Hollywood, and Chapter 7: Modesty, What else does it include?

Day 9: Immodesty, Satan’s Virtue

By Rita Davidson

It was 16 long years ago when I wrote “Immodesty, Satan’s Virtue, and it sure needed some updating. But some things never change. Unfortunately, some points I made then, have since come to pass. I was the first to make the connection between abortion and immodesty, which has been repeated ever since on various articles, sermons and books. Re-reading it I can see the span of history between now and then and how things have changed at such a fast pace. We have so much more work to do!

Today I’m working on Chapter 7: Modesty, What else does it include?, where in 1999, I wrote;

“St. Maria Goretti at the young age of 12, became a modern martyr of purity. She was killed in 1902 because she refused to tarnish her purity and instead gave up her life to protect it. Later, her attacker Alessandro wrote this eye-opening statement,

“I ask pardon of the world of the outrage done to the martyr Maria Goretti and to purity. I exhort everyone to keep away from immoral shows, from dangers, from occasions that can lead to sin.”

His confession proved the connection between pornography and the increase in crimes of this type. This highly pornographic society we live in is surely the cause of the high rate of crimes of a sexual nature. You must understand movies today are often pornographic to one degree or another. One cannot go to a movie or rent a new one that will not have at least some impure scene in it or suggested. Time and time again, even children’s movies that are introduced are considered soft pornography as they make all kinds of suggestive ‘jokes’ and the women are portrayed quite seductively. I would highly suggest you be careful what you allow in your home. Start by disconnecting your TV (who watches TV anymore with the internet?) Then start educating yourself about the classics, good Catholic movies (and yes, SOME Catholic movies are NOT good!). Watch out for good, uplifting, truth-filled movies coming out of Hollywood and many young, independent film companies today. If you can’t trust yourself to pick out good, clean, movies simply stay away from them until you understand what to look for. Your soul and the souls of your children are at stake!”

Wow, see how I wrote this in 1999 about “pornographic society”, and now in 2015 we have the movie “50Shades of Gray” a box office hit and acceptable. How prophetic this was in 1999. Things have not improved, but the stakes have gotten higher.

But, what you say, watch for uplifting, truthful movies coming out of Hollywood?

Oh my!

Seriously, have we all forgot how to think?

As I was editing this Chapter, I happened upon a review A Raging Bull in the China Shop by Daniel Guenzel.

I thought it very interesting as we are all aware how Hollywood twists some of our most beloved Christian stories. For example; The Last Temptation of Christ or the movie Noah. Catholics are painted as either out of control, angry, overly stern, impure, the dummy in the story or the assassin, fill-in-the-blank-here.

But then Mr. Guenzel throws a ball right out of left field, “Frankly, I am not sure what else one could expect from an industry incapable of even making a proper 30-second TV commercial.”

Just WHERE did that come from? What started out to be a critical look at one movie director, Marin Scorcese, it becomes instead a blanket condemnation of everything living and breathing in Hollywood today.

It’s at that point I began to lose my trust in his, what otherwise was, an excellent expose of Martin Scorcese movies. As expected, he lets his next cat out of the bag with, “He is a movie maker like a Mel Gibson or a Clint Eastwood, two other undernourished talents who enjoy silver screen cruelty for its own sake..”

Undernourished talents like Mel Gibson? Really? (I can’t speak for Clint Eastwood here) but Mel, who created the amazing and heart wrenching, The Passion of the Christ?

He goes on to say, “or why would Mr. Gibson treat us to seventeen minutes of the scourging of Christ, overdoing it to such an extent as to cause nausea?)”

WHAT! I’m about to go ballistic here, when I read this. Have we all become so afraid of blood that we can’t bring ourselves to see just a glimpse of what Our Lord suffered that fateful day? Has this man ever read, Catherine Emmerich’s works? Or a Catholic book on the Passion? Have we all become so weak that we can’t stomach what our Lord suffered, preferring the photoshopped Savior with bloodless wounds?

He continues,
“Great movie makers know when to stop, when to suggest.”

Yes, this is true, but did the Roman Soldiers, know when to stop and when to suggest? Did they hold back their vicious whippings for their 14+ Rated audience? Were they concerned the blood spatter was too much? I think instead their diabolical inspired hatred, let all loose, and we can never imagine how much our Lord suffered in His flesh for all our sins that day.

Mel Gibson’s movie filled today’s need for reality. To try breakthrough the numbness that exists in society, to try to imagine what His suffering really was. I think he took a tremendously, difficult subject and in 17 minutes, ‘suggested’ what Our Lord suffered over 36 hours. Can we not stomach that?

He writes, “But as one critic so aptly pointed out forty-odd years ago, blood and gore and sex are the devices of the untalented. “ Isn’t it ironic, that blood and gore was what the Roman soldiers used to injure, tear away, rip and crucify our Lord to death?

Please let us not throw out the baby with the bathwater here. The world is hard enough to live in and not get sucked in. We are all tired of the fight, but we can’t be calling everything evil either.

Faithful Catholics don’t need movies to save their souls. But we do live in the world, and need to find our way through this vale of tears to heaven. If we don’t know what is a good, and clean movie how will we teach our children how to find their way either?

There are excellent, clean movies coming out from small independent film companies, and sometimes out of Hollywood too. Just look at my movie review for “Old Fashioned”. That came from a small independent company that went up against the huge “50 Shades” and made a $1million on it’s first opening. These small companies need our SUPPORT!

Keep in mind there are good Christians in Hollywood that are doing the BEST they can against incredible odds including the devil himself. While much of Hollywood is entrenched in sin, we can’t ignore those that are making a small but significant impact for good, in the film industry. We can’t go back to 1945. It’s going to take a lot LESS complaining and a lot MORE praying and support of the GOOD that is coming out of Hollywood.

If all the Christians left Hollywood, all that would be left would be smut and filth. So be thankful for those trying to make a difference to bring truth to the world, while there is still time.

With love,

Rita Xo 🙂

References:

*Excerpt from, “Immodesty, Satan’s Virtue Chapter 7: Modesty, what else does it include –

*Raging Bull in the China Shop by Daniel Guenzel http://catholicism.org/a-raging-bull-in-the-china-shop.html

©Copyright 2015 Rita Davidson & Little Flowers Family Press All Rights Reserved.

Rita is a Catholic wife, and mother of seven, with three autistic boys. Currently a writer, & published author, she is a former hairdresser, professional make up artist with a degree in Natural Health. She is now a Young Living Distributor. After overcoming a stroke, disabilities, and more, they recently lost everything in a devastating house fire that made them homeless for six months. She is determined to lead souls back to Christ by carrying their crosses with Joy!