The Plugged In Show, Episode 45: Our Favorite Movies of the COVID-19 Season
Once upon a time, we used to go to the movies. But since the coronavirus descended upon us seven months ago, things have changed. Theaters are mostly open again, but they continue to struggle to attract viewers. Meanwhile, the streaming landscape of movies and television shows online seems as if it’s exploded in popularity. Each […]
Bring Your Bible to School … and to Your Entertainment Choices, Too!
If you’ve been a Plugged In reader long, you know that one core idea we emphasize is exercising biblical discernment in our entertainment and technology choices. But what does that look like in action? In a nutshell, that process means taking truths we see in Scripture and applying them to the entertainment, internet and app […]
‘See Life 2020’ Confronts Our Culture’s Abortion Narrative
How do Americans think about abortion, and who influences those narratives? While we might not immediately think that movies about this controversial subject would be terribly common, Hollywood has produced quite a few stories sympathetic to and/or glorifying a woman’s choice to end her baby’s life over the last five decades. Grease. Fast Times at […]
The Plugged In Show, Episode 43: Video Gaming’s Next-Gen Future: What to Expect
The video game world is on the verge of another generational shift. This fall—just in time for the holidays, of course—Sony and Microsoft will be releasing their next generation gaming consoles, the ever-so-imaginatively named PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. But don’t let my sarcasm fool you: These new machines will deploy truly revolutionary graphic […]
If a Tenet Falls in the Forest …
It’s seems like forever and an age ago that we actually got excited about blockbuster, tent-pole movies in theaters. But this week, it feels a bit like “old times.” Or, seven months ago, if you prefer. Director Christopher Nolan’s truly mind-bending thriller/actioner/caper/war flick Tenet arrives in theaters this weekend. In some places early screenings are […]
Cardi B Defends Explicit Hit as ‘Normal’
Cardi B’s latest hit, “WAP,” has topped the charts and stirred up enormous commentary and controversy over the last several weeks. Plugged In hasn’t reviewed the song due to its exceptionally explicit content. In brief, it focuses in graphically vivid terms on a woman’s anatomy—and little else. But while we’re not reviewing her song, Cardi […]
The Plugged In Show, Episode 40: Hamilton’s Cultural Encore
Alexander Hamilton’s been dead for more than 200 years. What relevance could the guy possibly have to those of us living in the 21st-century? Turn his life into a musical, and the answer is plenty. Our panel of esteemed Plugged In experts gabs about Hamilton, the Broadway phenomenon-turned Disney+ phenomenon, on this week’s podcast. We […]
The Plugged In Show, Episode 39: When Pop Stars Outgrow Our Kids
Taylor Swift is back with a new album, Folklore. On it, she reflects on her life and some of her painful experiences. One member of our Plugged In team said that these songs sound as if she sat down with a bottle of wine and an acoustic guitar and simply recorded what happened next. Some […]
The Plugged In Show, Episode 38: Navigating the Impact of Television on Our Lives
Since its inception, television has exerted enormous influence in the myriad ways it can influence us and shape our culture’s values. That’s arguably been even more true over the last six months or so. The unwanted arrival of COVID-19 has meant more screen time than ever for families, including opportunities to binge on TV during […]
The Virus That Ate the Summer Multiplex
The coronavirus has ravaged our world for the last six months, forcing unprecedented closures, quarantines and adjustments to our normal ways of living. And that’s been especially true when it comes to movies. The big studios have repeatedly shifted opening dates for summer tentpole movies, each time hoping and believing the next date will really […]