Why Hollywood Thinks Atheism is Bad for Business

[cbayer]

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2014/03/hollywoods-hidden-hostility-to-atheism.html

MARCH 5, 2014

POSTED BY LAWRENCE KRAUSS



After Matthew McConaughey took the stage to accept his Best Actor award at the Oscars on Sunday, he began his acceptance speech by thanking God, praising the deity for giving him “opportunities that I know are not of my hand or of any other human hand.” Though McConaughey won for his gripping portrayal of a (straight) AIDS patient in “Dallas Buyer’s Club”—which the influential Christian Web site Movieguide panned for its “very strong and very lewd politically correct, pro-homosexual worldview”—religious conservatives cheered his acceptance speech as a brave strike against Hollywood’s pervasive secular bias, claiming that the Oscar crowd was “rattled” and “quieted” by McConaughey’s praise for the lord.

It is an article of faith among the religious right in America that we are in the midst of a war on religion (in which “religion” usually means Christianity), even though considerable evidence suggests the opposite. This defensive misperception is what led, earlier this year, to a proposed law in Arizona that would have legalized discrimination against gay couples on the ground of “religious freedom,” when in fact there was no evidence to indicate that the religious beliefs of any business owners had been legally infringed upon in the state.

In the minds of those who believe themselves to be targets of this war, the pernicious influence of Hollywood often looms large. Sunday’s Oscars—hosted by an openly gay celebrity, with two winners from a film about AIDS patients in the nineteen-eighties—might seem to confirm the culture industry’s reputation for liberalism and libertinism.

But Matthew McConaughey’s words of gratitude are far from the only sign that God is, in fact, alive and well in Hollywood. This month, major movie studios are doing more evangelizing than Pat Robertson, with the release of two Biblical blockbusters. Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah,” which arrives in theatres at the end of March, dramatizes the famously incredible story of a man and his ark, while the unambiguously titled “Son of God,” released last week, provides the umpteenth dramatization of the Biblical story of Jesus. For those that like their religion more saccharine, April will bring “Heaven is for Real,” the film adaptation of the best-seller about a young boy who, after nearly dying on the operating table, convinces his family that he actually visited heaven during surgery. The evidence? He describes his experience in terms that bear a remarkable resemblance to the visions of heaven he had likely been exposed to at home.

More at link

[JNelson6563]

1. Three paths to quick money...

religion, sex & chocolate.

I list religion first because it is the very best seller of the lot. Sex and chocolate are based on pleasure. Religion is aimed at our deeply rooted fear of death. Our strongest base instinct is to survive so of course eternal life has a seemingly irresistible appeal. So strong is the instinct to survive that the mind can manipulate itself into believing that yes, my body will die but an invisible, intangible part of me will live forever. That is some mighty powerful shit and it has to be to overcome our basic sense of reason.

Julie

[cbayer]

4. While I think Krauss makes some good points here,

comparing a documentary in which he and Richard Dawkins sit around talking at each other with a blockbuster film full of action, special effects and good looking actors seems a little disingenuous.

But I do agree that religion sells and that people tend to be drawn to these films.

I just don't think there is anything comparable when it comes to atheism, though I could see that happening in the near future.

[JNelson6563]

10. You can't "sell" atheism.

Not much drama in *not* believing in something. No miracles, no chosen ones, no magic; just reality.

Of course there is much drama outside of the religious sort, I guess that would be secular drama. Pretty much anything not about religion would fall under that category one would think.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if much of what we see on the silver screen is inspired by religious drama. I daresay the bible alone contains enough violence, vengeance, illicit sex and all out monstrous behavior (and that's from the "good guys"!) to keep screen-writers busy for many years to come.

Julie

[cbayer]

14. I'm not so sure. There seem to be quite a few people trying to sell it.

When you have slogans like, "Religion - together we can find a cure", I think it's hard to argue that you are not trying to sell something.

Lots of films are based on reality and not trying to sell something.

I agree that the religion is probably the inspiration for a lot of what we see on screen. The bible also contains stories of love, forgiveness, taking care of others, "passing it forward", and people being particularly benevolent towards others.

So, like most of religion, there is both good and bad to be gleaned.

I thought that Gravity had some very interesting religious themes.

[rug]

12. "So noble a confection, more than nectar & ambrosia, the true food of the gods."

– Dr. Bachot of Paris, 1662

[JNelson6563]

13. Now you know why I included it.

On a bit more serious note, I have spent many years of my life in the chocolate business. I have known the thrill of harnessing the power of chocolate. Oh the stories I could tell...

Julie

[rug]

16. Tell them now and again.

This book came out last year and I'd rather not have to read it.

[Goblinmonger]

2. But the other article you posted

indicated that McConaughey made Hollywood uncomfortable with his God speech. Which is it?

And I still want to see what Aronofsky does with Noah. I love his films and they are bizarre and incredible. I can hardly wait to see the treatment of Noah from the guy who did Requiem for a Dream.

[hrmjustin]

3. They do what makes money.

[Goblinmonger]

6. Of course they do.

Though Aronofsky, in the past at least, has been a good boundary pusher. I'm hoping he does that in this film, too.

But there certainly seems to be some tension between this article and the one about the "God Speech" in regard to what Hollywood is feeling.

[trotsky]

17. Consistency has never been her strong suit.

I do find the last two paragraphs of Krauss' piece to be eerily accurate.

Similarly, McConaughey’s decision to open his acceptance speech with thanks to God—as in many similar statements, usually made by victorious athletes in post-game interviews—was widely regarded as a sign of humility: a mark of virtue, in other words. I would argue that it would be far more humble to suggest that his hard work, the incredible physical transformation he underwent, and the dedicated cast and crew who supported his acting experience all directly led to his winning the award, rather than his being specially “blessed” by a God who chose him for that privilege.

And yet, to say this out loud—in a culture many believe to be hostile to religion—is often taken for rudeness. Whatever one might hear on the right about a war on religion, in this country we still care more about catering to religious sensibilities, even in liberal Hollywood, than we do about encouraging the open questioning of the claims of the faithful.

Which is exactly what happened in cbayer's other thread - those who asked the question "why thank god?" were condemned and attacked, including by cbayer herself. Go figure.

[rrneck]

5. Fiction depends on the suspension of disbelief, just like religion.

Professional atheists aren't given to flights of fancy.

[cbayer]

7. Professional atheists? I like that.

There have been quite a few rather popular movies that are parodies of religion - Dogma comes immediately to mind.

And Mill Maher's film did pretty well for a documentary.

But it seems unlikely that Krauss is going to come up with something that has much general appeal.

OTOH, he's pretty good at explaining things in his field in a way that lay people can understand. Not as good as Neil deGrasse Tyson, but not bad.

[rrneck]

8. I'll have to pick up Dogma and watch it again. It's one of my faves.

Although I realize that Tyson, and Sagan before him, do important work by popularizing science and rational thinking I'm always a bit suspicious of the need to "sell" things. Even good things. It kinda bugs me.

[cbayer]

15. I also don't like being proselytized to, but I do enjoy being taught

new information by someone who is uniquely qualified and has the gift of being able to teach.

I loved my liberal arts education.

[Goblinmonger]

9. Love Dogma. Smith is a practicing, devout Catholic

so that film is a parody of very specific things within his faith..

[JNelson6563]

11. Yep, hilarious movie.

Didn't know that about Smith.

Julie

[Act_of_Reparation]

18. I have to agree with Hemant Mehta on this one

The Friendly Atheist: This is Why Hollywood Isn't Making Films About Atheism

If you want Hollywood to make movies about atheism, then give them a vessel in which they can deliver it. In other words, a Ricky Gervais movie taking place in a world where no one lies (and, therefore, religion doesn’t exist) is infinitely more interesting to Hollywood than a Ricky Gervais stand-up special in which he flat-out rips on religion.

If Atheists want to make a movie that casts atheism in a positive light, they're going to need a fucking story. Krauss and Dawkins sitting around a table talking for two and a half hours isn't going to put asses in seats. Without taking anything away from Krauss, he doesn't seem to understand the first thing about good storytelling.

[cbayer]

19. Good article by Mehta. I think he has it right.

I really liked The Invention of Lying, and the Netflix series that Ricky Gervais did had some really compelling theism/atheism themes.

I think atheism will begin to appear much like GLBT characters did. They will be caricatured and stereotyped, generally humorous and, most of all, lovable.

And that's not such a bad thing.

[Fumesucker]

20. Alternative title: Why Hollywood thinks treacly Christianity is good for business n/t

[cbayer]

21. I dunno Fumesucker. Most of the big films done about the bible

and/or christianity hardly meet the definition of treacly.

If anything, they have been quite the opposite, which I think is their draw.

[Fumesucker]

22. I was referring to the incident described in the OP

Since that was used as an example in the first place.

[Warren Stupidity]

23. Well lets see:

Number 1: The Ten Commandments
treacly mawkish and horrible.

Number 2: Ben-Hur
ditto

Number 3: The Passion of the Christ
I'll give you that one, too fucking horrible to be in the mawkish treacly category.

Number 4: The Nativity Story
treacly mawkish and horrible.


Number 5: Courageous
I have no idea, so I'll give you that one too.

2/5 right. 3/5 wrong.

Source: http://articles.latimes.com/2014/feb/27/business/la-fi-ct-son-of-god-box-20140228