The deplorable behavior Hollywood’s denizens has been the subject of stage whispers and titillating tabloid titles for decades.  I can’t imagine anyone being surprised by the latest round of revelations.  But for the sake of argument, we can pretend that no one knew.  What clues might we have?

We might start with the product.  Each year seems to bring us a new low.  Can it be such a leap to imagine that some might bring to reality the fantasies they portray on screen?  I can remember a time when the overriding theme, though often tainted, was good versus evil in some form.  Now there are no good guys.

Now for my own confession.  I’ve been watching House of Cards.  If you don’t recognize the title, It’s a Netflix series chronicling the rise  of a political power couple, portrayed by Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright,  to the office of president.  These two are ruthless and almost completely lacking in moral restraint.  No, it’s not about the Clintons, though if the more sinister stories told of them are true, theirs might have made an equally horrific tale.

I kept hearing about it, and being drawn to all things political I decided to check it out.  disgusted on one level by what I saw, I kept watching, imagining that eventually the show would live up to its title and the “house of cards” would collapse, giving these characters their due.  I guess we’ll never know.  In the wake of the scandal surrounding Kevin spacey’s sexual misconduct, Netflix has let him go.

When I heard that, I thought, “He just acted in character.”  I guess it’s ok as long as your only pretending.  I’m glad to know that there are real-world lines that not even Hollywood will cross at least not with everyone watching, but the accusations leveled at Spacey wouldn’t seem all that far fetch for his on-screen persona.  I don’t recall pederasty making an appearance in the show, but little else has been left out.

I’m not saying that every actor who plays a villain is expressing his own secret desire.  I would hope not. Otherwise we could never create a good story.  Conflict between good and evil is part of what draws us in and gives the story value.  The whole point of acting is… well… acting!

What I will do is draw on some principles expressed by Jesus to suggest that wen our lives are spent in the dumpster, we might end up part of the trash.  At the least we’ll pick up the smell.  This is applicable to all of us.  We blame Hollywood for what comes out of it.  We fail to decry with equal vigor the truth that they can’t cell what no one will buy. We blame Movies and TV for corrupting our society.  I think we need to be looking in the mirror and asking some hard questions.

³⁴ “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. ³⁵ “The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. ³⁶ “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. ³⁷ “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:34-37 NASB)

… ¹⁸ “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. ¹⁹ “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. ²⁰ “These are the things which defile the man…” (Matthew 15:18-20 NASB)