Brandon Davies, Twitter, & Whaaaa?

March 3, 2011 by

Seriously: for the past two days, brandon davies has been a trending topic on Twitter. That means, in the entire worldwide Twittersphere, with violent upheavals in the Middle East, a new iPad announced, and Charlie Sheen redefining “radical,” Brandon Davies is one of the top 10 topics on Twitter.[1]

This follows the ESPN story divulging Davies’ Honor Code violation: he had sex with his girlfriend. The chatter on Twitter is deafening and polarized, with SocialMention.com reporting that he’s getting tweeted about every 7 seconds. From what I can tell, half of the tweets are “Good for BYU,” and the other half are “Whaaaaa????”
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Film & Television, Internet & Social Media, Media, Mormon, Navel-Gazing & Poetic Observation, Society & Culture Tagged With: , ,

Musicals and the Church’s Work in Africa

February 24, 2011 by

I find it interesting that the new Broadway show THE BOOK OF MORMON throws a freshfaced missionary into Uganda, where the setting is supposed to show the ludicrousness of mormon faith and idealism when confronted with the hellish realities of man’s cruelties to man.

The reality is that Mormons are already in Uganda, and we’re doing just fine, thanks. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Film & Television, Media, Missionary, Mormon, Pop Culture, Society & Culture Tagged With: , , ,

How Redefining Beauty Campaigns Reinforce Our Notions of Women and Beauty (Part II)

February 16, 2011 by

In Part I  I highlighted the fact that Salt Lake City has more plastic surgeons per capita than any other US city. I noted that this could be an indicator that either:

  1.  Utah/Mormon culture makes girls and women more susceptible to media messages, or
  2.  Mormon girls and women are receiving messages about what it means to be beautiful from influences besides media, or
  3.  A combination of media influence and Mormon religious culture compound to make a bigger impact on girls and women about how to be beautiful and desirable.
  4. Or, as has been noted, it could mean nothing more than SLC has lots of plastic surgeons.

First, media influences play on the natural desires of women to want to be beautiful and attract male attention. Contrary to the idea put forth that advertisers are trying to get women to want to look a certain way, marketing techniques simply take advantage of women’s own existing vanity. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Film & Television, Gender & Sexuality, Media, Mormon, Society & Culture, Women Tagged With: , ,

Ken Jennings vs. Watson: Mormon to save humanity? (cue allusions to White Horse Prophecy)

February 15, 2011 by

Last night, I gleefully skipped celebration of Valentine’s Day, in favor of sitting rapt in front of the television to watch Jeopardy! mega-winner (and longtime friend of BCC’s Police Beat Roundtable) Ken Jennings go up against IBM’s latest massively parallel Artificial Intelligence engine, Watson.

The Atlantic has dubbed their coverage of the matchup “Liveblogging the robot takeover or humanity’s finest hour,” and it is hard not to read this confrontation in such sweeping, maybe-apocalyptic terms. Especially when there’s a Mormon in the mix!
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Film & Television, Internet & Social Media, Media, Navel-Gazing & Poetic Observation, Pop Culture, Science, Society & Culture Tagged With: , , , , ,

Why Redefining Beauty Campaigns Won’t Work (part I)

February 15, 2011 by

In the past several years there has been a growing backlash against Western media portrayals of women. Media outlets, and even actresses themselves, have not been remiss in pointing out digital nips and tucks. To counteract this barrage of picture perfect female forms, there is a trendy movement to redefine what beauty looks like.  These movements vary from going without makeup,  to daily self-affirmations of just how beautiful you are,  to athleticism as beauty, to the well-known marketing campaign by Dove.  Amazon and other book dealers carry many titles on the topic like Redefining Beautiful, Beauty Redefined, and Girls and Self-Esteem. Within the Mormon community this trend also promises to help women and girls feel more beautiful as they accept their bodies.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: Film & Television, Gender & Sexuality, Media, Mormon, Society & Culture, Women Tagged With: , ,

Big Love Report

January 24, 2011 by

So I’m watching the end of the Jets v. Steelers game last night, and it’s about 8:50 p.m., when I realize I’ve missed the second episode in Big Love’s new and final season. But then it dawns on me that HBO repeats the new episodes immediately at 9:00 p.m., so I was able to watch it. (The first episode last week was mainly about all the blowback the family experienced after Bill publicly admitted to being a polygamist.) There were four aspects to this episode that I found particularly interesting, which I wanted to highlight here. (Spoiler alert for anyone who hasn’t seen the episode yet and is still planning on it.) Also, please note that my characterization is based on my hazy memory, I don’t have a transcript to consult or anything like that. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Family, Film & Television, Marriage, Media, Mormon, Pop Culture Tagged With: ,

Movie(s) Review: Veggie Tales! Veggie Tales!

December 31, 2010 by

They’re a little “loud” for my taste (I prefer a more Mr. Rogersesque vibe in my children’s media), but I have to admit, they’re pretty entertaining and they do a good job of teaching scripture stories.

I haven’t found any material or lessons I find objectionable, and many have surprised me with how much I appreciate the lessons taught. For example, An Easter Carol confronts the evils of consumerism and commercialization of sacred holidays, without going so far into zealotry the other direction that it makes me uncomfortable. Madame Blueberry is a full frontal assault on the idea that material things make us happy, even not-so-subtly sending up Wal-Mart. And Sweetpea Beauty is a perhaps cliche, but still much needed, reminder for girls that beauty on the inside is what matters. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Children, Comparative/Ecumenical, Film & Television, Mormon, Pop Culture Tagged With: , , , , ,

Meet The Polygamists Next Door

September 27, 2010 by

MikeInWeHo is an old friend of BCC, and currently serves as our Special Media Correspondent, providing commentary on TV shows we can’t watch because we’re too cheap to pay for cable. His past work can be seen here, here, here, and here.

Sunday night brought the premier of the new series Sister Wives on The Learning Channel. The affable Kody Brown and his three wives have opened their home to the world, and we get a new take on contemporary polygamy. This is billed as a reality series, but are these people for real or is this TV with an agenda? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Comparative/Ecumenical, Family, Film & Television, Guest Post, Marriage, Media, Mormon, Pop Culture, Theology, Doctrine & Policy Tagged With: ,

Movies, Mormonism, and Meaning

August 5, 2010 by

I’m going to start this off with a couple of Nike commercials that I watch on Youtube when I am trying to motivate myself. No endorsement of Nike (or YouTube) is implied. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Art, Film & Television, Media, Missionary, Mormon, Music, Pop Culture, Theology, Doctrine & Policy

Monday Night Lived Mormonism Poll: R-rated Movie Spirituality Edition

August 2, 2010 by

If yes, can you provide specific examples? If no, what specifically leads you to believe that this is the case?

Bookmark By Common Consent

Filed Under: Film & Television, Media, Navel-Gazing & Poetic Observation, Polls, Pop Culture, Society & Culture, Theology, Doctrine & Policy

Book of Mormon / Epic Beefcake Movie

June 18, 2010 by


George Chakiris “King Balam” and Yul Brynner “Chief Black Eagle” in Kings of the Sun.

For a kid in the 1970s, Mormon-themed media was pretty scarce. So I was nothing less than astounded one Saturday afternoon to turn on the TV and discover a movie about the Nephites and Lamanites!

Of course, they weren’t called by those names, but they fit the images perfectly. There was a group of “whiter,” more civilized Indians — new settlers in the land — who were building a city centered on a temple/pyramid (the Nephites). Outside their walls lurked a group of traditional Hollywood Indians, loincloth-clad and living in teepees (the Lamanites).

Even better, the Lamanite chief was none other than Yul Brynner. In my family, Brynner held an essentially canonical role in Cecil B. DeMille’s scriptural epic The Ten Commandments. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anciently Revealed, Film & Television, Media, Mormon, Pop Culture, Scriptures

BCC Zeitcast 47: The Neverending Zeitcast

March 4, 2010 by

Two Zeitcasts in one week?!? Clearly, these are the last days.

Download here or subscribe to the BCC Zeitcast in the iTunes Store.

In this episode, Scott, Steve, and Cynthia take turns revealing who is on their genocide lists, and discuss famous Mormon unibrows and the danger of urinating on downed power lines.

Links for your convenience:
1. Mitt Romney’s New Book
2. The Raymond Takashi Swenson comment.
3. A typical Raymond Takashi Swenson comment. Standard Raymond Takashi Swenson Comment (or “SRTSC”) defined here.
4. The Unibrow Bandit
5. What not to do in rural Washington.
6. Cynthia, revealing her utmost desires.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: BCC Zeitcast, Film & Television, Mormon, Politics, Pop Culture

The Illuminated Matsby, Vol. 2

February 24, 2010 by

By Common Consent is pleased to present this week’s graven image, by the beloved craftsman, that master artist, that Painter of -itesTM, Matthew Page (or Brother Matsby). As always, please respect the reverence for which BCC is known and keep an appropriate tone, even that of quiet dignity, in your comments. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Art, Film & Television, Pop Culture

Bloggernacle Classics: The R-Rated Movie

February 10, 2010 by

Bloggernacle Classics, a Continuing Series

It is time once again for the young students of the Bloggernacle to open their notepads and prepare for study, as I present the second installment of my fledgling series, Bloggernacle Classics.[1] You may recall the first entry revolved around the exploits of BCC’s own Aaron B., who has recently returned from the ranks of the Emeriti to grace BCC’s screen on a more regular basis. Today, my subject matter is the R-Rated Movie. However, the purpose here is history, not doctrine; therefore, the pros and cons, the virtues and evils, of R-rated movies will not be reviewed.[2]
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bloggernacle Classics, Film & Television, Gender & Sexuality, Mormon, Pop Culture, Society & Culture

Twilight: harmless fun or dangerous fantasy?

November 22, 2009 by

A (slightly edited) conversation I recently participated in:

  • I have now spoken in person to three adult LDS women who have seen this movie in the past 36 hours.  They just gush about it, you can’t get them to shut up, and they all plan to see it again within the week.  What am I missing? Also, all three commented at length and favorably about the amazing bod of some guy in the film.  Turns out he’s 17.  Adults in their 30s lusting after underage teenage flesh, how creepy is that? [Read more…]
Filed Under: Film & Television, Gender & Sexuality, Mormon

Apocalypse Whenever

June 22, 2009 by

This is another in an ongoing series of posts by members of Dialogue’s Editorial Board. Eric Samuelsen is Associate Professor of Theatre and Media Arts at BYU, and Dialogue’s Film and Theater Editor.

In Sunday school last Sunday, the lesson was about the apocalypse, the End of Days. It’s always a depressing lesson for me, because i don’t want to be around for the End of Days. I don’t want anything to do with the Apocalypse. I think it sounds terrifying–death and horror and disease and war. As Mormons, I don’t think we can even take comfort in the ‘neener neener neener, I’m getting raptured and you’re not’ vibe apparently some evangelicals take comfort in, because we don’t believe in the Rapture, unless we do. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Dialogue Posts, Film & Television, Gender & Sexuality

So I watched Twilight last night…

May 1, 2009 by

Introduction/disclaimer: I haven’t read the books and had no desire to, so I thought I’d check out the movie once came out on DVD, just to see what the big fuss is about. I threw it in my Netflix queue, couldn’t have had lower expectations. Here’s my first reaction: UPDATE: here’s a video “summary” of Twilight for those who haven’t seen it. Heh.

First off, I can definitely, definitely understand Natalie’s reaction in calling it porn for women. The women-porn force is strong in Twilight. Except for the -ahem- very rare moments when I got a little sucked in by it, I was just laughing and marveling at the absurd levels to which the blatancy of its women-porniness rose.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Art, Film & Television, Gender & Sexuality, Mormon, Society & Culture, Women Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Mormon Shame

March 14, 2009 by

It has recently come to my attention that we, as mormons, have done something shameful, I thought it may be too hot to post, but I can’t be silent.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: Books & Journals, Film & Television, Mormon, Society & Culture, Women Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Richard Dutcher, Vehicle of God’s Grace

April 16, 2007 by

I was talking to Jay yesterday about Keith Merrill’s response to this talk from Richard Dutcher, and for the millionth time, I noted how utterly incomprehensible it is to me that people could see Dutcher’s work as unsupportive of faith or religious devotion, or in any way detrimental to the church or its members. In my experience, Dutcher’s films are so very supportive of both our community and its faith that I find Merrill’s response to Dutcher’s work utterly mystifying. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Art, Film & Television, Religion, Society & Culture

“That Sounds So Mormon”

March 6, 2007 by

I’ve seen New York Doll probably 5 or 6 times with different groups, and discussed it after viewing with probably 30 people, all of them more or less active LDS. We all tended to notice the same things and the comments after viewing the movie with a group of friends could have been recycled from the conversation following a previous viewing. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Film & Television, Religion

States of Grace

December 22, 2006 by

I know I’m several months over a year behind here, but I finally watched Richard Dutcher’s States of Grace and loved it. Modern Mormon storytelling doesn’t get much better. It has a nice Christmas theme too, so if you haven’t seen it, try and pick it up over the holidays.

Filed Under: Film & Television

My Divided State (a movie review)

December 2, 2005 by

Once upon a time, I was an angst-ridden college student living in Utah, shocked and appalled at what I saw as the BYU administration’s inexcusable hostility to academic freedom. I had just returned from my mission and English professor Cecilia Farr was being denied tenure under what appeared to be pretty dubious circumstances. Professor Farr had, among other things (or maybe not among other things, which was itself part of the controversy), publicly espoused a rather moderate pro-choice position on abortion (carefully clarifying that she agreed with the Church’s stand as to abortion’s immorality) and all Hell had broken loose. My vision of what academic freedom at a university should be (yes, even a Mormon one) was not consistent with BYU’s actions, and I was quite the unhappy camper. Although there were a lot of lessons to be learned from this episode (and a lot of different ways of framing the issues that were in play), one of the bottom lines, as I saw it at the time, was this: An inordinately large number of Mormons have an inordinately difficult time recognizing the difference between their passionately-felt political views and the religious doctrines of their Church.

It’s been quite a few years since I lived through the angst and irritation of my BYU days, but much of it came flooding back to me the other evening, as I watched THIS DIVIDED STATE, a documentary that has just been released on DVD. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Film & Television, Politics

Why I Hate George Lucas (and you should too)

April 19, 2005 by

Over at the Kulture Klub, we all had to endure a recent nerd-filled chatterfest about pointless Star Wars trivia. (Seriously, look at those geeks in the comments section. Sure glad I’m not them). That may have been a fun thread, but trust me, folks — this one is sure to be much more cathartic. Indeed, consider it long overdue therapy at no charge.

As you all know, Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is opening exactly one month from today, and I think it’s time we all release our collective, pent-up angst at George Lucas for how he’s ruined the Star Wars experience; might as well get it out now, so that when you head for the theatre, you’ll have already processed your rage and you’ll have lower expectations, ensuring a consequently less-torturous cinematic experience overall.

(Some might say that this thread would be more appropriate elsewhere, but since Boy George Evans and the other powers-that-be over there didn’t see fit to invite me to participate in their little cinematic & musical love-in, I see no reason to respect their monopoly on all ‘Nacle discussions of geeky films.)

For those wondering what possible “Mormon” connection there is to any of this, I would kindly point out that: (1) George Lucas is Mormon; (2) the “Force” is the Priesthood; and (3) Yoda is President Kimball. Enough said. Or if not, perhaps those of a more philosophical bent can discuss whether and to what extent George’s apparent church inactivity relates in some way to why his movies suck so hard.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Film & Television, Media, Pop Culture Tagged With: ,

Movies By Rating

March 21, 2005 by

This weekend, while rearranging our DVD collection, I decided to conduct a little experiment. Just for fun, I wanted to know how many movies we had of each rating under the MPAA. The results and follow-up findings, while not shocking, started me down the path of, you know, thinking.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Film & Television

The Passion Recut: Mormon Friendly?

February 21, 2005 by

Mel Gibson has removed five to six minutes from his monumental film, which is to be re-released March 11, 2005. Interestingly enough, the film’s distributor, Newmarket, has no plans to release this version on DVD or VHS. Rather, the idea is to release this version of the film each year around Easter, an intriguing marketing concept. But that’s not really the scope of this post, read on for some more details and the real discussion I have in store for you.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Film & Television
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