The WB's new show, Supernatural, had its premiere tonight. Apparently, it follows a recent Hollywood trend as seen in Constantine, Catwoman and Four Brothers (among others, I am sure; links are to reviews from Christianity Today). On one hand, it's your basic good vs. evil kind of tale, but this tried-and-true formula has recently taken a new twist.
You see, in each of these movies and shows, the "hero" isn't really all that good. So where in the traditional storyline it's good/right vs. evil/wrong, now "good" doesn't seem to be a factor and "right" is, well, relative. I'm not even sure you can say that there is a protagonist and an antagonist to set against each other. No one seems to operate from within the framework of a moral foundation of any sort. There doesn't seem to be a sense of "greater good" or anything like that either.
In the case of Supernatural and Constantine, it is the supernatural evil, the demonic, that needs to be stopped. Using immoral means to do so is perfectly fine. There is no issue, no tension between upholding the right and avoiding the wrong, just so long as the evil is stopped.
It leaves me wondering about the cultural shift that lays behind these movies. Quite frankly, how can you have "good vs. evil" without "right vs. wrong"? Essentially, that is what is being portrayed in these shows. Note how the paradox plays out, at least as far as I've seen it: "Good" and "wrong" can exist semi-happily together, but you don't (yet) see "right" and "evil" coexisting in a character. Please point out an exception if you know it. So I guess the new paradigm is good/right-or-maybe-even-sorta-wrong vs. evil/really, really wrong. Integrity has become a non-issue.
Back to the cultural shift: What does this say about our cultural understanding of morality, right vs. wrong, good vs. evil? How does this affect what we do or say or teach as preachers, youth pastors, teachers, faithful Christians seeking to share their faith with those who do not know?
Maybe integrity just isn't a value that is...erm...valued anymore.
Just some thoughts.
Disclaimer: Constantine, Catwoman and Four Brothers should probably be watched with caution. I haven't seen the latter two, and Constantine definitely deserves its rating. Supernatural is pretty graphic for a TV show...up there with the CSI shows. Just because I'm posting about them doesn't mean I necessarily endorse them.
