Reflections Part 1…
I have a confession to make, and before you jump to conclusions, hear me out. It's nothing outrageous, but for over a decade, I’ve been a huge fan of rom-coms. I genuinely enjoy them. Sure, the plot rarely changes: boy meets girl, boy likes girl, they get together, then inevitably face a conflict, only to reconcile by the end. Despite this predictability, there’s something about them that keeps me coming back. My favorites are set in New York City. The shifting seasons, the bustling streets, the chaos of the subway—it all ties the story together in a way that just feels right. So, yes, I’m saying it loud and proud: I love rom-coms.
In recent years, I’ve noticed a shift in the rom-com genre, with more inclusivity making its way into the storylines. As streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu have risen in popularity, they’ve started producing original content that sometimes sparks cultural conversations and stirs up strong reactions on social media. But behind it all is a machine—a system often referred to as "Hollywood." For some, this system embodies all the negative social influences, controlled by individuals who they believe have a hidden agenda to manipulate viewers into thinking, behaving, and reasoning in ways that align with what they want us to absorb through our screens.
Whether we see it as positive or negative, the truth is that we are being transformed by what we watch. Every story, every character has an agenda, a message that seeks to influence us in some way. Take Grey’s Anatomy, for instance. It became known in the mid-2000s for pushing boundaries, especially around sexuality, in prime-time TV. Over time, it feels like nothing is off-limits anymore—extreme violence, drugs, alcohol, and sex are all fair game. Groundbreaking? Maybe. But with these limits constantly being pushed, future generations might grow up believing that what they see on TV is a reflection of how things truly are.
What I’m trying to say is that television shows us a curated version of the truth—the truth that *they* want us to see. But I’m not suggesting we all need to unplug or cancel our subscriptions. Instead, I think we need to be discerning about what we consume. As a follower of Jesus, every choice I make, whether in public or private, should honor Him. After all, God is watching. And it's not just God—angels and demons observe our actions as well. This isn’t a reflection on angelology, but rather a theological reflection on how television has the power of influence. I hope to build on these thoughts as I continue to wrestle and engage with more over time. How does what you consume influence you?
