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THE HOLLYWOOD MATRIX: RELIGION A THING OF THE PAST by Jamie WilliamsTHE HOLLYWOOD MATRIX: RELIGION A THING OF THE PAST
In the past, society’s values were portrayed through religion; whereas, today, our society’s values are expressed through the fast-paced world of pop-culture. In the past people turned to religion for the truth. Now people turn to film to escape it. As times have changed, life was thrust into the hustle and bustle, forcing people to aim for instant gratification. Gratification of mind, taste, appetite, senses, desires, and heart. Perhaps one of easiest things to do is to just go to the movie theatres, pay $9.00, and get a ticket to a whole new world, escaping reality. Better yet, pay just $3.00 and pick one up from Hollywood Video on your way home from work. Or even better yet, why even leave the house when you can order a movie off of Pay-Per-View. Whatever the cost, wherever the location, the bottom line is that films offer thoughtless and effortless instant gratification.
“And must there not be some art which will effect conversion in the easiest and quickest manner; not implanting the faculty of sight, for that exists already, but has been turned in the wrong direction, and is looking away from the truth?” (Plato’s Allegory of the Cave) Such a proclamation could easily be applied to today’s society. For instance, when one pays the $9.00 to escape reality, the only thing that is in fact escaping is the truth. The truth of the real world. “Similar to the prisoners of the cave, the humans trapped in the matrix (the cave) only see what the machines (the modern day puppet-handlers) want them to see.” (Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and Its Relation to the Matrix…) Our matrix today is the Hollywood matrix – all we have to do is lean back in the theatre seats, close our eyes, and plug into a shallow world lacking in self-reflection.
Today’s society is materialistic, non-stop, and cutthroat to the core. The belief that working 9-5, five days a week will guarantee someone enough financial stability to lead a desired life, is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Quite often twelve hour days are expected, Mercedes are a must, and every electronic device you own must be digital. With life at such a grueling pace, little time is left for an extra activity like religion. An activity that requires time, thought, and self-reflection. “As soon as beauty is sought not from religion and love, but for pleasure, it degrades the seeker.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
This brings us back to films acting as a religion. How many girls and women say they want to be just like Mother Theresa? Marilyn Monroe? How many boys and men say they want to be just like Jesus? Elvis? Both Marilyn Monroe and Elvis have been in countless movies, on endless magazine covers, and have their own star on the Hollywood walk of fame. Even so, one question still remains: What have they done to better society? The fact that no one is willing to acknowledge this question’s existence is proof to the fact that we are all plugged into the Hollywood matrix. “Fame is proof that people are gullible.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson) We unplug from the reality that Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley both died from drug overdoses. Instead, our society remembers Marilyn Monroe for her platinum blond locks and Elvis for his blue suede shoes; two timeless figures gushing in unsurpassed sex appeal. Both have become social idols, a term that was previously reserved for religious figures such as Jesus and Mother Theresa.
Families used to crowd the chapels every Sunday but as the new box office hits are released on Fridays, family-bonding time has been forced to switch gears. Friday night has become movie night, a ritual that soon took over the traditional Sunday morning church masses. This shift in values has also taken place outside of the nuclear family itself. Groups of people gather every weekend to watch “cult classics” such as the Rocky Horror Picture Show or even The Matrix. They enter the theater knowing that they can leave the matrix within a few short hours and return the following week to repeat the cycle with a new movie of their choice. This matter of choice is the only thinking required by the Hollywood matrix, which perfectly compliments the individualistic nature of our society. Religion on the other hand, is not an in and out process. It is something that requires you to take what you learn from the once-a-week services and apply it to your everyday life. It is the application of these lessons learned that lead to self-reflection. It is this self-refection that you cannot unplug from, once you walk out the door.
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