Click here (ASOR) to read one Biblical scholar's critical take on the History Channel's popular new 'Bible' series... What are your thoughts about such casting choices? About their social impacts and repercussions?
This has nothing to do with the article. I was just thinking about the parables in Luke 15. The sheep, the coin, and the son while all worded differently and with different symbolic meanings are all referring to the same incident. I wonder why all three parables were required to get the point across. My theory is that it was an effort to make sure that the entirety of the audience could sympathize with the events that take place in the parables.
To be honest I didn't see resemblance between the president and the satan character until I heard a conversation in class. As far as the casting goes, I'm kind of surprised that the History Channel. It's a wonderful show but I wish they covered the whole Bible a little more. I was curious to see what they'd do with Isaiah and Ezekiel.
I can agree with writer of the article that this series is targeted towards Americans and that the cast choice may have been bias in that sense but other than that, the accusation that the actor portraying satan looks like Obama is silly. I think that the media is getting bored and is running out of things to exaggerate so they are picking on the the History Channel. The History Channel is clearly targeting a religious demographic and like all types of media, they will do whatever to generate the most ratings. I have seen the show and it is exactly what Americans, or those who don't know their history would expect to see. I believe if the History Channel decided to create a show that was more historically accurate they would lose the huge crowd of people that only know the story book "dumbed down" versions of the Bible. Ratings and money win in this case, and historical accuracy the loosing victim.
This article got me thinking about how Shakespeare's plays have been imagined and performed in a wide variety of manners, across different historical periods, with all kinds of costuming, etc. Yet presenting & performing the Bible in such ways tends not to happen. One can imagine 'Hamlet in Space' (dramatic qualities notwithstanding)... but Jesus & his disciples??
4 comments:
This has nothing to do with the article. I was just thinking about the parables in Luke 15. The sheep, the coin, and the son while all worded differently and with different symbolic meanings are all referring to the same incident. I wonder why all three parables were required to get the point across. My theory is that it was an effort to make sure that the entirety of the audience could sympathize with the events that take place in the parables.
To be honest I didn't see resemblance between the president and the satan character until I heard a conversation in class. As far as the casting goes, I'm kind of surprised that the History Channel. It's a wonderful show but I wish they covered the whole Bible a little more. I was curious to see what they'd do with Isaiah and Ezekiel.
I can agree with writer of the article that this series is targeted towards Americans and that the cast choice may have been bias in that sense but other than that, the accusation that the actor portraying satan looks like Obama is silly. I think that the media is getting bored and is running out of things to exaggerate so they are picking on the the History Channel. The History Channel is clearly targeting a religious demographic and like all types of media, they will do whatever to generate the most ratings. I have seen the show and it is exactly what Americans, or those who don't know their history would expect to see. I believe if the History Channel decided to create a show that was more historically accurate they would lose the huge crowd of people that only know the story book "dumbed down" versions of the Bible. Ratings and money win in this case, and historical accuracy the loosing victim.
-Taylor E.
This article got me thinking about how Shakespeare's plays have been imagined and performed in a wide variety of manners, across different historical periods, with all kinds of costuming, etc. Yet presenting & performing the Bible in such ways tends not to happen. One can imagine 'Hamlet in Space' (dramatic qualities notwithstanding)... but Jesus & his disciples??
pdk
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