I think nudity is one of the last remaining options for transgression and titillation, even though it's been done numerous times already. They want so bad to be a spectacle but it's not shocking anymore. Yet that's what they go with because there's nothing left to offend the safe people to offend.
At the moment we live in an attention economy which creates this kind of race to the bottom for shock value. The hope is it is not new in human history. You read Augustine talk about his friend being forced to go and watch the gladiator games after he converted and tried to stop.
Culture goes in cycles, from overly prudish to overly excessive.
The problem now is that culture is largely divided into an artificial (and newly redefined) highly polarized "right and left" that increasingly both value a shock-jock hedonistic ethos.
Kanye has been hanging with literal neo-Nazis and spewing more of his "I love Hitler" tweets, and the left while outraged doesn't have much of a moral foundation as for many, the game was also to deconstruct ethical structures for sexual freedom while maintaining social justice principles borrowed from Christianity without any real God behind the machine giving gravitas... and furthermore have undercut their own moral efforts with a whole "party at the edge of the void" "celebrate the journey not the end" ethos. I think this has lead some to say, if that's the case, just screw it! I'm going to take over the right with this spirit of cynical nihilism to get my bag out of it, YOLO suckers!
In this environment we need artists to be those performance-art prophets of the Old Testament, who can poetically and creatively express a moral clarity against "Israel" and "Babylon"... and be willing to be ignored, mocked, or worse... but to not lose our love for people... not to give in to cynicism... but to capture our imaginations with the inventor of love again.
Good thing none of this came up on any of my feeds.
The good news about art in general is that as tech evolves, it can give more power to the previously unseen creative. A coworker was talking about this with me. We were discussing “Epic: The Musical” and how YouTube and Spotify and general tech evolution has allowed someone to create something so good, without needing to go through the traditionally large channels.
Independent creators and writers can utilize YouTube to publish their movies and films, Substack their writing, and even self-publishing has lost the stigma it had twenty or thirty years ago.
All that to say, Hollywood remains the center of American “art”, but I think it’s losing control fast. Thank God.
The platforms like Substack and Youtube which allow independent creators the leeway to make good art is a positive thing! Hollywood is running out of control quickly. Everyday they get less and less relatable.
A little late to the party here, but I gotta say that I also had to remind myself that, "The last place I would expect to see this restored is in Hollywood or the Grammys." I hadn't heard of most of these moments (or people) for that matter, but as a staunch defender of country music (not to say ALL of country music), the disappointment still hit when Beyonce won best album in the genre.
It made me feel like it's always one step forward and two steps back with stuff like this. To take country music as an example, three years ago, Chris Stapleton won it, and regardless of what you think of 21st-century Willie and Lainey Wilson, you can't argue that they are pretty straight-up country. Then you fast forward to "Texas Hold 'Em." :/
And if we are supposed to be the generation waking up to the bankruptcy of the secular world, then for every stat you have about Gen-Z going back to church or drinking less alcohol, you have a Benson Boone groping the headlines. I know, I know—sex sells. But if we are turning a corner, it's in a semi-truck, not a sports car.
Christ will make all things new again, and thank God for that.
You are beyond correct—Beyoncé winning best country album is the greatest disappointing in modern music history. I really appreciate your analogy with GenZ stats on turning to Christianity. Our generation still needs work culturally.
Even when the dress codes have been reasonable, there's always been a central focus of material status at the heart of these events that has been a off putting thing for me. But, that aside, I think this particular aspect originates from a distorted desire for love. They offer up their bared body for the world to see in a futile hope that the world will see "them" for who they are and grant them that reciprocal "knowing" that we are made for, ultimately with God and then also represented intensely in the marriage relationship.
But they won't get that with these displays, because the devil has lied to them through the lips of their peers. They *are* being used, not "known." The gentleman in the spandex, for example, isn't going to gain the affection of the crowd, he's going to be made into a specatcle for their carnal pleasures—whether that's to mock or to lust.
Saying they are being used and not known is a great way to place it. The attention one gets from being in that level of popularity can easily distort one's emotional reality. It's a sad situation to be in and I hope they are able to find a true identity in Christ.
I'm all for starting a different music award event that doesn't just award celebrities but focuses on smaller artists who are truly making art with music that's worth noticing. Also, umm, a stricter dress code and appropriate for all audiences.
Good morning, Kimberly. I have two thoughts on these things.
1) I think art can be restored in America but I don't believe it will be, apart from concerted and widespread revival, that is to say, repentance and returning to the Lord, as spoken of in Isaiah 55:7. If the pure in heart shall see God, then the impure are blind as well as "wretched, pitiable, poor, and naked" (Rev 1:17). The eyes of the heart have to be opened to first apprehend the true, the good, and the beautiful if artistic expression is to also be purified.
2) I think the job of Christian artists is to keep creating true, good, and beautiful art. And when the wicked do forsake their way and the unrighteous their thoughts, and they return to the Lord and their eyes are opened, the true, the good, and the beautiful art will be waiting for them to appreciate and emulate in their own artistic endeavors.
It reminds me of a point Alistair Begg drew out of the text of 1 Timothy 4:6-16 in one of his sermons. I'll quote the whole passage here so I can reference it.
"6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers."
Timothy's congregation is inundated with irrelevant, silly myths, but Paul's instruction is not for him to address the myths, but rather to train himself for godliness and devote himself to teaching the truth. A good servant of Jesus is one trained in the words of the faith and doctrine that he follows. He commands and teaches the truth and sets an example of godly living in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. He keeps a close watch on himself and his teaching, and his persistence in these things is the means by which the Lord will deliver his people from deadly error.
If we persevere in making truly beautiful art and preaching the gospel through our words and our lives, art in America may be restored.
Hi Timothy! You bring up a lot of interesting points. I agree with you that the job of Christian artists or creatives is to create art which exemplifies the good, true, and the beautiful, but I also don't think all "great" art has to necessarily be Christian.
Through natural law all art can point back to Christ whether its intended purpose was to glorify Him or not. This is because all humans are born with the Imago Dei and one of the aspects of the Imago Dei is to be able to create. When humans create they are innately using a gift from God. Think of great works like Don Quixote or Crime and Punishment. Neither of these works are distinctly Christian and yet they are still considered to be great works of art. Moreover, readers can pull passages out and illuminate aspects of their humanity and, when compared to Scripture showcase parts of God's character as well.
Francis A. Schaeffer an evangelical theologian, philosopher, and pastor states, "The third basic notion of art--the one I think is right, the one that really produces great art and the possibility of great art--is that the artist makes a body of work and this body of work shows his worldview."
Christians should showcase their worldview in their art, but they shouldn't be afraid to mix it with plot structures, verses, lyrics, or diction that operates in the reality of the world. This helps to make the art relatable and can even be used as a mode to spread the Gospel.
Thank you for your comment! Let's hope the art world in America can be restored one day. In the meantime, keep on creating things that are good, true, and beautiful!
The same reason they market Jordan sneakers. An Uncivilized culture will always be brought to their knees mentally. Remember, if you don’t buy it then “you ain’t black“.
I think nudity is one of the last remaining options for transgression and titillation, even though it's been done numerous times already. They want so bad to be a spectacle but it's not shocking anymore. Yet that's what they go with because there's nothing left to offend the safe people to offend.
I definitely think this is a part of the problem. Everyone in American culture is so desensitized to nudity/sex it’s concerning.
At the moment we live in an attention economy which creates this kind of race to the bottom for shock value. The hope is it is not new in human history. You read Augustine talk about his friend being forced to go and watch the gladiator games after he converted and tried to stop.
Culture goes in cycles, from overly prudish to overly excessive.
The problem now is that culture is largely divided into an artificial (and newly redefined) highly polarized "right and left" that increasingly both value a shock-jock hedonistic ethos.
Kanye has been hanging with literal neo-Nazis and spewing more of his "I love Hitler" tweets, and the left while outraged doesn't have much of a moral foundation as for many, the game was also to deconstruct ethical structures for sexual freedom while maintaining social justice principles borrowed from Christianity without any real God behind the machine giving gravitas... and furthermore have undercut their own moral efforts with a whole "party at the edge of the void" "celebrate the journey not the end" ethos. I think this has lead some to say, if that's the case, just screw it! I'm going to take over the right with this spirit of cynical nihilism to get my bag out of it, YOLO suckers!
In this environment we need artists to be those performance-art prophets of the Old Testament, who can poetically and creatively express a moral clarity against "Israel" and "Babylon"... and be willing to be ignored, mocked, or worse... but to not lose our love for people... not to give in to cynicism... but to capture our imaginations with the inventor of love again.
Good thing none of this came up on any of my feeds.
The good news about art in general is that as tech evolves, it can give more power to the previously unseen creative. A coworker was talking about this with me. We were discussing “Epic: The Musical” and how YouTube and Spotify and general tech evolution has allowed someone to create something so good, without needing to go through the traditionally large channels.
Independent creators and writers can utilize YouTube to publish their movies and films, Substack their writing, and even self-publishing has lost the stigma it had twenty or thirty years ago.
All that to say, Hollywood remains the center of American “art”, but I think it’s losing control fast. Thank God.
The platforms like Substack and Youtube which allow independent creators the leeway to make good art is a positive thing! Hollywood is running out of control quickly. Everyday they get less and less relatable.
A little late to the party here, but I gotta say that I also had to remind myself that, "The last place I would expect to see this restored is in Hollywood or the Grammys." I hadn't heard of most of these moments (or people) for that matter, but as a staunch defender of country music (not to say ALL of country music), the disappointment still hit when Beyonce won best album in the genre.
It made me feel like it's always one step forward and two steps back with stuff like this. To take country music as an example, three years ago, Chris Stapleton won it, and regardless of what you think of 21st-century Willie and Lainey Wilson, you can't argue that they are pretty straight-up country. Then you fast forward to "Texas Hold 'Em." :/
And if we are supposed to be the generation waking up to the bankruptcy of the secular world, then for every stat you have about Gen-Z going back to church or drinking less alcohol, you have a Benson Boone groping the headlines. I know, I know—sex sells. But if we are turning a corner, it's in a semi-truck, not a sports car.
Christ will make all things new again, and thank God for that.
Wow this comment is everything!
You are beyond correct—Beyoncé winning best country album is the greatest disappointing in modern music history. I really appreciate your analogy with GenZ stats on turning to Christianity. Our generation still needs work culturally.
One has to wonder what is the end game here. How low can it go?
Even when the dress codes have been reasonable, there's always been a central focus of material status at the heart of these events that has been a off putting thing for me. But, that aside, I think this particular aspect originates from a distorted desire for love. They offer up their bared body for the world to see in a futile hope that the world will see "them" for who they are and grant them that reciprocal "knowing" that we are made for, ultimately with God and then also represented intensely in the marriage relationship.
But they won't get that with these displays, because the devil has lied to them through the lips of their peers. They *are* being used, not "known." The gentleman in the spandex, for example, isn't going to gain the affection of the crowd, he's going to be made into a specatcle for their carnal pleasures—whether that's to mock or to lust.
Saying they are being used and not known is a great way to place it. The attention one gets from being in that level of popularity can easily distort one's emotional reality. It's a sad situation to be in and I hope they are able to find a true identity in Christ.
I'm all for starting a different music award event that doesn't just award celebrities but focuses on smaller artists who are truly making art with music that's worth noticing. Also, umm, a stricter dress code and appropriate for all audiences.
Celebrating smaller artists is definitely something I can get behind!!
Good morning, Kimberly. I have two thoughts on these things.
1) I think art can be restored in America but I don't believe it will be, apart from concerted and widespread revival, that is to say, repentance and returning to the Lord, as spoken of in Isaiah 55:7. If the pure in heart shall see God, then the impure are blind as well as "wretched, pitiable, poor, and naked" (Rev 1:17). The eyes of the heart have to be opened to first apprehend the true, the good, and the beautiful if artistic expression is to also be purified.
2) I think the job of Christian artists is to keep creating true, good, and beautiful art. And when the wicked do forsake their way and the unrighteous their thoughts, and they return to the Lord and their eyes are opened, the true, the good, and the beautiful art will be waiting for them to appreciate and emulate in their own artistic endeavors.
It reminds me of a point Alistair Begg drew out of the text of 1 Timothy 4:6-16 in one of his sermons. I'll quote the whole passage here so I can reference it.
"6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers."
Timothy's congregation is inundated with irrelevant, silly myths, but Paul's instruction is not for him to address the myths, but rather to train himself for godliness and devote himself to teaching the truth. A good servant of Jesus is one trained in the words of the faith and doctrine that he follows. He commands and teaches the truth and sets an example of godly living in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. He keeps a close watch on himself and his teaching, and his persistence in these things is the means by which the Lord will deliver his people from deadly error.
If we persevere in making truly beautiful art and preaching the gospel through our words and our lives, art in America may be restored.
Hi Timothy! You bring up a lot of interesting points. I agree with you that the job of Christian artists or creatives is to create art which exemplifies the good, true, and the beautiful, but I also don't think all "great" art has to necessarily be Christian.
Through natural law all art can point back to Christ whether its intended purpose was to glorify Him or not. This is because all humans are born with the Imago Dei and one of the aspects of the Imago Dei is to be able to create. When humans create they are innately using a gift from God. Think of great works like Don Quixote or Crime and Punishment. Neither of these works are distinctly Christian and yet they are still considered to be great works of art. Moreover, readers can pull passages out and illuminate aspects of their humanity and, when compared to Scripture showcase parts of God's character as well.
Francis A. Schaeffer an evangelical theologian, philosopher, and pastor states, "The third basic notion of art--the one I think is right, the one that really produces great art and the possibility of great art--is that the artist makes a body of work and this body of work shows his worldview."
Christians should showcase their worldview in their art, but they shouldn't be afraid to mix it with plot structures, verses, lyrics, or diction that operates in the reality of the world. This helps to make the art relatable and can even be used as a mode to spread the Gospel.
Thank you for your comment! Let's hope the art world in America can be restored one day. In the meantime, keep on creating things that are good, true, and beautiful!
The same reason they market Jordan sneakers. An Uncivilized culture will always be brought to their knees mentally. Remember, if you don’t buy it then “you ain’t black“.
I know why. They’ve created a uncivilized culture, purposely.