Gay Teletubbies. Dung-splattered Virgins. Songs praising "God the slob". When faith collides with popular culture, Christians often come across as hysterical, naive, humourless, and parochial. Is this the result of media bias, or are Christians truly incapable of debating, or even creating, mainstream art? Why are Christian attempts to produce popular culture ("The Cross and the Switchblade" , "Davey and Goliath" or "Entertaining Angels" ) so ham-fisted and dull? Should we keep trying to improve or simply give up?
Kathy Shaidle
Kathy Shaidle's first poetry collection, Lobotomy Magnificat was shortlisted for the 1998 Governor-General's Award. Her latest book, God Rides a Yamaha: Musings on Pain, Poetry and Popular Culture collects her award-winning essays for the Catholic New Times. Along with Dr. Andrew Weil, Karen Armstrong and others, she was featured in the anthology The New Millennium Spiritual Journey. A columnist for the Sunday Toronto Star, she also hosts the Roman Catholicism website at Suite71.com, and is a regular contributor to The Door, the Catholic Register, BriefMe.com, and other publications.