So, I heard this mentioned a few weeks ago on a video game blog I listen to: if you don’t like the message of the songs presented in the popular Guitar Hero or Rock Band franchises, you’re in luck, ’cause now there’s Guitar Praise!! You can how have “inspirational fun” with 52 songs from Christian bands like Skillet, Petra and Casting Crowns!
But that’s not all! Remember the seemingly unstoppable”High School Musical” franchise? Well, maybe some of the themes in those movies are questionable…but you’re in luck there too, ’cause now there’s “Sunday School Musical!” An “inspirational story” about a group of kids that enter a music competition to save their church from closing! Watch the trailer – it’s gripping…
So yeah, perhaps I’m wrong (and I usually am…), but isn’t this a step too far? I understand that the “High School Musical” franchise is primarily watched by middle school-aged kids (as opposed to actual high school kids), perhaps exposing them to some themes that aren’t exactly age appropriate…but shouldn’t it be the parent’s responsibility to limit that exposure? Or the fact that music from Guitar Hero or Rock Band are on the radio/TV all the time….wouldn’t it make more sense to talk to your kids about the themes in popular music rather than simply ignoring them and avoiding them? Isn’t it better to teach kids how to handle a variety of media that they may be exposed to on a daily basis…rather than trying to keep it from them only to have them see it on their own at a friend’s house, not knowing how to treat it?
It seems to me that, while I don’t have any kids (besides a very lazy beagle), I’d want to help my children integrate into the world around them efficiently and effectively, rather than shelter them to the point where they may not know how to deal with what’s really out there until they leave home and go to college.
I doubt that parents who shelter their children that much are willing to send their kids anyplace where they will be exposed to anything they haven’t already been. You definitely shouldn’t watch “17 Kids and Counting” with me since those parents have ALL of their kids convinced that they’re not going to kiss until their wedding day, let alone listen to secular music on a video game!
I’d agree completely that sheltering kids too much isn’t the way to go- but I know a grown man who told me a month ago that he wished guitar hero would come out with something that had songs from skillet, etc.
I suppose what I’m saying is that there are people who actually like those song better, and would rather play that video game than say guitar hero.
Now, sunday school musical? Indefensible.
There must be a place for christian themed media such as this though… I’d just prefer that it be good media.
As far as that 17 kids and counting show…. they went to the creation museum last episode rachel and I watched. That show is like a pain you enjoy feeling.
17 Kids and counting is quite a scary show. At least Jon & Kate are pretty normal. Unlike the Dugger psychos. And DANG. Now I have to take Andy’s Christmas present back 🙁 You said he was dying to get his hands on Guitar Praise!
i don’t even know what this “17 Kids and Counting” thing is. never heard of it. clearly i am out of touch with the times.
i guess i’ll throw my 2 bits in here, too – i feel the same way about this that i do about the Christian music industry’s strategy of producing Christian bands that are essentially Jesus-ized imitations of secular bands. it seems to me that there is no reason Christians shouldn’t be capable of making at least music of comparable quality, if not superior – after all, shouldn’t we be inspired by God working in us?
i guess what i’m getting at is, if you don’t want your kids watching High School Musical, the solution is probably not to give them an imitation – it isn’t a situation where they’ll be satisfied by having seen it, because at some point it seems like they’re bound to think something along the lines of “well, High School Musical is like Sunday School Musical, so i want to watch that, too.”
i have issues with sheltering kids in general – not totally, obviously, kids are not indestructible – but trying to prevent their exposure to the world is futile – sooner or later they’re going to come face to face with it, and if you’ve spent all your efforts hiding them from it, then they’re going to have no idea how to deal with it.
this is exactly the same reason why abstinence-only sex education is a terrible idea. but that’s perhaps best left for another time.
Agreed, sir(s)…ageed…
Things like this exist so that non Christians can make fun of the Christians who like these things. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel, sure, but just like the fish, it’s still mindlessly entertaining.