Josh Benner

Tag: roseanne

  • Roseanne, the NFL and hypocrisy

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    Roseanne Barr made an offensive comment about former Obama Administration official Valerie Jarrett. Shortly after, ABC announced they have cancelled the show Roseanne.

    That the show was canceled is not shocking. People don’t like offensive and racially charged comments (nor should we).

    It’s interesting reading Tweets and comments about the cancellation. Many draw a parallel between Barr’s comments and how some will defend her and say the show shouldn’t be canceled. But some of those same people are fine with the NFL banning players kneeling during the National Anthem. This is pointed to as being hypocritical.

    The irony is that the hypocrisy can run on both sides. To think that the players should be able to kneel without consequences yet to think Roseanne should be cancelled is also somewhat hypocritical.

    Because in both instances, it shows us that we cannot always say or do whatever we want without that having ramifications on our professional lives.

    As a society, there are things we don’t like. We don’t like racist comments. We don’t generally like unpatriotic behaviors. People can say whatever they want. People can take whatever political stance they want to make. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t ever consequences.

    Neither ABC nor the NFL owes it to Roseanne Barr or the players to promote ideals that go against what they stand for.

    Some will disagree with that. “It’s not the same. Players are making a reasonable protest and Roseanne make a comment that can’t be defended.” While we should all be able to agree that what Roseanne said was wrong, millions of people find kneeling during the national anthem just as offensive (if not more offensive) than one woman’s comment.

    Roseanne already had a target on her for various other political comments and comments seen as being racially insensitive. It was wrong to make the comment that she made about Jarrett. It’s not shocking that ABC cancelled the show.

    But it is an unfortunate situation. It’s unfortunate that in a politically charged country where division is high, we had a throwback sitcom that people of various views enjoyed from a time when there were not such heightened political sensitivities. The new Roseanne had the goal of a show where a family who was divided politically and who was navigating the 21st century could still come together in love. That’s a message that we don’t often hear in the media. Because of an unnecessary comment, it’s a voice that will now go silent.

    And the political divide widens.

    But I want to take our attention back to the double standards we so often have. If we are ok with either Roseanne being cancelled or with NFL players being forbidden from kneeling, than we must also accept the other can happen too. Because both are examples that freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences of that speech.

    We must all remember the power of our words and actions. The Apostle James said: “The tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!” (James 3:5). We’re blessed to live in a nation with the First Amendment. It’s a wonderful thing. But let us not assume that words are free of consequences, or that they don’t matter greatly. 

    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.

  • Roseanne reboot tackles America’s political divide with hilarity

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    As a kid, when I found out that I was going to have a baby sister, I wanted my parents to name her “Roseanne.” The new Roseanne reboot premiered on ABC this evening.
    I really enjoyed it. Very clever writing, laugh out loud funny.  A throwback and a nostalgic comedy brought into the modern times.
    Even thought I watched the original run of the series, I was too young to appreciate the aspects of Roseanne that were pushing cultural boundaries.
    One of the things that the new series is emphasizing is the political divide in America, often within families. Roseanne and Dan are republican, Trump supporters. Roseanne’s sister Jackie is a democrat. I thought the writing was fair to both sides.
    Roseanne Barr said in an interview with the New York Times:
    “I just wanted to have that dialogue about families torn apart by the election and their political differences of opinion and how we handle it. I thought that this was an important thing to say at this time.”
    As politics are divisive within society, they can also be very destructive within families.
    Reading comments from people on Facebook, it’s interesting how some won’t even watch the show because of political disagreement with Roseanne. It’s a sad irony that proves the point. Some can’t bear to watch a show unless it is total agreement with their views.
    I don’t think the point is that people should agree with everything on the show. You’re not going to agree with every character’s views or values. But it’s trying to depict a family that, as dysfunctional as they are, does love each other and who’s trying to navigate through life in these trying times. And so the show isn’t afraid to tackle the major issues.
    Disagreement with family and friends can be gritty and frustrating. Some choose to be divisive in the face of disagreement. As a society, we cannot allow ourselves to continually be divided and torn apart.
    The show is a mirror. It’s a reflection of how life in America is, for better or for worse.
    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.

  • “Living Biblically” series an opportunity for conversations about faith

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    Last night, CBS premiered its new show “Living Biblically” about a man who’s life is suddenly thrown into a crisis when his best friend dies and his wife finds out she’s pregnant.

    Lead character Chip Curry (Jay R. Ferguson) evaluates his life.

    He had tried to throw himself into his work as a movie reviewer. Although his office shows off worldly decadence. A coworker is having an affair. Chip’s boss is cold hearted and only cares about the bottom line.

    Chip goes to a bookstore in an attempt to find a self help book, but ends up coming across a Bible. “Do you believe in signs?” Chip asks the bookstore’s clerk.

    As a sort of project, Chip decides to entirely throw himself into living Biblically for the next nine months (premise based on the book “the year of living Biblically” by A.J. Jacobs).

    Chip’s wife who’s a physician and who has a focus on science is skeptical of the role of faith. But she tries to be supportive of her husband.

    Chip talks to a priest (and later a Rabbi) and seeks out their counsel as he tries to live Biblically.

    The pilot had a couple of humorous moments, but I also find comedies hard to judge based on their first episode.

    Some Christians will absolutely dislike this show. For instance, because of situations like a coworker having an affair (spoiler alert: after Chip throws a rock at the coworker, he evaluates his decisions and comes clean to his wife and later thanks Chip). But there will be people who find some of the subject matter crass. But those situations are also necessary in a series that revolves around a character trying to living Biblically in a culture where that’s countercultural.

    Executive producer Johnny Galecki (of Big Bang Theory and Roseanne fame) said that he wanted to do a comedy about religion. Galecki cites his own Catholic upbringing and has talked in interviews of how many who are involved with the production of the show are devout in their beliefs.

    In an interview with the Television Critics Associated Winter Press Tour, Galecki said, ““I think, hopefully, [people of faith] will find this show a cool take on what a lot of people base their entire lives around.”

    From other interviews Galecki has done, it seems that one of his goals is for people to be able to have honest conversations about religion. The show hasn’t set out to mock religion.

    Although it is a show about faith, it’s a man exploring faith. I don’t necessarily consider it to be a family show, but it’s a relevant show in that many are on spiritual journeys in society. The show is more of a cultural commentary. The vast majority of Americans believe in God. And through various situations of life, many face times where they truly begin to more seriously seek God out.

    As we see in the show, there are different sources of truth that people try to pursue. There are many sources of purpose to which people look.

    And then there’s Chip, who has thrown himself into Godly living. So many in our society are lukewarm to faith and seem to believe in a God who affirms whatever they want to do. Chip, on the other hand, is trying to truly live a Godly life. In that, there are times when he doesn’t understand but he follows.

    There are situations where he faces conflict about knowing what is Biblical but facing challenges to his newfound values. We see this when Chip and his wife run into the coworker who’s on a date and where Chip is conflicted about telling the truth vs playing along with his friend’s lie in order to avoid an uncomfortable situation).

    By the end of the episode, even secular characters are noticing positive aspects to the changes in Chip’s life (one says he might even need to start).

    What the show is trying to do is very difficult. Have a comedy about religion that appeals to a large audience. But for many in America, regardless of beliefs, I think that this show can achieve one of Galecki’s goals about being a thought provoking look into religious life in America.

    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.