Inside Out

I've been thinking about problems in our world. I guess I do that more than I should, or maybe more than is healthy for me. I came across a new one, though. Here are some of the problems that have been occupying my mind of late.

• The divorce rate in America is profanely too high.
• Pornography is ruining lives, relationships and communities in epidemic proportions.
• Prostitution is more widespread than anyone, including law enforcement personnel, is aware.
• Cosmetic surgery, fashion, diets and makeup are all HUGE industries in our country.
• Promiscuity, in all its forms, is rampant in every community.
• Pop culture is consumed with the latest scandal involving Britney, Lindsay or Charlie.

All of these problems are caused by the same few things. I am sure that there are more problems that can be included, but this will give us a start.

1. To begin with, we American humans are focusing almost exclusively on external stimuli. We do not see the inside of Britney, only how her external parts excite and titillate us. Very few people (maybe no one) know who she really is. And sadly, most of us do not care. We choose our favorite movies on the basis of who the stars are. We might choose our mate based on the way they look or how they make us feel. This is most unfortunate.
2. Although we are initially attracted to others based on appearance, often we do not get beyond that surface impression. The value of another person is only the aesthetic of external beauty. When my wife no longer turns me on, we conclude, she is no longer of any value to me.
3. A consequence of this appearance-driven ethic is that we developed warped ideas about our own value. We feel as though we are less important when we are less attractive. We get uncomfortable when people are interested in our internal stuff. Life gets complicated below the surface. Self esteem and self confidence are harder when they have to do with attitudes, opinions, values, personality and beliefs more than the way we look.
4. Looking at someone and appreciating their beauty, although a worthwhile endeavor, should never take the place of knowing someone and caring for their person.
5. My value is not based on what someone else thinks of me, or even the way I look. My value is based on God's love for me, and my ability to know and be myself, the way God intended.

Christianity vs.

There is a war in America today. I have commented on it from time to time, but I generally try to keep my comments, sermons and blog posts relatively non-political. However, from time to time the world of faith collides with the world of politics. Pay close attention to what is going on in the political realm these days.

Glen Beck, Sarah Palin and the Tea Baggers have done their best to claim Christianity and Christian values as their very own. Consequently, their message says that true American share their Christian beliefs and practices. Politically speaking there are all sorts of litmus tests. Christians, these true believers claim, have particular views on issues such as abortion, gay marriage and the like. This is all well and good, except that they are trying to convince church people that to be good Americans they must buy the whole package. Christians, we are told, are pro-gun, pro-life, pro-death penalty and anti-health care. It is an interesting mix and it takes a certain amount of creativity.

There is are a couple of interesting twists in this part of the problem. First of all, Glen Beck is not a Christian in the tradition, orthodox understanding of the word "Christian." Beck is a devout Mormon. This is a minor distinction in the political realm to be sure, but it is significant for many who are following Beck because of his, or their, faith. Secondly, there are many in the mainstream Christian church/media who have jumped on this bandwagon. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson were a couple of the pioneers in this regard, but in recent years James Dobson and Steve Strang have worked to add the Christian element to the conservative/Republican cause. It is hard for me to see the relationship between my faith and higher taxes, however.

The other side- politically- is really no better. Jim Wallis and his Sojourners movement create an option for Christians on the left, but they are as myopic as the conservatives are. You are expected to fall in line for the left or your faith and/or faithfulness is called into question.

What we have is a conflict between biblical and cultural Christianity. I propose that what exists in our world today, at least as it is represented in politics is not biblical at all. We must do our best to get beyond these cultural biases at all costs and reclaim our biblical- and non-political- heritage.

In Praise of Nooma

I am not sure when I first heard about Nooma videos. There was some talk. That's all I remember. Someone said that the videos were cool. I don't know who it was. I can't tell you when it was. Then someone (I think it was Jeff Newton) told me I should read Velvet Elvis, by Rob Bell. So I did.

The book was good, but didn't get me too excited. Bell has an interesting approach to the church, to Christianity in particular and faith in general. He looks at the big picture of things, but also sees the tiniest detail at the same time. I liked that. That is about the time that I realized Rob Bell, author of the book, was also the person behind the Nooma video series. I decided it was time to try one out.

I went to my local Christian store where I found a video called "Rain." I brought it home and watched it with my wife. I was immediately hooked. In Rain, Bell is carrying his toddler son on his bike as they hike through the woods. When they get as far away from their cabin as they can get, a storm begins. Naturally the son is terrified. During the whole trip back father tries to assure son that everything will be fine. Daddy is in charge. Finally, Bell makes the comparison to our Father, God, caring for us as his children. It was powerful. I was hooked.

There are currently 24 films in the series. They are all rather short (10-15 minutes). Some of my favorites include Rain, Lump, Luggage and Dust. They are all available at any Christian store or online at http://flannel.org/. Each video comes with Scriptures and discussion guides for groups.

I have used nearly all of these films with various kinds of groups. Discussion is almost always good. The quality of these videos is excellent. Bell is good as the narrator and the stories that are told, both by him and by the images we see, are dramatic and appropriate. It is good to see that there are Christians who are using their gifts in very creative ways.

The Christian faith is clearly spoken in these films. It is not the "in-your-face" faith of fundamentalist preachers from an older generation, but it is a completely orthodox, Christian account of the world we live in.

Nooma is a kind-of corruption of the Greek word, pneuma. In the New Testament the pneuma is the Holy Spirit and also the breath of God. Pneuma is another word for wind. There is a fresh wind from God that blows through these videos and makes them worthwhile watching.

I recommend these films highly. Watch them and be challenged. Watch them and be entertained. Watch them and grow.

What's Wrong with This Picture?

Last week I was sitting in a Burger King. I do this often to study, read, think and pray. So that's what I was doing. In fact, I was reading the Bible when I looked up to see a pregnant young women in a t-shirt that had the "F-word" on the back... in very large letters.

My first reaction was to look around and see who else would be offended by this shirt. I worry about children and elderly people. Although I am sure that I was about as offended as anyone could be. Fortunately, there was only one small child in the place and he, at 2-3 years old, was to young to read. Then the girl in the shirt turned around and I saw the front of her shirt. It said, "Too drunk to care."

That is when the worst thing happened. This girl got her food, and then went and sat with the little boy and another woman. I am not sure who was the mother, but either way it concerns me that

1. There is a child being raised in that sort of irresponsible atmosphere.
2. And that there is a blatant disregard for the sensitivities of other people.

I had almost forgotten about this whole experience this morning as I was walking (for exercise) in my local department store. There was a man, shopping with his 8-10 year old son in a shirt that said, "Surrounded by f***ing idiots." What? He was right next to his son. Does that mean that his son is the _____ idiot?

So my problem is this: Do people not think about what they are doing, saying or wearing? Or, do they just not care? What message do we want to send to those around us? What's wrong with our society?

I have decided that I will re-double my efforts to be positive. I will think about the effect that my actions, attitudes and words have on others. I want to be source for good, for positive, for hope. Will you join me?

The King is Dead (#2)

Each summer while I was in high school our marching band would spend one week in the summer at Band Camp at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. This was always one of the highlights of the year for us band geeks. We stayed in college dorms and thought we were big stuff. We stayed up too late, goofed off, worked, marched, sweated and more. And something significant always seemed to happen. For example, one year I fell in love for the first time. Another time there was something of more consequence: Elvis died.

That is why it felt like deja vu two weeks ago while attending my church's Annual Conference, at Ball State, when I learned that Michael Jackson had died unexpectedly: First the King of Rock, now the King of Pop. I better stop going to events at Ball State.

There has already been too much said and too much written about Michael Jackson in these 13 days, but I want to add a little more to the pile. These are some observations I have made about Mr Jackson and his musical and cultural significance.

• There are many sins forgiven and forgotten when a person dies. It seems that all the controversy and negativity toward Jackson have disappeared. It is almost like there were never accusations of abuse, eccentricity and just plain weirdness. Never mind that his face changed with every album or that his skin kept getting lighter. Now that he is dead, people are truly focusing on only the good things.
• Jackson's influence in the world has been almost exclusively cultural. He changed the way people thought about celebrity. He was literally world famous. And in some places he was that rare celebrity who is famous for being famous. He came along at the perfect time. His product was perfect for MTV at a time when MTV needed a product. The two were a match made in heaven. In this way, MJ was a lot like Elvis. He was in the right place at the right time.
• Also like Elvis, Jackson's musical contribution was somewhat minimal. There was not much new that Jackson brought to contemporary music. He was successful in taking R&B to a white audience, but that was more marketing that innovation. If there had never been a Michael Jackson music today would still sound pretty much the same.
• The one way in which Jackson's influence has been profound is that before Michael singers did not have to be dancers. Today there is an expectation that people who sing will also be people who dance. I am not sure that this is a good development.

Song Poaching

I have a list of songs that should never be recorded or performed by anyone but the original artists. They are "signature" songs. That is, they are identified so closely with the original artist's recording that there should be a penalty for anyone else ever performing them. These songs, in addition to belonging to a special place and time, may also be classified as timeless.

• Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash
• Crazy, Patsy Cline
• Respect, Aretha Franklin
• (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones
• In the Summertime, Mungo Jerry
• Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen

These songs should not be performed by cover bands, karaoke wannabes or established commercial artists.

I am sure that there are more songs that should fit into this profile, but these are the most significant that come immediately to mind. Be on the lookout. Stop song poaching.

Anything Worth Watching?

This is a very troubling question for me. I do not expect an answer. I think I already know the answer, but "Is there anything on television that is worth watching?" Answer: NO!

I had a few moments of leisure the other night so I decided to watch one of the current batch of situation comedies. I had previously tried 30 Rock and The Office and was not offended by them. In fact, I found both to be mildly amusing if innocuous. I was hoping that my new show would not sink to the level of Kath and Kim or My Name is Earl, two sitcoms that I have tried and rejected soundly as a waste of time and brain cells.

So, I picked a program at random, The Big Bang Theory. What a pile of garbage. The idea behind this gem, the situation, if you will, is that four geeky nerds share an apartment across the hall from a beautiful, young blond girl. Never mind that this sounds like a re-tread of Friends (in reality, it is), there is nothing good here.

1. I have no idea why the sexy girl spends time with the nerds and seems to value them as people. This flies in the face of accepted sitcom wisdom. I have only watched the show once, and plan to never watch again, so I am sure that I will never figure this one out.
2. There is nothing new or original here. The characters have all been seen before. The situation is familiar. This is old hat.
3. The writing relies on familiar cliches and worn-out jokes.
4. The characters are tired stereotypes with no depth. They are there, but we know nothing about what makes them tick. Where is the back story?

I cannot invest anymore time or energy in this show. It will be gone soon. It is not worth me caring about or spending time with. This is nothing more than Two and a Half Men without the charisma of Charlie Sheen.

Help! I need to find something worth watching on television. Is it out there?

The Funniest Seinfeld Episodes

Seinfeld is without a doubt (in my mind at least) the funniest television program of our time. The ensemble cast is perfect, the situations range from the mundane to the absurd, but what makes this such a great show is the writing. What follows is a list of my favorite episodes (in no particular order) (except that The Chinese Restaurant is the funniest half hour ever).

• The Chinese Restaurant. I still tell the host at a restaurant that my name is Cartwright.
• The Boyfriend. That was "one magic loogey."
• The Parking Garage.
• The Stranded.
• The Outing. "Not that there's anything wrong with that."
• The Smelly Car. A scary thought... O can get separated from B.
• The Marine Biologist. "The seas were angry..."
• The Gymnast. I will still eat anything that is on "top of the doiley."
• The Big Salad. This is a new way of thinking about who gets credit.
• The Burning.
• The Little Kicks. Even I can dance better than that.

Classic Christmas Story Archetypes

The Bible says that there is nothing new under the sun. How true. I am reminded of that every Christmas time. We love the Christmas movie in our house. Yes, I said the Christmas movie. There is a very limited selection in the actual story that is included in Christmas movies. This is not unlike the Christmas album that every singer is obliged to release at least once in their careers. They sing all the same songs that everyone else has already sung. It is nothing new.

There are some actors that are associated with Christmas movies. Think about Bing Crosby. Bing made Holiday Inn, White Christmas, Going My Way. He was a Christmas institution. In recent years we have Tim Allen making a bid for Christmas movie immortality. Allen is in all the Santa Clause movies and Christmas with the Kranks. In the last few years we see Vince Vaughn in Fred Claus and now Four Christmases. But, by and large, most actors make the plunge to the Christmas movie genre.

The problem with Christmas movies is that there just are not that many stories in them. There is not a lot of creativity.

• There are the stories about the "evil character who finally gets the Christmas spirit." This is where we get all the Christmas Carol and Scrooge movies. There are way too many variations on this one to name.
• There are stories of "oppressed or poor people who survive and overcome" because of the true, giving nature of Christmas. Think It's a Wonderful Life.
• There are all the "family is wonderful, and yet I hate them" Christmas movies. In this genre we can think of Christmas Vacation, Four Christmases, Christmas with the Kranks.
• Then there are the "through the eyes of a child" Christmas movies. Here we can reminisce and enjoy A Christmas Story, Prancer and Meet Me in St. Louis.

Think about your favorite Christmas movie. Where does it fit in?

How to Think Like a Christian about Imperialism

We Americans come by our imperialistic, dominant-society thinking naturally. We began as colonies of an imperial power. The British Empire was renowned for have colonies in all parts of the world. And although many of those colonies are today free and independent nations, it is still very likely that the "sun never sets on the British Empire."

The United States was one of the first to rebel against the domination and imperialism of Britain. And although many followed our lead, we did not repudiate the ideology that led to the conquest of many peoples throughout the world.

As an American, and a very patriotic one at that, I will contend that to date we have not pursued world domination in the same way that England did. But we have and are pursuing world domination nonetheless.

For most of our history we have been content to live in peace and harmony with our neighbors and others, until we are provoked. Current popular opinion believes that only in the "Bush Doctrine" have we begun to justify an attitude that instigates conflicts. But this is not true. A simple recounting of history reminds us that we rebelled against the British. We began a war with ourselves (the Civil War) to preserve the country. In this century we have engaged in war in Korea, Viet Nam, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq all without being attacked or threatened.

But we have been imperialistic in other ways.

• Our goods and services have invaded the whole world. I was able to spend two weeks in a remote corner of Africa last year and have a Diet Coke every day. We believe that our stuff is best and we ought to conquer the world with it.
• Our media- news, television, music, movies- is everywhere. Movie studios plan on overseas ticket sales to stay in the black. American stars are usually stars everywhere else.
• Our culture has influenced people everywhere. It is hard to find spots where our styles and attitudes are not present.
• Our religions have begun to conquer the world. Everywhere you go, USA is seen as a Christian nation and an enemy to other faiths. (This is a long way removed from the puritans initial quest and our founding fathers' dreams for our country.)

I think that there are many ways in which our ways, beliefs and practices can benefit all of mankind. Health care improvements, medical facilities, educational advancements, all of these are ways that we can help the world. But we must not let our advantages become disadvantages for others.

I long for all people to come to my faith. I think that it is my responsibility to help people to become Christians. This is what Jesus instructed, after all. But I want to celebrate the diversity of languages, foods and cultures that make up the world. We should be joining together holding hands, not pushing our ways onto others.

The Scourge of Superficiality

Although there are plenty of problems in our society and culture, one of the greatest of them is what I will call "superficiality." We are a society that would rather deal with surface issues than the heart of a particular problem. We are more likely to put a bandage on a symptom, than we are to address the cause of that very system.

A friend of mine says that people put labels on things so they do not have to think about them. It is easier to pigeon-hole a person, a product, a problem than to identify and examine it. We are content with what we are fed by others. Our lives are simpler this way. But it was Socrates who said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." So many of us- including you and I, I am afraid- go through life without examining anything.

This problem of superficiality manifests itself in many ways, but some of the more significant are as follows.

• Materialism. Marketing and advertising have caused a lot of our superficiality. We are buying into whatever Madison Avenue is selling at the moment. We have to have the latest brands, the best gadgets and the coolest stuff. By the way, not only is your VCR obsolete, but now your DVD player is too. (Don't get to attached to your Blu-Ray equipment.) One of my favorite questions in life is, "How did we ever get clean before there was Bath and Body Works?"
• Reality Television. There is nothing real about reality tv, but the contestants become wealthy celebrities and we watch their every move. It is not the real world, but for some reason we want it to be. Most of the people I know are not reality tv material. We are all normal looking, boring people. There is not a single model in my crowd of friends.
• Celebrity Worship. I said a lot about this issue in a recent post. Suffice it here to say that celebrities are superficial and the constant concern with the latest celebrity gossip is even more superficial.
• Vanity. This one strikes home to almost all of us. We like ourselves. We want to look our best at all times. We want the best stuff, the best home, the best car, the best vacation. We love ourselves more than anyone else. In fact, some people love themselves so much that they change their appearance surgically or cosmetically. Vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Are these results of superficiality, or the causes of superficiality? You be the judge.

Celebrity Worship

Right now it is the children of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but you and I both know that in 15 minutes it will be some other celebrity romance, addiction or meltdown that will monopolize the attention of the US. We have become so obsessed with celebrities that we get gossip updates more often than Iraq war updates. In fact, we often think that they are more important.

A perfect example of this phenomenon is the morning "news" programs. There is less news than ever on the program and even more gossip. Today, on NBC, is a perfect example. Now lasting four hours, it is loaded with the latest celebrity news, scandalous behavior, human interest stories and concerts. You can get a few minutes of news once each hour.

Although I believe this celebrity fascination to be a generally bad thing, I am coming to believe that it could be a good sign. People crave the latest news and gossip about scandal for several reasons.

• We secretly desire to be famous ourselves and are looking for pointers.
• We are always on the lookout for ways in which we are better than famous people.
• We truly believe that celebrities are better than us and this is our way of venerating them.
• It is easier to pay attention to celebrities than to deal with the real news.
• This news is always out there, so we might as well pay attention.

But I think there is one more reason. There is one thing that causes me hope for humanity, and American culture in particular. This pre-occupation with celebrities and gossip is a sign of the human need for worship. Did you catch that? People want to worship someone/ something bigger and greater than themselves.

Hollywood fascination is a sign that people have not forgotten the need to worship, to venerate the "other." Now, we need to get the focus back on God, where it belongs.

There is No Escaping

There are televisions everywhere! And I am a little put out about it. What is the deal with this, anyway? Can people not live for a few minutes without the artificial stimulation of television? I do not care if you have multiple televisions in your home, but they are now turning up everywhere in public places.

Here are some of the worst offenders:

• Restaurants are filled with televisions. It seems to me that the art of dining and conversing is going away. It is hard to have a conversation when Chris Mathews or Bill O'Reilley is screaming at you from the other side of the room. Who can focus on people when there is a perfectly good football game going on just a few feet away? The thing that gripes me is when I take my newspaper (or a magazine, or a book) to a favorite restaurant for some time alone, and I am bombarded with noise! I understand the culture of the Sports Bar, but fast food, Mom & Pops and family restaurants do not count as a sports bar.
• There is a television set in the waiting room at my doctor's office. There are magazines on tables all around. I make it a habit to carry my own reading material. But who can focus when Malcolm in the Middle is in trouble once again?
• There is a TV in a local bank. Apparently it helps people lose track of how long their wait is. I do not know which is worse, the fact that the bank staff uses a distraction to disguise how slow they are, or that their customers are so dim-witted that they do not notice.

I am sure that I am probably a minority on this issue. The televisions keep popping up so someone is watching them. Some people are enjoying them. But, I am not one of them.

Growing Up?? Too Fast??

It started with Annette Funicello in the 1950s. I wasn't there to see it, but I believe that it did happen. In recent years (months) we have watched the rise and subsequent disintegration of teen pop icons Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse, Nicole Richie, Lindsey Lohan, R Kelly, Kanye West- do we need to go on to sports figures, political leaders, etc.?


Now we see a huge hubbub concerning some pictures of current tween queen Miley Cyrus. (You may know her as Hannah Montana.) There are photos of Miss Cyrus in the current issue of Vanity Fair magazine. Some of these photos include Miley with her father, country singer and television actor Billy Ray Cyrus. The furror is about what seems to be the sexually suggestive nature of some of the pictures. Some have said that they are completely inappropriate for a 15 year old girl. I have two thoughts. First of all, it is too bad that there is a whole generation of girls who will miss out on childhood. Secondly, the consequences of this tendency are frightening. If we dress 10 year olds like 16 year olds, we should expect 12 year olds to have unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

First of all, our culture glamorizes teen sexuality. We, whether we realize it or not, encourage children to grow up. We legitimize sexuality at younger and younger ages. Eight year old girls are wearing low rise pants and half shirts. They are piercing navels and being suggestive at earlier ages and in more situations. This is a tragedy. The great memories of life are of being children. If we push our young people into adulthood they will lose out on the greatest joys of life.

Finally, let's not get to worked up about the photos in question. Although you can read into them a tantalizing back-story, it is not necessary. You can look at a teen-age girl who seems to be recently finished with a sexual encounter, or you can see a young girl. Period.

I lament the state of our world. I am sad for what our culture is doing to young people, especially girls. But I am going to do everything I can to not further complicate the situation. I am going to give Miley Cyrus and her parents, and photographer Annie Liebovitz the benefit of the doubt. I am not going to see trash where I do not need to.

Our Celebrity Culture

What is our world coming to? What has happened to us? We allow those who are famous, or make a lot of money, or are beautiful, or talented do whatever they want. Celebrities surround themselves with "yes" men who keep telling them how wonderful they are. It does not take long for a celebrity to lose touch with reality. They can quickly forget where they came from. It is a tragedy that is repeated over and over again on an almost weekly basis.

Celebrities feel as though they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, to whomever they want. They believe that there are no consequences for them because they are famous and have money. Too often this is true.

But the biggest problem with our celebrity culture is that when a celebrity get too big for his/her breeches and does something bad, we reward their behavior. Amy Winehouse wins a bunch of Grammys, Barry Bonds sets the home run record and Martha Stewart is on television every day.

We are, in essence, rewarding this bad behavior. What is wrong with them? WHAT IS WRONG WITH US?

And it is not just in the movies and in music. Every walk of life can point to celebrities "gone wild."

• Now we have learned that a whole crop of seemingly heroic baseball players cheated. The great Roger Clemens, the best pitcher of our time (maybe of all- time), among others, used steroids and human growth hormone to get an advantage.
• Richard Robert, son of the legendary Oral Roberts and the head of his father's ministry, has mishandled funds and lost his job. Tragically, Roberts is not a rarity in the field of Christianity. Catholics have their abuse scandals, and protestants have financial and sexual scandals. (Currently six televangelists are under investigation by the US Senate.)
• Britney Spears has become a "scandal a day." It is almost tedious to even recount. The pop princess has lost her children, her family, and maybe her soul.

Gratefully, there is an answer. The world does not have to bow at the altar of the 21st Century celebrity culture. We do not have to pay attention to tabloids (on the news stand or on the television). We do not have to support those who are too arrogant to return to mainstream society. It is our world. There are more of us than there are of them.

In and Out

It has been said that what goes in comes out. No truer thing has ever been said. The things that you put into your life are the things that your life will become. The items that take your energy and attention are what will form your priorities.

Since this is the case, why not make yourself better? Why not focus on things that will come out of your life in a positive way? Put things into your head that will make you, and the people around you, better.

• Focus on thoughts that will be beneficial to yourself and others. Be positive in your attitudes. Surround yourself with positive people and think on positive topics. Choose to be an optimist.
• Focus. Do not wander hopelessly from issue to the next. Do not get caught in the trap of putting out fires all the time. Focus your energy and attention on what is important.
• Surround yourself with 'good' art of all kinds. Do not settle for what is popular, or easily accessible. Fill your mind and heart with the books, music, films, etc., that are meaningful on an emotional and intellectual level.
• Our culture tends toward the base and the profane. You do not have to go along. Look for and focus on those things that lift you up. Gravitate toward the aspects of our world that make people better.

These things make us what we are. It is true that whatever we put into our lives, is what we will become. Wherever we invest our time and energy is where our priorities will be. To be a content and fulfilled person realize that you need to fill yourself with good things.

If it is true that garbage in will produce garbage out, then be sure to put good stuff in.

Hit Me, Baby (One More Time)

Britney has done it again. I do not know how she can be more outrageous or more irrelevant. And yet, somehow she is. She has done it again. This week court records were released showing the spending of Britney Spears and her ex-husband, Kevin Federline. Their divorce is final, but these figures are needed to determine the ultimate custody of the couple's two children.

Britney makes a lot of money. Even though she is certainly past her heyday as a revenue-generating celebrity, Britney still brings home about $737,000 each month. Not bad for a has been. That is not the problem, though. The difficulty that Americans should have with Britney's life is not the amount of money that she makes, but what she does with her money.

She has all the normal expenses that everyone else does. She makes two mortgage payments each month that equal almost $50,000. She spends $16,000 each month on clothes. Her largest reported expense is entertainment, which costs the pop princess $102,000 every 30 days. Britney spends over $4,700 eating out each month.

There are three problems with Britney's spending:

1. Britney Spears spends more money on her clothes than she spends on her children. (Britney pays $15,000 each month in child support.) Now I am sure that there are out of pocket expenses that Britney has for the children when they are in her care, but she is certainly more committed to herself than to her children.
2. Britney gives about $500 each month to charity. Just so there is no misunderstanding, she gives about .06% of her income to charity. That is not 6%. It is .06%. To give it some context, if you were to give away .06% of $1000, you would be donating 60 cents.
3. The things that would make Britney a better person, education, savings, saving for her children's educations, do not appear in this report. That does not mean that she is saving and it is not reported here. There is no question about the fact. Britney is not saving. She is not planning for that future. She is not becoming a better person.

A wise man once said, 'For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6.21)' It is pretty apparent that Britney Spears' heart is all about Britney Spears.

for more information on Britney Spears financial disclosure refer to http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,307492,00.html

Oops! We Did it Again

What is wrong with us? I mean we Americans? What are we thinking? Are we thinking? Here is the situation as I see it.

First of all, ten years ago Britney Spears became a superstar by singing a song that was too old for her (Hit me Baby, One More Time). The video became famous because although she was a teen-ager at the time (15??), she appeared to be very sexy. Her dress, her dance and her attitude were all very sexy. She was an overnight sensation. And against all odds, she seemed to maintain a 'good-girl' image, at least for awhile. There were a string of hits and television and video appearances that reinforced her position as pop star innocence with a naughty side. Songs like Oops, I Did It Again and Drive me Crazy reminded us of young love and sent teen and pre-teen girls into a frenzy. They bought the music, but unfortunately, they began to buy the image as well.

Then the wheels began to come off the cart. First there was the 24 hour marriage to her high school sweetheart, rumors of drug use and wild parties, and then the squeaky clean image was gone. By now Britney was an adult. And as we should have expected, she started to make adult mistakes. She married (her second marriage) one of her dancers. Everyone seemed puzzled by this. Then there was a reality series on MTV that focused on the sex lives of the pop star couple. Two children followed, and then all hell broke loose.

The couple broke up- which was unexpected by no one. Britney was spotted at parties, drinking, drugging and more. Pictures of Britney, always considered pretty, in various stages of immodest nakedness appeared all over the internet. But now it has all changed. Last week a judge ordered Britney to give her to children to her ex-husband. She has lost custodial rights with her children. And all of this happened before her 26th birthday.

But really, as sad as this story is, the worst part is still to come. Britney, who refuses to get help for her addictions, who has performed publicly in various stages of intoxication, and who has shaved her own head in an apparently substance-induced haze is still a star. Now, Britney's most recent record, Gimme More, has moved to number 3 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Last week, the same song, was the most downloaded song in America. It is Britney's biggest hit since Baby, One More Time.

The cynical side of me wonders if Britney has made the connection between her messed-up life and her record sales. I hope not. The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if all of the scandal, the trouble and the heartbreak have been orchestrated to a marketing advantage for Britney's career. I hope not. The pessimist in me wonders if Britney has done all of this on purpose for the sake of rejuvenating her career. Again, I hope not.

I think that the story of Britney Spears' fall is a tragedy. We should all learn from her the lessons of stardom and the dangers of self-importance. But most of us will never be stars. We will never have hit songs. But a whole lot of us are buying Britney. We have done this to her. We are doing it to her by watching the Britney update on the television news every day. We are ruining her life by loving the tabloid newspaper and magazine coverage of her every mistake. And now we are making it worse. By buying her music, we are buying Britney Spears. And when we buy Britney's music we are sending the message that this is all okay.

Reality TV is not Real!!

When will the television networks get over 'Reality TV?' I know that the answer to that is as soon as people stop watching reality TV. But really, enough is enough. There is nothing about any reality show that looks at all like my real life.

I have never been trapped in a house, a bunker, an island or a board room with 12 body building, fitness trainer super-models. And even if I was, I think that I would volunteer to leave. Who are these people? Where do they come from? Why does anyone care about them?

Meanwhile, network television executives are loving the reality craze. Production costs are relatively low for these programs. There are no actors to pay. There is a small crew, and only one host. The main expense is the 'large' cash prize at the end of the season. The cash prize is nothing to the producers and advertisers who bring us this stuff.

And ultimately, reality television adds nothing of value to our lives or our culture. After an hour of the Apprentice Survivor in Hell's Kitchen, we have no new knowledge. We have not been enlightened. We have not grown. The best that can be said for these programs is that they leave us mildly amused and curiously interested. There is nothing soul-stirring or conscience-pricking about them.

And so, I propose we take action.

1. Stop watching these reality television shows. There is surely something else on. After all, we have hundreds of television channels to choose from. And if there is nothing else, simply turn off the television.
2. Encourage your friends to stop watching reality television programs. This will require swimming against the current, but you can do it.
3. Find other ways to occupy your time and expand your horizons. Television should be art, and as art it should make the world a better, more beautiful place. And if it cannot do that, it ought to at least provoke some thinking and discussion. When television fails, think about books, films, museums, dance. Live!
4. Look at the world in realistic ways. Do not be fooled into believe that every person in the world is 28 years old and beautiful.
5. Finally, be alive. Use television. Do not let television use you.