen Latifah's character had a son with Aspergers. He wears dark glasses all the time and can't stand to be touched and is obsessed with one-hit wonder groups, especially The Left Banke and their hit "Walk Away Renee."
Now I realize that Walter is a side character and the movie really isn't about him, it's about his mother's rivalry with Dolly Parton. And I suppose I should be glad that Hollywood is bringing Aspergers to people's attention. But Walter seems to be a one-dimensional character. There is so much that the writers could have done with his character and didn't. A couple of scenes come to mind. One where he is talking with his mother about God and he says he hates God because of the way he is made. His mother predictably says, "No, you don't, you don't mean that," and basically deflects the conversation to safer grounds. Well I think I can safely say that there are a lot of us on the spectrum who have major issues with this whole idea of a loving, caring God, issues that are not being addressed in any meaningful way.
The second is Walter's relationship with Dolly Parton's grandson. When the two boys first meet Walter tells him about his Asperger's and tells him what it is like to be teased and tormented. He says "I am unable to tell when someone is putting me on." Later when his friend asks him why he doesn't join the choir since he obviously is talented Walter says "because it is too loud." "Oh, you're just making excuses," the other boy says. It's clear that the people around Walter really don't have a clue as to what Walter is all about. Which is the way it is in real life, but I'd like to see a movie that really attempts to get into the autistic character's head and show the rest of us how he or she experiences life. I'd like to see a movie that goes beyond the stereotypes.
Another thing I found quite interesting and amusing was the music itself. I have heard preachers talk time and time again about not being afraid to stand up for your faith, to stand against the world. So what is the deal with the growing secularization of Christian music? My pastor says that as a man he finds himself more than a little creeped out by some of the lyrics and I agree. Why the vagueness? Why the desire to turn God into the cosmic Boyfriend in the Sky? When you can't tell the difference between the stuff they play on Christian radio and the stuff they play on secular radio there's a problem. And some of these so-called Christian lyrics have sexual overtones. There's a song we sing at my church--I've written about it before--about love being like a hurricane. Come to find out the version we sing is the cleaned-up version. There are actually two different versions of this song. The original has the lyrics "When heaven meets earth like a wet sloppy kiss . . ." The version we sing has "when heaven meets earth in an unforseen kiss". Say what? What is going on here?
I was listening to Dolly and Queen's choir dance and strut its stuff at the big competition and it reminded me of a chili contest we had at work one time. Now I realize that chili is as fiercely divisive as religion and what I might permit in a chili someone from Texas might not. Anyway because we have an internationally diverse workplace, one of the entries had a pronounced curry flavor. Not surprisingly, although those who tasted it said they liked it, it did not make the top three. Likewise, the winning song had a little of this and a little of that, some 60's soul, some Michael Jackson, some Usher, but as far as having the elements that make Gospel Gospel, it was pretty much generic "You" instead of God and Jesus. And I have a feeling that this sort of thing isn't confined to this particular movie but is indeed the case with Gospel music these days.
So last night I watched the Dolly Parton-Queen Latifah movie "Joyful Noise" about a Gospel choir that seeks to win a national competition. And it just so happened that Queen Latifah's character had a son with Aspergers. He wears dark glasses all the time and can't stand to be touched and is obsessed with one-hit wonder groups, especially The Left Banke and their hit "Walk Away Renee."
Now I realize that Walter is a side character and the movie really isn't about him, it's about his mother's rivalry with Dolly Parton. And I suppose I should be glad that Hollywood is bringing Aspergers to people's attention. But Walter seems to be a one-dimensional character. There is so much that the writers could have done with his character and didn't. A couple of scenes come to mind. One where he is talking with his mother about God and he says he hates God because of the way he is made. His mother predictably says, "No, you don't, you don't mean that," and basically deflects the conversation to safer grounds. Well I think I can safely say that there are a lot of us on the spectrum who have major issues with this whole idea of a loving, caring God, issues that are not being addressed in any meaningful way.
The second is Walter's relationship with Dolly Parton's grandson. When the two boys first meet Walter tells him about his Asperger's and tells him what it is like to be teased and tormented. He says "I am unable to tell when someone is putting me on." Later when his friend asks him why he doesn't join the choir since he obviously is talented Walter says "because it is too loud." "Oh, you're just making excuses," the other boy says. It's clear that the people around Walter really don't have a clue as to what Walter is all about. Which is the way it is in real life, but I'd like to see a movie that really attempts to get into the autistic character's head and show the rest of us how he or she experiences life. I'd like to see a movie that goes beyond the stereotypes.
Another thing I found quite interesting and amusing was the music itself. I have heard preachers talk time and time again about not being afraid to stand up for your faith, to stand against the world. So what is the deal with the growing secularization of Christian music? My pastor says that as a man he finds himself more than a little creeped out by some of the lyrics and I agree. Why the vagueness? Why the desire to turn God into the cosmic Boyfriend in the Sky? When you can't tell the difference between the stuff they play on Christian radio and the stuff they play on secular radio there's a problem. And some of these so-called Christian lyrics have sexual overtones. There's a song we sing at my church--I've written about it before--about love being like a hurricane. Come to find out the version we sing is the cleaned-up version. There are actually two different versions of this song. The original has the lyrics "When heaven meets earth like a wet sloppy kiss . . ." The version we sing has "when heaven meets earth in an unforseen kiss". Say what? What is going on here?
I was listening to Dolly and Queen's choir dance and strut its stuff at the big competition and it reminded me of a chili contest we had at work one time. Now I realize that chili is as fiercely divisive as religion and what I might permit in a chili someone from Texas might not. Anyway because we have an internationally diverse workplace, one of the entries had a pronounced curry flavor. Not surprisingly, although those who tasted it said they liked it, it did not make the top three. Likewise, the winning song had a little of this and a little of that, some 60's soul, some Michael Jackson, some Usher, but as far as having the elements that make Gospel Gospel, it was pretty much generic "You" instead of God and Jesus. And I have a feeling that this sort of thing isn't confined to this particular movie but is indeed the case with Gospel music these days.
