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I’m really getting sick of the ring-around, but here’s the latest:
Simon Cowell “American Idol” aka godfather of Reality TV is set to produce for FOX.
Talent will be American Idol-esq but more of a variety act than just singing
Show is being taken from X Factor Brit to USA w/ new judges/hosts/talent
Tapped to judge but NOT confirmed: Cheryl Cole (X Factor Brit), music producer-executive Antonio “L.A.” Reid, Enrique Iglesias and Taylor Momsen.
Auditions for X Factor start March 27th in LA.
The readings from this week centered on the influence of God and religion on the millennial generation and depiction of these themes through teen television. The traditional definition of religion and its purpose has been transformed to fit a millennial acceptance of faith-based interpretations. In essence, religion is not what it used to be, and millennials are falling out of traditional religious views and customs as they age. The Pew Research piece states, “More than one-third of religiously affiliated Millennials (37%) say they are a “strong” member of their faith…In total, nearly one-in-five adults under age 30 (18%) say they were raised in a religion but are now unaffiliated with any particular faith.” I personally fit this model, as I was raised Catholic but now find myself unaffiliated with any religion. I think what is important to stress for this week is that millennials are not necessarily atheists or agnostics. Instead, we use religion and faith to guide our lives in nuanced ways.
In S1E1 of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, religion is used less as a hard and fast set of rules and more so as a moral compass for the characters. Yes, a lot of the discussion can be read as tongue and cheek, but ultimately the characters are motivated by the morals that accompany their religion. Christian based character Grace Bowman promises abstinence throughout her life until marriage, vowing it the Lord’s will and also alluding to her parents’ choice to do the same in their lives. Her eager boyfriend Jack represents a millennial who is caught between abandoning his religion to follow his desires and keeping his faith and remaining true and pure. I think these two, competing examples of religion are superfluous when the motives of both teens are examined. They each wish to do what they feel is morally right, and religion only acts as a guide or a hindrance to that goal.
Recently, a friend of mine from high school took to his Facebook to post his recent engagement to another millennial. Both met while on their missions for the Church of LDS and my friend was active in the Mormon Church during school. Another friend of ours did the same thing a year before that. These recent “announcements” are fascinating as I learned of them through this very open and public declaration on Facebook. It seems “so millennial” it to announce this sacred compact online. These examples also tie into our readings of Pew’s research on millennial religious attitude. While I may fall into the category of millennials who left their religion, these cases highlight another aspect of the Pew research: those that remain with their religion do so fully. Going on religious missions and marriages tied to that religion at early ages certainly fits Pew’s research description, “Among Millennials who are affiliated with a religion, however, the intensity of their religious affiliation is as strong today as among previous generations when they were young.” I think its very important to stress that millennials are looking at religion differently and each has their own, individualized take on the religious and faith based process.
p.s. While the importance of religion and faith may differ from millennial to millennial, I think we can all agree on the traditional significance of “Madonna’s Like A Prayer”.
Shameless Plug for my Future Client -
This kid has got talent…and is a good friend of mine and will be repped by me in the future. Check it out.
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This week’s readings focused on the racial distinctions present within modern Teen Television. Drawing on examples such as Glee, Friday Night Lights and Lost, the authors from our readings concluded that there are significant reasons for the inclusion of a multicultural cast within today’s Teen Television series. Mary Beltran of the U of Wisconsin poses a series of questions for consideration as to the authenticity of the diversity on modern television. Beltran asks:
Beltran goes to great length to analyze her three examples, Glee, FNL and Lost to see if they fit within these tropes. I agree with the vast majority of her assertions EXCEPT her take on FNL.
Beltran spends a great portion of her time discussing the lack of natural diversity present within FNL’s use of Tejano/Mexican American culture. She states, “Friday Night Lights, for instance, had a prime opportunity to include Tejano (Texan Mexican American) characters of varying types among the team and townspeople, yet has largely failed to do so”.
I agree. However, season 4 and 5 cover another diversity group, African-Americans. FNL’s tale of Vince Howard, a young, troubled African-American player serves as foil to that of the white Luke Cafferty. FNL chronicles the pitfalls of poor, African American life in the fictional town of Dillon and does so with a direct comparison to that of Luke Cafferty. Drug use, dropouts, teen pregnancy and gang violence are all presented in open view to the audience. While FNL may have skipped over the Tejano characters, the power and emotion present in the story-arch of African Americans must be lauded. Using Beltran’s own requirements, when viewed with respect to this story-arch, FNL represents a very authentic approach to diversity in Teen Television.
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I’m obsessed with this song
(Source: jelzz, via triplextine)