Post by Yaw on Apr 3, 2004 17:06:17 GMT -5
From The Toronto Star.
What a trend we have in Jesus
His spirit is alive in movies, music and fashion
`He has made it into our pantheon of heroes'
DAVID GRAHAM
LIFE WRITER
Jesus is hot.
Over the past few months, the dreamy-looking and fanatically adored religious icon has crossed over, born again as a full-fledged international pop celebrity.
He's grabbing headlines around the world with Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code and with Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ. Academics are exploring the cultural phenomenon of Jesus in books such as Richard Fox's Jesus in America: Personal Saviour, Cultural Hero, National Obsession.
He is alive in music and fashion. Christian rock music praises the Lord with bands such as Switchfoot. And for a less reverent sound, consider the song ``Jesus Ranch'' by the comic band Tenacious D.
Now, celebrities, including Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck, Ashton Kutcher and Pamela Anderson, have been spotted wearing "Jesus is My Home Boy" T-shirts and baseball hats. The shirts and caps appeal to religious and fashion types, explains Chris Hoy, a partner in Teenage Millionaire, the company that sells the shirts. "We were looking for pop icons of the 21st century and Jesus topped the list."
In fact, many believe Jesus is fast becoming the ultimate pop celebrity. Though church attendance in many mainline denominations is down, The Da Vinci Code and The Passion are drawing huge crowds. (According to Doubleday, there are now more than 6 million copies of The Da Vinci Code in print, making the year-old, still-in-hardcover book the fastest-selling adult fiction title ever.)
"He is very deeply embedded in American culture," says author Fox, a history professor at the University of Southern California. "He has made it into our pantheon of heroes."
In fact, it could be argued that Jesus was destined for stardom from the beginning. During his 30-odd years on Earth, he surrounded himself with believers who promoted him and continued to do so long after his death. The apostles publicized his story, keeping his "brand" alive for centuries. And here's the kicker. Like legions of megastars who would follow — Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and Princess Diana among them — Jesus Christ died young and under dramatic circumstances.
The story could not have been scripted better in Hollywood.
And as with Elvis and Di and Cobain, the rumours surrounding Christ's life and death continue to grab gossip-magazine headlines and intrigue conspiracy theorists.
This is not the first time he has been culturally reincarnated. Jesus has been an active character in the history of art. And there was a flurry of activity in the late 1960s and early '70s with the album and Broadway rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, which portrayed Jesus as a celebrity dogged by his own fame. And certainly over the next three decades there were trickles of interest, including films such as Dogma, Jesus of Montreal and Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ.
Theologians refer to much of this hype as the "de-sacralization" of Christ. Poseable Jesus action figures are for sale on the Internet, and there are even Jesus bobblehead dolls. Whether they are meant to enhance children's religiosity or are simply kitschy toys is in the heart of each buyer, explains Dr. Christopher Lind, director of the Toronto School of Theology.
He acknowledges that the world's relationship with Jesus is changing.
``The Christian church has less control over the culture,'' Lindsays. ``As well, people who are religious are not necessarily Christian.
"We are also living in a world which is increasingly skeptical of organized religion.''
He notes that even with the confines of organized religion, practitioners emphasize different facets of Jesus.
"Mel Gibson emphasizes the Good Friday Jesus, the pain and the suffering, while other followers emphasize his humanity, Jesus the teacher, the pre-Easter Jesus," says Lind.
Barbara Atkin, fashion director of Holt Renfrew, makes it her job to stay ahead of cultural trends. "We are fascinated with Jesus now because we are searching for comfort, hope and meaning in a fearful world," Atkin says. "Whether people buy the message or not, they are clinging to the symbols."
Phyllis Airhart, who teaches the history of Christianity at the University of Toronto's Emmanuel College puts it simply: "It taps into our desire to have something tangible which represents the ineffable."
It also helps his celebrity status that each time Jesus makes a comeback, he's slightly more secular, slightly more human, argues professor Fox. Each time he returns, "his image is aligned to suit the times."
In the wake of the '60s anti-war movement, Jesus was portrayed as a pacifist (Jesus Christ Superstar). But now, in our current violence-obsessed culture, Mel Gibson's vision of a bloodied action-hero is "a reflection of the savage quality of American life," says Fox, who argues that in the film Jesus appears more super-human than divine.
His transition from religious icon to entertainment-style pop-culture celebrity doesn't require such a leap of faith. After all, argue the academics, both religion and Hollywood can induce the feeling of losing yourself and your sense of time and place, and both rely on a sense of pageantry.
It is also interesting to note that American superstars, from basketball greats to Janet Jackson, often credit their winning performances to God, who they say has acted through them.
Jesus performed miracles — turning water into wine, raising the dead, walking on water — but meekly, and perhaps astutely, gave all the props to God.
But perhaps the most important development contributing to Christ's celebrity is the growing curiosity about his humanity. Each time he's reincarnated culturally, he comes back a little less the deity and a little more human.
Media critic Neal Gabler, who has written several books on popular culture, has drawn a clear distinction between Jesus and God. The reason Jesus has become a celebrity and God has not is simple, he argues.
"There's no decent visual for God."
His spirit is alive in movies, music and fashion
`He has made it into our pantheon of heroes'
DAVID GRAHAM
LIFE WRITER
Jesus is hot.
Over the past few months, the dreamy-looking and fanatically adored religious icon has crossed over, born again as a full-fledged international pop celebrity.
He's grabbing headlines around the world with Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code and with Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ. Academics are exploring the cultural phenomenon of Jesus in books such as Richard Fox's Jesus in America: Personal Saviour, Cultural Hero, National Obsession.
He is alive in music and fashion. Christian rock music praises the Lord with bands such as Switchfoot. And for a less reverent sound, consider the song ``Jesus Ranch'' by the comic band Tenacious D.
Now, celebrities, including Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck, Ashton Kutcher and Pamela Anderson, have been spotted wearing "Jesus is My Home Boy" T-shirts and baseball hats. The shirts and caps appeal to religious and fashion types, explains Chris Hoy, a partner in Teenage Millionaire, the company that sells the shirts. "We were looking for pop icons of the 21st century and Jesus topped the list."
In fact, many believe Jesus is fast becoming the ultimate pop celebrity. Though church attendance in many mainline denominations is down, The Da Vinci Code and The Passion are drawing huge crowds. (According to Doubleday, there are now more than 6 million copies of The Da Vinci Code in print, making the year-old, still-in-hardcover book the fastest-selling adult fiction title ever.)
"He is very deeply embedded in American culture," says author Fox, a history professor at the University of Southern California. "He has made it into our pantheon of heroes."
In fact, it could be argued that Jesus was destined for stardom from the beginning. During his 30-odd years on Earth, he surrounded himself with believers who promoted him and continued to do so long after his death. The apostles publicized his story, keeping his "brand" alive for centuries. And here's the kicker. Like legions of megastars who would follow — Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and Princess Diana among them — Jesus Christ died young and under dramatic circumstances.
The story could not have been scripted better in Hollywood.
And as with Elvis and Di and Cobain, the rumours surrounding Christ's life and death continue to grab gossip-magazine headlines and intrigue conspiracy theorists.
This is not the first time he has been culturally reincarnated. Jesus has been an active character in the history of art. And there was a flurry of activity in the late 1960s and early '70s with the album and Broadway rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, which portrayed Jesus as a celebrity dogged by his own fame. And certainly over the next three decades there were trickles of interest, including films such as Dogma, Jesus of Montreal and Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ.
Theologians refer to much of this hype as the "de-sacralization" of Christ. Poseable Jesus action figures are for sale on the Internet, and there are even Jesus bobblehead dolls. Whether they are meant to enhance children's religiosity or are simply kitschy toys is in the heart of each buyer, explains Dr. Christopher Lind, director of the Toronto School of Theology.
He acknowledges that the world's relationship with Jesus is changing.
``The Christian church has less control over the culture,'' Lindsays. ``As well, people who are religious are not necessarily Christian.
"We are also living in a world which is increasingly skeptical of organized religion.''
He notes that even with the confines of organized religion, practitioners emphasize different facets of Jesus.
"Mel Gibson emphasizes the Good Friday Jesus, the pain and the suffering, while other followers emphasize his humanity, Jesus the teacher, the pre-Easter Jesus," says Lind.
Barbara Atkin, fashion director of Holt Renfrew, makes it her job to stay ahead of cultural trends. "We are fascinated with Jesus now because we are searching for comfort, hope and meaning in a fearful world," Atkin says. "Whether people buy the message or not, they are clinging to the symbols."
Phyllis Airhart, who teaches the history of Christianity at the University of Toronto's Emmanuel College puts it simply: "It taps into our desire to have something tangible which represents the ineffable."
It also helps his celebrity status that each time Jesus makes a comeback, he's slightly more secular, slightly more human, argues professor Fox. Each time he returns, "his image is aligned to suit the times."
In the wake of the '60s anti-war movement, Jesus was portrayed as a pacifist (Jesus Christ Superstar). But now, in our current violence-obsessed culture, Mel Gibson's vision of a bloodied action-hero is "a reflection of the savage quality of American life," says Fox, who argues that in the film Jesus appears more super-human than divine.
His transition from religious icon to entertainment-style pop-culture celebrity doesn't require such a leap of faith. After all, argue the academics, both religion and Hollywood can induce the feeling of losing yourself and your sense of time and place, and both rely on a sense of pageantry.
It is also interesting to note that American superstars, from basketball greats to Janet Jackson, often credit their winning performances to God, who they say has acted through them.
Jesus performed miracles — turning water into wine, raising the dead, walking on water — but meekly, and perhaps astutely, gave all the props to God.
But perhaps the most important development contributing to Christ's celebrity is the growing curiosity about his humanity. Each time he's reincarnated culturally, he comes back a little less the deity and a little more human.
Media critic Neal Gabler, who has written several books on popular culture, has drawn a clear distinction between Jesus and God. The reason Jesus has become a celebrity and God has not is simple, he argues.
"There's no decent visual for God."
