This is the adult response to my previous post that writer Kat Heckenbach was so kind as to email me.
I was going to leave a comment, but it's too hard on my eyes in that little box ;). I wanted to say a few things about your post. First, good for you! For leaving the play, for standing up for morals. It's something you'll never regret.
As for plays and movies being full of crudeness and obscenity....that's a hard topic to tackle. But since you asked for adult opinions, I decided to oblige the best I can. Part of the problem is the people who write/produce/direct the plays and movies. And part of it is the audience. The truth is, it's a secular world out there. Non-Christians are more abundant in the entertainment industry. So, the movies and plays are written by secular society, for secular society. And there just isn't enough funding out there for purely Christian entertainment.
So, in a way, we as Christians are kind of stuck with it. We learn to sludge past the "bad" parts to get to the "good" parts. We each have a line that we refuse to cross, though. For some the line is closer than others. I've had to refuse to read books my book club has chosen because of graphic content. I can skim over a certain amount, but when it's on page after page, I just have to close the book and move on, just like you did with the play.
What saddens me is that language and inappropriate content seems to be expected. It's almost plugged in just for shock value or to make the movie's rating higher. I've been SO angered by movies--Transformers, for instance--that throw words and actions in to make the movie more appealing to an older audience. So, my son, who is nine--the "right" age for the movie--can't see it (how many 13-yr-olds do you know that play with Transformers?). Or, I have to fast-forward through certain parts so he doesn't hear what's being said. Taking out that ONE word would make it a perfectly acceptable movie--yet not change the plot a bit.
Now, I do have to say that there is a certain amount of it that is necessary--in movies geared for adults. Certain types of characters needed for the story would be unbelievable if their language was too clean or their actions too polite. Do movies take it too far sometimes? Yes. Maybe even most of the time.
I wish there was an easy answer. I wish Hollywood would hear our cries to clean things up. I doubt it will happen though. Maybe kids like you will be able to break into the industry and turn it around for us :).
So for right now, keep doing what you're doing--being a light in the darkness!
Kat
Thanks for your advice and encouragement, Kat!
I was going to leave a comment, but it's too hard on my eyes in that little box ;). I wanted to say a few things about your post. First, good for you! For leaving the play, for standing up for morals. It's something you'll never regret.
As for plays and movies being full of crudeness and obscenity....that's a hard topic to tackle. But since you asked for adult opinions, I decided to oblige the best I can. Part of the problem is the people who write/produce/direct the plays and movies. And part of it is the audience. The truth is, it's a secular world out there. Non-Christians are more abundant in the entertainment industry. So, the movies and plays are written by secular society, for secular society. And there just isn't enough funding out there for purely Christian entertainment.
So, in a way, we as Christians are kind of stuck with it. We learn to sludge past the "bad" parts to get to the "good" parts. We each have a line that we refuse to cross, though. For some the line is closer than others. I've had to refuse to read books my book club has chosen because of graphic content. I can skim over a certain amount, but when it's on page after page, I just have to close the book and move on, just like you did with the play.
What saddens me is that language and inappropriate content seems to be expected. It's almost plugged in just for shock value or to make the movie's rating higher. I've been SO angered by movies--Transformers, for instance--that throw words and actions in to make the movie more appealing to an older audience. So, my son, who is nine--the "right" age for the movie--can't see it (how many 13-yr-olds do you know that play with Transformers?). Or, I have to fast-forward through certain parts so he doesn't hear what's being said. Taking out that ONE word would make it a perfectly acceptable movie--yet not change the plot a bit.
Now, I do have to say that there is a certain amount of it that is necessary--in movies geared for adults. Certain types of characters needed for the story would be unbelievable if their language was too clean or their actions too polite. Do movies take it too far sometimes? Yes. Maybe even most of the time.
I wish there was an easy answer. I wish Hollywood would hear our cries to clean things up. I doubt it will happen though. Maybe kids like you will be able to break into the industry and turn it around for us :).
So for right now, keep doing what you're doing--being a light in the darkness!
Kat
Thanks for your advice and encouragement, Kat!
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