Should Christians Use VidAngel?
VidAngel promises to clean up your media
VidAngel promises to filter objectionable content from media you consume.
For years I’ve been arguing against the use of services like VidAngel to filter content from shows and movies on the basis that we are supporting exploitation if we scrub that content but consume the media anyway. It turns out, a lot of you disagreed with me! So, let the debate begin.
Should Christians use services like VidAngel to filter media?
On Youtube one user commented: “Well, I certainly appreciate this channel and agree 100% with its' purpose and Biblical impetus. This particular subject and take is a little troubling to me. I do see the overarching message: by watching and supporting hollywood productions, even filtered, we are supporting the continued production of them. Yet, I have two issues: 1)many Christians are married to a spouse who might not be as far along in their walk. Fully Christian, yes, fully beliving the Lord, yes, but not willing to give up hollywood productions cold turkey. Not seeing the need or reasoning. Agreeing that content needs to be filtered especially from the eyes and minds of our precious kids, but not seeing elimination altogether as reasonable. In these cases, VidAngel -- a company aimed at Christians and trying hard to do us a service -- or Clearplay, in the case of what my family uses, are aw Godsend. 2)It is a mighty good tool for engaging the culture. If you have young kids, you know that lots of kid culture surrounds movies and productions and the knowledge thereof, enabling play scenarios with friends.”
Here’s the original video in question:
The crux of my anti-VidAngel argument is by watching objectionable content, even if we clean it up a bit, we are still supporting it! For example, VidAngel advertisements show me that I can now watch “Game of Thrones” by filtering out the objectionable scenes. Keep in mind, the scenes in question include rape, incest, and graphic nudity.
Multiple Game of Thrones actresses spoke of the trauma from acting out these scenes. These are young women trying to break into an acting career, and their introduction into Hollywood is nothing short of pornographic objectification! Will you support this filth by cleaning it up a bit? Would you consume small bits of poison if the drink was mostly clean? We are supporting what we consume. If we watch Game of Thrones, we are telling Hollywood to make more of the same, and they will!
One of the main reasons graphic content is so profitable in America is because so-called Christians consume it.
Ok, but what about a movie that just has foul language. Another YouTube user commented: “It would be impossible to live in this world if we boycotted everything that was nonchristian. I am excited to use a platform that will mite cussing. Now everything is full of it.”
Well, maybe you have me here if your use of VidAngel is simply to remove some words from the content you are watching. That to me seems like a valid use of VidAngel.
Other users pointed out that VidAngel produces original content that is wholesome. And I agree that we do need more content that is family friendly and not objectifying actors and actresses.
But for me, I want VidAngel to stop encouraging the consumption of exploitative content. Actress Amanda Seyfried talked about the issue of explication saying she regrets filming nude scenes at the age of 19. I’m thankful for her willingness to speak out on this. She said, “How did I let that happen? Oh, I know why: I was 19 and I didn’t want to upset anybody, and I wanted to keep my job. That’s why.”
Hollywood is taking young vulnerable women (and often men as well) and pushing them to remove their clothing for our entertainment. The pressure is on for them to get the big acting gigs. If they don’t do it, there’s no doubt someone else in line who will. Hollywood peddles in flesh of the young. Your value to them is as high as what you are willing to do on the screen, and for a young actress, what leverage would she have to say no? And what regret will they carry for the rest of their lives for letting the entire world peer at them for their own gratification?
And this is my primary point about VidAngel. If I watch the movie Seyfried is referring to, but filter these scenes, I’m still supporting her exploitation. And she is not alone. Many actresses have discussed their exploitation at young ages. I don’t want to support a Hollywood culture that pressures young women to exploit themselves for the hope of fame and fortune. Most women don’t even get the fame or fortune, but they do get the exploitation.
These women are made in the image of God and should be respected not exploited. The lines are blurred between what we call entertainment and the pornography industry. How much pornographic content would be required in a movie for you to label it porn? If an action movie contains 60 seconds of pornographic content, will you call it porn? How about 5 minutes? The objectification is the same. But maybe the actresses can live the lie that they are actually respected stars not porn actresses.
The church must stand opposed to the use and abuse of men and women in our culture. We vote with our eyeballs and our dollars. VidAngel is telling us to participate and just clean it up a bit. I reject that idea. Entertainment cannot be my idol.
Let me know if you agree in the comments below. Be sure to subscribe on YouTube for more content like this.
VidAngel promises to clean up our media content. But should Christians consume content that exploits actors and actresses even if we skip over those scenes?