Here is an interesting take on religion from 2 viewpoints as written in 2 different articles, on the same speech by Matthew McConaughey Sunday night at the Oscars: ARTICLE #1 from CBS news site: It turns out Matthew McConaugheys hero is himself, a few years down the line. In accepting the best actor Oscar for his role as Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club on Sunday, McConaughey, 44, said he needs three things in his life to survive: God, family and someone to look up to as a hero. When he was 15, the actor said, he decided that hero would be himself in 10 years. Ten years later, he pushed the deadline back another decade. Then another decade. My heros always 10 years away, the actor said in a gracious acceptance speech. Im never going to attain that. That keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing. After thanking God, his wife and children, his mother and his late father, he offered up something else long-time fans have been waiting to hear this Oscar season: All right, all right, all right. NOW... Read this article called Oscar is not Religious, brought to you by a snarky Huffington Post writer: Like a politician selling a new initiative, McConaughey opted for three talking points; he started with them and he came back to them at the end. Preaching to a room that was decidedly not the Choir, he urged us each to identify three essential things: What you look up to; What you look forward to; and Who you deem your hero. And that is when the narcissistic rant commenced. He looks up to God. He looks forward, every day, to his wife and kids. And quite amazingly, his hero is, and has been since he was fifteen, himself. We should pause to consider the reasoning here, if that is what it was. McConaughey began by giving all praise to God, because his own career demonstrates the hand of divine guidance and care so clearly. He couldnt have done this on his own. In other words, much like the quarterback praising God for a victory, he invites us to assume that God wanted him to win... not the faithless other guy. His fellow nominees -- Christian Bale, Bruce Dern, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Chiwetel Ejiofor -- might well wonder what he meant. He did not help sell his gospel with a single collective and condescending summation of all their work, noting that he had not detected a single false note in any of their performances. Indeed not; he saved that for himself. The most startling claim, though, was the last one. When asked by a mentor who his hero was at the age of fifteen, McConaughey cited himself... ten years hence. At age twenty-five, he was asked again; once again, his hero was himself, another decade in the future. And so on. In this view, his entire life will be constituted by a narcissistic self-pursuit, one sanctioned by the God who has already apparently blessed his endeavors. Let us hope that McConaugheys silly spiritual self-promotion will prompt a new consensus about keeping religious rant off stage as well. This writer obviously doesnt get what MM meant when he kept moving his hero aspirations continually ahead of himself... striving to be a better person and never quite attaining it, but never giving up. As if this is a bad goal - to be a hero! I once jokingly asked my husband, whats with men and their fascination with cartoon heros (Batman, Superman, Spiderman). He told me (very seriously) that men admire heros and that every man wants to be a hero, especially to his wife and family. This writer got so angry when MM mentioned God that everything else he heard was tainted by his anger, and he slanted his article to support that anger. And I find it so odd that he thinks actors thanking God in public is so unusual... does he live under a rock? Just like his contempt for Christian athletes who thank God - he doesnt like it so they are wrong when they do it. And worse yet... saying there was something wrong with MM for not paying tribute to the losers. Yes, I said it, losers. Fine actors? Yes! Winners of the coveted Oscar Sunday night? No! This was MMs night and HIS Oscar! His winning speech to give. Yet this writer wont allow him to relish in his victory. Its the PC everybody is a winner! mentality, and if you dont acknowledge that, there is something wrong with you. This is an example of the war on God AND the war on achievement going on in America today. Ill end my soapbox with this personal story, one I think I told before but bares repeating: When my son was around 12 he was cleaning out his room. I saw his t-ball trophy in the hefty bag. I took it out and asked him something like, why are you throwing this away? He replied, mom, everybody on the team got one. It doesnt mean anything. 5 years later, same kid sits in his room playing Dubussys Arabesque over and over for hours non-stop, day after day, in hopes of winning the coveted last performance slot at the upcoming piano recital at school. THAT meant something! He almost won the slot and came in second, and any time I watch his performance, Im reminded that competition leads to success (and mediocrity kills it). Funny how a 12 year old understands what a 40something writer doesnt.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 10:26:42 +0000
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