The first thing that struck me about this episode was the notion of biblical literacy. At the outset, I figured that GCB would include some pretty ingenious scriptural references, although I have been impressed with the manner in which scripture is used to reveal the subtle nuances of the belles character.
Take for example Amanda. The exchange with Carlene over the interpretation of "Jesus take the Wheel" was priceless (Not to mention the fact that Carlene sang "Jesus take the wheel"!) After the initial exchange regarding the appropriateness of such a song being sung as a tribute to her, Amanda reveals that she is has quite the capacity for theology. Her statement that the song expresses how "Jesus steers us through the tough times of life", along with the correct application of Philippians 4:13, shows that there me more going on in Amanda's heart and soul than she cares to admit. Earlier, when referring to Carlene as a 'Pharisee', Gigi remarks 'Well someone has been reading their New Testament', Amanda replies "No I just googled Hypocrite.' Given Amanda's aptitude toward proof-texting (or 'out-Christianing' as the Belle's refer to it), one has to wonder if this is the case. Also, did you catch that Amanda 'enjoys' going to church.
And did you notice the liturgical colour was red. I wonder what they were celebrating. Was it Pentecost? A Saints day? And where is the preacher!
The other prominent scripture for this episode is Proverbs 31. The show actually opens with this reference as Ripp attempts to persuade Carlene to go to church after being humiliated by Amanda. Ripp, placing a Bible down on the bed, quotes Proverbs 31:10: "You are a virtuous woman, priceless beyond rubies." He nails it! Ripp correctly quotes one of the strongest passages of the Bible relating to the strength and honor of a woman. It is all the more interesting then, when he misquotes this verse at the end of the show. Near the close of the episode, when Ripp and Carlene are arguing about Booby-licious, Ripp again appeals to Proverbs 31with the words "The man is the head of the household.' Yet this is actually a reference to Ephesians 5:23: "the husband is the head of the wife" Does this mean that Ripp is simply a self-serving scripturalist? Is his faith simply a tool for manipulation?
And what of Carlene. Someone held up as the scriptural authority of the show would have definatley caught Ripp's mistake. Sure, she may not have been able to nail the reference, but some as biblically erudite as Carlene would definitely have been able to associate Ripp being in the wrong testament!
So maybe Carlene isn't the deep pilar of faith she makes herself to be? Maybe her Bible blog's, her hymnody ring-tones, and her John 3:16 bumper sticker is all for show. And yet then she does something surprising, which makes one question the overall shallowness of her character. When talk of the public humiliation of Amanda's daughter, it is Carlene alone who speaks up against this action. She is the one who is able to see how the group's infighting and petty behavior could be damaging for a future generation of Belles.
Just when you think you have someone figured out in the show, they reveal a side that illuminates a whole other depth of personality and character. The talk of Amanda's hurt over Gigi suggesting that she give up her children to adoption; Carlene painfully recounting the torment of Amanda and then declaring 'you were right, my skin was like the map of switzerland, my nose was like an idaho potato . . but I fixed all of it'; even Sharon's failed attempt to seduce Zack with fried food; all these instances highlight a level of brokenness in each character.
GCB could of have easily been about mean spirited woman who torment and berate each-other in the name of the church and Jesus. Yet even by the second episode, it is clear that is not what this show is. This show is about woman with deep wounds, wounds that manifest themselves in intriguing and interesting manners. It will be interesting to see how, and in what manner, healing comes to each Belle.
Friday 6 April 2012
Monday 2 April 2012
Friday 30 March 2012
Meet the Bit...Belles!
I thinkg the beauty of GCB lies in the complexity of the characters. On its surface, GCB seems to be filled with strong, vibrant women who are destined for perpetual infighting. This is mostly what is seen in the pilot episode. What you see, or think you see, is each belle attempting to assert their own position and infuence in an hour long deluge of judgement and hypocricy.
It is important to understand that a program's pilot episode is crafted for one purpose - to grab your attention. Because of this, they never depict any character in all fullness. What is seen in the pilot is often a superficial depiction of the character to be explored through the series. Seldom do you get a sense of a person's complexity.
To fully see the complexity of the character, you have to stick with the show for a couple of episodes and be willing to see what lies beyond the shallow presentations of the pilot. When we do that, I think we uncover a complextity within each of the Belles that speaks to the complexity that many feel within their own life and spirituality.
Here is my look at each of the belles, drawing from first 3 episodes (I will try to avoid any spoilers for people who may not have watched the show yet).
Amanda Vaughn: Amanda Vaughn is the star of GCB, the character whose life the GCB universe circles around. She was once the mean girl in high school, who tormented those less popular than she. She was married to Bill, the criminal mastermind behind a multi-billion dollar ponzi-scheme. Amanda returns to Dallas after Bill was killed in a car crash attempting to escape with millions of dollars and Amanda's best freind. Amanda's relationship with Bill started in high school when she 'stole' him from his then girlfreind, Cricket Caruth.
In many ways, it is Amanda who is the moral center of the show. She is the one who seems to cut through the hypocricy and in-fighting as she attempts to rebuild her life and provide for her children. Amanda appears to be understanding and caring, willing to accept her faults and failures. When it is known that Cricket is uncomfortable and threatened with Amanda and Blake workingt together, Amand sacrifices her own carreer for the sake of Cricket and Blake's relationship. While she does publically humiliate Carlene via a church prayer, she is seen later opening up to Carlene about her struggles with Bill's death. In the second episode, Amanda reluctantly goes to a church 'singles night'. Despite the disaster of what this night turns out to be, it is Amanda alone who seems to find some of the activities theraputic. While she exists outside 'the Christian body' she is the one who seems to recieve most from its ministry.
Elizabeth Stopper: Elizabeth is the mother of the prodigal daughter, Amanda Vaughn. In the pilot episode, she is described as overbearing, judgemental, rude, and crazy. After the death of her husband, Amanda hesitantly returns to her childhood home in Dallas. Elizabeth is a strong straitforward woman, who is feared by the younger generation. She is seen as continually pushing Amanda back in Dallas culture.
Yet like every other character, the harsh exterior of her character is not all there is. It is clear that Elizabeth is heartbroken over her daughter's tragedy. Here desire for Amanda to get back into the Dallas culture is an attempt to help her daughter in the only way she knows how. In the pilot episode, it is Elizabeth who is seen as behind Amanda's 'secret admirer'. While she and Amanda may not see eye to eye on all things, Elizabeth quickly becomes one of the stalwarts of Amanda's life.
By the third episode, much of Elizabeth's life is still relatively unknown, yet when an old freind returns from his world-wide missionary journey (of delivering Bibles by yacht), it is celar that Elizabeth houses a sense of loss and regret. She is a woman who deep down is empathetic and faithful. She feels deeply the wounds of those she cares for. Like Carlene, she is seen as having a deep, personalized faith, although for her it is more privatized.
Carlene Cockburn: Carlene is clearly the one who is in charge of her little group. She is quickly identified as the main antagonist. She is fiercely hypocritical, unabashedly judgemental, completely narrow minded, and low on theolgoical astuteness. Yet those are surface things. What you see in Carlene is an intenstity of faith as she understands it. The star of the church choir, it is Calrene alone who quotes scripture. She is vehement in her faith and contains almost a zelous desire to live according to God's rules as she understands them to be. Her hypocricy and judgement stem from internal desire to passionatley live her faith.
Married to Rick, Carlene has perhaps one of the 'healthiest' marriages of the belles, a marriage which appears to be grounded in faith and scripture. Rick is often seen either reading, carrying, or putting down the Bible; and the two often have discussions as how live a life of faithfulness. This is evidenced in the the third episode where Carelen goes along with her husband's request to steal (sorry, borrow) Amanda's computer. This is justified becase she is set on obeying the man 'who is head of the household.' When Carlene walks in on an uncomfortable situation involving her teenage son, she believes it to be divine retribution, and returns the compture. Confronted by Rick, Carlene maintains her allegiance to what faith demands of her, and declares she must listen to one of a higher authoirty. She then demands Rick to be quiet as she kneels down in prayer, seeking forgiveness and guidance.
Underneath the superficial judgementalism and fakery, what you uncover in Carlene is someone who is passionate about her faith. She loves the God, the church, and her Christian community. Amongst the other Belles, Carlene might be the person with the strongest and deepest embracing of faith and religion.
Cricket Caruth-Reilly: Cricket is a hard shell of a woman. She is a sucessful and knowledgeable business woman who has fought and earned the status she enjoys. She is a woman to be feared and respected. Rarely does she show emotion beyond anger or annoyance. Early on it is uncovered that she has a string of extra-marital affairs.
But what's behind the gruff exterior. What you see with Cricket is a woman who is profoundly wounded. She is married to Blake, a closet homosexual, and the two have worked out the agreement to stay married and find romance elsewhere. In part this is to keep Blake's secret; yet Cricket confesses that Blake remains the only man who ever truly loved and accepted her 'for her'. This includes her own father. Her marriage to Blake involves a deep freindship, a friendship that she is scared of losing. When Amanda comes back to town,and starts re-kindling a friendship with Blake, Cricket's vulnerability begins to shine through as she fights to maintain the only true friend and confidant she has.
There is a sense of hurt with Cricket's character as she is shown to be someone who is unable to find the love she desperately yearns for.
Sharon Peacham: Sharon is the loveable but dim-witted beauty queen. She continually attempts to find her own voice, and assert her own indepedance. Yet a combination of shyness and deep insecurity often sabotage these efforts. Like Cricket, she houses a deep abiding loneliness. In many ways, while it is Sharon who has the most 'normal' of marriages, it is actually the one with the most trouble. Her husband, Zack (a high school football star lamenting over failed opportunities), struggles to express love and respect to his wife. This is reflected in her husband's wish that she dress up as Anna Nicole Smith for the 'Dress as your favorite Texan' party in the third episode.
The absence of love and respect causes Sharon to turn to other avenues to find her self worth. It is clear that food has often played this role for her. In virtually every scene where she is present, Sharon is surrounded by food. This does not last, however as Sharon quickly decides that 'her best years' are not behind her, and begins to embark on a road of personal transformation. This invovles her standing up to her husband's attempt to kiss Amanda upon her return to Dallas, as well as changing her outfit from Anna Nicole Smith to Marry Kay Ash ('a strong and successful woman and founder of Mary K)
Sharon is seen as someone who goes to the church in desperate need of acceptance and care. In fact, it appears as if the church, more specifically Rev. John Tudor, is the only one who understands Sharon. It is Rev Tudor alone who recognizes Sharon's Mary K costume. One is left wondering if Sharon will devolope an infatuation with this single man, and if so, how she may act on it.
Heather Cruz; Heather is a successful realtor whose success often comes through manipulation and coniving behaviour. When Amanda begins looking for a place to live, Heather goes out of her way to take her to the worst areas of Dallas. She is seen at the outset as one of the more morally deficient of the characters, and yet she s the one who forgives Amanda. After Amanda asks for forgiveness for her high school sins, Heather and Amanda become fast freinds. Despite Carlene's wishes, Heather and Amanda become build a strong friendship. Heather is the only single girl amongst the other, a point that seems to bring her some hurt and embarrasement.
There you have it. The church at GCB is made up people who are far from perfect. They are people whose judgements and hypocricy are tools to mask their own inner brokeneness and wounds. They are people who attempt to display perfect lives and perfect faith but are, in reality far from it.
Sound familiar?
Still, underneath all the cattiness and fighting there is one thing that binds all these characters together. The Church. The church is the place where these hurt people gather. The church is the place where people who are longing to be healed and accepted come looking for peace. It is where people with questions come searching for answers. Underneath the hypocricy and judgement, it is the Church which is the one thing that seems to give these belles a sense of belonging and strength.
A powerful image for a world that sometimes wants to deny the role of the Church, I think.
It is important to understand that a program's pilot episode is crafted for one purpose - to grab your attention. Because of this, they never depict any character in all fullness. What is seen in the pilot is often a superficial depiction of the character to be explored through the series. Seldom do you get a sense of a person's complexity.
To fully see the complexity of the character, you have to stick with the show for a couple of episodes and be willing to see what lies beyond the shallow presentations of the pilot. When we do that, I think we uncover a complextity within each of the Belles that speaks to the complexity that many feel within their own life and spirituality.
Here is my look at each of the belles, drawing from first 3 episodes (I will try to avoid any spoilers for people who may not have watched the show yet).
Amanda Vaughn: Amanda Vaughn is the star of GCB, the character whose life the GCB universe circles around. She was once the mean girl in high school, who tormented those less popular than she. She was married to Bill, the criminal mastermind behind a multi-billion dollar ponzi-scheme. Amanda returns to Dallas after Bill was killed in a car crash attempting to escape with millions of dollars and Amanda's best freind. Amanda's relationship with Bill started in high school when she 'stole' him from his then girlfreind, Cricket Caruth.
In many ways, it is Amanda who is the moral center of the show. She is the one who seems to cut through the hypocricy and in-fighting as she attempts to rebuild her life and provide for her children. Amanda appears to be understanding and caring, willing to accept her faults and failures. When it is known that Cricket is uncomfortable and threatened with Amanda and Blake workingt together, Amand sacrifices her own carreer for the sake of Cricket and Blake's relationship. While she does publically humiliate Carlene via a church prayer, she is seen later opening up to Carlene about her struggles with Bill's death. In the second episode, Amanda reluctantly goes to a church 'singles night'. Despite the disaster of what this night turns out to be, it is Amanda alone who seems to find some of the activities theraputic. While she exists outside 'the Christian body' she is the one who seems to recieve most from its ministry.
Elizabeth Stopper: Elizabeth is the mother of the prodigal daughter, Amanda Vaughn. In the pilot episode, she is described as overbearing, judgemental, rude, and crazy. After the death of her husband, Amanda hesitantly returns to her childhood home in Dallas. Elizabeth is a strong straitforward woman, who is feared by the younger generation. She is seen as continually pushing Amanda back in Dallas culture.
Yet like every other character, the harsh exterior of her character is not all there is. It is clear that Elizabeth is heartbroken over her daughter's tragedy. Here desire for Amanda to get back into the Dallas culture is an attempt to help her daughter in the only way she knows how. In the pilot episode, it is Elizabeth who is seen as behind Amanda's 'secret admirer'. While she and Amanda may not see eye to eye on all things, Elizabeth quickly becomes one of the stalwarts of Amanda's life.
By the third episode, much of Elizabeth's life is still relatively unknown, yet when an old freind returns from his world-wide missionary journey (of delivering Bibles by yacht), it is celar that Elizabeth houses a sense of loss and regret. She is a woman who deep down is empathetic and faithful. She feels deeply the wounds of those she cares for. Like Carlene, she is seen as having a deep, personalized faith, although for her it is more privatized.
Carlene Cockburn: Carlene is clearly the one who is in charge of her little group. She is quickly identified as the main antagonist. She is fiercely hypocritical, unabashedly judgemental, completely narrow minded, and low on theolgoical astuteness. Yet those are surface things. What you see in Carlene is an intenstity of faith as she understands it. The star of the church choir, it is Calrene alone who quotes scripture. She is vehement in her faith and contains almost a zelous desire to live according to God's rules as she understands them to be. Her hypocricy and judgement stem from internal desire to passionatley live her faith.
Married to Rick, Carlene has perhaps one of the 'healthiest' marriages of the belles, a marriage which appears to be grounded in faith and scripture. Rick is often seen either reading, carrying, or putting down the Bible; and the two often have discussions as how live a life of faithfulness. This is evidenced in the the third episode where Carelen goes along with her husband's request to steal (sorry, borrow) Amanda's computer. This is justified becase she is set on obeying the man 'who is head of the household.' When Carlene walks in on an uncomfortable situation involving her teenage son, she believes it to be divine retribution, and returns the compture. Confronted by Rick, Carlene maintains her allegiance to what faith demands of her, and declares she must listen to one of a higher authoirty. She then demands Rick to be quiet as she kneels down in prayer, seeking forgiveness and guidance.
Underneath the superficial judgementalism and fakery, what you uncover in Carlene is someone who is passionate about her faith. She loves the God, the church, and her Christian community. Amongst the other Belles, Carlene might be the person with the strongest and deepest embracing of faith and religion.
Cricket Caruth-Reilly: Cricket is a hard shell of a woman. She is a sucessful and knowledgeable business woman who has fought and earned the status she enjoys. She is a woman to be feared and respected. Rarely does she show emotion beyond anger or annoyance. Early on it is uncovered that she has a string of extra-marital affairs.
But what's behind the gruff exterior. What you see with Cricket is a woman who is profoundly wounded. She is married to Blake, a closet homosexual, and the two have worked out the agreement to stay married and find romance elsewhere. In part this is to keep Blake's secret; yet Cricket confesses that Blake remains the only man who ever truly loved and accepted her 'for her'. This includes her own father. Her marriage to Blake involves a deep freindship, a friendship that she is scared of losing. When Amanda comes back to town,and starts re-kindling a friendship with Blake, Cricket's vulnerability begins to shine through as she fights to maintain the only true friend and confidant she has.
There is a sense of hurt with Cricket's character as she is shown to be someone who is unable to find the love she desperately yearns for.
Sharon Peacham: Sharon is the loveable but dim-witted beauty queen. She continually attempts to find her own voice, and assert her own indepedance. Yet a combination of shyness and deep insecurity often sabotage these efforts. Like Cricket, she houses a deep abiding loneliness. In many ways, while it is Sharon who has the most 'normal' of marriages, it is actually the one with the most trouble. Her husband, Zack (a high school football star lamenting over failed opportunities), struggles to express love and respect to his wife. This is reflected in her husband's wish that she dress up as Anna Nicole Smith for the 'Dress as your favorite Texan' party in the third episode.
The absence of love and respect causes Sharon to turn to other avenues to find her self worth. It is clear that food has often played this role for her. In virtually every scene where she is present, Sharon is surrounded by food. This does not last, however as Sharon quickly decides that 'her best years' are not behind her, and begins to embark on a road of personal transformation. This invovles her standing up to her husband's attempt to kiss Amanda upon her return to Dallas, as well as changing her outfit from Anna Nicole Smith to Marry Kay Ash ('a strong and successful woman and founder of Mary K)
Sharon is seen as someone who goes to the church in desperate need of acceptance and care. In fact, it appears as if the church, more specifically Rev. John Tudor, is the only one who understands Sharon. It is Rev Tudor alone who recognizes Sharon's Mary K costume. One is left wondering if Sharon will devolope an infatuation with this single man, and if so, how she may act on it.
Heather Cruz; Heather is a successful realtor whose success often comes through manipulation and coniving behaviour. When Amanda begins looking for a place to live, Heather goes out of her way to take her to the worst areas of Dallas. She is seen at the outset as one of the more morally deficient of the characters, and yet she s the one who forgives Amanda. After Amanda asks for forgiveness for her high school sins, Heather and Amanda become fast freinds. Despite Carlene's wishes, Heather and Amanda become build a strong friendship. Heather is the only single girl amongst the other, a point that seems to bring her some hurt and embarrasement.
There you have it. The church at GCB is made up people who are far from perfect. They are people whose judgements and hypocricy are tools to mask their own inner brokeneness and wounds. They are people who attempt to display perfect lives and perfect faith but are, in reality far from it.
Sound familiar?
Still, underneath all the cattiness and fighting there is one thing that binds all these characters together. The Church. The church is the place where these hurt people gather. The church is the place where people who are longing to be healed and accepted come looking for peace. It is where people with questions come searching for answers. Underneath the hypocricy and judgement, it is the Church which is the one thing that seems to give these belles a sense of belonging and strength.
A powerful image for a world that sometimes wants to deny the role of the Church, I think.
Yes, I watch GCB!
I spent some time poking around the internet, looking at how people have been responding to ABC's new break-out show "GCB". Most of the sites you find are less than favorable. They are also written by Christians. Big suprise there. There are actually a multitude of people from the US who are calling for boycotts and protests over the airing of this show. They argue that this show unduly shows Christians in a negative or abusive light; that airing the program breaks anti-discimination and anti-hate laws; and that public scrutiny would never stand for a show entitled 'GMB', where the M stands for 'Muslim'. (Although, a reference to Canadian hit 'Little Mosque on the Prairie" may provide an interesting retort.)
Let's be clear: GCB is not a Christian show. Its purpose is not to put forward Biblical truth or display what authentic Christian community is to look like. It has no evangelistic mission whereby it subversly attempts to introduce millions of viewers to the truth of Jesus. If you watch the show hoping for these things, you will be hoplessly dissapointed.
However, this does not make GCB an 'anti-Christian' show by any means. GCB is a secular show. It is a show designed to make money for the networks. It depicts over the top, often campy characters, living in a fairy-tale universe, who often find themselves in situations written specificlly for the unrealistic GCB world. It just happens to center around a community of people who call themselves 'Christians'. Frankly I see no difference that television program that contains over the top Doctors, living in a fairy-tale universe who find themselves in unreaslistic situations written specifically life at 'Seattle Grace' (Grey's Anatomy).
So why watch GCB? Good question. Amidst the over-the-top characters and unrealistic situations, GCB depicts individuals who struggle with issues of faith, spirituality, and modern life. Here is the place where GCB touches real life, and it is here where, I believe, we Christians need to pay attention. The spirituality of GCB is a confusing spirituality. The 'belles' (that's what the 'b' is supposed to stand for right?) are people who struggle with Christian living. Faith, life, spirituality, and religious observance are shown in a complex manner. What it means to be a Christian in the GCB world is just as murky as what it means to be a Christian in our ever-secularzed world. It is a truth we all know yet seldom voice: issues of faith and life are rarely strait forward. The interplay between what it means to be a 'Good Christian Belle (or Beau)' amidst the complex and multifaceted nature of life is seldom easy to discern. The life of faith can be confussing, filled with questions and doubts, sins and struggles. Even the most religiously pure and spiritually minded person is aware of this dynamic. Watching the characters of GCB struggle with their own issues of faith and Chrisitan living can help us look at ourselves in the same manner. Who knows, we may even be able to see some light of the gospel shine through.
What will follow in these blog posts will be my own reflections, as a Christian Priest, about the spiritual issues that GCB raises. I hope to look at the positive places where faith, God, prayer, and the Church are shown, while also taking seriuosly the challenges and critiques when they are not shown as positively.
I hope you enjoy these posts, and join me in thinking of these things along the way.
Let's be clear: GCB is not a Christian show. Its purpose is not to put forward Biblical truth or display what authentic Christian community is to look like. It has no evangelistic mission whereby it subversly attempts to introduce millions of viewers to the truth of Jesus. If you watch the show hoping for these things, you will be hoplessly dissapointed.
However, this does not make GCB an 'anti-Christian' show by any means. GCB is a secular show. It is a show designed to make money for the networks. It depicts over the top, often campy characters, living in a fairy-tale universe, who often find themselves in situations written specificlly for the unrealistic GCB world. It just happens to center around a community of people who call themselves 'Christians'. Frankly I see no difference that television program that contains over the top Doctors, living in a fairy-tale universe who find themselves in unreaslistic situations written specifically life at 'Seattle Grace' (Grey's Anatomy).
So why watch GCB? Good question. Amidst the over-the-top characters and unrealistic situations, GCB depicts individuals who struggle with issues of faith, spirituality, and modern life. Here is the place where GCB touches real life, and it is here where, I believe, we Christians need to pay attention. The spirituality of GCB is a confusing spirituality. The 'belles' (that's what the 'b' is supposed to stand for right?) are people who struggle with Christian living. Faith, life, spirituality, and religious observance are shown in a complex manner. What it means to be a Christian in the GCB world is just as murky as what it means to be a Christian in our ever-secularzed world. It is a truth we all know yet seldom voice: issues of faith and life are rarely strait forward. The interplay between what it means to be a 'Good Christian Belle (or Beau)' amidst the complex and multifaceted nature of life is seldom easy to discern. The life of faith can be confussing, filled with questions and doubts, sins and struggles. Even the most religiously pure and spiritually minded person is aware of this dynamic. Watching the characters of GCB struggle with their own issues of faith and Chrisitan living can help us look at ourselves in the same manner. Who knows, we may even be able to see some light of the gospel shine through.
What will follow in these blog posts will be my own reflections, as a Christian Priest, about the spiritual issues that GCB raises. I hope to look at the positive places where faith, God, prayer, and the Church are shown, while also taking seriuosly the challenges and critiques when they are not shown as positively.
I hope you enjoy these posts, and join me in thinking of these things along the way.
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