Jesse A. Schroeder

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I've been thinking about the portrayal of Christians in popular culture, specifically in TV shows. Two of my favorite shows, The Office and Community, recently devoted entire episodes to Christian themes. In the The Office "The Christening" (Season 7, Episode 7), the setting is a church service and reception afterward. The sub-story involves the youth group of the church leaving that day for Mexico in order to build a school. The portrayal of the youth group, both in the church and on the bus as they are leaving, is shallow, simplistic, overly positive, and therefore really funny. But I couldn't help watch it and think, "Is this what people think about the trips I take to Guatemala every year?"



In Season 2 Episode 5 of Community, Abed (who is by far my favorite character) decides to make a Christian movie that will go viral on the web. Except he doesn't want to make a "cheesy Jesus video," he decides to make a video for the post-post modern generation. This episode is a brilliant satire of postmodern language and culture, as can be seen in the dialog in the clip below (for example, "It both is and isn't part of the movie!") But Abed is also playing a Messiah type figure, and the rest of the school are the disciples. The scenes of questions for Abed and his responses are clearly meant to be remixes of Jesus and his disciples. The episode is laugh-out-loud funny, but again, as a Christian, I wonder if my religion is little more than a cultural joke to most people?



And then, of course, there is Arrested Development. Such a funny show with so many brilliant, back-handed comments about many aspects in life. A recurring character is Anne, who is George Micheal's girlfriend. She also happens to be Christian, and therefore dull, quiet, boring, unattractive, and disliked by almost everyone in the family. There are many religious scenes with Anne, some displaying Christian worship services or celebrations of Christmas, all of which are extreme, funny, but clearly mocking as well. In the scene below, George Micheal is preparing for a Christian "music burning" party. These parties were really popular in the 90's with youth groups, and the writers do a great job pointing out how silly they are. Nevertheless, the tone, the general portrayal of Anne and Christianity in general, take on a very mocking and demeaning tone. It is this underlying sentiment that has been rolling around in my mind lately. The idea that, of course everyone agrees, Christianity and religion in general is basically silly, and it is fair game to be mocked and used as material for satire. Everyone agrees, these people and what they do is basically silly. I have wondered if this sentiment is only held by the writers and culture of "Hollywood," or if the writers are just using another part of life for comedic purposes, not really meaning to send a message.  

But most importantly, I have wondered if these portrayals are really how non-Christians view Christianity.





This is an important question: "Is this really the way 'other people' view me and my religious culture?" For me, the obvious retort would be, "These portrayals are nothing like what we really do or how we really are. In fact, we love Jesus, we love each other, and we love the world. My faith is very important to me, and while I think these portrayals are very funny in their own way, they are far from accurate." 


It is easy for me to make this response, because I know Christianity. I am a Christian. It is important to me and it is a huge part of who I am. 

But, the really important question comes next: What religions, cultures, or ways of life do I commonly mock, use as jokes, or generally think of as "silly" "unrealistic" or "stupid"?? People who aren't Christians view Christianity as "the other." What are "the others" for me? Who are the people whom I mock, and don't think twice about it? What are the traditions that I think are ridiculous, and I think I am right? What are the lifestyles that I just "don't get"?? 


Who is "the other" for me?

Peter Rollins recently wrote about this idea in a post entitled, "I am a monster..." He says, 

"Whenever we encounter a person as “other” (i.e. as having beliefs and engaging in practices that are foreign to us) we can often experience them as monstrous. In other words, their beliefs and practices appear unfounded and can repel us, confuse us and even frighten us (sometimes for good reason)."

I would argue that the depictions of Christians in the above video clips are examples of people encountering Christians as "other." It is within this experience that Peter points out the very important philosophical and experiential turn:


"This is where, instead of looking at the other, we experience ourselves being looked at. Here we have the earth-shattering experience of glimpsing ourselves through the eyes of the other and encountering our own practices and beliefs as monstrous. Here we do not primarily experience the other as alien, but rather ourselves as alien. We encounter ourselves, for a terrifying moment, as an “other”. Not simply as other to the one we have encountered but rather as other to ourselves."



As I watched these TV episodes, I thought to myself, "I'm not really like that. Am I?" An even scarier question is, "I don't really mock other religions like that. Do I?"


Yes, I am. Yes, I do.


Peter Rollins continues in his post:


"In order to experience the peculiar nature of our own selves we must place ourselves under the judgment of the other....So then, in the genuine encounter with another who is other to us, one comes into contact with oneself as an other....For it is often only when we travel (i.e. encounter those truly different from our own community) that we really meet ourselves in all of our mystery and monstrosity."

I am not "normal." My beliefs and my lifestyle are not "typical." This is a humbling realization. It reminds me to regard "the others" in my life with respect and dignity. And it reminds me that I must always seek to present myself to "the other" in a non-confrontational, non-judgmental way. My religious language, actions and beliefs are "monstrous" - repelling, intimidating, even scary - to someone who is not religious. Because just like the depictions in the TV shows seem foreign, strange, and off-putting to me, so does my everyday expression of Christianity to someone who is not a believer.