| |
 |
|
|
 |
| |
|
Miley's $1 Billion Midriff |
|
| |
|
Fans and parents were surprised to see a "sexy" photo of clean teen star Miley Cyrus, which was shot for the magazine Vanity Fair. Execs at Disney were surprised, too. Experts calculate that the Miley Cyrus brand will sell $1 billion worth of music, movie tickets, TV advertising and related products (including makeup, shoes and clothes).
What do you and your kids think? Why did she do it? Is the photo really that bad? Must girls today be "sexy"?
|
|
| |
|
Narnia News: "Prince Caspian" Group Screenings Available
|
|
| |
|
We just got the news and wanted to pass it on.
MJM Entertainment Group is making it possible for groups across the country to attend specially arranged, early screenings of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, beginning with midnight showings on Friday, May 16.
Showings are open to any and all groups including school, civic, church groups and others meeting the minimum requirement of 20 people.
Tickets are limited. Call Disney now at 1-888 - DISNEY6 (1-888-347-6396) and mention the code MJM to receive the special group rate. For more information or to see a list of available theaters click here.
|
|
|
| |
|
Some Kids Doing Better, Duke University Report Says
|
|
| |
|
It seems there's always plenty of bad news about kids, but a new report mixes good news with the bad.
Many kids are doing better on Duke's Index of Child Well-Being. They are feeling safer at school and getting more connected to communities.
But obesity, poverty and suicides are still a problem.
You can read a summary of the report by clicking here.
Or you can see an ABC "World News" report by clicking here (look for "Lives of America?s Children").
|
|
| |
|
Harold and Kumar Get Silly & Serious |
|
| |
|
The stoners from Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle are back with Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, a film that opened last Friday.
The new movie features drug use, potty humor, nudity and critiques of the war in Iraq.
According to Entertainment Weekly magazine, Harold and Kumar are part of a renaissance of "stoner movies." Drug use has been up front in popular teen movies like Superbad and Knocked Up and will be featured in upcoming movies like Pineapple Express.
You can read the EW article here, and you can see a roundtable discussion of stoner movies featuring John Cho (Harold and Kumar) and Seth Rogen (Superbad, Knocked Up and Pineapple Express) here.
|
|
| |
|
Repelled by Expelled |
|
| |
|
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed is getting some horrible reviews. The documentary was made to show how "Big Science" is responsible for "suppression" of teaching about intelligent design and creationism.
The movie, featuring Ben Stein of Ferris Bueller fame, has been hailed by conservatives like Rush Limbaugh and has attracted decent-sized crowds at early screenings. But reviews by movie critics indicate the film may face challenges in reaching secular audiences.
Reviews of the film have been horrible. Only Al Pacino's new 88 Minutes has received more negative reviews.
USA Today: "This is propaganda, a political rant disguised as a serious commentary on stifled freedom of inquiry."
TIME Magazine: "The man made famous by Ferris Bueller, however, quickly wades into waters far too deep for him."
Chicago Sun-Times: "The movie itself is an example of design by faith and emotion rather than intelligence."
New York Times: "One of the sleaziest documentaries to arrive in a very long time, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed is a conspiracy-theory rant masquerading as investigative inquiry."
Variety: "The film's flippant approach undermines the seriousness of its discourse, trading less in facts than in emotional appeals."
You can see more reviews of this and other movies here.
|
|
|
 |
| |
Pop Goes the Academy
Faith, Film and Philosophy: Big Ideas on the Big Screen; R. Douglas Geivett and James S. Speigel, editors; IVP Academic; 2007; 311 pp., $26
www.academic.ivpress.com
Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music; Jeremy Begbie; Baker Academic; 2007; 413 pp., $22.99
www.bakeracademic.com
Entertainment Theology: New Edge Spirituality in a Digital Democracy; Barry Taylor; Baker Academic; 2008; 256 pp., $18.99
www.bakeracademic.com
|
|
| |
The May/June issue of YouthWorker Journal is in mailboxes across the cosmos now! The new issue contains recommendations and reviews of 70+ new books, curricula, videos, and CDs. Here's a review of three new books on pop culture.
Three recent books from academic publishers dig deep into the relationship between Christianity and culture.
In Faith, Film and Philosophy, Dallas Willard and 13 other professors of philosophy and theology explore The Truman Show and epistemology, Citizen Kane and biblical anthropology, The Matrix and Gnosticism, the work of Charlie Kaufman and human identity. Other writers have made these connections but not with as much depth or insight. But sometimes these profs stretch things to prove a point, thereby providing curious readings, such as Willard's claim that American Beauty promotes an amoral vision of personal transformation through illicit sex. (For info see: www.faith-film-philosophy.com).
Begbie, a musician and professor at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, explores "how it is that music does what it does." He argues that because music is pervasive and powerful, Christians should devote more energy to understanding it. His journey takes readers through biblical texts; assesses the thought of Augustine, Luther, Bach and Bonhoeffer; and discusses musicians from Mozart to Moby to Messiaen. This engrossing book could help Christian musicians in various settings be more intentional about their work.
Entertainment Theology is Taylor's effort to capture the mood and describe the landscape of contemporary post-secularity. The result is a fascinating but frustrating guided tour in which both guide and reader become lost as scenery flies by. Taylor is on to something when he describes the "democratization of spirit" in our YouTube age, but one wishes he had gone beyond "thinking out loud."
--Steve Rabey is the editor of YouthWorker Journal.
[To subscribe to YouthWorker Journal, click here]
|
|
 |
| |
|
|
The YouthWorker eJournal Survey: Do Your Kids Struggle with Drugs?
The new Harold and Kumar movie shows that drugs remain popular among some segments of society. What about the segment of society you work with: your kids? Is drug use a problem for them?
Let us know, and we?ll report back next time.
Do your kids struggle with drugs?
) No, drugs are not a problem for our kids.
) Drugs are a minor problem with our kids, and we talk about it.
) Drugs are a big problem with our kids.
) I'm not sure about our kids, but stoner movies like Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay don't help.
Go to youthworker.com to participate in this issue's survey.
|
|
| |
The YouthWorker eJournal Survey Results: What Do You Do about Stress?
Last time we asked you about stress. Here's what you told us.
College students are stressed. So are younger kids. And what about youth workers themselves? Do you feel stressed, anxious or burned out? If so, what you do about it?
Let us know and we'll report back with the results next issue.
) I don?t really have much of a problem with stress, and neither do my kids. 18%
) Stress is a factor for us, and I have tried to address the subject in my own life and/or the lives of my kids. 56%
) Stress is a big factor for me and/or my kids, but I don?t know what to do about it. 12%
) Sorry, but I don?t have time to answer. I?m too stressed! 12%
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
[To subscribe to Youth WorkerJournal, click here]
Thanks for joining us for this issue of the YouthWorker eJournal. See you next time. And I'll be seeing some of you at Group's national conference in Cincinnati.
Sincerely, Steve Rabey, YouthWorker Journal editor, and our entire crew
|
|
|
|
 |
|
SUBSCRIBE
|
|
Sign up now for a
1-year subscription to YouthWorker Journal (the Professional Resource for
Youth Ministry).
That's 6 great issues for only $39.95
- a savings of over 15% off the
newsstand price!
|
|
SPONSORED BY
|
|
$Web.fetch($F1)
$Web.fetch($F2)
$Web.fetch($F3)
$Web.fetch($F4)
$Web.fetch($F5)
$Web.fetch($F6)
$Web.fetch($F7)
|
|
|