Some things happen in life to assure me that God speaks and that Jesus is coming soon. This morning was a time for one of those things.
I am becoming more and more convinced that children’s television is a device used to infiltrate the minds of the impressionable and sow things into them of a subversive nature. Sometimes the subversion is good, sometimes the subversion is just weird. Take, for example Balamory. If I haven’t informed you before this programme has the temerity to be pitched to my two and four year old daughters and yet have elements in them that would only make sense to someone far older. They have some songs attached so some characters that mark them out clearly for a notable aspect of who they are and what they can do – whether it’s Josie Jump’s athleticism or PC Plum’s dogged determination to find the clues to solve the case in serving his community.
This morning, however, for the first time I came across Susie Sweet’s particular niche - she is as a cook. Nothing wrong with that you may think, but then all of a sudden on my television screen I get this 50-plus year old woman coming across with some hip-hop hybrid of a track explaining how she’s good at cooking and not only that but there’s a significant cameo appearance from Keith Floyd cook extraordinaire who is most frequently associated to his indulgence in wine. (A good time to be reminded of Proverbs 20:1 in word and music, eh?) Just see it for yourself! Well check all of the subliminal and subversive messages being relayed to my daughters there! Thankfully they had already been shipped out to their educational locations for the day, so it was just me watching aghast in bafflement and bemusement.
It was so bizarre. I mean the one that they do for PC Plum is such a spot on spoof of Bohemian Rhapsody it’s untrue and that already got me thinking that they really are pushing the boat out on these children’s programmes to get some things in their head. If you don’t believe me, you check Deborah (the four year-old) out on a good day and the ability to nail on mimic the songs she sees on the television is unerring. And if that’s the songs, you can consider the messages that are already being relayed. There is a reason why I can still remember the theme tune to Button Moon you know!
Thankfully my heavenly Father did not just want me to spot the subversive tendencies of an abnormally cohesive multi-cultural island located presumably in Scotland. Spencer is the (token) black American guy who’s an artist/musician and all that and on today’s episode it wasn’t a day when the people were at school and work, but one of those play days that sees Miss Hoolie do a musical number with top hat and tails and the works. So as part of the fun day away, Spencer was supposed to be organising things and he didn’t. Thankfully Edith was able to sort out the transport side of things and Susie – for it is she – was able to sort out the … yes you’ve guessed it, the cooking side of things (sans alcoholic beverages supplied by contacts of Mr. K. Floyd … well none that were shown anyway, I’m sure afterwards the crew perhaps needed to get plastered to recover from such a weird episode).
So in all of that, the lesson learnt again was the importance of being organised and in doing so recognising that it takes the best of others to ensure things get organised. We cannot do it alone, getting the job done takes a team and ensuring you can depend on them to help out at any occasion. In my case, for example, I am blessed with a supportive family and relational network that means when I’m feeling low and run down with a heavy cold working its way off my chest through vigorous coughing and the bringing up of phlegm (you’re welcome), there are a loving group of people taking it easy with me and likewise prayerfully supporting through this time with words of assurance and healing. Plus as today’s LJN highlights there are other lessons to be learnt in the experience. There you go, clear proof that a loving heavenly Father who yearns to save us all and lift us from the fall communicates these intentions even through Balamory.
For His Name's Sake
Shalom
dmcd
I am becoming more and more convinced that children’s television is a device used to infiltrate the minds of the impressionable and sow things into them of a subversive nature. Sometimes the subversion is good, sometimes the subversion is just weird. Take, for example Balamory. If I haven’t informed you before this programme has the temerity to be pitched to my two and four year old daughters and yet have elements in them that would only make sense to someone far older. They have some songs attached so some characters that mark them out clearly for a notable aspect of who they are and what they can do – whether it’s Josie Jump’s athleticism or PC Plum’s dogged determination to find the clues to solve the case in serving his community.
This morning, however, for the first time I came across Susie Sweet’s particular niche - she is as a cook. Nothing wrong with that you may think, but then all of a sudden on my television screen I get this 50-plus year old woman coming across with some hip-hop hybrid of a track explaining how she’s good at cooking and not only that but there’s a significant cameo appearance from Keith Floyd cook extraordinaire who is most frequently associated to his indulgence in wine. (A good time to be reminded of Proverbs 20:1 in word and music, eh?) Just see it for yourself! Well check all of the subliminal and subversive messages being relayed to my daughters there! Thankfully they had already been shipped out to their educational locations for the day, so it was just me watching aghast in bafflement and bemusement.
It was so bizarre. I mean the one that they do for PC Plum is such a spot on spoof of Bohemian Rhapsody it’s untrue and that already got me thinking that they really are pushing the boat out on these children’s programmes to get some things in their head. If you don’t believe me, you check Deborah (the four year-old) out on a good day and the ability to nail on mimic the songs she sees on the television is unerring. And if that’s the songs, you can consider the messages that are already being relayed. There is a reason why I can still remember the theme tune to Button Moon you know!
Thankfully my heavenly Father did not just want me to spot the subversive tendencies of an abnormally cohesive multi-cultural island located presumably in Scotland. Spencer is the (token) black American guy who’s an artist/musician and all that and on today’s episode it wasn’t a day when the people were at school and work, but one of those play days that sees Miss Hoolie do a musical number with top hat and tails and the works. So as part of the fun day away, Spencer was supposed to be organising things and he didn’t. Thankfully Edith was able to sort out the transport side of things and Susie – for it is she – was able to sort out the … yes you’ve guessed it, the cooking side of things (sans alcoholic beverages supplied by contacts of Mr. K. Floyd … well none that were shown anyway, I’m sure afterwards the crew perhaps needed to get plastered to recover from such a weird episode).
So in all of that, the lesson learnt again was the importance of being organised and in doing so recognising that it takes the best of others to ensure things get organised. We cannot do it alone, getting the job done takes a team and ensuring you can depend on them to help out at any occasion. In my case, for example, I am blessed with a supportive family and relational network that means when I’m feeling low and run down with a heavy cold working its way off my chest through vigorous coughing and the bringing up of phlegm (you’re welcome), there are a loving group of people taking it easy with me and likewise prayerfully supporting through this time with words of assurance and healing. Plus as today’s LJN highlights there are other lessons to be learnt in the experience. There you go, clear proof that a loving heavenly Father who yearns to save us all and lift us from the fall communicates these intentions even through Balamory.
For His Name's Sake
Shalom
dmcd
Posts
4 comments:
Last August I went to Tobermory on the Isle Of Mull in Scotland. It is where Balamory is filmed. The day we went the sun was shining and it was a lovely day. I don't think I saw any black people, but there were definately indian people because they have a curry house. Doesn't matter how small a town is in the UK- there's always at least one indian restaurant and one chinese take-away.
Interesting (and possibly ironically) the aforementioned Spencer (Marco Palmer) is the only member of the Balamory cast who is a Christian and enjoyed a previous life as a Christian music artist in the band Rodd and Marco. Steve P.
Am I be your token ginger friend?
Lloyd - regarding being me token ginger friend having seen that you could turn out to look like Phil Mitchell its in my best intersts to keep you sweet aint's it?
By the way you might as well Twitter for the extensive length of your blog posts - still I would miss out on your glorious future incarnations.
Steve - thanks again for highlighting that fact to me, who would have thought that this would be his key claim to fame???
Post a Comment