Ridiculing New Things

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shawntc

shawntc

Senior Member
May 7, 2010
729
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0
Rebecca Black. Justin Bieber. Nicki Minaj. Twilight. The Hunger Games. What do all of these have in common? In some way, by some people, they have been made fun of and looked down upon. I see it so much. And I just recently had an epiphany about it. Are we really so against new things, things which differ from what we've grown up around, that not only do we flat out object it we make fun of it?

When I was growing up, the things that were big were Pokemon, Power Rangers, and so on. Today it's... I don't even know what's going on anymore. Things are different from when I was a kid. I didn't have a home computer until I was 10. These days, young people are basically growing up around computers and Internet. Their culture has been transformed by the diverse opinions that our increasingly interconnected world has brought together. The trends in the arts, music, and television have changed with these same people.

And we're going to make fun of it? Because we find it stupid? Judging these things because we don't enjoy them? I'm not talking about the occasional quip or jab at something, that's fine, but during my time on the Internet I've found an intense dislike from these things. And no surprise, those who are speaking against them tend to be older teens and adults. What are we doing? It feels like we're closing ourselves to the younger generation and turning our backs on them. "Like our stuff or else!" Guys, this isn't the 1990s anymore. I'm sorry, but that was 20 years ago. We're in the 2010s now, and the world has changed. Instead of dismissing newer things (at best), we need to understand the culture. People are becoming increasingly unreligious, and the Christian church itself is becoming ever more worldly. Why? We're not taking the new world seriously. We're just giving it a hand wave and saying, "Well, whatever." How many pastors or Bible teachers can you honestly say are in touch with the modern Western society? I would gauge that not many are. Science and atheism are increasingly being heralded as the pinnacle of humanity, while religion and God are openly mocked as folk tales and crutches for the mentally weak. Immorality is ever more being permitted, and those immoral ones are demanding everybody accept - nay, validate - their wrongdoings. The young people of this generation have questions and are being given no answer at best, or perverse ones at worse.

And we're making Bieber jokes?

My point is this. I'm sure each older generation teased the younger for its tastes and habits, but I'm becoming more uncomfortable with how much harassment the younger is getting from us. Let's connect with these kids, get on their level. The only way the younger generation can know God is if the older tells them about God - and lives for him. Making a joke of everything they know isn't going to accomplish anything.
 
Rebecca Black. Literally was just a girl with rich parents who paid an obscenely small record label like 2 grand to make a music video. She never really intended for it to get like it did, but I think some people thought it was someone actually trying to start a career.
Justin Bieber/Nicki Minaj. These two go together because it's the same thing, music nowadays have become completely commercialized that record labels pound out tripe like thi to ignorant tweens, teens, and young adults who really could care less about substance and prefer style and will drop these artists the minute the next big thing comes along.
Twilight. I admit I read all four one winter while on break from school. Not the best books and really weren't even a big deal until the whole robert pattinson thing If i recall correctly. By now its just over-saturation and annoying.
The Hunger Games. Just a bad Battle Royale rip-off with an obligatory love story thrown in to leech off of the twilight crowd. Not bad, but not worthy of the adulation it got either.
 
Nautilus, you just demonstrated what I'm talking about. You simply judged and dismissed all the things I talked about, with no respect for those who might actually like those things.

How are we supposed to reach younger people for Christ if all we are doing is trashing the things around them? Are we really so closed-minded? I'm not saying we need to like them, not by any means. I'm saying that if we continue to have that kind of attitude like you showed, then we're not going to reach them.
 
It's not my fault kids today willingly enjoy low-quality entertainment. I mean I wasn;t a big fan of Backstreet Boys or N'Sync when they were out, but Im willing to admit they were far and above this new boy band junk like One Direction(and let me tell you that direction isn't straight)
 
Nautilus said:
It's not my fault kids today willingly enjoy low-quality entertainment. I mean I wasn;t a big fan of Backstreet Boys or N'Sync when they were out, but Im willing to admit they were far and above this new boy band junk like One Direction(and let me tell you that direction isn't straight)
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To us it may seem like low-quality entertainment. (And note I say "us," since I'm not entirely amused by most of it either.) Nonetheless, it is what it is. And I feel that if the church is going to connect with the younger generation, instead of trash-talking what they're being grown up around, we need to accept that it's there (without necessarily approving of it) and modify how we reach out to them to accommodate for that difference. Wouldn't you agree?
 
No...teach them to do better. Show them better things. Don't show them Hunger Games, show them Battle Royale instead. I mean don't just let them wallow in this low tier 'entertainment' the industry produces nowadays. They want to watch twilight? tell them no, watch Interview with a Vampire or Near Dark. Fix the problems don't conform to them. Unless of course you feel you can somehow reach out to a generation that has been conditioned to have attention spans of a minute at the most.
 
shawntc said:
Rebecca Black. Justin Bieber. Nicki Minaj. Twilight. The Hunger Games. What do all of these have in common? In some way, by some people, they have been made fun of and looked down upon. I see it so much. And I just recently had an epiphany about it. Are we really so against new things, things which differ from what we've grown up around, that not only do we flat out object it we make fun of it?

When I was growing up, the things that were big were Pokemon, Power Rangers, and so on. Today it's... I don't even know what's going on anymore. Things are different from when I was a kid. I didn't have a home computer until I was 10. These days, young people are basically growing up around computers and Internet. Their culture has been transformed by the diverse opinions that our increasingly interconnected world has brought together. The trends in the arts, music, and television have changed with these same people.

And we're going to make fun of it? Because we find it stupid? Judging these things because we don't enjoy them? I'm not talking about the occasional quip or jab at something, that's fine, but during my time on the Internet I've found an intense dislike from these things. And no surprise, those who are speaking against them tend to be older teens and adults. What are we doing? It feels like we're closing ourselves to the younger generation and turning our backs on them. "Like our stuff or else!" Guys, this isn't the 1990s anymore. I'm sorry, but that was 20 years ago. We're in the 2010s now, and the world has changed. Instead of dismissing newer things (at best), we need to understand the culture. People are becoming increasingly unreligious, and the Christian church itself is becoming ever more worldly. Why? We're not taking the new world seriously. We're just giving it a hand wave and saying, "Well, whatever." How many pastors or Bible teachers can you honestly say are in touch with the modern Western society? I would gauge that not many are. Science and atheism are increasingly being heralded as the pinnacle of humanity, while religion and God are openly mocked as folk tales and crutches for the mentally weak. Immorality is ever more being permitted, and those immoral ones are demanding everybody accept - nay, validate - their wrongdoings. The young people of this generation have questions and are being given no answer at best, or perverse ones at worse.

And we're making Bieber jokes?

My point is this. I'm sure each older generation teased the younger for its tastes and habits, but I'm becoming more uncomfortable with how much harassment the younger is getting from us. Let's connect with these kids, get on their level. The only way the younger generation can know God is if the older tells them about God - and lives for him. Making a joke of everything they know isn't going to accomplish anything.
Click to expand...

First of all, at 20 years of age, you are still growing up, I envy you a little because I'm 70. However with that being said, not only is there a falling away of the churches from God's word, but there has been a tragic falling away of proper parenting...Cheers
 
What makes this low tier entertainment any lower than we or our parents find entertaining? Our kids are growing up in an increasingly more judgemental society. Everyone has an angry and condescending opinion about something. It's not Rebecca Black's fault her parent are rich and decided to do whatever they did. She's still a little girl. All the flack she got hurt her just like any other 13 year old girl. She was just doing what she loved. Maybe we don't like it. Maybe she's no Whitney, but let her sing.
Justin Beiber is adorable. He loves Jesus. He makes mistakes just like any other boy his age. God forbid he be normal. So what if you don't like it. It's not about you. He's doing what he loves.
I'm not all that in touch with a lot of what is considered popular. I haven't had tv in 3 years. I never listen to the radio. I just don't hear about it, but I do have youger sisters in law who love a whole lot of music that makes me cringe. I cringe because of the content, not the style.
We have to find something to appreciate in what kids enjoy nowadays. These kids usually have talent even if they aren't doing with it what you'd like them to. Perhaps you want them to sing country, but they prefer RnB. It still takes talent. Appreciate the talent. Appreciate that they are trying to do something that they love. Appreciate the lyrics, or if that's not possible, appreciate the harmony, the versatility, the soul-baring aspect. There are so many things you can appreciate.
I enjoy listening to the tapes I used to sing to when I was little because it brings back good memories. Is it technnically good music, no. Who cares? I connect.
I enjoy listening to foreign music like throat singing, chinese opera, chants, etc. Is it considered beautiful by western standards, no. But I appreciate the uniqueness and the talent that it takes.
I enjoy country music because I feel like almost amy other form of western music can be faked vocally. You have to be able to sing, it you're going to sing country. There is much less knob-turning.
I enjoy listening to "younger" music with young people because it's about connecting with the kids, not about the music. There are good parts to the music. I can say, "Wow, he sounded great on that song." "He can really belt those harmonies." "Did you hear that solo?"
I listen to EVERYTHING and I find different things to love about each style.
 
Good point.
I never make fun of people doing things, because I know much of what I liked was silly to other people.
Besides, in the case of artists, they are actually (in most cases anyway) putting an effort into what they are doing, and I don't think anyine has the right to put other people down just because they don't like the style. (I cannot stand hiphop, but that don't give me the right to claim those artists don't have talent, as they obvisouly do as long as people like their music).
 
their are artists of every genre that have talent but when the popular ones are bieber and nicki minaj it gives me no hope at all for the generation growing up with them. None of them really write their own songs at this point. And if they do, you end up with Taylor Swift who either lies in every song she writes or is just the worst judge of character ever, since ever song is either i fell in love or the boy broke my heart. Then nicki minaj says you a stupid hoe over and over and people just accept that as music? its junk. Im not going to support people listening to this because that means they are getting paid for this crap.
 
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