Ohmystinkinheck

Last night I made a mistake that I am ashamed to say I have made more than once, but that I won’t make again. What did I do? I went to see a movie I should not have seen. A while back I made a commitment to not go and see rated R movies. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that I didn’t WANT to see rated R movies, in fact sometimes I very much WANT to see these movies. At other times, especially when the movie falls into the Horror or Violent Drama Genre, I have no desire to see the movie at all. Then, there are times I think I want to see a movie, but leave with a very heavy, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. And still other times I can feel a heavy weight on my chest throughout the movie - sometimes I even have to leave (or turn off) the movie - due to what I can only describe as a spiritual force I can feel, but not see.

Movies, I believe we all can agree, have changed - and not for the better. Along with technology and special effects came less plot. Along with less plot came digging from the dregs to fill an hour and 45 minutes of our time. Can’t think of anything else to do, toss in more sex, more death, more violence, or George Clooney (which isn’t half bad, I must admit).

I’m not so naive as to think that sex, death and violence haven’t been themes in movies for years, but we’ve taken everything a step further today. Sex isn’t sacred, death isn’t honored, and violence is probably the most haunting - it has morphed into a sick infatuation with the depths of man’s depravity.

Like last night.

I saw 88 Minutes.

I walked out haunted. Did the good guy win? Yea, sure. Did too many women have to die horribly painful deaths along the way? Yes. They were tortured and left to hang upside down as their blood dripped down and off their bodies. I had no idea THAT was what the movie was about. My aunt and I thought it was all about the main character learning he only had 88 Minutes to live - y’know, working out the riddle of his impending death? Oh no, it was horrible. It was violent. It is forever emblazoned in my mind. It was my fault I saw it in the first place

And that? It isn’t entertainment - at least, it shouldn’t be.

Last week I went to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Did I look it up at my favorite movie review site? Nope. I heard it was a comedy. A comedy sounded good. I went to see it. With every other word rhyming with “luck” and three FULL FRONTAL MALE NUDE shots (not glimpses, mind you, I can tell you what he measured), I should have walked out.

But I didn’t.

Now, before you say I’m obviously embarrassed by a man’s penis, think again. I’m not at all embarrassed about seeing MY OWN husband’s penis; I rather enjoy it. I’m not at all embarrassed to talk about the male penis with my husband or even with my son, in an appropriate context, of course. However, it is inappropriate for me to place myself in a position where I might be aroused by another man’s penis. Just as it is inappropriate for my husband to be subjected to female nudity (though I’m sure I haven’t heard him complain). Bodies are beautiful in all their varied shapes and sizes, but just because something is beautiful doesn’t make it right for Hollywood to display it - freckles and all.

How does Monogamy have a chance when men and women alike can regularly feast their eyes on, and lust after, others they never committed to, married, or built a family with?

Exactly.

Okay, so I’ll step off that particular soapbox, but truly, I’m done with it. Disgusted with it.

So, in light of all that, I must say that I’m going to focus more intensely on the renewing of my mind. Reading my Bible more (the Word on which I stand), memorizing scripture, and instead of giving over $5.00 for an evening movie ticket (I heard you gasp - remember, this is a SMALL town.), I’ll save a few more dollars and buy a book for me or mine.

Because there is only one thing better than coming around the corner and catching your daughter snuggled into your bed with a favorite book. And that one thing is being snuggled in right there next to her with one of your own.

36 Responses to “Putting that thing right back where I found it.”

1. Mr. OMSH

   Amen sister, preach on…Except for the part about George Clooney…I don’t want to read that kind of stuff from my wife!

2. OMSH

   I noticed that you didn’t deny liking to see the ladies though. Uh huh…

3. Mr. OMSH

   Baby, the last movie I saw was “Nim’s Island.” The “lady” in that movie was a 12 year old girl. And yes, I enjoyed watching the movie…but not for THAT reason.

4. chocolatechic

   I agree with all that you said.

   We really don’t go to the movies, unless we review them at your favorite movie review site. Most of the movies that they guys want to see are immediately shot down from that site.

   We must stand for something, or our morals will fall for anything.

5. Katie

   Where are the :yeah: and :clap smilies when I need them? I did not know you were allowed to express these kinds of opinions in the Blogosphere. Way to go - I am right there with you!

6. Emily

   Ditto! The last R movie I saw (for the first time) was Knocked Up. Granted it was *hilarious* but I won’t watch it again, and I won’t be going to another R movie for a while. That was enough cussing and drugs for me for a looonnngg time! Now my favorite movie is rated R–Eternal Sunshine. So I make that exception every once in a while…. :)

7. Golden

   Oh, wait, wait, wait there Mr. OMSH! Heather! Don’t let him have you thinking the only lady in that movie was cutie pie Abigail. Now, Mr OMSH, how can you forget about the lovely Jodi Foster who manages to be soaking wet in about 3/4 of the movie. :)

8. Angie

   Thanks for speaking and taking a stand on such an issue.

   We went to a movie last weekend for our anniversary and I had read that 88 seconds was AWFUL and Al Pacino should be ashamed to have his name on it, so I am glad we didn’t see it, but the previews surely alluded to the same plot you thought you were attending to see. We saw 21, and I thought it was good. I don’t know what it was rated, though.

   KEEP BELIEVING

9. OMSH

   Thank you Golden - for shame Mr. OMSH.

   *snicker*

10. NurseBettyLBoop

    AMEN!!

    We went to see The Ruins the other day…gross! Thanks for the link to the movie review site, I’ll be using it from now on.

    *lurker coming out of the woodwork. HI!! I’m not sure how I ended up here, but your in my favorites! I love your pics, your family is beautiful and such a blessing. Thank you for blogging!

11. Kelly G.

    Amen, Preach it sister! Thank you for sharing this point of view on a well read blog.

12. beth

    Is that Ann of Green Gables??? I loved those books as a kid!!!

13. bethany actually

    beth, SURELY that’s a typo in your comment, because if you loved the books as a kid you must know that it was Anne with an E! ;-)

    I hear you on the movie thing. There are quite a few movies in my viewing past that I regret seeing because they put images (mostly of violence and gore) in my head that I did not want there in the first place. Pulp Fiction leaps immediately to mind, as does Walk Hard, which I thought was going to be a funny movie with good music and turned out to me a mildly amusing movie with waaaay too much profanity, nudity, sex, and just general grossness for my taste. Even though Forgetting Sarah Marshall looks like a funny movie and Roger Ebert gave it a positive review, I already knew I was not going to bother with it because it was made by the same bunch that made Walk Hard. (Ditto Knocked Up.)

    And I saw those $5 prices with my own eyes, and I am jealous!

14. Rachel

    AMEN!!! I feel the same way. What bugs me is when people say “Oh you should see it! There’s only a little bit of sex/cussing/adultery/nameyoursin, the rest of the movie is great!” Our rebuttle is “If someone threw feces into a bowl of really great punch, I still wouldn’t drink the punch even if it was only a little bit of poo.” It’s not being prudish, it’s being a Christian 24/7 not just on Sundays.

15. Kate

    You are right on and I applaud you yet again. There is so little on TV and in the movies these days that is healthy and good for adult minds, much less children. I think the last movie I saw (that wasn’t a kids’ movie) was Martian Child with John Cusack. Good movie, sweet theme, very little gratutious profanity.

    I just love you even more when you get up on your soapbox. More people need to get up there! You’re a good woman OMSH and an inspiration to me.

16. Rachel

    And speaking of books, anything above juvenille is out for me. I just hate when they ruin a great story by throwing a sex scene in, or words that are synonymous with rooster. I don’t even trust recommendations, I just stick to children’s books.

17. Shannon

    you’re 100% right. I’ve rented many a movie that turned much different than the description. You’ll never run out of good books. Every now and then you’ll be treated to a good movie as well.

    And the comment about poo-punch is right too. I say “you can cover crap with chocolate to make it seem sweeter, but it is still chocolate covered crap and I wont eat it.”

18. naomi

    i agree that movies have changed significantly as special effects technology has changed. some of the changes have been good. i mean, shrek is a phenomenal movie as is toy story. there are also other special effects that are truly rockin’ in regular movies.

    however, movies that involve horror, murder and mayhem or even suspense have less of the stuff that makes you use your mind and more that is visual.

    the best suspense movies are the ones that make me imagine what is going to happen, keep building up and then…those are the best.

    alfred hitchcock was one of the very best makers of such movies.

19. Claire in CA

    I agree, also.

    I saw a movie, the title of which I cannot even recall now, that had such a violent rape scene that it stayed with me for a long, long time. It makes me squeamish just thinking about it. I wish I hadn’t seen it. I can never take it back.

    I have a friend who says she wants to protect her daughter from ever seeing a sex scene in a movie. Her reasoning is that they romanticize sex (especially between non-married couples). It really had an affect on her and her expectations about the marital bed. Interesting take, I think.

20. Jeana

    I have nothing to add, you said it all.

21. Angella

    Amen, amen, AMEN!

    This is why we watch about two movies a year…and two TV shows a week. Too much crap, and it makes me ill.

    I want to focus my time on what’s good and true. And on Who is Good and True.

22. range

    Isn’t that movie called 88 Minutes?

23. Thought Policing « memoirs on a rainy day

    [...] I read this post on OMSH last night. I was a bit taken aback by what I was reading. In the post, Heather mentions that she succumbed into watching an R-rated movie called 88 Minutes (imdb) with Al Pacino. [...]

24. jessica @pianomomsicle

    My husband is VERY UPSET with me that i won’t let him see movies with nudity in them. We have a large argument about it probably once a month. It’s funny the excuses he uses, saying it doesn’t affect him, or he can’t help that all the good movies have nudity, that i’m censoring him, yadda yadda.

    At the end of the day, though, at least he’s willing to honor my wish about that topic. i hope someday he’ll see where i’m coming from.

25. JackieW.

    Mr. & Mrs. OMSH back & forth posts crack me up.

    Have you seen Game Plan ? Must see…rated G for all.

26. Mr. OMSH

    GOLDEN–Jodie Foster’s agoraphobia stole ALL forms of ‘prettiness’ from her in Nim’s Island.

27. OMSH

    Mr. OMSH - Darlin’ you crack me up. I’m embarrassed to say I read that too quickly and kept thinking, “I know she was afraid of spiders, but they only barely touched on that.”

    Uh huh
    When scanning… arachnophobia and agoraphobia look a lot alike.

28. MMM

    UGH! OUr 11 year old isn’t allowed to watch PG-13 movies. It recentyl hit me that she will 13 in a year and some change. Then it hit me that just because she’s 13, doesn’t mean I will approve of every movie she wants to see. We will have to view them first, then approve or deny. I have already warned her that just because she turns 13, doesn’t mean she can automatically watch those movies. We try to live by example, so hopefully it won’t be that big of a deal.

29. nancypants

    Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. (And for good measure) Preach it sister!! I love your boldness and honesty. It’s hard to decide not to watch smut because sometimes the smut is worked in for sales reasons to an otherwise decent (or even good) film. I still really like certain R rated movies — usually historically based films. But unfortunately it really is hard to avoid the smut without avoiding some really good movies too. In the scheme of things, it’s really no great loss though is it?

    And that picture is absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous. I am in love with that picture.

30. flynmonkey

    I feel like someone else out there can understand this issue now. I like to watch movies but have also been trying to filter them through your favorite review site for about a year now.

    When I don’t look at the reviews first it normally has something in it that makes me wish I had read a review on it.

    Also if a movie gets rated highly from a critic or gets an award nomination it has a high chance of being perverted, violent or both. So I normally stay away from them.

31. Oh My Stinkin Heck » Blog Archive » Some interesting feedback on Thought Policing.

    [...] noticed a ping in my comments on Friday’s post, Putting that thing right back where I found it, from Memoirs on a Rainy [...]

32. Chiada

    I wholeheartedly agree with you on all of your points. I can’t stand to watch violent movies like that.

    And Anne of Green Gables? One of my favorites. I’m actually reading # 3 in the series as we “speak”. Such classics. And good stories, too, you know? Good as in how they are pure and clean.

33. Mandy

    I am so with you on this one. My favorite type of movie (next to anything my girls and I can watch together) is a suspense movie. However, some in Hollywood think suspense is the equivelance of violence. My boyfriend’s absolute favorite movie of all time (for now) is 300. When he finally convinced me to watch it, I made it until about the second scene where they are making the young boys fight and live in the snow in nothing but their underoos and I looked at him and said “why on earth did you think I would want to watch this?” He convinced me to hold on, but after the 425th person got their head cut off, I had enough. I bought him the DVD for Valentines Day. I don’t care if he watches it, as long as I don’t have to.

34. Liz C.

    We’ve discussed this at our house a lot. It’s a popular thing in our religious community to avoid R-rated movies entirely… but here’s the flaw, in my opinion: R-ratings are set by a worldly standard, and that standard changes daily.

    I choose to select my viewing/reading/listening entertainment using a different measure, and that measure doesn’t change.

    That makes the movie-ratings-association opinions pretty moot, and gives me a lot of personal responsibility related to my choices.

    For instance, I don’t mind my kids (or me) seeing nudity when it relates appropriately to history (such as WWII camps) or historic art (classical nudes). I don’t mind appropriate violence in a well-told war story. Those things are not offensive to my soul.

    I *do* mind gratuitous violence, “torture p*rn” (where the whole plot of the movie is to fit in as many grotesque mutilations as possible), and G-rated movies that are nothing but potty jokes… those things offend me, and I won’t spend my time or money on them, nor allow them to invade my family.

35. Lisa

    Here’s the thing: years ago, before I was a Christian, I TOTALLY wouldn’t have gotten this post. I would have rolled my eyes, uttered the requisite “puhleeze” and been grateful that Hollywood wasn’t listening to YOU and censoring MY entertainment. But now? Now that the Holy Spirit lives within me? I’m different. That “difference” is certainly not what I would have chosen for myself — it’s honestly not a “me” I’d have wanted to be. Nevertheless, it’s undeniable. I just can’t watch that stuff anymore, because it makes me feel awful, soul-deep. That kind of reaction is SO different than what I would have chosen for myself when I was doing things my way — and that reaction makes it easy for me to celebrate those feelings as PROOF that I’m a new creature.
    So, basically? You go girl!

36. KYouell

    what I can only describe as a spiritual force I can feel, but not see

    Oooh. I know that feeling. Sad to say I’ve been in a church or two that give me that exact bad feeling. I’ve never felt it in association with a movie, but I think I’ll start keeping an eye out, so to speak.

    Lately I see nothing but Pixar movies that we own, if I can convince the children that Blue’s Clues is not what we should spend our precious tv time on. (I think “Blue’s Clues” was the 1yo’s first sign. Too much tv, Mommy!) I do think that Liz C’s point about ratings is interesting too.