Gaga for celebrities...

 Is Lady Gaga a modern day spiritual leader, are her 'Little Monsters' a part of a holy fandom where ritualistic devotion provide a communal purpose?

With 56,129,674 [current 31/3/2013] followers on Facebook, Lady Gaga outstrips other modern day world leaders; currently there are four different pages for the new Pope Francis, who has a combined total of less than two hundred thousand 'likes'.  The Dalai Lama sits currently on  4,970,078, 'likes'. New age spiritualist Neal Donald Walsch, author of "Conversations with God', has a following of 244,457. Should it be surprising that Julia Gillard comes in last on 158,946, yet Gaga for all that she is liked by over 56 million people world wide, she even edges out  president Barack Obama, who sits comfortable on 35,350,610 'likes'.  The idea then of the religion of the celebrity  is discussed by Ward, he challenges fundamentalist theology and redefines our modern day celebrity culture as a 'para-religion'. If a celebrity such as Lady Gaga is seen on the top social networking site of our era as being more popular than the Pope, the Dalai Lama and world political leaders, does this not then tell us something about the type of society we have become? Ward goes on to tell us that  if we were to studying this 'para-religion' from the perspective of traditional fundamentalist then the worshipping of celebrities lack religious structural integrity, for there are no; places of worship, religious tools, doctrinal texts, or theological grounding.

Ward then suggests that "there are, however, totemic or symbolic  elements of celebrity worship. These symbols are "meaningful," but not in the wholesome ways described in functionalist theory," [Ward, 2011, 67]. The symbols of celebrity worship are then seen to be, the latest album, the performance, and the ticket keepsake. Comparisons are then drawn  to well known religious orders. The artist's album becomes our religious text, their performance at our concert halls; our place of worship and the tickets that we pin to our walls, stick in a photo album or tuck away into a treasure box, our religious symbol or totem. These aspects of Fandom create strong parallel comparisons to religious practices, if asked right this instance to sing the "Response to the Passion"- as many Christians across the world were asked, this Easter. Without using that trusty hymn book placed every second person along the pew, could they? Yes there are prayers and hymns that one knows off by heart, but there are some that only come but once a year, and these are less known. The devotee of the celebrity however will devote hours on end,  days even weeks to the memorising their sacred text. The devotee will then recall, sing, dance to and recite in their sleep, on call and with the masses, the words of their 'spiritual' leader. That is, until the next album comes along, the new tour and the latest ticket stub to add to their collection. Perhaps this is the key to the modern era; if you want over 56 million people to follow you on Facebook; be inclusive, be different, provide entertainment and above all else;  present different and updated texts each year, which relate to current world events...

References:

Ward P. 2011. Gods Behaving Badly: Media Religion and Celebrity Culture. London: SCM Press. Ch 3 - Para-religion

Image Source:

With permission of the author; Rainer Galea- "Fluid Ink":
https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/fluid-ink/121128974566421

The cons of a Catholic

Why are we so obsessed with material objects? Why must we have the latest IPAD or the newest state of the art coffee machine? Why do we pay hundreds of dollars for one single piece of clothing?

In this modern era, the individual has been turned into a consumer of goods. Where to 'keep up with the Jones' one must constantly be up-to-date with all the "mod- cons". Why then should we be surprised that religion iconography as a fashion trends has become so popular?  Carrette and King discuss this concept by claiming that, "the ideologies of consumerism and business enterprise are now infiltrating more and more aspects of our lives" and that the result, "of this shift has been an erasure of the wider social and ethical concerns associated with religious traditions" (Pp.61, 2012). The religious tradition  of rosary beads becoming a fashion statement  is then one such example of religious consumerism. That one might be seen wearing a pair of Converse high tops , Levi jeans, a Ralph Loren polo shirt, with rosary beads prominent against the chest. Goes against the ideology behind the use of rosary beads for prayer. But in this consumerist society, what is left untouched my mass marketing and trends? What is left of the sacred image? The sacred tools of worship?

Carrette and King  make the  most poignant of statements, for they assert that, " the subordination and exploitation of religious themes and motifs. promote an individualist or corporate oriented pursuit of profit for its own sakes," (Pp. 62, 2012). The idea then of wearing rosary beads for no other reason than adornment  becomes trite. Why do individuals wear religious  iconography as fashion if they do not identify with the religious denomination they profess  so boldly. Those who were a cross on a gold chain, do so, you would think so as to proclaim their faith and to be reminded of their religious identity throughout their day. If not for religious devotion why then proclaim falsely that you adhere to a religious faith? Has consumerism reached such an extent so as to devoid all religious iconography of a more sacred meaning? Will we stop at nothing to blend in with crowd? Keep up with the Jones? and make as much money as possible regardless of religious traditions and the ideas of the sacred?

References:

Carrette J. and R. King. 2102. Spirituality and the Re-branding of Religion. In Lynch G. and J. Mitchell with A. Strhan. Eds., Religion, Media and Culture: A Reader. 59-70. London and New York: Routledge.

Neon Cathedral

'The liquor store is open later than the church is...' [Macklemore, 2012, Verse 2]

The 'Neon Cathedral',  from Macklemore's most recent album, "The Heist", discusses the concept of alcohol addiction and how drinking at a bar became his daily ritual. Using religious iconography Macklemore discusses how the neon lights of consumerism and addiction removed  any possibility for a true relationship with God. For example, within the bridge of the song, the lyrics state,

'Wouldn't miss it for the world

Baptized my vices and the bar is my church

Traded my artist and I pawned off the easel

Spend it all searching for God, Neon Cathedral

Neon Cathedral.'

In "What We Make of the World" Graham states that  '…people turn to the sources and resources of popular culture as a means of rehearsing and examining questions of belief, meaning and spirituality,' [Graham, 2007, Pp.68]. If in this ever increasing secular society, the individual draws their images of the divine from popular culture, such as pop artists, what then becomes of traditional religious images? Graham also states that once there was a predominant Christian world view, where there would have been a 'consensus between church and creative and performing arts' [Graham, 2007, Pp.65]. Yet now in today's society with a plethora of mediums for the individual to reinterpret their idea of religion, the church has little control or say how religion is portrayed by the masses.

'The Neon Cathedral' then is a juxtaposition of the traditional religious image verses the profane and symbolic image of consumerism- with its bright neon lights. The question that Graham asks is what more can the church do for those 18-24 year olds [Graham, 2007, Pp.66], who are so swayed by those neon lights and find traditional services non- engaging and old fashioned. What more can the church do to move into the twenty first century? Macklemore relates his search for freedom from addiction to the church yet fails to find a bridge that connects the two together. We are then left to ponder whether  the church has become too rigid in its traditions and traditional iconography and has it therefore failed to realize the need for further compassion and acceptance of the twenty first century Christian? Whether they are poor, addicted, rich, straight, gay, female, male or black or white. Where does humanity fit into the traditional interpretation of the religious canon? Is it not then fitting that the individual now interprets through different mediums their own idea of visual culture and what religion has inspired within them?

References:

Graham E. 2007. “What We Make of the World”: The Turn to Culture in Theology and the Study of Religion. In G. Lynch, Ed., Between Sacred and Profane: Researching Religion and Popular Culture. London & New York: I.B. Taurus & Co. Ebook.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. 2012. Neon Cathedral Feat.Allen Stone. Accessed: Australia: YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfxwXSbb-XQ

Video source: Neon Cathedral: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfxwXSbb-XQ)

The Coffee House Alternative

The bleary eyed worker of the twenty first century reaches their work destination. They merely nod to their co-workers as they dump their bags unglamorously on their work desks. They then, zombie like walk towards the glorious 'light at the end of the tunnel'- coffee pot,that gives this tired soul renewed energy to start the work day. This rejuvenation process creates a freshness that no other spiritual ritual, that early in the morning could possibly provide...

Stig Hjarvard presents the idea of religious mediatization, he states, 'that their is a clear correlation between the modernization of society and the decline in religious behaviour and beliefs,' [Hjarvard, 2008, Pp.10].  The idea now that the simple act of our morning coffee, an action that is repeated in workplaces all around Australia each morning, could have superseded  that of morning mass or benediction, as our morning ritual is not too hard to believe. In an ever increasing secular society, individuals search for personal truths, which are increasingly influenced by mass media. The idea of "the coffee house alternative" in place of structured religious gatherings is a completely plausible ideology.

The idea that media now frames religious themes in a way that blurs traditional understanding of religious practice, changes how the individual views their daily cup of coffee.  Our individual commercial needs so influenced by society, tells us that to fit in we must join with what is made popular by the masses. The common phrase, "lets meet for a coffee" when arranging a catch up with friends, may not even mean coffee, but the meaning behind it is clear. This social construct, framed by media in such popular television shows as 'Friends' where cast members socialise in a café setting,  provides society with guidelines on how to interact with each other in social situations. This 'coffee catch up' similar to our 'morning cuppa' has then become the ritual to which our lives our now attuned.

Hjarvard discusses this idea by suggesting that, "rituals, worship, mourning and celebration are all social activities that used to belong to institutionalized religion...," [Hjarvard, 2008, Pp10]. The question then has to be asked, what other rituals that we perform daily, are a direct product of mediatization?

Referenced work:

Hjarvard. Stig. 2008. The Mediatization of Religion: A Theory of the Media as Agents of Religious Change. Northern Lights. 6(1).

Memories of Hiroshima

On Friday the eighth of march 2013 there was an official opening of the:

 "Memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki exhibition at the Brisbane Square Library".

This exhibition explores historical accounts of the atomic bombing of Japan in 1945. The audience was privileged to hear via SKYPE, the account of one Mr Keijiro Matsushima, who was twelve and a school boy in Hiroshima during World War II. As the audience sat entranced by this courteous and enigmatic elderly man, who told of how an ordinary day became a day that even now is remembered so vividly. As this gentle man retold his version of the days events the audience experienced a different framing of the now infamous A-bomb nuclear missile strike. Matsushima used descriptions that defied euro- centric notions of historical inquiry ; one such image was, "it sounded like a 100 thunders" [when the bomb hit the ground]. This 12 year old boy in this moment of a 100 thunders prayed to the gods of his belief and tried to make sense of what had happened. Matsushima's visual descriptions, of the destruction he witnessed, and the 'zombie like' people who walked arms out-stretched, skin peeling  from their bodies in great long lines out of Central Hiroshima. Are vastly different from the Jubilant  cries of American and allied troops that the war was finally over.

The  "Memories of Hiroshima: Education talks"- an exhibit where teachers may bring students to explore, offers a completely different framing of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombing of 1945, the exhibit also calls for peace and the destruction of all nuclear weapons. The artifacts, are priceless. The one pictured, was discussed on the opening night and is a pocket watch which has stopped at the time of the bombing. This not often heard perspective reminds us that World War II had many causalities, many being civilian and innocent.  

Image Source: Taken on the night of the 8-3-2013 at the Brisbane Square library exhibition entitled, "Memories of Hiroshima"- more information can be found at the link below:

 http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/facilities-recreation/libraries/opening-hours-locations/brisbane-square-library/index.htm

What is sacred?

In a society where the secular is becoming representative of western culture (Mcdannell (2012) where media conglomerates have decided what is to become mainstream and 'cool', endorsed of course by the new era of "the celebrity"- how then is the individual to find their own path to what they believe is sacred within their lives?

This week a powerful YouTube clip took us on an emotional journey of a rarely heard German civilian perspective of World War II. This song provided a powerful and emotional recount of Mademoiselle Andree Geulen and her brave actions to save Jewish children during the WW II. This clip demonstrates the humility of a blonde, blue eyed "pretty" Aryan- who took it upon her twenty year old shoulders to save the lives of many innocent children- regardless of their religious background, though it can be noted that the children, "learnt different" prayers to ensure their safety and hide their true identities.

Mcdannell's (2012) article "Scrambling the Sacred and Profound," discusses the modernising of the western world and the historical changes to the discussion of 'what is sacred' and 'what is profane'. To Mademoiselle Geulen however, in one of the most courageous acts, to her simply, the idea of 'the sacred' was her little charges in the boarding house where she worked. To her the profane became the  German soldiers  who told those innocent children to separate according to their race and religion. Yet  Instead of abandoning her idea of "the sacred" Geulen  questioned the soldiers judgement, their orders and their morality. Were those German soldiers who took children away from boarding houses, away from families; actually profane? Or were they just serving their country, because they had been conscripted into a war they did not believe in and perhaps might have even been killed if they disobeyed orders? Did fear make them question their understanding of morality and then inturn become confused about  what their own true version of "the sacred" was? 

For instance, we know its wrong to murder, but if I am conscripted into a war, where, If I do not shoot a gun, which I would never have had to use if my government, which I did not vote for, which held radical beliefs about winning back the land with a "triumphant sword" (Adolf Hitler (1925). If I do not shoot this gun and protect my self and fight for my homeland, am I a coward who lets his 'mates' fall at the hands of enemy guns? Or am I just upholding my understanding of morality and the basic commandment of "thou shall not kill"- and then if I choose to kill against that understanding, what then becomes of my idea of "the sacred"?  Could we at the most fundamental level of our soul live with the idea of killing, especially  if our government supports and celebrates the death of the enemy as an achievement and if so, do I then have to adjust and modify my understanding of  what I thought was sacred.

Rabinbach and Adorno (1975) in, "The Culture Industry Reconsidered" discuss the ideology behind the support of the masses. This idea is coherently linked from the discussion about Apple products dominating the technology market, and the continuation of their popularity, has everything to do with branding and mass consumption, as well as the idea that Apple products are 'cool' and mainstream. If we take this idea and expand it to the propaganda and fear campaigns of 1940's Germany. The idea that Hitter changed the idea of 'what is sacred' within the lives of thousands of individuals and that he justified the deaths of innocent children, can be considered. If we delve within our own minds and find that path to our soul, to perhaps the God of our understanding, can we  admit that the opinions we voice are sometimes at odds to what we truly identify as our morality; our centre for right and wrong. But if we are given powerful support for that opinion, can we justify a change in that core sense of morality?  Would we even own an IPAD or have the opinion that it is cool, if society did not agree with us? And when the war was over, new leaders took over and the dominant opinion changed in Germany, how did that affect the individual's sense of right and wrong? Can one re- adjust the idea of "what is sacred" so completely in a matter of years?

How then did Mademoiselle Geulen keep a hold of her beliefs and moral judgements, why was her understanding of what was sacred different to many of her contemporaries, why was she able to  maintain her understanding of what was sacred , when all around her chaos reigned? Is it really as simple as being "twenty, young and fearless"? Are those who have Samsung and Android phones in this modern day society, the Individuals who we should be paying more attention too? Mcdannell (2012) raised the point that as western societies become more modernized we have also become more secular, perhaps society is beginning to learn from history and to understand why so many people flock to those individuals who take their sense of "the sacred" and teach it to others, or to celebrities who make it ok to "buy a t-shirt for fifty dollar's "(Mackelmore (2012) just because it has a desired logo on it, that the masses then believe is cool. Yet to this Hoover (2006) discuses that today's society is now fighting back and the 'niche' market has begun to impact upon media conglomerates who have had to diversify  in order to keep up with the masses that Rabinbach and Adorno (1975) described in the 70's.

Perhaps then Hoover gives us hope, that someday we will break free of the need to maintain our status in society and make our own path in this world. That we should rely on our own sense of what is sacred or right and wrong or cool, instead of our continued reliance upon another's version of personal truths-  In this we find the true message behind Mademoiselle Andree Geulen's story.

           References:

Adorno T and AG Rabinbach. 1975. The Culture Industry Reconsidered. New German Critique. 6, Autumn, 12-19. http://orgnets.cn/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/21-adorno-culture-industry.pdf

Hitler, Adolf. 1925, Mein Kampf. Australia: Project Gutenberg. http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200601.txt

Hoover SM. 2006. Media and Religion in Transition. In Religion in the Media Age, London: Routledge. Ch3, 45-83. (RL)

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. 2012. Thrift Shop Feat. Wanz. (Offical Video). Accessed: Australia: YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes

McDannell C. 2012. Scrambling the Sacred and the Profane. In Lynch G. and J. Mitchell with A. Strhan. Eds. Religion, Media and Culture: A Reader. 135-146. London & New York: Routledge.

Video Source: Mademoiselle Andree Geulen:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR6PC74--1s&noredirect=1