The Wednesday Web Link is our weekly feature on an article from the whole internets that is not only movie related, but a movie related article that makes you think deeper about the movies and TV you are watching. If you have an awesome article to share that plumbs the depths of movies, TV shows, and the stories we watch, let us know on Twitter at @reelworldtheo or like the Reel World Theology Facebook page or email Josh at J.A.Crabb22@gmail.com and the article could end up here!
WEDNESDAY WEB LINK – MST3K: THE WEIRDING OF FILM at CHRIST AND POP CULTURE
Some of the most hilarious moments I have had with friends, especially when I was in high school and had all the time in the world, was muting a movie we were watching on TNT or USA or whatever and making up our own lines to go along with the terrible movie we were watching for the third time. Of course, this wasn’t some new thing that we came up with, but was our take on what so many other fans of the show Mystery Science Theater 3000 had already been doing. It was our own fun version of MiSTing, a fan term for MST3K when you added mocking commentary to a movie.
For this week’s web link, I happened across this fantastic longer breakdown of MST3K at Christ and Pop Culture. Ted Turnau, an author and teacher in the Czech Republic, shares a 5 part breakdown of one of his, and many others, favorite TV shows, ever. Ted uses the following rubric, what he calls his Popologetics voodoo (Popologetics being a book he wrote on popular culture in Christian perspective) on MST3K:
1. What’s the story (or mood)?
2. Where are we? (The style and moral-spiritual landscape of the work.)
3. What’s good? (Where is the common grace found?)
4. What’s bad and deceptive? (Where is the idol found?) And how do we subvert it?
5. How does the gospel apply here?
Enjoy the article and prepare to read and click, because it is long and interactive, but you will be satisfied by the journey you take. Also, check out his book if you can. There is a link to it below. It sounds pretty awesome. Also, check out Christ and Pop Culture. The site is great and has tons of great movie articles and reviews, as well as a bunch of other stuff on pop culture and Christianity. That link is below, as well.
POPOLOGETICS: POPULAR CULTURE IN CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE by Ted Turnau
Let us know what you think of the article. Keep the conversation going in the comments or on Facebook and Twitter.
Jo
sh Crabb is an editor at Reel World Theology, as well as sometimes contributor to the Reel World Theology podcast. You can connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, or on Letterboxd.
