Taylor Swift’s Latest Map and Mirror
I was already spending my week thinking deeply about music when a friend texted me yesterday to suggest that I give a listen to Taylor Swift’s just-released latest, starting with the song “Guilty As Sin”. . . which is titled…
Read More
Marketing As Map And Mirror. . . Three Ads To Deconstruct Christianly. . .
Nobody ever asked me, but if they did happen to challenge me to come up with a first-thought one-word response to the word marketing, I would probably respond with either powerful or pervasive. It’s both, and with experts estimating that the average American encounters…
Read More
Media. . . Body Image Map and Mirror for Our Kids. . .
If you ever sat through any of our CPYU training on the power of media, marketing, and music, you know that we refer to culture as both a “map” and a “mirror.” Another way we say it is that culture…
Read More
Liar, Liar, Song on Fire. . .
This morning, I’m thinking about music. . . a map and a mirror as we say here at CPYU. I’m thinking about music because I’m concerned about how music. . . along with everything else our kids marinate in during…
Read More
Marvel’s Gay Spiderman
Here at CPYU, we are continually reminding you that youth culture is both a map and a mirror. As a mirror, cultural artifacts reveal the current beliefs that are shaping the behaviors of our children and teens. When you watch…
Read More
GAYLE’s “abcdefu” – A Pop Music Discipleship Tool. . .
What is 17-year-old music sensation GAYLE teaching to our kids? What is 17-year-old music sensation GAYLE teaching us about our kids? Those are two very important questions that we’ve always been passionate about answering here at CPYU regarding any pop…
Read More
Let’s Get Ready For Halftime! . . .
Get ready for this year’s “Pepsi Halftime Show.” It’s become such a big deal that many viewers hush the room and call everyone to attention when the first two-quarters of play end and the halftime show gets ready to begin. …
Read More
Hey Kids. . . Let Your Heart Be Your Guide. . . Nope. . .
Generally speaking, I have regrets about the times I let my emotions take the reins from my brain. I’m also thankful for the times when God would graciously intervene in some miraculous way to derail my emotions and save me…
Read More
Lil Nas X and the VMA Video of the Year. . . Is This Who We Are? . . .
MTV’s Video Music Awards happened last night. Did you happen to watch? I didn’t. The annual show used to be must-viewing for me. When MTV was relevant and the internet was either non-existent or nowhere near as pervasive as it…
Read More
What’s New At School? Reading, Writing, and Gender Education. . .
Middle School. They tore mine down a few years ago. In some ways I was sad to see it go. But as a monument to our shared pre-teen and early-pubescent vulnerabilities and insecurities, seeing that school reduced to rubble was…
Read More
Is Olivia Rodrigo’s Influence “good 4 u”? . . .
I don’t think I can remember anything like this in the world of popular music. Olivia Rodrigo, an 18-year-old actress, singer, and songwriter pre-released her first single off her debut album back in January. . . just a little over…
Read More
Cardi B, WAP, And Our Kids. . . Some Thoughts. . .
So the female rapper Cardi B has us all thinking. She’s got us all talking. And as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most-Influential-People of 2018 (labeled by Time in that list as a “pioneer”), her latest single release has landed…
Read More