The Passion of the Christ

The following will be published in the 3/3 issue of The Recorder

With Christian leaders calling Director Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” perhaps “the best outreach opportunity in 2000 years,” it is unfair to rank this film in terms of an entertainment value. To criticize a depiction of the horribly agonizing and redemptive last 12 hours of one of the most revered religious figures in human history seems sacrilegious.

Actor James Caviezel plays Jesus of Nazareth and had to endure seven hours of makeup each day in order to accurately depict the savagery that Christ’s body endured. “I felt this is what we believe in the Roman Catholic faith and in Christianity as a whole,” he told James Brady of “Parade” about the film. “I didn’t do this for the money but because I love my faith.”

The movie is presented in the original languages that the characters would have been speaking during the time, according to the movie’s official website passionofthechrist.com. Jesus, his disciples, and the Jewish characters speak Aramaic while the Romans speak a common dialect of Latin. Hearing the characters speak these languages brings a degree of realism to the screen. The English subtitles are also easy to read.

Gibson hired cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, whose credentials include “The Patriot” and “The Right Stuff”, to recreate the look and textures conveyed in the paintings of Caravaggio. Gibson wished to illustrate the dark and violent, yet spiritual, context of Caravaggio’s art. According to the film’s background information, roughly 40 percent of the movie was filmed indoors to capture the sense of “light fighting its way out of the darkness.”

Gibson said his “intention for this film was to create a lasting work of art and to stimulate serious thought and reflection among diverse audiences of all backgrounds.”

Whether or not the movie blames Jewish leaders for the death of Jesus Christ is irrelevant. The depiction of Jesus’ crucifixion has been told and retold through many venues and mediums; all of which have numbed the portrayal for suitable family viewing. Gibson has depicted exactly what the death of Jesus Christ was: the savage and barbaric persecution of the son of God.

‘Passion’ illustrates a more vivid understanding of Jesus’ suffering. The movie begins with Jesus praying in the Kidron valley garden. He receives an unsettling and eerie visit from Satan, whose appearance can be described as dangerously luring and strangely appealing: sin in its purest form. The entire scene accurately conveys everything from the betrayal of Judas to the cutting off of Malchus’s ear, which was healed by Jesus.

After the high priests present Jesus before Pontius Pilate, who washes his hands of matter, the movie reveals the ruthless and inhuman treatment of an alleged Roman infidel. It highlights the less savory aspects of human history as Jesus was whipped, gouged, and tortured for every one of humankind’s sins. This powerful representation of Christ’s sacrificial torment for humanity was enough to make even the most casual Christian wince with remorse.

Gibson made the suffering of Jesus incredibly life-like, down to the hammered nails in his hands. Once Christ gave up his spirit after shouting the final words from all four Gospel readings, the earth shook and the clouded sky rumbled. After determining Jesus was indeed dead by disrespectfully stabbing his side with a spear, they took him down. Mary, who witnessed the violent and inhumane torture of her own flesh and blood, cradled the son of God in her arms, looking directly at the camera.

Some people left the theatre in tears; but everyone left with a solemn sense of revelation.

Reality Bites

The Following will be published in the 2/25 issue of The Recorder

Reality TV's roots can be traced back to MTV's first season of “The Real World" back in 1992. From there, such shows as "Road Rules" and later CBS's "Survivor" were born, turning the private lives of individuals into primetime human peep shows.

While "Survivor" revolutionized the modern game show, popularizing the concept of reality television, it opened the floodgates of filth. It wasn't long until broadcasting companies like FOX had to trade a few raunchy sitcoms in for completely grotesque unscripted shows centered on the embarrassment of unsuspecting people.

Reality TV has lost its steam; however, in an effort to leave ts mark on the reality TV industry, FOX has morphed its concept into a continuum of lewdness. Its latest creation, "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé" focuses on a beautiful bride-to-be attempting to convince her unsuspecting parents of her plans to marry an annoying, obnoxious and obese man for a million dollars. To be successful, she must make it through vows at the altar. The six-episode series began airing on Jan. 19.

The fact that a young woman would embarrass herself and her family on public television for a million dollars, and that Americans would watch it, only demonstrates how American society and its concept of decency are de-evolving. Another example of FOX's tread along this line is their new show called "Playing it Straight" which will first air on Mar. 12.

The show breaks the ethical barrier by creating an environment in which a woman must determine who of fourteen bachelors is gay. As FOX puts it, she "must determine which side of the saddle these guys ride on." If the straight guy is the remaining bachelor after the rest are eliminated by the woman, the couple will split a million dollars. If a gay guy remains, he walks away with the entire prize.

The show places its entertainment value on the sexist stereotype that homosexual males are different from heterosexual males. When the FCC argued that Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction defied the laws of decency, where does the public humiliation of homosexual or over-weight individuals fit in? Apparently the lure of money is more important than ethics.

Providence College's newspaper, "The Cowl," made a particularly sad distinction "noting that there were more votes for 'American Idol' than for president in the 2000 election." Reality TV distracts the American public from the more relative and important issues that plague this nation. People would much rather see the exploitation and public humiliation of horrendous talent ridiculed by American Idol's Simon Cowell than choose a political leader who will impact real life. This needs to change before American entertainment becomes comparable to that of the Roman Empire.

However, Americans will remain devoted to their favorite reality TV programs as they witness the degradation of public entertainment. Soon the axes and maces will be brought back into the gladiatorial coliseum while box-office ticket purchases will be for public executions.

The One, True Bush

Controversy seems to brew around politicians, specifically those in the oval office. On the Democratic side, Clinton felt it; and so on the Republican side, President Bush is currently facing it.

In an attempt to derail the Bush Administration, the Democratic Party has demanded that the President come clean on the issue concerning his military record. Bush critics claim that he used his family influence to enlist in the National Guard in order to avoid the Vietnam War draft.

However, the White House unveiled the information. Records released earlier this week indicated that Mr. Bush received credit for nine days of active duty before being honorably discharged to attend Harvard University.


President Bush in the National Guard

“There were some who sought to leave a wrong impression there was something to hide when there is not,” said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

A group of reporters analyzed the president’s medical exams during his service. The records showed that he was suspended from flying in 1972 for not taking a physical. However, he did not take the physical because none of his duties were to involve flying.

McClellan answered questions pertaining to the President’s National Guard records in a press briefing.

It’s obvious that President Bush served in the military, though not in the typical fashion. Bush was honorably discharged from his duties to further an education that most would claim doesn’t exist.

The President is smart. He was smart enough to convince the American people to elect him in 2000 and the only reason the general public believes otherwise is because this country has a president with the balls to defend us.

Give it time before Kerry has some questionable quality.

Rowland vs. the Crapper

Governor John G. Rowland recently announced that the state of Connecticut is strong. He presented a $14.2 billion budget plan that didn’t contain anything about the ethical trouble he’s in.

“There has been no retreat from our core values and our core beliefs," decreed the Governor. "There has been no retreat from our efforts to make Connecticut better, to make it stronger and to keep looking forward to the future."

If not investigated, Rowland’s notion of the future would have involved further personal gain. The truth is that Rowland served the state a silver plate of political crap in his address this afternoon. “As leaders, we are most effective when we think of our duties in terms of a new generation, not in terms of the next election,” he said. By ‘duties’ he must mean accepting favors and by ‘new generation’ he probably meant to say his new hot tub.

Apparently, Rowland plans on acting as if that whole incident never took place. I consider myself fairly right-wing on the political spectrum and find Rowland’s abuse of his elected authority deplorable as well as an embarrassment to the Republican Party. The fact that he plans on remaining in office is even more insulting.

The people of Connecticut have to let it be known that political corruption is intolerable. It’s getting to the point where government officials should campaign based off their degree of corruption and ethics, not their stance on political issues.

If he had any dignity and respect for the state of Connecticut, Rowland would resign. Nixon resigned when he realized there was no way out of Watergate; but like a stubborn mule, Rowland’s staying in office to keep his honor. His honor, like his policies, went straight down the toilet along with his administration. Ironically, the honorable thing to do would be to resign. Perhaps he should think about that the next time he’s on the john.

A full text of Rowland's 2/4 address can be found at ctnow.com

The Breast Half-Time Show Ever

A half-time extravaganza featuring Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake went awry when Timberlake ripped off the leather cup concealing Jackson's right breast. CBS, MTV, the NFL, and Jackson and Timberlake themselves have publicly apologized for the publicity stunt. The revealing spectacle has attracted the attention of the federal government, who is investigating the show further. Michael Powell, chief of the Federal Communications Commission, promised to find out whether CBS violated decency laws. If this is indeed the case, fines could amount to $27,500 per station, which would mean millions for CBS.

For an alternative perspective, check out the Drudge Report.

Once Jackson finished her dance routine involving Timberlake, it all happened so fast. CBS cut the camera shot quick enough for viewers to question if what they saw was real but not quick enough for the image to escape everyone's memory. "Like millions of Americans, my family and I gathered around the television for a celebration," said Powell in his statement. "Instead, that celebration was tainted by a classless, crass and deplorable stunt." CBS claimed the action occurred without their explicit consent. Timberlake called the incident a "wardrobe malfunction."

"Hey, man, we love giving you all something to talk about," chuckled Timberlake. On Monday, Jackson offered a statement. "The decision to have a costume reveal at the end of my halftime show performance was made after final rehearsals. MTV was completely unaware of it," she said. "It was not my intention that it go as far as it did. I apologize to anyone offended, including the audience, MTV, CBS and the NFL."

This stunt greatly offended much of the audience, as is the typical reaction with most poorly conceived publicity stunts. The threshold for decency is being tested again. It seems with each appalling image or action seen, society gains a new level of acceptance. From Jackass to the Madonna and Britney Spears kiss, MTV has pushed the envelope on several occasions. CBS has already revoked MTV's status with planning the half-time show in the future.

MTV needs to be confined to cable television. I find their publicity stunts to be corrosive to society's moral decency. The fact that Jackson and Timberlake's incident caused so great a controversy only intensifies the problem. We need to take the word "Publicity" out of "Publicity Stunt. Once our backs are turned on the rich and spoiled and their desperate cries for attention fall on deaf ears, society can progress. Until then, the scum of Hollywood will continue to poorly represent society.