Dr. House; Finally called to heaven

With the news this week that the TV series House is coming to an end, I find it fitting to reflect on one of Popular Culture's most "popular" weekly dramas. The series has effectively used religion in many facets to create an interesting relationship between its' main character, Dr Gregory House, and his patients. Throughout the series I found that this ongoing relationship keeps viewers like myself tuned in weekly.

Kozlovic outlined 25 requirements/characteristics for a Christ-like figure in The Structural Characteristics of the Cinematic Christ.  Gregory House, though an atheist, is the figure in this series.

1. Tangible - Dr. House is addicted to pain killers, consistently insults his patients and has recently been jailed for criminal acts; yet he is considered the messiah of medicine.
2. Central - The show is named after him.
3. Outsider - He is symbolically crucified throughout the series by doctors, patients, administration and the authorities because of his controversial insights and actions. He is also an outspoken atheist.
4. Divinely Sourced and Tasked - House was shot in the leg about 10 years prior to the series began. This life-altering incident may have facilitated his determination to become such an influential doctor.
5. Alter Egos - House has his Athiest ego which is relentless and unwelcoming. As seen here:



But House also has a vulnerable and more welcoming side which viewers rarely see:


6. Special Normal - Dr. House comes off as a very rude and relentless doctor yet his talent subtly and quietly portrayed. Not only his medical expertise but also his musical talents:


7. Twelve Associates - This is the most interesting relation between House and Christ. House's associates are his understudies which make up his team of doctors. This concept is advanced through the introduction of the new doctor who was interestingly named Thirteen. Thirteen is considered House’s go-to doctor. One of Jesus’ most celebrated disciples was the thirteenth disciple, Mary Magdalene. Further enhancing this implicit reference is the fact that Thirteen, like Mary Magdalene, is very mysterious and it is eventually revealed that she is a bisexual whereas Mary Magdalene was very peculiar as well and was labeled a prostitute during her time.



9. Betrayer Associate - Lisa Cuddy, Houses' former boss and love interest is seen as his betrayer. She is the reason he goes to Jail and is persecuted many times.
10. Sexually Identified Woman - The Mary Magdalene figure is romantically Lisa Cuddy and figuratively, Thirteen.
12. Decisive Death and Resurrection - House's symbolic death and resurrection is seen through his struggle to recover from getting shot.
13. Triumphalism - The Triumph is experienced each episode when House's controversial ways allow him to cure patients.
14. Service to "Lesser" - House's patients, usually of a certain faith, are saved by him even though many times he disagrees with their religious beliefs.
15. Willing Sacrifice - House sacrifices his job daily because his controversial techniques mean life or death for the patients.
16. Innocent - He is consistently persecuted by medical tribunals and even police but ultimately pulls through to continue practicing.
20. Simplicity - House is the genius of all doctors.

23. Blue Eyes 



House did not aptly fit into the following categories: Jesus Age, Pointing Prophet, Cruciform Pose, Cross Associations, Miracles & Signs, Poverty, Jesus Garb, Holy Explanations and JC Initials.  I find that these categories are more explicit characteristics of a Christ-like figure. Seeing as House is an atheist, it would be too cheesy and would not be consistent with teh sophistication of the series for House to portray these explicit characteristics.
There are, however, explicit references to religion within the series. Check out two interesting episodes of house: Unfaithful and House vs God. In Unfaithful, House deals with a priest who has a hallucination that he saw Jesus. The ending, like religion, is left up to the interpretation of viewers.  In “House vs. God”, Dr. House is confronted with a fifteen-year old faith healer who refuses to be treated for a tumour because he believes that God meant for the tumour to be there. House declares his disdain for religion when he says “Isn’t it interesting that religious behaviour is so close to being crazy that we can’t tell them apart?”

I'm excited to see how this series ends. Will House come out as a closet-Christian?

Peanut-butter Chocolate for thought...

I really don't think that my professor's choice of clothing for the second lecture could have been more fitting. Firstly, and most obviously, the combination of Reese's Pieces and Jesus on her t-shirt represents the most prevalent example pf the connection between popular culture and Christianity. Yet even more interesting, and I assume not as intentional, is the relation that this t-shirt had to Kanye West (who was focused on for part of the lecture). What is clear about Kanye West is that he has an artistic and outspoken personality which can either earn him a Grammy, as it did for his video 'Jesus Walks', or it can get him in trouble ( "Imma let you finish").

'Jesus Walks' focuses on the idea that Jesus is with everyone, regardless of their sins. Kanye is promoting the idea that Jesus is forgiving even to the most undeserving. The video continously reveals this idea of a battle. For example, the prisoners of a chain gang (who are all black men) are at the will of their white prison guards. Another battle emerges when Kanye is rapping in a small room that seems to be threatened by fire. Thematically, the video depicts the battle between Christianity and Pop Culture. Kanye is clearly testing the boundaries of religions influence on pop culture through his lyrics:

"But if I talk about God my record won't get played Huh?"

It seems to me that Kanye has consistently been facing this "battle" within himself and has been using his music as an avenue to reveal this fight. Kanye shocked many people with the release of a short film in 2008 titled "We Were Once a Fairytale".

Kanye West: We Were Once a Fairytale

The film consists of an intoxicated West (what's new?) struggling to comprehend his surroundings in a nightclub. After a sloppy night, he eventually ends up in the washroom where he stabs himself to remove a creature that has been inside his body. West watches as the creature kills itself and the film ends abruptly.

This film furthers the idea that, even four years after Jesus Walks, Kanye is still struggle to overcome a battle within him. This demon inside him symbolizes the 'evil' that is prevalent in Jesus Walks. Kanye seems to be implying that this demon was responsible for his reckless behaviour in the nightclub. Like much of his work, Kanye leaves it up for interpretation.

Kanye is seen as a highly opinionated figure. But nonetheless, he is a powerful figure in popular culture and many of the messages in his music confront issues that a lot of people can relate to. Throughout his music he consistently reveals the battles within his life. One of the most interesting is from the 2008 song by Young Jeezy featuring Kanye: "Put On".

"when the Jesus pieces can’t bring me peace…"

Didn't I say the t-shirt was fitting?

The Passion of Kanye West: An introduction to Christianity and Pop Culture

Kanye West - Potentially (and arguably) the epitome of the ever-obscure distinction between Christianity and Pop Culture. I could most probably write a whole semesters worth of blog posts relating Kanye to this course but for the sanity of all I will refrain from doing so.

If the first lecture was any indication, I will have much to blog about here. I'd like to welcome you and encourage all sorts of discussion, stay tuned for my first blog post this weekend!