Pia Jesu Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Surely, most have viewed the Twitter App (Moments) commercial featuring Pope Francis. It shows the Holy Father joking, performing a "magic trick" (whipping off an altar cloth), spinning a basketball, losing a cap to a wind gust--and having his mozetta (cape) blow over his head. Not knowing whether to smile or cringe (and feeling a bit of unease), I wonder if the commercial is... --emblematic of some sort of postmodern understanding that authority figures (like the Pope, heads of state, even the police) possess undue influence on people and need to be "humanized" or possibly diminished in some way --simply a media "grab" using a well-known, controversial figure to market a product --an attempt to "reshape" an ancient institution that many believe to be in decline --just another example of how well the media understands psychological theories of influence and persuasion As a former teacher, I realize how levity (and humor) can help diffuse difficult situations (read recalcitrant students) and redirect behaviors. Is this dynamic at work here? Are Catholic conservatives (prelates, the laity and commentators) subliminally being targeted? One of the comments on You Tube applauded the video saying that the Pope is "not for God, but for the people." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Era Might Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 I haven't seen the video, but your point about postmodern "humanizing" public figures does get at something true about our age. The philosopher Slavoj Zizek has a good documentary where he uses movies to unpack ideology, but one of the examples he uses is from the Soviet Union, where the only way to really discredit the political system was not to condemn it, but to make a fool of it. So they would use movies to depict Communist officials as lackeys and buffoons. This can be a good technique for critique, but it also gets to the point where it's all we do is make fun and expose, and can't talk seriously about anything. The writer David Foster Wallace, who was sort of a postmodern literary genius, alsi used to lament that postmodernism easily becomes a cheap trick and we become ironic about being ironic, IOW we hide from serious thinking by cheap cynicism and seeing in life only tricks and buffoonery. But,apart from all that, I think our culture, and especially our digital culture, is just designed to be infantalizing, and we like the lulz whether it's a YouTube video mashup or the funny car commercial...we're like babies laughing at keys jingling in our face, we want to be entertained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriela Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 2 hours ago, Pia Jesu said: Surely, most have viewed the Twitter App (Moments) commercial featuring Pope Francis. It shows the Holy Father joking, performing a "magic trick" (whipping off an altar cloth), spinning a basketball, losing a cap to a wind gust--and having his mozetta (cape) blow over his head. Not knowing whether to smile or cringe (and feeling a bit of unease), I wonder if the commercial is... 1 emblematic of some sort of postmodern understanding that authority figures (like the Pope, heads of state, even the police) possess undue influence on people and need to be "humanized" or possibly diminished in some way 2 simply a media "grab" using a well-known, controversial figure to market a product 3 an attempt to "reshape" an ancient institution that many believe to be in decline 4 just another example of how well the media understands psychological theories of influence and persuasion As a former teacher, I realize how levity (and humor) can help diffuse difficult situations (read recalcitrant students) and redirect behaviors. Is this dynamic at work here? Are Catholic conservatives (prelates, the laity and commentators) subliminally being targeted? One of the comments on You Tube applauded the video saying that the Pope is "not for God, but for the people." You seem to be trying to discern Twitter's intent from people's reactions to it. That's a bad method. Regarding 1: Maybe, but I think that it's too nice to be that. Never shutting up about the priest scandal is a much more postmodern way, IMO, to cut down authority. Here he comes off as nice and likeable. What's wrong with that? Regarding 2: Yeah, for sure. And probably targeting a demographic that Twitter doesn't often target. Regarding 3: Why would Twitter be interested in this? I seriously doubt they care. Regarding 4: Well, yeah, most high-quality commercials are. What concerns me is that someone made a touching ad using our Holy Father, and immediately people are suspicious. But the popes have been saying for decades that a big part of the new evangelization involves the use of new communications technologies. So now we've got even the goyim doing it. I'd say that's a good thing, not a bad thing. Also, remember that Pope Francis is the first pope to actually use social media regularly himself. Especially Twitter. So it seems plenty appropriate to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pia Jesu Posted November 29, 2015 Author Share Posted November 29, 2015 Twitter's marketing intent is obvious...! I'm simply questioning (along the lines of the Zizek's [2005] documentary mentioned in Era's post) the choice of Pope Francis to "star" in it. Current Christian/Church thinking is responding to a multitude of influences--from science (Climate Change!), sociology, process philosophy, the cultural experiences of sexual and ethnic minorities, etc. And with the "blessing or bane" potentiality of the media...putting the Holy Father out there in such an "entertaining" and lighthearted way seems, in my opinion, to attach a certain use-value to him. As head of the Catholic Church, he is also subject to the lack of respect, distrust of and opposition to authority that we see today. Likewise, I think that people, in general, are susceptible to media import. Is there any doubt that our information is manipulated by its sources or special-interest groups? For Christianity, the consequences--both good and bad--remain to be seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Era Might Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Just watched the video, I didn't get any nefarious vibe, seemed more just "public figure as celebrity" rather than anything serious. I didn't think it was really about the Pope or Catholicism, more about Twitter users following news. BTW what's this new Twitter App? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriela Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 4 hours ago, Pia Jesu said: Twitter's marketing intent is obvious...! I'm simply questioning (along the lines of the Zizek's [2005] documentary mentioned in Era's post) the choice of Pope Francis to "star" in it. Pope Francis doesn't need to make a choice to star in anything. Twitter owns the rights to everything posted on Twitter. They didn't even have to ask him. And he can't sue (not like he would...). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pia Jesu Posted November 30, 2015 Author Share Posted November 30, 2015 2 hours ago, Era Might said: Just watched the video, I didn't get any nefarious vibe, seemed more just "public figure as celebrity" rather than anything serious. I didn't think it was really about the Pope or Catholicism, more about Twitter users following news. BTW what's this new Twitter App? Yes...nothing nefarious...but a little "off" to me (and certainly not "touching."). Seeing Pope Francis pull the cloth off the elevated High Altar of Sacrifice as a magic trick seems disrespectful. After all, it is the sacred place of the Holy Mass--where the reparation and propitiation of all the sins of the world; past, present & future--takes place. My Twitter days are over...perhaps another forum member can describe the new app! Thanks for the insights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Pharisees gonna Pharisee... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriela Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Priests like to have fun, too, you know. I thought the altar cloth trick was the best bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggyie Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Seriously it's just a funny video. Nothing else to it. The Internet is 95% baby animal videos and 5% joke videos like this. They're not laughing at him, they're laughing WITH him is the vibe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miserere55 Posted December 5, 2015 Share Posted December 5, 2015 Pia Jesu, I certainly agree with you that the twitter commercial is uncomfortable to watch and knowing that it was Ellen Degeneres' graphics team that put it together makes it even more uncomfortable. The Pope walked up to the altar to lay flowers and pray, but instead they have him making a magic trick with the altar cloth. This borderlines the sacrilegious. He is the Vicar of Christ and when he is made to look like an idiot and fool, then so is Our Lord. And as far as "having fun" is concerned, the silly glasses would rank as "immature fun." This just backs up what Era Might says, "Our digital culture is designed to be infantalizing." Along those lines, they often use people dressed as nuns in commercials and portray them as "stupid." And yet, Roman Catholic Sisters are the most educated population in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pia Jesu Posted December 5, 2015 Author Share Posted December 5, 2015 Amen! The NY Daily News (and several other media outlets) reported that Twitter was "furious" about the Holy Father meeting (during his US visit) with Kentucky County Clerk, Kim Davis--who refused to sign the marriage license for a gay couple. How interesting that the Moments App commercial was released the following month! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriela Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 11 hours ago, miserere55 said: Along those lines, they often use people dressed as nuns in commercials and portray them as "stupid." And yet, Roman Catholic Sisters are the most educated population in the world. LOL. Says who? I could buy the media portraying nuns as sex objects—that croutons is everywhere—but where are they portrayed as stupid? And even if they are, I seriously doubt they're the most educated population in the world. More educated on average than the average "career" demographic, maybe, but the "most"? Hardly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominicansoul Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 8 hours ago, Gabriela said: I seriously doubt they're the most educated population in the world. Dominicans. 'nuff said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominicansoul Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 (edited) The Pope needs to be defended against attacks and i find your zeal to do so commendable. But we do not know the real intentions behind this. I believe if they meant him to look like a fool or blaspheme they failed miserably. Ths makes him look cooler than he already is. People love the Pope because he connects with everybody. Hes not always serious snd i believe this video touches on his fun side. He may have been amused by it himself. Edited December 6, 2015 by dominicansoul Using iphone with my fat fingers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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