In her recent Confessions stage show, musical artist Madonna took her status as a global pop icon to a new height by quite literally appearing on stage strapped to a giant mirrored crucifix. Unsurprisingly, this move generated more than a little ire from religious groups towards the often controversial songstress, whose use of this symbiosis of religion and pop culture, from Christianity to the Kabbalah, has become something of a trademark in her decades long career. And looking at the influence of the musician on impressionable youth, cultural commentator Maria O’ Reilly posed the question: “Has she ascended the high altar of rock ritual to preach a homily that our youth, at least our white middle class youth, immediately recognize, celebrate and imitate with a fervor that can only make religious preachers jealous?”.
In the 21st century, however, Madonna is not the only contemporary artist exploring the relationship between religion and the arts with a great degree of success. Cultural commentator Bruce Murray, in an examination of the psychology behind the deification of popular cultural icons noted that: “Most people know intuitively that pop culture icons… represent something beyond their talents as singers and performers”. Going on to say that “it is no coincidence that these individuals are most often referred to only by one name, as if paralleling biblical figures such as Jesus or Moses.”
Indeed Christian themes, often marginalized in the past, are becoming increasingly present in pop culture. So what lies at the heart of this growing cultural phenomenon? Are an increasing number of artists tapping into the influence of religion in their work merely in an effort to bring their creations to much larger global audiences and ever greater profits? Or is something more profound at work? Is pop culture providing for the masses what increasingly outdated institutions of organized religion no longer can? Or is the almighty dollar the underlying impetus?
In this year’s Edinburgh festival, an event which many have come to see as an important barometer for forecasting changing cultural trends, religious themed works look to be a dominating force in the fare on offer. The play We Don’t Know Shi’ite, performed by WMD Theatre, is set to challenge popular understandings of Islamic faith, while Danish-Egyptian comedian Omar Marzouk intends to take a satirical look at the Islamic fury that followed cartoon caricatures of the prophet Muhammad, in his eagerly anticipated performance piece Cartoon Heroes, Drawing A Line. And amongst the many other attractions on offer at the festival that center on the topics of faith and religion will be a play about a 17th-century Roman Catholic priest who was a secret atheist, with two acts from the play featuring Jesus Christ as a stand-up comedian.
All controversial choices no doubt, given the current wave of religious fundamentalism that seems to be sweeping across the globe.
Much has also been made in recent years of the supposedly dangerous influences at play in J K Rowling’s Harry Potter novels – arguably one of the most popular literary creations of the 20th century. From the outset the novels have been accused of preying on the minds of impressionable youth with tales of magic that many conservative critics have described as being both sinful and satanic.
Yet close inspection of the texts demonstrates a very prominent and epic theme of good versus evil as central to the plot. This theme – the most obvious example being the ultimate struggle that is said to occur between God and the Devil – is mirrored by Harry and his teenage companions’ escapades.
Perhaps one the greatest examples of the fusion of popular culture and religion would have to be the television show Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Like the Harry Potter series, this television show has caused enormous controversy with its depiction of the ongoing battle between the forces of good and evil. A battle which according to author Jana Reiss, in her text What Would Buffy Do? A Vampire Slayer as Spiritual Guide is a “classic medieval morality play…[that] was easily one of the most moralistic programs on tv,” and one in which the title character was a Christ-like figure imbued with the powers needed to save humanity from the forces of evil, who even died saving the world only be resurrected to continue her work.
Blasphemy or merely a sign of changing cultural perceptions towards inviolate religious doctrines and beliefs? This is not to say, however that economic pragmatism is not also at the heart of many of the current examples of the fusion occurring between religion and the popular culture. Marketing forces are more than happy to give religiously-minded folk the kinds of cultural commodities they want, in the formats they want, to ensure a hefty fiscal return.
Professor John Green of the University of Akron, in discussing this economic
reality noted that: “There are millions of Christians who appreciate these types of materials…and modern marketing has gotten a hold of these groups and found ways to put these materials in front of people much more efficiently.” In the United States, Reverend Joseph Simmons, once a member of the seminal rap band Run DMC is enjoying unprecedented success with his reality television show Run’s House on the hip hop-orientated MTV Base channel. Focusing on the daily life of “Rev Run” as Simmons has become popularly known, the show has been credited with influencing the lives and minds of not only the members of the New York evangelical church he heads, but also, by extension, the millions of MTV viewers who are tuning into his show in record numbers. Viewers who, by extension, will then go on to purchase the product put out by the many other musical artists highlighted on the stations play lists.
Likewise, filmmaker and actor Mel Gibson’s The Passion
Of The Christ has taken in over $600 million globally since its cinematic release with its ready made audience and guaranteed box office success in an era when even the biggest special effects extravaganza can fail dismally with fickle cinematic audiences.
Religion, like popular culture, is indeed big business, and when united, the possibilities are indeed as infinite as the universe.
