I go to Church Now

Colombia actress Sofia Vergara plays Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, in the hit T.V show Modern Family. In the show she is the young sassy, fierce, hilarious wife of Jay Pritchette and has a son Manny from her first marriage.

Gloria’s character got me thinking in the subtle way that Latin American expression of Christianity is portrayed in North American pop culture through the character of Gloria and many aspects rings true, which makes her my favorite character of the show. I am from El Salvador, having traveled extensively through out Latin America and the Caribbean from my experience I can say that the Latin American expression of Christianity is very different than in North America. It has its own distinctive flavor, and is seen in Gloria character. Certain stereotypes are dominant, she comes from the most dangerous city in Colombia, her thick exaggerated accent, her black hair (she’s actually a natural blonde), her tolerance for spicy food, she is the least scared of death. It also seems that she has the strongest religious view out of the whole family and I believe the only who one actively states that she is going to Church and is always doing the sign of the cross.

Sometimes the things that Gloria say rings so true that I can hear my own mother. In the episode “Earthquake” she made the connection that the earthquake occurred because Jay was not going to church, I have heard my mother say to me hundred of times that something was caused because I did not attend mass or because I did not pray. This sort of superstitious connection is not foreign to a Latin American household especially when it comes to dreams, signs and spirits. Gloria is an the episode “The Kiss” cooks a traditional Colombian meal chunchullo in honor of her recently deceased grandma who came to her in dreams telling her to connect to her roots, also stating in our culture we believe the dead are all around us. This sort of connection between the living and the dead is not uncommon and when it does occur one tends to listen to it or goes to church in order to feel more connected. Perhaps this is the reason that Gloria is the least afraid of death. Death in Latin America is in a way celebrated and honored like in the “Dia de los muertos,” the “Day of the dead” which is celebrated all over Mexico and Central America.  In a very recent episode of Modern Family, Gloria dreamt with a black mouse and it is seen that bad news is eminent causing a domino affect through out the family. Likewise a black moth in Latin America whether in a dream or flying around is associated with death, the devil, and sickness; called “Mariposa de la muerte.”  Dream, signs, spirits coincide with ones reality and in turn are associated with God, the Devil, the living, the dead and Gloria portrays this side of Latin American culture in a very funny, sexy way, and making the rest of the family understand it.

This is in Response to : http://christandpopularculture.blogspot.com/2012/02/creasy-as-christ-figure-in-film-man-on.html

“Although there are definitive Christian themes within the film, we do not know the exact intentions of the writer and can therefore make no positive statement that Creasy is supposed to be a Christ-figure. Imposing a Christ-figure onto Creasy may result in misinterpreting the film”. - Taken from the Holy Blogles blog on Creasy.

I think you are completely correct in making this statement until class week I had never seen the Matrix trilogies as having Christian themes or interpreting Neo as a savior model. I am not sure if was the creators intention to make Neo to be a Christ a like image. However looking more and more closely to the film and script one can see the connections of the Oracle being some kind of God and Neo being the chosen one can who comes to rescues, saves and liberates humanity from conscience enslavement. All this is done however through violent means, but this formula to a greater or lesser degree can be any mono myth. Does this mean that Superman., Shane, Buffy all have to be a Christ figures, I don’t look at Superman and think of Jesus.

When I think of the Matrix the last thing that comes to mind is Christ figure, after class I had to really sit down and think about it. For me when I sat down to think about Matrix the first thing that popped to mind was Plato’s Allegory of the Cave as well as the Japanese sci-fi anime film Ghost in the Shell circa 1995 directed by Mamoru Oshii.

An excellent movie, which is very similar to the Matrix, instead in anime and the Matrix is in real life, as well Rage Against the Machine only because they are on the soundtrack (huge RATM fan). Which begs the questions is there a point in trying to fish out these Christ figure in pop culture that may not even been intended to be there, does the art then loose it face value if we do not take as it is in its most organic sense. As one endlessly try to search for something that may not potentially be there at all, do all those characteristic have to be necessarily attributed to a Christ figure, can they not just be a good writer developing their character, and just be a good story.

Passion of the Jew

For someone who has never watched Mel Gibson “Passion of the Christ”, my only reference to the film was via the pop culture reference of the very humorous rendition entitled “Passion of the Jew”. The episode was an overt and satirical interpretation of the film but also a social and cultural commentary of the reaction to the film. Mel Gibson is ridiculed by Stan and Kenny for making such a terrible movie and is idolised by Eric Cartman who organises a fan club for having shown the true nature of the Jews, and ends up dressing up what can only be interpreted as Hitler saying anti-Semitic German chat, which the mob misinterprets as Aramaic, chanting: Es ist Zeit für Rache!, Wir müssen die Juden ausrotten! (We must exterminate the jews).

Stan and Kenny go to Malibu to demand Mel Gibson to give them back their money but they thought that the movie was terrible.  Only find that Mel Gibson as a torture fanatic, wanting Stan and Kenny to torture him in order to get their money back. They end up taking his money, and Gibson follows them back to South Park.

Meanwhile Eric gets into Kyle’s head where he being tormented by his dreams and even goes to speak with Father Maxi. Kyle later stands up in front of the Synagogue and asks that it time for the Jewish community to give an official apology for the death of Jesus. Leading to the Jewish community in front of the movie theatre asking for the movie to be removed because of its promotion of Anti-Semitic at the same time the Christian community arrives with Eric as its leader is saying how important the movie is for Christian everywhere. Later Mel Gibson, Stan and Kenny arrive and the rest of South Park witnesses how much Gibson loves torture is. Stan makes a speech about how there should be more focus on the teaching of Jesus and not the way he died, he feels better about a Jew after seeing Gibson behaviour, Gibson himself end up defecating on Cartmans face and runs away whooping

The Passion of the Christ” which took into various accounts of Jesus from the Gospels as well as a visions from Anne Catherine Emmerich, which also goes to the question that added in class Whose Jesus, the Gibson Jesus is that of a more redeemer model focusing on his suffering. The South Park episode in its very overt and satirical way looked at the many controversies that emerged from the film. In terms of whether or not the film restored faith in the hearts of Christians and non Christians is debatable, as well its hard to say if it also promoted and encouraged anti-Semitism. If you have opinions please post

My understanding of the Passion of Christ and specifically in relation to the Jews can be taken from the lines 4(13)-5 from the“Declaration of the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions: Nostra Aetate,” which was proclaimed by his Holiness Pope John Paul VI on October 28 1965

“True, the Jewish authorities and those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ;(13) still, what happened in His passion cannot be charged against all the Jews, without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today. Although the Church is the new people of God, the Jews should not be presented as rejected or accursed by God, as if this followed from the Holy Scriptures. All should see to it, then, that in catechetical work or in the preaching of the word of God they do not teach anything that does not conform to the truth of the Gospel and the spirit of Christ.

Furthermore, in her rejection of every persecution against any man, the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel's spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.

Besides, as the Church has always held and holds now, Christ underwent His passion and death freely, because of the sins of men and out of infinite love, in order that all may reach salvation. It is, therefore, the burden of the Church's preaching to proclaim the cross of Christ as the sign of God's all-embracing love and as the fountain from which every grace flows.”

If anyone knows any other pop culture references that is directed to the “Passion of the Christ”, please let me know.