It’s been a bizarre year for pop culture. The already fragile business model of Hollywood film/TV production is suffering ongoing blows from the current Writers Guild and Screen Actors Guild strikes. Expected box office hits were duds, and there are some signs the reign of superhero movies is coming to an end. It’s a disruptive, unpredictable time in media and entertainment—probably because it’s a disruptive, unpredictable time in society generally. Consider this summer’s four biggest pop culture sensations. What does it say about our culture that Barbie was the overall box office champion, and that audiences chose a faith-based film about child sex trafficking (Sound of Freedom) over escapist fare like Indiana Jones and Mission Impossible sequels? What dynamics of division are driving the success of Taylor Swift on one end of the spectrum and Oliver Anthony on the other? These are some of the questions I consider in my end-of-summer reflections for TGC. They’re not just interesting questions to ponder. As I note in the article, for Christians, they are instructive for mission: “Pop culture sensations have explanatory power—revealing the loves, longings, pain points, and paradoxes of the populace we’re called to reach with the gospel.” As Christians look ahead to the fall season in pop culture, we can be sure it will be equally unpredictable. Let’s be discerning not only in what we choose to consume or avoid, but also in what insights the hits and flops reveal about our culture’s spiritual landscape. |