Eric's Ruminations

Finally someone does a blog on a show that I have actually seen as well as on an episode that I have actually seen.  Thank you, Seth.  However, while I agree that there is something to be said about love in this episode of House, one of the things that seems the most evident to me is the way the physicist genius/delivery man embodies one of the most well known Proverbs.  Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”  The physicist genius knows that pretty much everyone else is much less brilliant than he is.  As such he is almost forced to rely on himself and no one can do much to correct him.  Yet he realizes this little weakness of his and goes out of his way to make sure that he isn’t merely forced to rely on himself.  Albeit such a way of making sure you’re “dumbed down” (drinking copious amounts of cough medicine, followed by shots of vodka) is not really endorsed in the Bible, but just like the most common phrase for the Christmas season “It’s the thought that counts.”  So by medicating in such a manner, he is putting all of his trust in something beyond himself.  The medicating is both a symbolic renunciation of control and an actual renunciation of control as evidenced by the vodka.  In reality, how many people use vodka or some other kind of alcoholic beverage to gain control unless there is some Russian business man who utilizes it somehow to get a huge oil pipeline or caviar producing company or something like either of those businesses?  In truth alcohol is something that is used to “lose” control.  People who are addicted to alcohol stereotypically (its not like I know a whole lot of drunkards) use it as self medication to drown out their troubles in.  Socially, alcohol is, stereotypically again, used to loosen up socially in order to interact in a more carefree manner with other people.

            So by both symbolically and literally surrendering control, the physicist exemplifies the wisdom of the surrender of control.  When the physicist gives up control by “dumbing” himself down, he is actually happier than when he is smart.  Dumb, he had affection and a job/ way of light that he enjoys.  Smart, he was alone, did something that he didn’t particularly enjoy, and wasn’t happy.

Subject

This episode of House is based around the story of a very rich business man and his very sick son.  The business man believes that all of his wealth is correlated to his family life.  He even goes so far as to say that everything he touches turns to gold except in his family.  As his son lies near death, the billionaire businessman makes a poor business move to bankrupt him in hopes of turning his family luck around.  The billionaire ends the episode broke but with a very much alive son who Dr. House had had earlier misdiagnosed with the incurable disease prompting the poor business move.  Concurrently, two of House’s associates, Chase and Foreman, are worrying about an upcoming peer review concerning the misdiagnosis and subsequent death of an African dictator, Dibala.  In fact Dibala wasn’t misdiagnosed.  He was killed by Dr. Chase who had withheld the diagnosis after coming to believe that if Dibala lived, Dibala would continue to commit crimes against humanity in his home country.

Content

This episode can have a variety of meanings but one of the most interesting things to me is the element of trust of someone higher or a basic reliance on that higher person or being after trying to do things your own way.  Throughout the episode it seems as though the characters are always trying to solve their problems their own way but it never seems to work out.  Take the billionaire.  He starts the episode trying desperately to cure his son by throwing his money at the best doctors in hopes of curing his son.  Yet those doctors were incapable of curing his son and he was forced to turn to Dr. House.  He was forced to trust in House if he had any hope of curing his son but like so many people in real life his problem isn’t solved until after he makes the “final plunge.”

There is also the Chase and Foreman’s problem.  They are trying to explain in that peer review a discrepancy in Dibal’s case.  Chase manufactured information for Dibal and Chase and Foreman have no idea how to explain a cholesterol discrepancy.  They try every way possible to explain it but they can’t find a good explanation.  In the end it is Dr. House who provides their way out.  This has loses some Christian significance since House is aiding them in murder but it is still significant.

The idea that we can do things on our own is fairly easily exemplified in American society.  Look at our infatuation with self help books.  Whenever you have no idea how to do something, you rush to find the nearest “(subject) for Dummies.”  Just look at the prevalence of these books in stores.

Evaluation

The Bible teaches us to trust in a higher power and teaches us that we need to lean on that higher power not ourselves.  This episode has this theme in aces.  Unfortunately this theme runs into a few logic blocks when one examines how Dr. House aids Foreman and Chase in avoiding the consequences of murder.  Along with that roadblock is that people’s trust in House is basically trust in a human who’s not God (no matter how much he wants to be).

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”  This episode of House shows self dependence and solely self reliance as a negative perspective and something that should be avoided.  In much the same way the Bible teaches that we should trust in God.

Yet we in our daily lives the bible teaches that we should trust in God.  In Matthew 6:25-26, Jesus makes the point that our lives are in truth ruled by God and that we do not need to worry about our own paths.  We are not to worry and are supposed to trust in him to lead us.

I believe that Forrest Gump also has something to say whenever Forrest says “Life is like a box of chocolates.  You never know what you’re gonna get.”  Whenever he says this he is really trying to make a comment about how one is just supposed to live their life.  Forrest’s life is based on just letting things happen and not forcing himself into doing things.  In this way he almost seems to be very trusting of God.  He doesn’t worry about what happens to him after high school yet somehow he got into college.  He didn’t worry when his shrimping business starts to fail yet he keeps trying and lets what happen, happen.

Yet this movie also says something about those who don’t trust in a God to lead them in life.  Look at Jenny.  Jenny goes through her life trying to what she thinks is best for herself.  She tried desperately to be a musician which led to her working at a strip club.  She also tried to make it big in Hollywood which led to her getting involved in drugs and basically screwed up her life.  It is when she didn’t force something to happen that it happened for her benefit.  She tried to get Forrest to meet his son yet she had no expectations for Forrest to stay and raise the child.  Forrest helped to raise the child yet I personally doubt that he would have if Jenny forced him to.

God asks us to trust in him and to ask him to provide for our survival.  In Luke 12:22-26 Jesus tells us not to worry because God provides.  Also he makes the point of how worrying does absolutely for us, it doesn’t add a hour to our life.  He also points out how ravens don’t worry yet God works to help them survive.

Subject

            Troy is loosely based around the story contained in the Iliad by Homer.  For those who are unfamiliar with the Iliad, the Iliad tells the story of ancient Greece’s assault on Troy for the purpose of capturing the Greek king, Menelaus’ wife, Helen.  These events are more commonly known by the final event, the use of a large horse (the Trojan horse) to breach the walls by cunning rather than by force.  The movie Troy mainly shows the battle from the perspective of three main heroes in the battle for Troy: Hector, Paris, and Achilles.

Content

            Most of the content of the movie is based around greed and desire and the various things that the happened in the war because of greed.  In fact the entire movie is based on greed.  The cause of the Trojan War, according to the movie, was that Helen, Menelaus’ wife, was stolen by the younger Trojan prince Paris and taken back to Troy.  This action by Paris caused Menelaus to go to his older brother, Agamemnon, for help getting his wife back.  According to the movie, Agamemnon was the ruler of all Greece and Troy was an opposing force on the Mediterranean Sea.  When Menelaus went to Agamemnon, Agamemnon saw this as a way to facilitate a war which would allow him to expand his empire.  Agamemnon showed his willingness to wage war for gain with the quote “Empires are forged by war.”

            Later on it is Agamemnon’s greed/arrogance that drove Achilles from his service.  Agamemnon desired one of the slave women that Achilles and his Myrmidons had captured in the initial battle for Troy.  Due to Achilles rank as subordinate to Agamemnon, he was forced to give up the slave women that he had captured.  Because of this act of greed, Achilles refused to fight and the next day the Greek army suffered a resounding defeat.  At the end of the film Agamemnon’s greed comes back to hurt him when the slave women kills him.  This goes to show the writers’ contempt for the greed that Agamemnon displays.

            It was greed on the part of Paris that caused Menelaus to go to Agamemnon for help and it was greed on the part of Agamemnon that caused the war.  The entire Trojan War was based on the greed of two people; because of the greed, thousands of soldiers were killed and because of the Trojan horse, the city of Troy was destroyed which involved the slaughter of tens of thousands civilians.

            The concept of greed is nothing new in society.  In the present day society, especially in the early years of the 21^st century, is prevalent.  The entire economic depression that occurred in about 2008 has been attributed to companies making risky ventures for the purpose of garnering more money- in basic, greed.  Some things in the economic market that portray the greed in society are the large bonuses and salaries that CEO’s of large companies are getting even though their companies are in economic turmoil.  A CEO like this is John Thain of Merill Lynch who got a large bonus just before his company was bought out by Bank of America.

            A media example of greed is the new movie The Box which sets forth the idea of greed and the lengths a person will go to for that greed.  In that movie either someone dies and money is won or nothing happens.

Evaluation

            This movie takes a very Judeo-Christian-like attitude concerning greed.  Of the three main characters, two of them have a very negative view of greed.  Achilles has such a negative view of greed that, while instructing his apprentice, he calls Agamemnon, “…a pig of a king.”  Hector also has a negative attitude towards the greed of his brother, Paris.  After Paris and Hector left Greece to return to Troy, Hector finds out that Helen had stowed away.  Hector sees the effect that this will have on his kingdom by questioning if Paris “would you (Paris) let Troy burn for this woman?”  In essence what this is trying to show is a condemnation of greed and its effects.  This condemnation of greed is also evident in the Bible.  Proverbs 15:27 says “A greedy man brings trouble to his family, but he who hates bribes will live.”  It’s almost ironic how closely how that follows the events of the Trojan War.  Agamemnon’s brother, Menelaus, as well as Agamemnon himself were slain in the war brought on by greed.  As for Paris, his father, brother, and most of the royal household were slain by the end of the film.

Barry’s blog about the “American Ride” by Toby Keith makes note of a number of the trends in America.  He remarks about the trends of how of American society.  He examines the trends of lawsuits, plastic surgery, waste, and criticism of the music industry.

One the things that really seemed evident in this song was the prevalence of global warming statements.  In each of the choruses there is a statement concerning the ozone burning.  The song also recognizes how people don’t really care.  “Funny how the world keeps turning” shows this.  People just don’t recognize the impact they have, just look at the how little people respond to the Kyoto treaty.  Keith notes that is odd how the earth just keeps turning.

There is also in the fifth paragraph a note about how certain things are getting bigger while others are getting smaller.  Jesus is said to be getting smaller, as shown by declining church attendance, and “plasma” (referring to plasma televisions) are getting bigger.  America is really going in that direction.  Our televisions are getting bigger as our desire to be entertained increases.  The increase in the importance of entertainment is exemplified by the Apple Company’s stock almost continually increasing stock.  Apple is a company basically devoted to technology for the purpose of entertainment.  In possible correlation to this there is a shrinking in the importance of religion in the minds of Americans.  These trends almost seem to be correlated, in other words, as the importance of being entertained grew, religion shrank.

In all this song embodies some of the stereotypical trends in American society.

Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin

Lyrics:

Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!

On we sweep with threshing oar, Our only goal will be the western shore.

Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
How soft your fields so green, can whisper tales of gore,
Of how we calmed the tides of war. We are your overlords.

On we sweep with threshing oar, Our only goal will be the western shore.

So now you’d better stop and rebuild all your ruins,
For peace and trust can win the day despite of all your losing.

Subject:

This song is about Vikings and their travails from the Scandinavian Peninsula (Norway and Sweden) to various locations in the medieval age.  The song starts out with a description of their homeland (likely the volcanic island of Iceland), then proceeds to talk about some of the things the Vikings are notorious for: seafaring, plundering, and waging war with the cry of Valhalla on their lips.

Content:

The main point of this song is to establish the idea of exploring and adventure and to make that idea seem both a glamorous and carefree path.  In the first stanza after the description of the homeland of the Vikings there are two lines which really exemplify this idea.  The use of the “…Hammer of the gods will drive our ships…”  This line seems to be almost saying that the gods or that creation itself is set up for your adventure and exploration.  In the next line of the first stanza, the entire line endorses the idea of fighting and a wild life as a joyous, honorable, and carefree;  “…Crying: Valhalla, I am coming!”  Those fighting and saying this would have made it an honor and privilege to die in battle.  This carefree attitude of stereotypical Vikings is shown by Led Zeppelin as respectable and right.  The chorus about rowing with a goal is to show how the Vikings conquered and traveled with any goal that they chose and how one should also.

The paragraph after the first chorus returns to the description of Iceland.  After that description the song proceeds to show the carefree plundering aspect of Vikings—after a “glorious” battle of course—as well as how people who live in such a manner should rule over others.  When it talks about green fields and their “tales of gore,” the song portrays how Vikings and people should be carefree and just live and die as they want (in the Vikings case, fighting).  The next line makes the statement “We are your overlords” almost as if those who live in a carefree way are socially better and have the right to rule others.

The final paragraph makes the point that “peace and trust can win despite” one side always being on the losing end of the deal.  This part seems to be almost a recruiting call.  Once someone has their life back in order (the first line of the last stanza) they can live carefree and thereby join others of the carefree mentality.

This sort of carefree mentality is evident in society now as when it was created in 1970 during the period of rebellion and youth.  Currently people of society seem to live in the here and now without a care in the world.  This is evidenced by the sub-prime mortgage problem that is going on right now and by the unfettered use of credit cards.  People who had the carefree attitude of reaching for more than they are worth, bought houses that they could not afford and then when the money ran out they lost their houses.  An example in media of this mentality is the high popularity of movies like The Hangover which grossed $275 million domestically.  The film is about being carefree in Las Vegas, which is a fairly common theme being the reason for the phrase “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”

Evaluation:

This song contains a Christian truth in that there is a certain amount of carefree attitude to religion.  The last line of the first stanza talks about Valhalla and going to it.  Valhalla is the place were dead heroes went after dying in battle.  So Viking warriors lived an almost carefree live because they knew that to die in battle was to go to Valhalla, their equivalent of heaven.  Much in the same way, Christians don’t really fear death since they realize that they are going to a better, honored place.  The Bible verse of Luke 12:22-26 and 29-30 speak to this idea, that there is a life that can be lived with fewer cares because religion and a belief in Christ is there as a safety net.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” Luke 12:22-26

“And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.” Luke 12:29-30

These verses all allude to the concept that God is there to provide and that you should live a lifestyle that is somewhat without worry if not exactly as the song indicates (pillaging and plundering).

This song bears elements of truth in that it does not cover up the things committed by the Vikings.  It shows the actual facts: that Vikings did sail westward, landed in Greenland and Newfoundland, and that they did commit atrocities in battle.  The song doesn’t disregard such acts, and unfortunately begins to glorify in them for the passion of the Vikings, but the fact remains that the song never once denied violence on the part of the Vikings making it truthful in showing some of the brutality of humanity.  The Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin shows some the values of both Christian and secular society as some of the intrinsic values of humans.