Everyday Liminality

After a heavy conversation about death last week, Brothers Tito and Casey keep it light with a conversation about their favorite television shows, books, and movies.

Death is not the subject of polite conversations. We use euphemisms to hide from the subject, avoiding any substantial acknowledgment of the reality. Luckily, art and entertainment offer us opportunities to deal with our feelings towards it, and even, just maybe, have heartfelt conversations about what it means.

The heart of all entertainment is the story. There is something that the creator wants to tell us. Which raises an important question: what makes a good story?

Movies have ability to bring global awareness to serious events of the past and to inspire people in the present to seek a better world. They also have the ability to rewrite history and manipulate their viewers. When dealing with movies "based on a true story," is the burden on the creator to be faithful to the facts or on the viewer to skeptically test everything they see?

Who doesn't love the new hit show Stranger Things? The writing, acting, and cinematography are just top notch. And yet, my guess is that the best quality for some people is simply the fact that it takes place in the 1980s and reminds them of a simpler, more outrageous time. If that's the case for you, this podcast is right up your alley as Br. Tito and Br. Casey discuss the role that nostalgia can play in building up a story, as well as how it can be dangerous to our perception of reality.

Br. Tito and Br. Casey discuss the the notion of living "happily ever after" found in many fairy tales, how this notion offers us some truth, but ultimately how there might be more to the story.

There is a lot to be offended by in our world today, that doesn't mean we need to be.

The internet can be an amazing tool for communication. It can also be a great tool for escapism and developing a false sense of self. Looking at the virtual world of the movie Ready Player One, Tito and Casey discuss the difference between who we portray to be online and who we actually are in our everyday life, and wonder what the effect such a divide might have on our sense of self.

In most superhero movies, there is a clear divide between good and evil: the hero promotes virtue and the villain is pure evil. And in one sense, this can be helpful in developing our consciences and engaging in spiritual warfare. But is it the best representation of our world? Unless the symbolic nature of these movies is recognized, our view of the human person could be greatly diminished.

Br. Tito and Br. Casey are two Franciscan Friars who love to talk about movies. Also music, sports, and anything else entertaining. But for them, it's not just entertainment, it's a doorway into a much deeper reality.