Why I won't see certain movies.

When I was taking a Chicano Studies class in college, our instructor frequently brought in guest speakers. One week he invited Josefina Lopez, the playwright who penned Real Women Have Curves.

I was repulsed by her talk. She spent most of her time crassly expounding the merits of artificial birth control ( proudly showing off her norplant), promiscuous sex, and vibrators. To say the least, her talk had little academic and no moral merit and was, in my opinion, a complete waste of every student's time. So repugnant did I find her talk, that when Real Women Have Curves came out on film in 2002, I refused to see it, knowing that I would be contributing to Lopez's career through the royalties she would get.

It's not that I have a problem with the overall concept behind Real Women Have Curves. I believe women should be able to feel beautiful even if they don't look like supermodels.

But we don't need promiscuity, norplant, or vibrators to help us do that.

And I won't contribute to the paycheck of a person who makes it her life's work to tell people the lie that we do need those things, however sincerely she may believe it.

Similarly, when a certain other film written by a certain anti-catholic (and generally anti-religious) person was released into the theaters, I resolved that I would never contribute a single red cent to the profits that would be made through it. Let's just say I have objections to supporting the career of a man who has publicly stated that he wishes to use his writing talents to lead unsuspecting children away from faith in God.

Here is a sampling of his statements (Emphasis mine):

I'm a great fan of J.K. Rowling, but the people - mainly from America's Bible Belt - who complain that Harry Potter promotes Satanism or witchcraft obviously haven't got enough in their lives. Meanwhile, I've been flying under the radar, saying things that are far more subversive than anything poor old Harry has said. My books are about killing God."

(Source: Meacham, Steve. "The Shed Where God Died". Sydney Morning Herald. 13 December 2003.)

"I'm trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief..."

(Source: Wartofsky, Alona. The Last Word. Washington Post 19 February 2001)

Given the above, my objections remain, even if Harry Forbes and John Mulderig say that the film, taken by itself, may be O.K.

Even if that is true (and I haven't seen the film, so I can't confirm or refute that), two inconvenient problems remain.

The first is that if people of faith pay money to see this movie, they will be enriching a man who is willfully seeking to undermine the faith in which they are trying to raise their children.

The second problem is this: if Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Lord of the Rings are any indication, a well-made fantasy movie will generate interest in the book on which it is based, which means that the film cannot be taken by itself by forward-thinking parents and teachers.

And that, as Forrest Gump would say, is all I have to say about that.




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*Related: Reasons to avoid Birth Control Pills and other forms of artificial hormonal contraception.