There are a lot of good painters that I just don’t like. That statement doesn’t mean that they are bad artists. It means the style of this or that does not appeal to me. They may be “saying” something, but I don’t care for the presentation as a whole. The Mona Lisa? I can see it’s a good painting. I just don’t like it. Timothy Jones’ Beer, Bread and Plums, I do like.
I’ve seen rants of epic proportions against Kinkade, classic Disney, “new” Disney, “Anime style”– I’m not sure if they mean an actual anime style, or just anything with unusually large eyes as is often found in anime– against more stylized CGI people like The Incredibles and more realistic CGI like Advent Children. Some people want movies that hardly even have a soundtrack, and don’t use camera angles except to suggest the reaction they want you to have; some people prefer musicals, or somewhere in the middle.
For interacting online, some people use their full name with home address and up-to-date picture, some people use obvious pseudonyms that never change (hello!), some people use real-looking false names and some people use a variety of pseudonyms. I’ve seen people that I know are using their real names behave horribly– usually I see it because I’m related to them– and there are people that have different names for different “areas” of discussion because it helps them stay on topic. In spite of the common claims, “real names” doesn’t make for a more polite situation than basic moderation. Taking that out of computer speak: there are some people who are going to behave badly, and both the “facebook log-in”– a common way of enforcing a “real name” situation– and having a moderator who will warn about Acceptable Behavior violations, and ban an abuser’s computer address result in an improvement. In my experience having a basic registration– Disqus, Blogger or WordPress– makes it easier for a moderator to do his job while protecting people from abuse. A system with no moderation, and no sign-in, is going to get automated posting, and that is going to be both incoherent and rude.
As for Popes, the three in my lifetime have been summed up as the Rock Star, the Scholar and the Common Touch. Not the way I’d put it, but I’m rather pedantic– I think the details matter, because they add up. That’s why Pope Benedict the Sixteenth is my favorite. My mom has a deep fondness for the Sainted John Paul II, because when he became Pope he was intensely like her family– there’s a picture I saw once that I haven’t been able to find again, of then Bishop (? – It could have been even earlier) Karol Wojtyla on a camping trip, which could’ve been put in our family album and blended right in. The first time I saw that photo, I did a double-take because he looked so intensely like my mother’s father. Pope Francis is a favorite of a friend who was treated poorly by the representatives of the Church in her home area and is now estranged from the Church– he might even get her to consider returning. I can pray, anyways– the lack of detail is because it’s not my story to tell; I actually know several people who it could apply to, and one who is somewhat estranged who might be turned off by the current Pope’s personal style.
These are a matter of style. It’s not an absolute thing– it deals with peoples’ preferences, and of course barring things that are objectively wrong, they are not wrong.
Personally, I really, really wish that Pope Francis would be a bit less off the cuff– but he is not objectively wrong when he, say, retells the old folktale of Saint Francis and “if necessary, use words.” The irony of attributing that view to someone who is the patron of animals for giving sermons to the birds when people didn’t show up hadn’t hit me until just recently, thanks to two bloggers.
What I would prefer doesn’t make him wrong, though. My sister finds the Pope Emeritus kind of scary, and reacts to some of his more entrancingly in-depth talks the same way she does when my husband and I are geeking out about one of our fandoms. It doesn’t mean that his obvious love for every tiny detail of the Faith is wrong, though.
Frequently, what makes a different tactic work is the fact that there are other tactics also in play– those who are repelled by one tactic get attracted to another. If there was only the one route in use, then not only would those who prefer other methods not be reached, but some of those who prefer the chosen tactic when it’s not the only one would not be reached. Contrast is important.
I know I said that I would be writing about the Crusades this time; I’ll get to it later, maybe as a bonus post, but a bunch of situations all hitting at once in different areas led me to conclude that I really needed to write this, instead. Conspiracies and Catholicism will return. As always, email or comment, if you have a suggested subject.
11 thoughts on “Different Strokes: A Matter of Style”
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I love this article! So very cool! The same is true for certain types of Christian music. Christian rock is so very different, some of it good, and some not so much! Can you write an article on it? I’m sure it would be awesome. By the way – I love Pope Francis! Thanks again!
Unfortunately, I don’t know much about Christian music– I know there’s the various forms of popular music, but my main exposure is a couple of Newsboys songs and Reliant K’s “Closer to me” on my exercise mix player, from about a decade back.
http://www.air1.com and http://www.spirit1053.com/ have been unobjectionable when I’ve run into them on the local radio, although last time I paid attention to Air1 they did promote Sola Scriptura as a baseline. *wry* So it’s a matter of personal judgement if the good they do is worth supporting a least objectionable group. EWTN ( http://www.ewtn.com/radio/radioaffiliatemap/ ) is great, but doesn’t have much of a toe-tapping selection.
Yes I understand. I threw rock music away for awhile, even Christian rock, because of some misconceptions I had. Have you seen the Newsboys video “We Believe”? What a wonderful song and film this is. I realize now that God can use this media to reach people. Even if is not overtly Christian, much of it has a positive message which can bless others. If you like hard rock — I have recently discovered Skillet. Their video known as “Hero” is very positive, with loud guitars and lots of fireworks and explosions.
Oh, how could I forget Steven Curtis Chapman!
That “I do I do I do I DO believe– I know I know I know it’s true– I do I do I do believe, Lord I believe in you” song was a very positive spin on some dark times. (Much better than the angry-at-God version– He is so obviously true, but it’s not easy, so anger is so tempting.)
I’ll have to look up Skillet; my husband has actually been taking a machete to what we listen to since our first daughter was born as he started listening to things with an eye on “my little girl is listening, too.” Good heavens but a lot of really fun music boils down to horrible themes– was most of the 80s guys whining about, ahem, lack of intimate relations?
I don’t remember much about the 80’s but I understand where your husband is coming from. Now I try to stick to what is Christian, or what calls itself as Christian. Not all of it is good. For example with Skillet they have several videos I don’t like but I do like “Hero”. Let me know what you think!
Just watched it– I’m a sap for respecting the military, and that is some classic style for the video. I like it!
Slightly repetitive lyrics, but I think it’s going to get added to that playlist I mentioned, I feel better just watching it. Only improvement I’d have made– if I were making the video– is that the final Hero would’ve been Christ on the cross.
Yes! So cooool! I’m glad you liked it.
One beauty of Catholic Stand is that authors like you have a place to speak [almost] personally to everyone. Thank you. I don’t think I have said anything here that BiLLs can dispute. Muchas gracias. Guy McClung, San Antonio
Glad you appreciate it; I’m still not sure why they invited me to the soap box, but I am glad of it.
Never know, we might get through to people, and I can see it helping folks hone their ability to reach out.
Two thoughts re “Crusades”- 1. get it right in terms of including all the good accomplished by some of them; 2. note the current political correctness of the interpretation of the word “crusades” and attempts to consign it to the political correctness dirt pile along with inquisition, etc. Guy McClung, San Antonio