Broke-Ass Movie

So, I don't know if it's the fact that I started watching the film an hour in or if, perhaps, it was that I watched the for-TV version and missed all the good drama.  Regardless, there was too much drama for me and I find it disgusting that it was applauded.  I'm talking about Brokeback Mountain...  the story of two terrible fathers, both very absent and/or abusive to their children and both with their over-used vice of choice.  In one scene, Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger), yells at his daughters and kicks the house after his wife cuts short his trip to see Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal).  There are also many scenes of Ennis sitting around his house (drunk) and yelling with his wife in front of their two daughters.  Jack likes to pour himself into his work and is also (as he later confesses to Ennis) sleeping around on his wife.  Beyond their being often-times absent to their children, these men are horrible to their families when they're there.  Later, after Ennis and his wife have gotten divorced, they seem civil enough.  However, after a Christmas dinner with her and her new husband, Ennis's ex-wife presses him about a private area of his life and he gets abusive with her.  The movie ends for Jack Twist by being beaten to death after he is discovered to be sleeping with another man's wife.  For Ennis, who would never hold a job to support his children, the end is (for me, at least) unsympathetic in a trailer park, having begrudgingly agreed to attend his eldest daughter's wedding. 
I don't know about you, but I find it very hard to sympathize with two self-involved men who have no respect for their wives or children.  One of them can't hold a job, both are horrible parents, and both are alcoholics. 
Sympathy does not grow strong men.  A constant vigil on what is strong, selfless, loyal, and responsible is what makes a hero a hero.  These attributes, and many more that may well be respected, have all escaped our main characters here.  I will trade controversy for a respectable film any day of the week. 

Prostitution.

I just finished watching a very interesting 20/20 on prostitution in America.  I say very interesting, because it was just that.  I had no idea the depth and breadth of the problem our country is facing.  They went to the outskirts of Philadelphia for a portion of it and I couldn't help recalling the music video for "Streets of Philadelphia" (Bruce Springstein folks, come on).  It was seriously a ghost town with abandoned buildings occupied by homeless prostitutes.  During this portion of the program, the woman being interviewed actually left a couple of times to go see a "regular" (it seems cheesy to say "to see a 'regular'", but that's how she put it, sorry).  Anyhow, those interviewed also ranged up to women that have a select five or so clients and live very high end.  One woman being interviewed said that she saw this as no different than marrying for money.

This is where this blog really begins.  This woman got me thinking.  With this comparison, she stepped very close to a thin moral line...  from both directions.  Marry for money or stay single and have sex for money.  She saw no difference...  and honestly, disregarding my personal beliefs, I couldn't tell her there was a difference.  And so, I pose my first question to you, my reader:  What is the difference?
Please ponder that in depth before continuing on.

Without delay:  Why are you of that opinion?

"I don't know" is an entirely unacceptable answer.  I'm reminded of a 'Law and Order' episode where the fem fatale was constantly pushing the blame around.  It's not because so-and-so tells you it's right or wrong.  That makes no sense, because then the answer is dependent on the one instructing you of right and wrong. 

Okay, you've argued your way into the common place theme of well, "What's the social standard?".  And you can't truly rely on societies standards.  Don't tell me that you can.  They change continuously.  And it's all about entropy. 

Some other women would say oh, but I won't do _____.  So prostitution is one line and _____  was something completely different all together.  And Joe and Susie Televisionviewer are thinking something different all-together about these women.

Where do we start and where do we begin?  Who decides this moral standard?  Look in text books on social work or whatever you like.  The opinions are greatly varied.  You should all see what I'm getting at. 

The atheists and agnostics will be rolling their eyes, but with little to say that might hold substance.

There is a moral standard set for us.  Look to that for your answers.

Indiscernible

This blog was originally started on February 14, 2008

So tonight at Core-munity, we were posed with the thought of where we've seen Jesus in our lives (following a discussion on the whole Matthew 16 "who is Jesus?" theme).  Anyhow, I got to thinking about the faces that had once reminded me of our dear saviour.  I realized that many of those friends, family, and church members that once so strongly mirrored Jesus to my life no longer did so.  This is my argument for a single constant:  God.