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 | Jonathan’s Resource Ezine |
Weekly Resources, Ideas and Articles from The Source for Youth Ministry
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
| In This Issue |
- Featured: MTV Reflecting & Regulating Pop Culture-Get Ready for a Glimpse This Weekend
- Jonathan’s Blog: She Kissed a Girl and She Liked It
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| Featured: MTV Reflecting & Regulating Pop Culture-Get Ready for a Glimpse This Weekend |
Set your TiVo, because this Sunday night, June 1st is the annual MTV Movie Awards where MTV’s target audience (mostly tweens and teens) have voted for their favorite movies, actors and even their favorite movie moments like “best kiss,” “best fight,” etc. This is one of the two times a year that I watch MTV-I figure that two doses a year is enough (I’ve explained this many times before, no need to repeat myself).
MTV is a unique youth culture landmark in that, like iTunes and American Idol, it both reflects and regulates the direction of pop culture at any given time (or as I described it in a past article, it is a pop culture “Danny”). In other words, not only does MTV reveal an accurate cross section of what is already popular, it also influences and persuades its audience what to watch and listen to. Take American Idol as an example. Not only does American Idol offer performers that are already popular, providing a venue that is current and attractive to young viewers… but whoever performs on their show is given immediate credibility. From Jon Bon Jovi in 2007 to Neil Diamond in 2008. Perform on Idol, and your album sales are boosted. A few weeks ago David Cook played a Switchfoot song on Idol and in just three days Switchfoot’s song soared to number #35 on iTunes.
MTV has this kind of power.
Any entity that has this much revelation and regulation over current pop culture is worthy of our attention. That’s why many parents and youth workers should put the kids to bed this Sunday night and turn on MTV… hopefully for the first time in 2008.
MTV 2007 Video Music Awards
MTV 2007 Movie Awards
Jonathan McKee is president of The Source for Youth Ministry and author of numerous youth ministry books like “Do They Run When They See You Coming?” and “Getting Students to Show Up.” Jonathan studies youth culture and trends, speaking and training across the country and providing free online resources, training, & ideas for youth workers at www.TheSource4YM.com| Jonathan’s Blog: She Kissed a Girl and She Liked It |
Have you heard the song “I Kissed a Girl?” Well… most of your kids will be hearing it in the next few weeks. Yesterday Jonathan gave us the skinny in his blog. Check it out (and if you haven’t subscribed to his blog yet, click here, or look for the red subscribe button on the left sidebar of his blog).
She Kissed a Girl and Liked It
I’m a regular visitor of the music charts to see what kids are listening to. Today, #3 on iTunes was a song titled “I Kissed a Girl.” No big deal… right?
Well, the song was song by female singer Katy Perry. Here’s the chorus:
The taste of her cherry chapstick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Don’t mean I’m in love tonight
I kissed a girl and I liked it
I liked it
I know that the homosexual issue is a touchy one for many people. If you want to read about my stand on the issue, I blogged about it in detail here and link numerous articles on the subject. But in short, I think we as a church need to love homosexuals and embrace them as we do anyone else. At the same time, I think homosexual activity is wrong and leads to hurt.
This song isn’t so much about homosexual activity as it is just “doing what feels good at the moment.” Just like current hit songs “Lollipop” or “Love in the Club,” this song preaches, “follow your gut in the moment.” Another misleading message for our kids.
Singer Katy Perry first emerged on the scene last fall…
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Jonathan McKee
Jonathan McKee is the author of over twenty books including the brand new The Guy's Guide to FOUR BATTLES Every Young Man Must Face; The Teen’s Guide to Social Media & Mobile Devices; If I Had a Parenting Do Over; and the Amazon Best Seller - The Guy's Guide to God, Girls and the Phone in Your Pocket. He speaks to parents and leaders worldwide, all while providing free resources for youth workers on TheSource4YM.com. Jonathan, his wife Lori, and their three kids live in California.