The Press vs. The Pious:

Exploring the relationship between religion and the media.

The media, for the 21st Century, has become a heavily depended on resource for mass communication and information dispersion. For many people the public media is the only source from which they are able to obtain information about current affairs and other societal matters, devouring what is delivered to them, hanging on to every word. The immense power held by the media is therefore a concern to those who consume it, as those who create it have the opportunity to add their own twists and spins and present an obscured version of what the reality perhaps is. When it comes to religion, as portrayed by the media, it can be assured that the way it is treated will be no different to any other subject. The question there lies: What does the media, to which society subscribes, has to say on the religious front, and how does this affect the way audiences shape their beliefs and opinions about religion?

Probably the most explicit of media forms, the press, and the journalists creating it, are daring and often insensitive to the way in which they expose the public audience to issues involving various religious communities and their beliefs. Mark Silk, from Harvard’s Neiman Foundation of Journalism, says that journalists are, “either hostile to religion, or ignorant of it or (most likely) both.” (Silk, 2010)

A study conducted in the US, at the time of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games, helps to illustrate the power of the media and its portrayals of religion in the media. The state of Utah, where the games were held, has a significant Mormon population which dominates the area. Due to the religiosity of the state, it fought tremendous scrutiny from the hundreds of reporters who invaded the area. Chen, the conductor of the study, hoped to find that through his analysis of media produced at the time he would see a shift in the negative representation the Mormons were receiving through the press – one which they also hoped to change. His conclusions were that “The stereotype [created by media] suggests that Mormon culture is unduly conservative, rigid, and overbearing. Where a focus on the racialized priesthood, on feminism, or on doctrinal purity allowed... [leading audiences to believe that] fundamental problem is that normality cannot flourish in Utah” (Chen, 2010, p.45) The negative stigma such as this, which is produced by media personnel and fed to the general public, also swings a blow at other rapidly growing religious movements along with the Mormon Church, including: Islam, Hillsong Church (and other evangelical movements) etc. Chen also suggests that the reason that the press focus on religious movements such as these is due to their rapidly growing power and status and that they fear both infiltration and domination.

While it is often clearly obvious that religious groups are being marginalized through the attacks coming from journalists, there can often be a more subliminal negative connotation associated with being a person of faith which is presented through film. Move over Italian Mafia, the Muslim Terrorist is the new star of the show: the shift has been noticeable in action movies in recent times. The stigma surrounding the attacks on the USA in 2001 and the subsequent War on Terror, have conjured up a new image of the classic movie ‘bad guy’. An article from the UK Guardian in 2007 says that films such as this have “helped demonise Muslims as violent, dangerous and threatening, [which is] reinforcing prejudices,” (Ward, 2007) against followers. Teen movies also condemn Christianity creating a stereotype which negatively portrays the religion through character prejudices. Christian characters and the high moral standards they wear on their shoulders, are often nerdy, socially inept, and uncool as they do not participate or conform to the teenage rites of passage shown.

While the media avenues so far explored have focussed on the negative aspects of the relationship between media and religion, there are some who side with the media and essentially tell the world that they’re just overreacting. In 2001 Dalton, Mazur and Siems published a piece focussing on the reactions of audiences to the highly controversial television cartoon series, The Simpsons. Throughout the article they both acknowledge the fact the some of the negative attention that show’s such as The Simpsons pay to topics of religion, but also continue on to shed some more positive light on the subject. Expressed strongly, is the opinion that media outlets, while they may be employing religious figures and themes as elements comical relief, they are not doing so in order to attack a particular group, but rather are reflecting an image of societies current state. This model of viewing the way that religious groups are portrayed by media producers can be applied also to the areas that were mentioned previously. Unfortunately however, many individuals and groups, such as the Muslims interviewed for the Guardian do not feel this rather feel that, “the media failed to give enough opportunity to Muslims to represent themselves”.

Due to the large scale access the public audience has to a varying array of media, and the naivety of many concerned, media produces have a significant amount of power when it comes to shaping the beliefs and attitudes of society. The framing of information in certain ways allows audience to only see the perceptions of the reporters, publishers and other media personal as they are the ones creating it. Pertaining also to subjects of religion, the media have portrayed historical events in ways which often have a negative impact on the way the wider community view that particular group. Not only is this shaped by news and current affairs, but also through the characters in our favourite television programs, and the films we watch; and the attitudes that those characters hold towards their religious associates. Therefore, while the current relationship between the media and religion holds some tension, this has the opportunity for resolution through both a concerted effort by media to accurately represent religious groups, but also for religious groups to view the representations they receive as mirror images of society and not as targeted and purposeful attacks.


Bibliography:
Chen, C. (2003). '"Molympics"? Journalistic Discourse of Mormons in Relation to the 2002
Winter Olympic Games’. Journal of Media and Religion. 2(1)29- 47. DOI: 10.1207/S15328415JMR0201_3
Dalton, L., E, Mazur., & M, Siems. (2001) Homer the heretic and Charlie the church: Parody, piety and pluralism in The Simpsons. In E, Mazur., & K, McCarthy.(Ed.) God in the details :American religion in popular culture.(pp.231-247). New York: Routledge.
Silk, M. (2010) Religion and the press: Always complicated, now chaotic. Retrieved August 19, 2010, from http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx?id=101567.
Ward, L. (2007) From Aladin to the Lost Ark, Muslims get angry at ‘bad guy’ film images. Retrieved August 19, 2010, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/jan/25/broadcasting.race.

Metaphor: Critical Review of True Blood and Buffy the Vampire Slayer

By Sarah Fallon

TV shows True Blood (Alan Ball 2008) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Joss Whedon 1997-2003) are both popular television series’ focusing on the supernatural, specifically vampires. Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been a massive cult success, completing its seventh and final season in 2003. True Blood too has met with a tremendous amount of success and is currently airing (in America) the final episodes of its second season. Both Buffy and True Blood use supernatural themes as a form of metaphor, either for political commentary in True Blood, or as a means of exploring the perils of high school and life in general in Buffy. This review will explore the nature of these metaphors as well as discuss their intention and success.

True Blood, based on the series of novels by Charlaine Harris, explores the idea of vampires “coming out of the coffin” and announcing their very real existence in our world. The central figure of the series is Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a young, telepathic barmaid living in Bon Temp Louisiana who falls in love with an almost 200 year old vampire, Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer). Vampires in Bon Temp and the rest of the world are not wholeheartedly welcomed into polite society and are often the focus of prejudice and even fundamentalism. They are representative of the ‘other’ or the outsider, which often, in the show, is related specifically to Gay Rights. This is presented to the audience through the church billboard in the opening credits which read “God Hates Fangs”, occasional background discussions about Vampire Rights and vampire marriage, and the near psychotic fundamentalist insisting that vampirism is ‘unnatural’. Despite True Blood’s popularity there are a number of comments on the internet complaining that True Blood’s overt vampire’s equal homosexuals’ metaphor is confused, ridiculous and offensive (Videogum np). I would suggest these comments are little over the top. I disagree that relating vampires to homosexuals, through metaphor, suggests that homosexuals are over-sexed and violent mass murders (Videogum np). The correlation made between vampires and homosexuals is simply that of a minority group. The concepts of nampire rights etc are only a subplot, within the main narrative, including the sexual and violent portrayals of vampires, these metaphors are largely absent and certainly not all encompassing. Furthermore, the relationship with homosexuality is either presented in a political setting such as on the news, or from a negative human perspective such as the church sign or the anti-vampire fundamentalist. In the second season of True Blood the extremist church group known as the Fellowship of the Sun was further explored, having only been mentioned in the previous season. The Fellowship of the Sun maintains elements of both fundamentalism and cultism. The training of “The Soldiers of the Light” and suicide bombing in the episode “Timebomb” lends itself to a fundamentalist regime, whereas the perky and charismatic leaders and camp style living arrangement for the new recruits seem more akin to an extremist cult.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer completed its seventh season in 2003, four years before the first season of True Blood aired, and can be seen as a precursor to the recent surge in vampire television popularity. Buffy follows the story of Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), the vampire slayer, “One girl in all the world...” (Chosen 2003). The series is ironically set in Sunnydale California. Buffy often uses supernatural themes as metaphors for the difficulties of life, primarily the Hell that is high school. In Buffy Sunnydale High is literally built upon the mouth of Hell which draws to it many nasty things, including vampires, making the pain of adolescent life all the more unbearable. Tracy Little suggests that those nasty things, particularly in the earlier episodes of Buffy, represent the fears and pressures teens and young adults felt back at the shows inception, which I believe are of just as great concern to today’s youth (282). The pressure of parent teacher night is punctuated by a group of gate crashing vamps, people literally willing to kill you to get on the cheerleading squad, and after having sex your boyfriend really turns into a horrible, violent and cruel monster. In the early seasons of Buffy each week some aspect of teenage life is explored through supernatural themes; abuse, exclusion, self-esteem, peer pressure and of course prom. In later seasons the metaphors become less regular as do the monsters of the week, instead themes become broader, sweeping over entire seasons and focus on issues such as, love, sex and family. One metaphor which remains throughout all seven seasons is the question of identity, which is inextricably linked to Buffy’s role as ‘the’ slayer. While Buffy’s metaphors aren’t quite as glaringly obvious as those in True Blood, they are easily understandable once pointed out, for example; Oz becoming a werewolf referring to the transformation through puberty, Marcie Ross who literally becomes invisible after being continuously ignored by her peers.

The Metaphors present in both True Blood and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are easily understandable, although Buffy’s may be more subtextual, and in that regard are successful. However True Bloods intended message against discrimination and fundamentalism has clearly been skewed by many online commentators, seeing it more as satire than commentary (Videogum & HitFix np). Buffy on the other hand, has had a number of papers written on it and its metaphors, none of which seem to have been misinterpreted. I believe True Blood to be a thoroughly enjoyable show, and did not see the metaphors as confusing or offensive but an entertaining sidebar and would recommend it to anyone capable of enjoying those metaphors at the time and then moving on to the rest of the narrative. Buffy has been one of my favourite shows since I was old enough to get the jokes and the metaphor prevalent throughout has only enriched my viewing pleasure.


List of Works Consulted

Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Dir. Joss Whedon. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, 1997-2003

“Can the True Blood Metaphor Get Any More Fucked Up?” Videogum. 22 September 2008. 19 August 2009 <>.

Fienberg, Daniel. “TV Review: ‘True Blood’ Season Two.” HitFix. 12 June 2009. 19 August 2009 <>.

Little, Tracy. “High School Is Hell: Metaphor Made Literal in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy. Ed. James South. USA: Open Court Publishing Company, 2003. 282-293.

True Blood. Dir. Alan Ball. HBO, 2008.