Plugged In

4 Posts authored by: Steven_Isaac
Steven_Isaac
24.jpgFrom the beginning I've watched 24. Most of the time it's been a Plugged In project—to keep tabs on a show that was pushing torture scenes into the mainstream of TV's prime time. Sometimes, though, I've found myself watching it for personal reasons, too, because as anybody who has watched much 24 will tell you, this show can grab you by the adrenal glands and refuse to let go.

 

A few minutes ago, I finished writing an update to our published TV review of 24, largely because this week's episode pushed the torture quotient so far as to be reprehensible. How in the world, even in 2010, can this stuff be on TV? I wondered as I watched series hero Jack Bauer cut, hit, burn and quite literally gut his chained adversary.

 

But it wasn't until I started doing a little Internet research to try to establish exactly what kind of acidic liquid Jack sprays onto the guy's open wounds that I came to fully realize just how damaging and dangerous this kind of open celebration of graphic violence is in our culture. We can discuss for decades all the ideas behind why Jack tortures the folks he captures, whether he should, whether it's effective, etc. We can also acknowledge that the producers of the show seem to want us to be repulsed by what Jack's doing. But the reality is that lots and lots of fans aren't grappling with sociopolitical concepts or caring a whit about "intent" while Jack's on the warpath. They're just basking in the primal passion of it all.

 

"I loved this episode," wrote a self-described Bauer Fanatic in response to a post on CNN's Marquee Blog. "Plyers, knife, acid & a blow torch. Vintage Jack Bauer torture. The last 10 minutes were by far the best of the entire season. But let's not exclude the 10 minutes prior to that. The shootout in the mall was classic. It took about 2 hours for my heart rate to calm down."

 

"WOW….. what an episode," wrote Starlett, "i was screaming at the television i couldn't believe my eyes. As sad as i am to see it end this is the perfect time to go with a bang bang bang…."

 

Ab wrote, "HE GUTTED THE ASSASSIN! That's all I got to say. Long live JACK the DARK LORD OF RAGE."

 

Megan concludes, "Jack can do no wrong. Whatever choices he makes, I fully support- including brutally torturing and killing his enemies."

 

The list of screaming praises for Jack's viciousness goes on and on—28 pages worth if you were to print them out. That's almost exactly how long my list of reasons is for why I'm glad 24 is ending.

4 Comments Permalink Jack Jumps Over the Torture ShtickTwitter Facebook Tags: violence, television, jack_bauer, 24
Steven_Isaac
EPAAwardsofExcellence.jpgSomewhere between the release of Miley Cyrus' racy new video and Iron Man 2's $128 million weekend, Plugged In learned it won the Evangelical Press Association's Award of Excellence for best online publication. Paul Asay, one of our associate editors, also earned recognition for his Not Just a Movie series we published last year. It won the EPA's Article Series category in the Higher Goals division.

 

Now, ordinarily, we'd try to pretend that awards don't mean much to us ("What, another one?" we'd sigh), but this award—coming as it did after Plugged In underwent a challenging, sometimes painful, top-to-bottom redesign—was deeply appreciated. Our team worked for months to make sure the site met our—and your—standards, and to be honest, we're still making tweaks. But we feel like we're consistently giving you some of the best information about entertainment that's available in just about the best package possible. And it seems that the EPA agrees with that assessment.

 

But as much as we'd like to continue to pat ourselves on the back, Plugged In was just one of several Focus on the Family titles to win EPA awards this year. Clubhouse Jr. won the Award of Excellence in the Youth division, and Clubhouse was given an Award of Merit in the same category. As for Higher Goals winners (it's an EPA category devoted to individual achievements), there were quite a few, so check out the complete list on the EPA website if you want to.

 

We thank the EPA for its consideration of our work. But it wouldn't mean much if people like you weren't reading what we write, and watching and listening to what we produce. The greatest honor we can receive is your loyalty. So thank you. And we look forward to years and years more of sharing with you and hearing back from you, too. That means a whole lot more to us than a boatload of "Best of" hardware.

6 Comments Permalink Where's That Horn to Toot?Twitter Facebook
Steven_Isaac

twilightabs.jpgThe line snaked around the lobby, out the door and around the corner of the theater. Music blared from competing radio stations booths.

 

There were still two hours to go before the advance screening for The Twilight Saga: New Moon started in Denver.

 

I knew it was going to be a interesting night, as much because of the people who surrounded me as the film itself. And I was not disappointed, at least not in that respect. The cheering started the moment Summit Entertainment’s logo appeared on the screen. And it was quickly replaced with screeching when Robert Pattinson, otherwise known as the vampire Edward Cullen, loped across the school parking lot to give Bella her morning kiss. He loped in slow motion, by the way, as adoring music marked the timing of his light footsteps on pavement that seemed somehow unworthy of carrying his precious weight. He loped the way you see drop-dead gorgeous girls lope down school hallways in flirtatious flicks like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and I Love You, Beth Cooper.

 

I had thought I was in for a moody ride through Bella’s broken heartedness (it’s in the second book that Edward leaves her—for her own good, of course), but I quickly realized that such emotional plot points were only going to serve as a backdrop for New Moon’s real business—getting the girls to go googly over guys’ great pecs and abs. Before it was over I’d lost count of the number of times Edward and rival Jacob had stripped off their shirts. But I don’t think the rest of the audience had. They were turning the exhibition into something of a contest to decide who was hotter. Team Edward! Team Jacob! Loudest screamers win.

3 Comments Permalink Forget About Fangs, 'Twilight 2' Is All About the AbsTwitter Facebook Tags: teens, twilight, movie, culture, film, movies
Steven_Isaac

3, 2, 1, Launch!

Posted by Steven_Isaac Oct 1, 2009

In the dark ages of 1990 when Focus on the Family launched what would soon become Plugged In, Edison’s light bulb was the light bulb, maps were made of paper, MySpace was what you violated in a crowded elevator, and even websites were, for most of us, those hard-to-reach, spider-infested corners of your basement.

 

Just a few things have changed since then!

 

The website you’re looking at right now marks our latest evolutionary—no, make that revolutionary—stride to keep you on top of that rapidly changing media world.

 

It's been almost a year since we first sat down and started seriously talking about reworking, redesigning, revamping, relaunching, reloading and adding a whole bunch of new stuff to Plugged In Online. Exhausting at times, the process has been consistently exhilarating for a whole host of reasons. But first and foremost was the idea that we could greatly improve the way we offer you advice and insight on entertainment.

 

Here's some of that advice and insight, packaged in a brand new way:

 

Plugged In Blog
A little less formal. A whole lot more interactive. (And you're reading it right now!) All of the Plugged In writers will be posting thoughts to our new blog. But the whole point is for you to join the dialogue. The more voices, the better.
 
The Official Plugged In Podcast
Hosted by Plugged In senior editor Bob Smithouser, our new audio podcast features spirited roundtable discussions among Plugged In writers—about the entertainment they're covering each week.

 

Family Room
Need to sit down for a spell and think things out? Need some specific help navigating entertainment for yourself or for your family? That’s why we’ve developed the Family Room, a place where you can explore timeless topics and access a growing archive of articles from the printed pages of Plugged In magazine (may it rest in peace!).

 

Focus on the Films
Every week Bob Waliszewski, Plugged In’s director, sits down to talk about what the latest box office hits are and how your family should react to them. Look for these short video episodes on our movie page.

 

Audio and Video Icons
You’ll notice that some of our movie and video reviews now have "Watch" and "Listen" icons next to them. Sometimes hearing about a film and actually seeing clips from it can help us get a better grip on what it’s all about. So keep an eye out for these links.

 

FIND Reviews
In most major areas of the new site we’ve placed a "Find" box in the top-right corner directly under the search box. It’s your compass as you look for whatever it is you’re looking for! Link here to try one of them out.

 

Top 10 Lists
We had a few of these on our old site, and they were so popular we’ve decided to put a whole bunch of them on our new site. Check out what other Plugged In readers are reading, along with movie box office lists, and video rental and sales lists.


So make yourself at home. Raid the fridge. And never fear, all of your favorite stuff is still here! Our movie, video, music, TV and games pages are all exactly where they should be—but with better layouts and cooler photos.

 

I think I can safely say that change is a good thing. It keeps us all young, energetic and relevant. But a few things, you can be sure, will never change: Our commitment to shining a light on the world of popular entertainment. Our commitment to telling the truth about what we encounter. Our commitment to giving you the best in Christian media discernment—information to safeguard your families and, maybe, offer a little inspiration along the way.

 

We’re pretty excited about this site. We hope you like what you see

4 Comments Permalink 3, 2, 1, Launch!Twitter Facebook Tags: music, media, discernment, tv, movie, games, plugged_in, movie_nights, family_room, up_front


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