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April 3, 2004 at 10:42 pm | In yulelogStories | 4 Comments

In today’s Toronto Star, What a trend we have in Jesus by David Graham:

…celebrities, including Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck, Ashton Kutcher and Pamela Anderson, have been spotted wearing “Jesus is My Home Boy” T-shirts and baseball hats. The shirts and caps appeal to religious and fashion types, explains Chris Hoy, a partner in Teenage Millionaire, the company that sells the shirts. “We were looking for pop icons of the 21st century and Jesus topped the list.”
(…)
Barbara Atkin, fashion director of Holt Renfrew, makes it her job to stay ahead of cultural trends. “We are fascinated with Jesus now because we are searching for comfort, hope and meaning in a fearful world,” Atkin says. “Whether people buy the message or not, they are clinging to the symbols.”
(…)
In the wake of the ’60s anti-war movement, Jesus was portrayed as a pacifist (Jesus Christ Superstar). But now, in our current violence-obsessed culture, Mel Gibson’s vision of a bloodied action-hero is “a reflection of the savage quality of American life,” says Fox, who argues that in the film Jesus appears more super-human than divine.
(…)
Media critic Neal Gabler, who has written several books on popular culture, has drawn a clear distinction between Jesus and God. The reason Jesus has become a celebrity and God has not is simple, he argues.

“There’s no decent visual for God.” [More...]

It was ever thus. (And, shameless self-promotion in wake of Gabler’s pithy summary, see also my other entry re. iconoclasm and Gibson’s movie. I really appreciate Gabler’s use of the word “decent” here. Right on.)