A Response to "Operation: Violence"

Link can be found here: http://chloesmc305.blogspot.ca/2012/03/operation-violence.html

In your blog you discuss the debate as to whether or not violence is natural or cultural. I completely agree with you with respect to your claim that video games are not the only source for causing violent behaviour. I feel that a violent side is not attributed to whether or not one would like to explore it but rather how one can control their violent urges, so to speak. When we become angry or frustrated and try to strangle the controller, we often here others say "relax...calm down". The ability to control our emotions determines whether or not we express ourselves through violent means. I also believe that people are not born as 'violent' beings but rather become violent or having violent tendencies because of "things that you experience outside of your video games". Having negative experiences with people around you or dramatic/traumatic life events can predispose people to express their frustration through violent means. A relevant and appropriate argument, which was proposed in class, involves this notion of catharsis, or the purging of negative emotions through the medium of the video game.

That being said, it is important to put video gaming in perspective, as it is just a game. To make an argument against Christians playing video games is similar to saying Christians are not allowed to watch violent movies or violent shows. Since we discussed the increased amount of violence in hockey two weeks ago, I presume that Christians will not be allowed to watched hockey every again.

It is important to consider video games for what they are - a source for entertainment. Although I am not much of a video gamer, I sometimes indulge in a bit of Call of Duty. The effectiveness, power, and appeal of video games lies in its ability not only to 'awe' the gamer but also to remove them from reality into another 'world'. Gamers can spend hours upon hours playing because they are essentially 'caught up' in the game. They are so immersed, captivated, and mesmerized that they fail to recognize how long they have been actually playing for.

Call of Duty: Christian Warfare 3

In last week's lecture we focussed on the topic of violence, gaming, and popular culture. The complexity of the intersection between Christianity, violence, and popular culture in video gaming was discussed as there have been groups of people who have held differing views on the subject. There have been groups who have called for the ban of video games, those who have promoted the replication of video games, and other groups who regard video games as a way of enticing gamers or youth into churches.

3 months ago, when I asked my 6-year old soccer players whom I coach on weekends what they got from Santa, the major answers were: Playstation, Xbox, Call of Duty 3, Battlefield, and Gears of War 3. It was at that moment that I was struck with a startling realization. I mean, I had expected answers such as: a new pair of socks, new hockey sticks or a set of hockey skates, or even a Maple Leafs jersey (a far stretch) because those were some of the gifts I had received at a young age - the socks were from my grandmother. What is startling is the fact that children as young as 6 years of age are already being exposed to the violence and brutality depicted in these games. I noticed as well that on the package of the actual game Call of Duty, it was rated as "M" for mature. Upon further inspection, I found that games that were rated "M" contained content that was suitable for persons ages 17 and older. These types of games contained 'intense violence, blood and gore'. If these rules and regulations were actually enforced, that would mean that my players would have to wait another 11 years to be able to play this game. Given the argument that violent video games cause for an increase tendency towards violence in reality, this situation becomes very problematic. Do we really want to expose young children to violence, brutality, and war at such a young age? The case can be made that not only are other media resources exposing children to the 'horrors' of this world but also that at some point we all have to face reality.

I also believe that video games that are themselves war-type games also undermine the reality of war and the fact that once you are killed, there are no extra lives or restart buttons. Children as young as 6 are playing within the comfort of their own home, not afraid of a grenade, a sniper on top of a roof, or an enemy encroaching from behind. It is just a game.

That being said, video games, such as Modern Warfare 3, do serve as a source for great entertainment. When regarded solely from an entertainment perspective, the sales of this particular game speaks volumes.

A Response to Rachel’s Post – The Nation’s Weekly Mass: Hockey Night in Canada

http://gospelaccordingtobuddychrist.blogspot.ca/2012/03/nations-weekly-mass-hockey-night-in.html

Rachel argues that outside the relationship between economics of sport and religiosity, sport in a sense, serves to recreate “religious experiences” and teaches “religious values”. The economics of sport in a sense taints the positive benefits that sport can offer to the player and to the greater community. I agree that sport can function to teach children and youth basic ‘life’ skills and that sport has positive benefits with regards to teaching religious values and recreating religious experiences. I am also a strong supporter of sport and the benefits it has not only in helping children around the world but also in helping the community that supports a particular team.

You mentioned the economics in professional sport, but there are also other examples of the economic impact in other areas of sport. Not only have the economics of sport infiltrated the professional realm, but also over the years, it has increasingly crept into the realm of amateur sport, specifically the NCAA. The beauty of amateur sport is that it celebrates the purity of sport – sport without a price tag or a salary. It is the celebration of athletic talent and of athletic quality. There are have been numerous cases of professional teams bribing college players and universities bribing high school students with monetary and other incentives for recruiting purposes. The notion of the “commodification of sport amateurism” is an interesting topic that is currently being discussed and debated.

That being said, I would like to play devil’s advocate, and say that despite its positive benefits, the tendency for fans and players to regard sport, as religion, is a cause for increased violence, both on and off the field of play. For Canadians, hockey is ‘our game’, ‘a way of life’, and a ‘religion’. For Europeans, the same can be said for soccer. However, are fans taking the game too seriously? I mean, it is just a game, right? I feel that sometimes fans and players lose sight of the fact that sport is ‘just a game’. We see evidence of fans taking the game too seriously in Canada, for example, with the notorious Vancouver riot - estimated damages were roughly 4.2 million dollars. Riots, brutality, and even death, are a common occurrence in Europe and in parts of South America after soccer matches. The show “Football Factories” strictly deals with a host and his cameraman as they travel and document soccer violence in some of the most hostile stadiums in the world. Why so much violence? Soccer fans consider their team and the sport of soccer to be religion/having religious qualities, which allow them to engage in and feel ‘religious’ emotions.         

The Normalization of Violence in Hockey - What Would Jesus Do?

Pay close attention to the reactions of the fans as well as the commentators:

The Setting

 Age 14… playing for the Meadowvale Mohawks Single ‘A’ Hockey Team… facing the Applewood Cree in a regular season game… down 4-0…

The Situation

A player on the opposing team is unhappy with one of my hits from the previous period and decides he wants to drop the gloves.

Note: Fighting at his age is prohibited. Also note that we are wearing full metal cages.

This opposing player drops his stick and takes his gloves while proceeding to skate towards me. I see him coming. Part of me laughs – size and strength are not in his favour – and he is attempting to strike my metal cage with his bare hands (definitely not a good move). Another part of me thinks, “we’re down 4-0, what have I got to lose?” – nothing ...

And so he swings wildly and misses. I drop my stick but keep my gloves on, knowing full well the pain of hitting his metal cage with my bare hand… I counter with a straight right-hand that makes a flush contact with the middle of his cage, putting him flat on his back and in tears…

The Consequence

I am immediately ejected from the game and spend the rest of the third period in the change room, waiting for my teammates and my coaches to arrive. It was the longest 10 minutes of my life as I questioned my actions and subsequently the repercussions. What will the players think? What will the coaches do? Am I off the team? What will my dad say to me? To my amazement, I am praised by my coaches for “sticking up for the team”. The players give me “high-fives” and laugh about the incident.

Now watch this youtube clip (interesting to note that it has over 5 million views):

Part of me finds it amusing – there is obviously a dialogue between the two players – an expression of displeasure regarding the hit and an attempt to provoke the ‘dropping of the gloves’. The speed at which the young lad drops his stick and removes his gloves is almost identical to that of an NHL player. Obviously, the other player is reluctant to do the same, but like me, he too decides to keep his gloves on (smart move). The youtube video identifies the two players to be 6 years old - this is the part I find somewhat shocking in light of last week’s lecture regarding the normalization of violence in sport, specifically hockey.

Players, at a very raw and early age, are beginning to adopt aspects of the ‘culture’ of hockey that is violence and fighting. One of the interesting points I took from lecture was the fact that the ‘theologizing’ of sport ultimately results in the normalization or valorization of pain and self-inflicting violence. The mixing of moral value with the commodification of professional sports can lead into dangerous territory as recently witnessed with the increase of violence in sport today. In a book written by Kevin Young and Philip White (2007) entitled Sport and Gender in Canada, a claim is made that Western Canada is currently suffering from a ‘crisis of masculinity’ stemming from “the disparity between the masculine traits they [men] are expected and encouraged to uphold …and the social realities of their everyday lives” (p.219). Moreover, decisions are made with a profit-driven intention of “giving the audiences what they want by providing the most appealing coverage…integrally related to the promotion of masculinist, as well as nationalistic, discourses” (p.214). Young and White believe that current players are adopting what they call ‘dangerous masculinities’ that result from learned behaviours and involve risk-taking, neglect for one’s health, and aggressive practices. Given the big business of sport, it is important to consider that these ‘masculinities’ are socially constructed as forms of entertainment to sell a particular product. As evidenced from Young and White, men are more susceptible to sports injury than women, have increased spinal injuries, and outnumber injured girls/women at all age levels. Failure of athletes to uphold these masculine hegemonic values results in social stigma, or the process of negative labelling - players are branded as being "soft"

So do we need fighting/violence in hockey? If fans truly love the sport, then the elimination of something that causes so much damage should not be a problem, right? Now ask that same question to the owners of NHL teams or to the top executives of the league. Somewhere in their answer you might find the phrase "but it serves as a selling point for our business... fans pay money to see violent behaviours on the ice". Why is there no fighting or hitting in the NHL All-Star Game that attracts millions of fans worldwide? According to the opinionated and controversial Don Cherry, fighting protects the talented players from getting hurt as evidenced in this youtube video:

Despite the chivalry that is evidenced in this next youtube clip at approximately 0:43 and onward, I feel that there is no need for fighting in hockey.

   

A Response to Estela’s “Faith is not a genre”

Link can be found here: http://jesusandpals-smc.blogspot.com/2012/03/faith-is-not-genre.html

In keeping with your hip-hop/rap theme, I would also like to propose another Christian artist that goes by the name of KJ-52. Originally, I was going to write a blog on a controversial rapper whose actions and lyrics were contradictory to his beliefs and religion but I ended up stumbling upon this man. On his website he states, “Like the society it mirrors, the music industry is hobbling in the wake of technological flux, economic freefall, and massive uncertainty”. KJ-52 is a Christian rapper from Tampa, Florida and was most remembered for his song entitled “Dear Slim” which was dedicated to Eminem after he wrote the song “Stan”. KJ-52 was often regarded as the ‘Christian counterpart’ to Eminem but his song “Dear Slim” was rated as number 26 on the “Top 40 Worst Moments in Hip Hop”.

That all aside, KJ-52’s song is a powerful appeal, wherein he draws parallels between himself and Eminem. He says, “See I could relate to you cause son I'm about as old as you see we both know what it's like just to be growing up to be in a neighborhood when you's the only one and only kid that's white or to get booed when you on the mic just because your skin is light”.

Like the music video “Stan”, KJ-52 is also writing a letter to Eminem but for very different reasons. In reading the lyrics I feel as if KJ-52 is, in a sense, trying to get Eminem to realize the gravity of his lyrics and the affects they have on his listeners and fans, some of who are children. Later on in the song, he questions the sincerity of Eminem’s lyrics and asks him if his lyrical content is just to generate profit for record companies: You ever stop to think about the millions you influence or is it just irrelevant is it true life you telling it or just the way for some record companies sellin it.

I feel that the fact that KJ-52’s song and this controversy generated such negative criticism is an example of the power and function that popular culture has in creating social boundaries (as outlined by Dustin Kidd). I believe that, in this case, we have one genre but two faiths. One is rejected and the other is supported. In your blog you mentioned that the “way in which faith is portrayed with social realities in Hip Hop is far complex and dense”. In this particular example, I feel that faith is portrayed in a negative light given such strong negative criticism, as mentioned before. This controversy ultimately highlights the tension as well as the clash of beliefs and values between popular music and 'contemporary christian music'.

Below are the lyrics for “Dear Slim” as well as the music videos for both KJ-52 and Eminem. I have highlighted in bold some of the lyrics that I find rather interesting.

Dear Slim I never wrote you or been callin

My name ain't Stan son, nah we've never met and

My name's KJ let me begin by introducing now

Myself to you and these very reasons I'll be writin

Why I took the time, the who what where and why and

The purpose of my verse, the reasons I'm reciting

What I hope your learnin from the truth I pray your finding

And every word I'm writin down upon the dotted lines and

See I heard ya first album, was called Infinite

I shook my head cause nowadays you soundin different

What drove ya take your whole persona and be flippin it now

What makes a man totally change see I ain't getting it

See was you sick of getting booed when you was rippin it

And sick of never havin dough and you your wanted to put an end to it

What good's all kinds of dough

Plus all kinds of flow

To gain a world of fans but suffer the loss of soul

Dear Slim I never wrote you or been calling

This is my 2nd letter cause see son I gots a real problem

It's that to you that I'm always catching these comparisons

And after shows I got these people coming up to me sayin

You sound like Slim Shady son you sound like Eminem

And I be like now really man, do I gots to go through this again

See I used to get mad and sick of people saying that

Till at this one show this one day I met this one cat

He told me how he used to listen to you but now he listens to me

Had your LP but threw it out and bought my CD

I'm like for real he's like yeah he said my music made a difference

It got him away from all your words and images

I gotta mention this, now what about the effects you have on kids

You ever stop to think about the millions you influence

Or is it just irrelevant is it true life you telling it

Or just the way for some record companies sellin it

The only thing we got in common is our melanin

Or lack of it but anyway now this is what I'm sayin

It's for you that I'm on my knees now daily prayin

Prayin that God opens your eyes now to what I'm relayin

Now I'm praying that it's your heart that will soon be changing

Prayin one day that you'll be calling upon His name and

But anyway I'm signin off now don't keep me waitin

This is KJ another cat just trying to make it

Dear Slim I heard about the stuff you's going through

See I could relate to you cause son I'm about as old as you

See we both know what it's like just to be growing up to be in a neighborhood

When you's the only one and only kid that's white

Or to get booed when you on the mic just because your skin is light

It ain't right but sometimes you know that's life

But really tell me what you do

You just push on with hopes on that someday you'll put on your crew

I hope you understand that I ain't even dissin you

And even though its a song you'll probably never listen to

See what I send to you is this

Is that a life without Christ is just a life that is never fixed

Hope you remember this now a few sentences

About a living God who loves you and plus forgives

And I'll be praying for your ex-wife and plus your kid

It's hard to live in a world as crazy as this one is

And even though now it really might sound redundant

God's got mad love for you up in a mad abundance

You'll sell a couple mill I'll probably sell a couple hundred

There's more to life then selling records and just getting blunted

But anyway that's really all I gots to say

Just another word from an MC now around the way

Maybe some day we meet each other in some way

Till then one love one God one way   

"Stan" by Eminem

A Personal Account of Sport and Muscular Christianity

            After having read the two articles involving violence in hockey and the religious experience of Southern College Football, I felt compelled to offer an unorthodox version of an ‘academic’ blog. I have decided to combine both articles and apply them to my personal experiences as a former semi-professional soccer player in Canada and my experience playing in Europe. Hopefully, this will be an appropriate segue into the topic of Sports and Muscular Christianity for our next lecture.

            Last year, after making the decision to end my playing career, I was unexpectedly asked: What were your earliest childhood memories? My response was picking as many dandelions as possible during one of my first ever soccer games to give to my mother. My dream of being the world’s greatest dandelion-picking soccer player was abruptly ended when I discovered all 20+ beautifully handpicked dandelions in the garbage two days later (not sure if I will ever forgive my mother for that).

            Now, where to begin? In retrospect, it could be said that soccer constituted my life. For 18 years, give or take, my life involved family/friends, church, and soccer. As a semi-professional player, we were paid $300 for a win, $200 for a tie, and $50 for a loss. Training was 6-days a week, with pre-season workouts occurring twice a day. Competition to crack the starting 11 was fierce and often times violent as the salaries for bench players were drastically reduced as compared to the aforementioned standard pay. We (myself including) would undergo extraordinary physical pain and would sacrifice our bodies in order to achieve success, as in winning. This was our mindset. As Trothen (2009) describes, from the perspective of the coaching staff, we were regarded as commodities and our talents were commodified to achieve production. Concussions from head butts, a kick to the face, or an elbow, were hidden from therapists and painkillers were routinely used to conceal injuries from broken ribs to sprained/fractured ankles to missing teeth; all of this done out of fear of losing our starting spot and, ultimately, to win. As teammates, our actions to conceal injuries etc. were done out of pressure and as a means to uphold rigid masculine ideologies that were socially constructed and that dominated the typical male athlete. Our coaches glorified “self-sacrifice and pain and suffering” found in traditional atonement theories (Trothen, 2009). This sounds really similar to hockey right? I know! However, when you’ve sacrificed a great portion of your personal life to play an elite sport, the end justifies the means, to some extent.

            I was someone’s teammate, a member of a family! I spent more time with my ‘soccer family’ than I did with my own ‘real’ family. From 5-hour road trips on buses, to plane rides, to sharing rooms, we were able to establish an everlasting bond, a friendship. Unlike the article written by Bain-Selbo (2008) I was able to establish an ‘emotional bond’ with soccer, not as a fan, but as a player. Words used in his article such as ‘friendship’, ‘community’, ‘love’, and ‘hope’ are all words that I can appropriate to my experiences with soccer. I have certainly experienced Bain-Selbo’s outlined emotions (joy, passion, and intensity) that “arise typically in religious contexts” (2008). As a player in Northern France, it was mandatory to undergo mental training sessions with a mental training coach (sports psychologist). We learned how to deal with setbacks, adversity, and the anger/outrage that builds when an opposing player or fan makes a racist or rude remark to you or your fellow teammate (these things do happen). The phrase “fire in your heart…ice in you head’ was something I will never forget and, for me, is the epitome of mental fortitude. I believe that my ‘religious experiences’ associated with soccer, thus, came as a result of my ability to solely immerse myself in the game and not get carried away or distracted by external events. I was 100% IN the game to the point where I was able to forget about everything and anything outside of the soccer pitch, including my own personal life. I experienced, what Csikzentmihalyi (in Bain-Selbo, 2008) calls ‘flow’. Soccer provided me “with a sense of belonging and an opportunity to express powerful emotions” (Edwards as cited in Bain-Selbo, 2008, 242).