Idol Chatter

Polygamist Fashion: This Year's Hot New Clothing Trend?

2008-07-11T14:06:17Z

I've heard of taking life's lemons and making lemonade, but the award for making the best of a bad situation has to go to the women from the polygamous sect referred to as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Some of the women from the sect, which made headlines for having hundreds of children removed from a compound in Texas, have now started an online store where you can purchase the latest in FLDS fashion.]]> Princess dress" in one of several different colors or you can purchase some fashionable overalls. But don't expect to find any bargains here. Some of the clothes are pretty pricey-- $50-$60 for a basic garment. On the other hand, as a fellow Idol Chatter blogger pointed out t me, it's never too early to start shopping for Halloween costumes.

Watch Clip: 'Hellboy 2: The Golden Army'

2008-07-10T14:36:39Z

The sequel to the blockbuster hit, "Hellboy 2: The Golden Army" stars Selma Blair, Doug Jones, and Ron Perlman as the titular hero. Directed by "Pan's Labyrinth" director Guillermo Del Toro, the movie looks as artistic as it is thrilling.

Watch Video: 'The Church of Oprah'

2008-07-09T21:35:03Z

Is Oprah a threat to Christianity? Check out this popular video clip. Then, check out Idol Chatter blogger Doug Howe's take on the matter.

Reverend Oprah? Or Religious Overreaction?

2008-07-09T16:15:12Z

We've talked about Oprah here before, but we're not in Nielson-ratings-land anymore, Toto, at least according to posts being circled and forwarded about the popular talk-show host and media entrepreneur. "One of the most effective proselytizers drawing Christians away from the faith today is not a minister, mullah or rabbi. She is entertainer and New-Age guru Oprah Winfrey," according to Mary Ann Kreitzer in her post titled "Oprah Winfrey: New-Age Guru" for the Women of Truth newsletter and viewable here. It goes on to say that "Oprah calls herself a Christian, but she evangelizes for the New Age. For years she has intermingled false spirituality with makeovers, menus and interviews. While her television show blends the bland with the bad, her daily radio program offers the full package in the form of 'A Course in Miracles,' led by her friend Marianne Williamson. The course is also available on her Web site." Ms. Kreitzer, who is the President of both Les Femmes and the Catholic Media Coalition, is not the only one making such claims. ]]> a popular YouTube video that's had over 7.3 million views, Oprah is not just a commanding media figure or a unifying spiritual phenomenon but rather a deceitful new-age leader. It claims, among other things, that:

The "largest church in the world" had its first service on March 3, 2008, with an "attendance of over 300,000" and now has "over 2 million members."
March 17, 2008 was the time of the first "mass trance."
Their leader believes that "My mind is part of God's...I am very holy...My salvation comes from me....Let me remember that there is no sin...The only message of the crucifixion is that you can overcome the cross."
She advises that we "not make the pathetic error of clinging to the Old Rugged Cross."

"One of the mistakes human beings make is that there is only one way," she's shown as saying on her televised show. The video goes on to claim that "today she has turned millions of her adoring fans over to her new age doctrine," and "Christians are letting this into their homes and are being deceived.'" In her "New Earth Web Class" she's quoted as saying "I took God out of the box...I grew up in a Baptist Church." Taking God out of the box is one thing. Ushering in a new kind of church while pretending not to is completely different. Intellectually speaking, Ms. Winfrey is either a prophetess of a new spiritual awakening or a powerful force against traditional Christian teaching. I'm not sure there's a middle ground here. Most of us know she moved way past a TV show and magazine cover years and years ago. However, I'm not sure we've all thought of her as the Pastor of the World's fastest growing spiritual movement. I'm curious what you think, please post your thoughts below.

'God's Pottery' and 'Last Comic Standing': Legit About Jesus?

2008-07-09T16:00:58Z

Like fellow Beliefnet writer Joanne Brokaw over at Gospel Soundcheck I have noticed the comedy duo "God's Pottery" who have made it to the finals of "Last Comic Standing." At first, I was simply put off by their over-the-top mannerisms, their "Virginity Rocks" T-shirts and their weird songs such as "The Pants Come Off When The Ring Goes On." The jokes about church community seemed a little 80s to me, but now I have to admit I'm a little puzzled and more than a little curious. Is God's Pottery really a faux Christian comedy team--or are they truly a pair of believers who are slyly working their way to the top .]]>

Summer Movie Trivia, Idol Chatter Style!

2008-07-09T14:00:33Z

We here at Idol Chatter been having so much fun with our top ten movie lists this summer, that we decided to go one step further and start a little trivia game. Actually, we borrowed the idea from our new resident Christian music expert Joanne Brokaw over at Gospel Soundcheck who has been running music trivia every Monday. So for the rest of the summer, Idol Chatter bloggers will be posting a spiritually-themed trivia question right here every Wednesday with the answer to the question posted every Friday. My trivia question for this week is: How many Oscar winners--living or dead--have played angels on the big screen? (Note: They didn't necessarily win Oscars for playing angels, but in their careers they all played angels at some point.) I picked this trivia question because I thought the answer would be an easy one, but as I double checked my facts and did some research, I discovered the answer wasn't as easy as I thought! Discuss your guesses with others in the comment box below and I will post the answer on Friday.

Is It Now Okay to Swim Right After I Eat?

2008-07-08T17:00:56Z

We were Staycationers this past July 4 weekend, and tried something we hadn't in a long time: we went looking for TV options, flipping the remote a little more than we'd care to and being mostly disappointed with what we found. We have a ton of cable channels in our home, and I notice there's just a lot of wasted stuff on most of 'em! Among the biggest wastes this past weekend were "Banned From the Bible," on the History Channel (which opined about different versions of Biblical stories from non-biblical accounts) and CNN's "Situation Room." "Banned..." didn't surprise me in that it created super ridiculous stories from weird and minor sources, but in that it was on The History Channel. If THC has one brand, it's that it's fairly trusted as a historical source. This was absolute guesswork from the margins and lacked total credibility. I certainly will be more careful when directing my kids to THC in the future. ]]>

Parties and Picnics: Is it dangerous to swim immediately after eating?

Gas Gadgets: Gadgets that claim to save you money on gas are flooding the market. But do they work?

Running on Empty: When your car's gas gauge reads "empty," how much farther can you drive? And when your car's gas tank reads empty, is it really empty?

Airline Tickets: Are coach fares always cheaper then first class?

Sunscreen: A high SPF gives you full sun protection. True or false?

Vitamins: Do people really need the pills? (There is actually one supplement most people do need.)

see them here.

Those Ol' Devil Rays

2008-07-08T16:23:21Z

The devil has a place in American baseball lore, thanks to the classic 1955 musical "Damn Yankees," in which a beleaguered baseball fan named Joe Boyd sells his soul to Satan in return for the batting chops that help his beloved Washington Senators finally vanquish the Yankees. Spoiler alert: it doesn't work. The devil never helped the Tampa Bay Devil Rays either. After ten years of existence as the Devil Rays, the former expansion team dropped "devil" from their name this year. The change was reflected in new uniforms for the team, in which a sunburst replaced an abstract icon of the locally abundant fish. Needless to say, the Rays promptly leapt to the top of their division. You can choose to believe that the teams' fortunes have followed their logo up from the watery depths to the sunny Florida sky. To this writer, and to any reasonably superstitious baseball fan, the turnabout is solely the result of the exorcism of the word "devil."

It's Not Easy Be(com)ing a Celebrity Guru

2008-07-08T15:58:04Z

Last week the New York Times Style section did an interesting feature/exposé on the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health--a popular New Age retreat destination in Massachusetts that attracts "30,000 guests a year" and "bills itself as the biggest retreat center in the country, offering 700 workshops and seminars annually"--and its role in picking the next big thing, be it trend or guru, in what has become the New Age money-making juggernaut. In "It's Not Easy Picking a Path to Enlightenment," Andy Newman reports: "To figure out who, or what, the next big thing will be, Kripalu programmers go on scouting trips, to professional conferences, to other retreat centers. They keep an ear out for cross-promotional opportunities. "Shiva Rea"-- a marquee yoga teacher-- "will say, 'That Simon Park, he's really up and coming,' and sure enough he is," Ms. Barack said. "We want to catch them on the edge. By the time they hit our catalog, he's going to be on the cover of Yoga Journal." If you're not a celebrity, it helps to be related to one. Ms. Barack noted that the man leading the "Working With Your Angels" seminar was "the son of someone who's well known for angel work. She'll draw 300 people." So, in other words, you don't have to necessarily be good or credentialed, you just have to be able to attract 300 people to your workshop. Huh. Interesting. For the full article click here.

'Secret Life of an American Teenager': A Different Perspective

2008-07-08T15:27:31Z

I finally watched episode one of "The Secret Life of an American Teenager," the new, much advertised and talked about television series that premiered on ABC Family last Tuesday. I know my fellow Idol Chatter blogger Kris is rather outraged about the proliferation of Christian stereotypes that raced across the screen as the show was let out of the gate--and she's right--the stereotypes abound. And these stereotypes might make you wince a bit. But I'm not ready to write the show off--or it's portrayal of Christians, especially teen-aged ones--quite yet. ]]> all the characters on the show, not just the Christian ones, to at least echo the wonderful "Saved!"--one of my favorite high school films and a warm-hearted but hilarious spoof on evangelical youth culture--though not with nearly the level of humor. At least not yet. Most of all, though, what intrigued me is how the show is dealing with sex. Full on. More or less without flinching. One of the minor characters' dialogue includes listing statistics on the frequency of sexual intercourse among high school students in America, and when lead character Amy Juergens tells friends she's pregnant, they give her rather textbook advice on how she shouldn't assume the home pregnancy tests are 100% reliable--she needs to see a doctor to confirm and make sure something isn't wrong, plus she should tell her parents rather than go it alone, since they are going to see the doctor's bill anyway and aren't her parents going to find out one way or the other because either she's pregnant or sick? And the show is doing its best to tackle the issue of religious belonging, personal and family values in relation to sex--no easy task, but I give them kudos for trying. Having just conducted a major, national study called "Sex and the Soul: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance and Religion on America's College Campuses," what was most startling to me was how familiar all those seemingly stereotypical lines coming out of the characters' mouths--Christians included--rang true, since I heard men and women both expressing similar opinions, struggles, and dilemmas behind closed doors in the interviews I conducted. Including the very same line that Kris complains about, where the good Christian boyfriend says, with anguish, that he's not sure how to be a man of God and a man with sexual desires at the same time. I can't tell you how many times I heard that one. The other thing I found so interesting was how much the first episode was about the difficulty of simply asking someone out--as the school counselor suggests to and eventually convinces Amy's new admirer, Ben. You have no idea how many students I interviewed talked about how they wished someone would ask them out or that they had the courage to ask someone they liked out--but that having sex just seemed easier than actually inviting someone on a date. I thought to myself, as Ben got up the guts to call Amy and ask her on a date that this show was modeling the desires for old-fashioned dating that so many students expressed longing for behind closed doors in my study. By no means was the show perfect. But I am really interested to see where it goes. I'd say give it a chance. "Secret Life" is like comprehensive sex education but in a television series. At least so far. And that's pretty subversive in and of itself.

More on Madonna, A-Rod, and Kabbalah

2008-07-07T17:45:08Z

As Idol Chatter reported last week, Madonna and her husband Guy Richie have been undergoing Kabbalah marriage counseling in New York. Now, it seems there's more to the story. Rumors have been swirling that Madonna is having an affair with Yankees star Alex "A-Rod" Rodriguez, and that was what prompted the need for marriage counseling. Madonna denies the allegations, and says that she and Richie have no plans to divorce. Beliefnet's very own Rabbi Brad Hirshfield, who blogs at Windows and Doors, helps explain Kabbalah, Madonna's connection to the faith, and more here.

'American Teenager': Hit Ratings for Christian Stereotypes

2008-07-07T17:03:47Z

I ran a preview of "The Secret Life of an American Teenager" last week because I was hopeful it could be an intelligent new summer series. It seems others were equally optimistic because the show debuted to the highest ratings ever for a premiere on ABC Family Channel. Which puts this show in the negative column in terms of the culture wars, because that means that viewers didn't seem to mind that the show-- from the creator of "Seventh Heaven" no less-- contains the worst Christian stereotypes on TV in recent memory.]]> any Christian I know say those words. The worst example in last week's episode was when one Christian teen tells a girl he was seduced by that he "doesn't know to be a man and follow God at the same time." This Tuesday's episode is set to focus on whether or not perfect Christian girlfriend Grace will forgive her boyfriend for sleeping with the school, umm, sweetheart. But maybe she should just watch some episodes of "Sex and the City" and realize he is just not that into God-- or her.

Benedict Brings the Bling

2008-07-07T15:50:20Z

Recently the Vatican's newspaper L'Osservatore Romano officially quashed rumors that Pope Benedict XVI's red shoes are not Prada (an urban legend Idol Chatter's own Donna Freitas debunked back in April). "Such rumors are inconsistent with the simple and somber man who, on the day of his election to the papacy, showed to the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square and to the whole world the sleeves of a modest black sweater," noted the paper. But, that was election day and now Benedict has embraced all the sartorial splendor of the Catholic Church that his predecessor John Paul II chose to forgo in favor of a studied austerity. And even though I knew of the papal tradition of wearing of red shoes when the Prada rumors began to swirl back in 2005, I felt the move to be inappropriate in this post-Vatican II world in which pontiffs should be more concerned with social justice than sartorial choices. ]]> MSNBC.com), "L'Osservatore Romano said the pope's interest in clothes has nothing to do with fashion and everything to do with liturgy-- what symbolism traditional garments can bring to the Christian liturgy." And even if, as some surmise, his return to pre-Vatican II vesture signals coming conservative liturgical reforms, it's also exceptionally contemporary to have a pope dubbed "accessorizer of the year" by Esquire Magazine in this era of metrosexuality and bling-bling. In the end though, it must be said that I'm glad the Pope leaves the Prada to the Devil. What do you think about Pope Benedict's sartorial choices?

Is Will Smith a Scientologist?

2008-07-04T16:00:00Z

Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith recently announced plans to open a private school in Calabasas, California, just outside of Los Angeles. New Village Academy is scheduled to open in September, and while the couple may have funded the school for philanthropic purposes, their plan has backfired. Many of the school's teachers are members of the controversial Church of Scientology, and the school's curriculum has an emphasis on 'study technology,' which was developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Other study techniques mentioned in website material (which was taken down yesterday after articles questioning the Smiths' motives began to appear) included an emphasis on dictionary study. Hubbard believed that all illnesses, from colds to headaches, were the result of M/Us, or "misunderstood words," and that looking up any misunderstood word in a dictionary would eliminate these illnesses or injuries.]]> ExScientologyKids.com.

"Shakespeare" Director Hunts Nazis in New Film

2008-07-04T15:40:00Z

"Shakespeare in Love" director John Madden, is now chasing Nazis--or at least planning to helm a remake (or reinterpretation) of an Israeli film about Nazi hunting, called "The Debt."

The Miramax Films project is based on the 2007 Israeli feature "HaHov," which follows a trio of 1960s Israeli intelligence agents who pursue an elusive Nazi war criminal. More than 30 years later, their target re-emerges. As with the original, the remake is expected to feature two actresses playing the female protagonist in the '60s and '90s.

Any nominations to play the protagonist, who could age thirty years believably on-screen?