Culture Clips: The Influence of the ‘Princess Industrial Complex’
If you haven’t noticed, there are princesses everywhere these days. Disney princesses, that is. There’s the classic trio (Aurora, Cinderella and Snow White), the so-called Disney Renaissance princesses (Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas and Mulan). Then we have the millennial members of this hallowed animated court: Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Anna, Elsa and Moana. That’s a lot […]
Culture Clips: Stars & Spirituality
What does it take to break an addiction? Singer, actress and former Disney star Demi Lovato recently shared some thoughts on that subject on her Instagram account. Among other factors, she said that her relationship with God played an integral part in the process of breaking bad behavioral chains. Lovato wrote, “So grateful. It’s been […]
Beauty Still a Beast at the Box Office
It’s Belle and Beast’s world. The rest of the movies in theaters this weekend? They just live in it. Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast proved to be a monster in its second weekend, raking in an estimated $88.3 million domestically. If that sounds like a lot of money, it is: Only three […]
Culture Clips: Do Video Games Undermine Young Men’s Will to Work?
The unemployment rate for men in their 20s has been rising for about 15 years now. Yet, curiously, a higher percentage say that they’re happier these days. What gives? Could it be that men who aren’t working are busily filling their days with … video games? University of Chicago economist Erik Hurst looked into […]
Chuck Berry’s Cultural Legacy
It’s been said that rock is dead. While that subjective statement is impossible to prove, what’s certain is that the man often named “the father of rock ‘n’ roll” has himself passed away. Chuck Berry died on Saturday of natural causes at his suburban St. Louis home at the age of 90. And the case […]
Culture Clips: Logan & The Shack, Art & Redemption
Could the bloody, profane, R-rated movie Logan somehow deliver a more redemptive message than The Shack? Relevant contributor Seth Hurd argues that perhaps it does. “From the opening scene, it’s clear that [Logan] is a story about death. Because the badness is so real, the moments of redemption are so clear. If the darkness isn’t […]
An Interview With The Shack’s Sam Worthington
Back in 2008, The Shack took the publishing world by storm. This novel by William Paul Young tells the story of Mack Phillips, a man struggling to come to terms with the tragic loss of his youngest daughter. He eventually spends a weekend in the shack where his daughter was murdered. And there he talks […]
I’m Not Ashamed: A Teen Conversation Starter
It’s not often that I see a movie that prompts me to think, Every family with teens I know should see this. But last year’s I’m Not Ashamed, the inspiring, tragic story of Columbine victim Rachel Joy Scott had that effect on me. I’m revisiting the film now for two reasons: One, it was a […]
Are Teens Replacing One Drug With Another?
News that today’s teens are drinking and taking drugs less than ever can’t be anything but good news, right? Yes, obviously the drop in teen substance abuse, as reported by the University of Michigan’s latest Monitoring the Future study, is a very good thing. But the question remains, why? Are today’s adolescents more risk-averse? Are […]
Culture Clips: Love Circa 2017
Well, it’s February 14—Valentine’s Day. And that can only mean one thing: Yup, it’s time to check in with the researchers at Barna to get a statistical snapshot of what romance looks like circa 2017. Barna’s researchers found that the percentage of 25- to 39-year-olds who are single jumped about 10% since 2000. Cohabitation is […]