Bitter Clinger Television

By: American Decency Staff

Our pop-president famously belittled small town Midwesterners for getting "bitter" and "clinging to guns and religion" on the campaign trail in 2007, ironically accusing them of an "antipathy to people who aren't like them."

Six years later, Barack and Michelle Obama have certainly gone to great lengths to prove that they are nothing like small town Midwesterners – the several thousand dollar dresses, the vacations, the parties with A-list celebrities, the countless games of golf, the endless TV appearances, etc. These are not the everyday experiences of small town America.

While the Obamas have been living the posh lifestyle of the celebrity, middle America continues to "bitterly cling" to guns and religion, or, as we would describe it, we continue to embrace our heritage.

The big news last week was Michelle Obama's appearance on the Academy Awards Show to present the Oscar for Best Picture. This is a whole new role for the First Lady – one that is only appropriate if the President's wife is considered to be a pop icon. In the past, this would have been an image that the leader of the free world would have rather avoided, but this administration has embraced the status for the simple reason that it owes its election and reelection to it. At any rate, Michelle Obama slipped into her $9,000 dress to appear on a jumbo-tron in an auditorium full of Hollywood elite to present the highest honor in film.

But perhaps it would be more poignant and make more sense to say that she donned her scaled gown to appear before an audience of her husband's biggest supporters. Steven Spielberg donated at least $100,000 by himself while Will and Jada Pinkett Smith bundled $500,000 in donations from their peers for the President Obama's campaign. Producer Harvey Weinstein also bundled at least $500,000, and producer J.J. Abrams donated $50,000. That is just a few of the top donors. The Obamas have bound themselves to Hollywood with the iron cuffs of campaign contributions.

The reason that I bring all of this up is the latest surprise hits on cable television. I have already written about the Christian values shamelessly shared through the record breaking A&E show "Duck Dynasty." The season 3 premier drew an audience of 8.6 million viewers, which was the highest watched reality show of year. Since then, another program has sucked up the ratings. That would be "The Bible," produced by veteran TV couple Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. The first episode of the mini-series drew 13.1 million viewers, making it the year's most watched cable broadcast.

These are shows that break the Hollywood mold. "Duck Dynasty" has no qualms about preaching abstinence before marriage and encouraging young people to find a mate that knows the Bible and "The Bible," well, it's the Bible! And it has (reportedly – I haven't seen it myself) been done respectfully and with a dedication to Scripture. These kind of ratings show entertainment producers what pays off. We are still clinging to our guns and religion, but we're not bitter. We're happy, happy, happy! (It's a "Duck Dynasty" thing)

One more thing. Johann Sebastian Bach often signed his compositions, "S.D.G." which stand for Sola Deo Gloria which is Latin for "Glory to God Alone." That is how every Christian's art should be signed, figuratively, of course. I think that is why these series have enjoyed the success that they have. The people behind them have unabashedly created them to bring glory to God. Let's hope we see more of this in the future.

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