Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March”

Whenever I think of the word “marriage,” Mendelssohn’s famous “Wedding March” immediately pops up in my head. Every time I go to a Chinese wedding I can expect to hear this song being played when the bride walked down the aisle. At the same time, I have often wondered why the newly wed couple chose this song out of all the (Chinese) songs they could have chosen. Ritual: I believe the six-letter word answers that question of mine. Livingston explains that “rituals are found in every human community and are a primary means of social communication and cohesion, [thus] a religious ritual [is] defined as an agreed-on and formalized pattern of ceremonial movements and verbal expressions carried out in a sacred context” (Sacred Ritual, 98). According to Livingston’s definition of religious rituals, Mendelssohn’s Wedding March is automatically associated with marriage rites because the song has become a formalized pattern frequently used during marriage ceremonies.

After doing a bit of research I discovered that this song was an incidental piece of music performed in 1842 as part of Shakespeare play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A couple used Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” for their wedding in 1847, but it was not until 1858 that it became popularized. The song was a recessional to the famous marriage between Princess Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise of the United Kingdom and Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia (PBS.org) in 1858. From that moment on, Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” became a formalized pattern in countless weddings in the English-speaking world. Thus, it was a little less than a 160 years ago that Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” became a medium that transformed “ordinary spaces like [outdoor venues] and [banquet halls] into extraordinary settings experienced as sacred ground” (Laderman, 42). Laderman describes how music does this by “inhabiting and altering the body” (27). Music, such as Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March,” is more than just what one hears because it helps fulfill basic human needs of emotional and social want, such as going to weddings expecting to be a part of a larger social interaction group. By playing Mendelssohn’s famous march, every couple is emphasizing how important marriage is as an institution. Similar to how National Hymns are symbols of a country and all of its history, this march represents all of marriages and what it presents. Of course, one could ask oneself how much longer this tradition is going to last. Will millennials continue to play Mendelssohn at their weddings, or will there be a “new” wedding march?

Celebrity Worship=Self Worship?

Celebrity icons arouse the religious passions of followers in modern society who find spiritual meaning, personal fulfillment, and awe-inspiring motivation in the presence of these idols (Laderman, 64). Even though Laderman uses the words icon and idol interchangeably, there is a slight difference between them. In the Christian world, an icon is the representation of the divine, whether it is a portrait of Jesus, Mary or biblical stories, that provides a way to communicate with God. An idol is an object that replaces God and becomes worshiped itself. Celebrity icons and idols somewhat relate to these like religious terms. A celebrity becomes an icon if we simply want to be as successful or virtuous as them; and an idol if we start revering and glorifying them through different rituals. Nonetheless, celebrities play a the role of “spiritual” leaders, icons and idols, that move people to action and contemplation through their personal life stories that become the sacred canon about how to live one’s life.  

Americans look to the stars for guidance and inspiration, intimacy and ecstasy- powerful motives that bear on the sacred and can transform entertainment into revelation, escapism into liberation, and mortals into gods (Laderman, 72). Celebrities have the power to provide sacred meaning to our lives, instill power and liberation through otherwise profane actions of  amusement values. But how can these human beings have such a big impact on us? Clearly, celebrity worship must fulfill some of our personal needs that can’t be satisfied otherwise. Just like the simplicity of comic novels allow us to project ourselves onto them, celebrity veneration is a displacement of our deep human needs onto stars. People with low self-esteem and self-confidence look at celebrities for answers. For instance, thousands of people solve their body issues by emulating the perfect looks of the stars. This can lead to fanatic, unhealthy behavior, as in the case of Toby Sheldon who spent thousands of dollars to look like Justin Bieber.

By venerating celebrities we essentially venerate ourselves. Toby Sheldon idolizes Justin Bieber, but because of the plastic surgery, doesn’t that imply that he also idolizes himself? There’s something about human beings that makes them want to be worshiped celebrated and loved. To be a celebrity does not necessitate the possession of deep moral values, the attention of the media is enough to put anyone on that level. Celebrity worship thus provides an easier alternative to the established religions because the profane desire for material things, perfect bodies and achievement of fame is stronger than the hard path of acquiring sacred spiritual values.

Celebrity Worship: A Natural Human Trait

           Popular culture places a great deal of emphasis on celebrity worship. Whether it is a movie star, an athlete, or simply a Kardashian, there is no denying that there is something that draws society to consume every juicy little piece of gossip about these celebrities. Often this yearning and devotion takes on religious proportions. Laderman describes this phenomenon as a “rather secular version of more authentic religious devotional practices, a displacement of a deep human need onto stars rather than saints” (76). Considering how widespread celebrity culture is, it seems there is some sort of inherent aspect of human nature that is conducive to following celebrities.

            While the age of social media and the 24-hour news cycle has certainly heightened the level of celebrity worship, it is by no means a modern invention.  In past ages without the big screen or Twitter, people turned to other celebrities to follow. Royalty and monarchs were a sort of celebrity, whose social circles and dress set trends throughout society. For example, before Queen Victoria wedding dresses were often colorful and made from heavy materials. However, after she made the unusual choice of wearing a white gown for her 1840 wedding, it quickly caught on and is still the norm to this day (Flock). Considering both the modern and historical patterns of celebrity worship, it becomes evident that this practice is truly ingrained in human nature. Why is this?

            Firstly, there could be evolutionary reasons for this practice. Humans are social animals with important social hierarchies, and being aware what people of high status are doing helps you navigate this hierarchy. Even further, by observing and replicating the behaviors of the elite, it might elevate your own social status. From a more psychological approach, it could simply serve as an escape from the mundane of everyday life. The fact is most people fall into daily routines that often become tedious or dull. Modern celebrities have flings, lavish parties, and drama. It’s a social life most of us don’t have, and by reading the tabloids and following our favorite star, they serve as vessel to vicariously live through.

Outside Source: 

Flock, Elizabeth. "Queen Victoria was the first to get married in white", Washington Post. 29 April,        2011. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/royal-wedding-watch/post/queen-victoria-was-the-        

first-to-get-married-in-white/2011/04/29/AFIYPmDF_blog.html

Why We Love Celebrities

The advent of mass media has ushered in with it,  an era of  idolizing celebrities. From Kim Kardashian to Lebron James, our media is saturated with the lives of seemingly divine figures. A simple channel surf showcases the fascination with the separate and distinct sphere of lives that regular people cannot enter into. "Laderman argues, celebrity fame is "a pervasive and powerful force in modern society, magnetizing and tempting millions of people... a historically unique, curious, cultural phenomenon (74). While this phenomena has been amplified in modern times, it is not exclusive to the 20th century. But why do we have such a fascination and desire to emulate celebrities?  


The appeal of celebrities develops from a long history of aspiration and a desire to escape from the mundane.Just like other types of myths, celebrities provide the possibility of excitement and escape for the average person. Celebrities appear to risen above the commonality of "normal" people, instead they are living the ideal life. One of the earliest celebrities" was Richard I of England or the Lionheart.  Richard was a central Christian commander/king during the Third Crusade. He scoring considerable victories against his Muslim counterpart, Saladin. Though he didn't capture Jerusalem, his legacy became a folk legend.  Richard I legacy not only created idolization in his time, but far into the 20th century and even a slated 2014 release of a King Richard movie. Celebrities represent a myth of what humans could be. Unlike saints, and hero myths, celebrities are human. Though they are separated by vast talent and resources (Richard ate a Lion's heart for its power), there is a fundamental similarity between the common person and celebrity. This allows a desire for emulation to exist in a way it cannot for a saint or hero myth. As Laderman argues, Idolization of celebrities is a, “rather secular version of more authentic religious devotional practices, a displacement of a deep human need onto stars rather than saints” (76). " 

Living through Celebrities. Can there be an Upside?

      Laderman asserts that celebrity fame is "a pervasive and powerful force in modern society, magnetizing and tempting millions of people... a historically unique, curious, cultural phenomenon." Curious the phenomenon is indeed. Why are humans driven to obsessively follow and emulate celebrities? They are our fellow human beings, set apart only by the fact that their faces, words, and opinions are broadcasted across the nation due to their success in film, music, and sports careers. The idea that this phenomenon is "historically unique" is not accurate. In his chapter Laderman traces the roots of our current celebrity fascination. In the 17th century saints were idolized. Their stories provided a type of myth in which they were the heroes performing miraculous acts. In today's society, celebrities have replaced the saints as the heroes and it the media's re-approporation of their lives as myths that explains our obsession.
     Just like mythical and apocalyptic movies, celebrities provide the possibility of excitement and escape for the average American. Celebrities have personal relationships with clothing designers, professional makeup artists to enhance their natural beauty, access to trendy restaurants... the list goes on. Celebrities, so it seems, are living the dream and through them, we can realize our fantasies. In the midst of her monotonous weekly routine, the suburban housewife can find an escape in the tabloids at the local Stop & Shop. This experience is even more thrilling than a movie because it is more tangible. These are real living people who were born in average households just like the rest of us. Their rise to fame provides inspiration that we too can achieve fabulousness. Although not likely, I could go on a reality TV show and have all of my dreams realized as was the case with Kelly Clarkson, Kim Kardashian, Honey Boo Boo, and Snooki. Religious idols may offer spiritual and morel guidance, but we cannot relate to them as we can celebrities. We begin to rely so heavily on these connections however, that it becomes difficult to separate our lives from theirs, reality from fiction. Numerous BuzzFeed articles and Facebook posts appeared in the wake of Ryan Gosling's engagement announcement as thousands of hopeful girls across the country faced the harsh reality that their (imaginary) romance with the star was officially over. People shed tears over a celebrities passing as if they were close personal friends. Many even have surgery to adopt a celebrity's physical features.

        Overall, society's increasing fascination with celebrities has been viewed as a devolution. Among all of this criticism, is it possible to uncover any positive effects? As Laderman notes, celebrities can serve as our moral compasses. Just as we idolize them, we scrutinize their unethical behavior. When celebrities are caught stealing, doing drugs, and getting in car accidents is it widely publicized, often resulting in lost contracts and endorsement deals. Celebrities can also use their power to promote charities and social awareness campaigns, so much so that it has almost become an expectation. The billions of dollars and countless hours celebrities dedicate to these causes is certainly admirable. The only question is, are they doing it for the right reasons? In the end, these charitable acts just further further improve their image.  In fighting AIDS and adopting children from Africa celebrities earn one more reason to be idolized. They appear almost saintly.

Why We Worship

Why is that masses and masses of people devote themselves to celebrities? What does the individual take away from celebrity worship?

       In Sacred Matters, Gary Laderman attempts to answer these questions. He equates celebrity worship and religion: “…but not really religion – rather a secular version of more authentic religious devotional practices, a displacement of a deep human need onto stars rather than saints…” (Laderman, 76). A critical aspect of Laderman’s argument is the notion that the underlying principle behind both types of devotional practices is “a deep human need”. There is a human desire that underlies ritual practices, but as Laderman suggests, this need may not be inherently tied to religion. Perhaps, this desire is a fundamental component of human nature that is fluid enough to be transferred into other areas of life. So celebrity worship may be functioning religiously but both are actually a function of something far deeper.

       This need seems to operate on two levels. Firstly, it serves to connect the individual to his or her reality. Why is that people care so much about incidents like Robin Williams’ death? What is it about these celebrities that cause us to invest so heavily in their lives? On the day that Robin Williams died, I recall seeing numerous Facebook posts and articles about people’s favorite Robin Williams’s movie or how much a certain character meant to them. The popularity and widespread appreciation of celebrities make them an integral element of society. Since celebrity worship has become so pervasive, people use them as a means of establishing their cultural identity. Writing a Facebook post about your favorite Robin Williams movie may seem trivial but doing so sends a message – it says that you are a participating member of this society because you have felt and can recognize the importance of this man. You are aware of what makes this society what it is. Although it may be subconscious, it is a means of acting out identity. Just as going to church and participating in rituals is a way of performing identity. It is representative of the human need to feel connected to a community.

        The second function of this “deep human need” is orienting the individual to a divine or otherworldly realm. A connection to a world outside our own seems to be a basic human desire. People attempt to fulfill this need in a multitude of ways – religion, celebrity worship, fantasy football, and the list goes on and on. Nonetheless, the desire for a connection to a world that exists outside of our own seems to be common among many. Why do we crave this connection? What is it about reality that we feel we need an escape? Perhaps transcendence offers us the opportunity to discover aspects about ourselves that cannot emerge in reality. Elements of who we are that must be suppressed because of societal rules or expectations. It provides a sense of freedom that cannot be accessed in the mundane realities of the world. The most extreme cases of these attempts at transcendence are individuals who use plastic surgery to look like celebrities. As drastic as these measures are, they are merely reflective of the fundamental human desire to move closer to one’s perception of the divine.

The existence of false idols

Is there such a thing as worshipping false idols?

First of all, we need to establish a working definition for the word idol. According to dictionary.com idol is defined as “an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed.” Therefore, idol is correlated with worshipping a god or goddess. Considering the way the public equally worships celebrities, we could wonder whether celebrities are similar to gods or goddesses, and if so, who gets to draw that conclusion? America is currently a nation of idol worshippers ranging from music idols like Beyonce and Taylor Swift to sports idols like Derek Jeter and LeBron James. Television shows such as American Idol seek out talented “ordinary” singers that have the potential to become celebrity idols. It is evident that Americans crave idols either because they worship their body image, academic success, or athletic achievement. In other words, people “secretly yearn to be intimate with [celebrities], if not desire to actually become one of them” (Laderman, 72). Similar to worshippers of God, followers of celebrities are looking for guidance and inspiration so they can cope with their mundane daily lives. Laderman neatly sums up the outcomes of this process in that “entertainment is transformed into revelation, escapism into liberation, and mortals into gods” (72). Thus, ordinary individuals seek a spot on American Idol since the show can transform them into celebrities practically overnight. 

As of now, the reasons why people worship God and why people follow celebrities are almost indistinguishable, which brings us back to our main question: Can we compare celebrities to gods or goddesses? What differentiates the two of them? Historian Daniel Boorstin argues that what sets celebrities and gods apart is that “celebrities are media-created, ultimately empty vessels that provide only artificial, though captivating image void of real purpose or value, [whereas Gods rise above the ordinary crowd through substantive individual accomplishments and achievements that embody the highest ideals of society” (Laderman, 73). But does this mean that celebrities are just empty vessels? I personally agree with Boorstin that there is a clear distinction between God and celebrities, however, I do not agree that they are “empty vessels.” To many Americans, especially teenagers, celebrities are role models “who can give life purpose and embody a different set of ideals that many in society disagree with” (Laderman, 74). For instance the American singer Meghan Trainor released the hit song, “All About That Bass,” which challenges the current female body image norms. This song provides larger than average-sized Americans with a safe space where it is okay not to be skinny. Thus, can celebrities still be considered as false idols? To Trainor’s followers, Trainor is definitely not a false idol, but a role model. Although celebrities may not be elevated to the rank of God, they do serve as role models who are also real people, which makes them more accessible than God. 

American singer Meghan Trainor

The Resurrection of the Religious Film

            In Sacred Matters, Laderman discusses the prominence of religious themes and imagery in all kinds of mainstream films. As seen in class, even movies that seem secular often contain some sort of religious or divine imagery, which occur as early as a studio logo during the opening credits. For example, we examined the motif of a pan down from the cosmos to the actual story in Star Wars. While this is an example of a religious image, there are also deeper religious themes throughout the movie. The most obvious seems to be the idea of “The Force”, which is some sort of spiritual power that permeates the universe. Sayings such as “May the force be with you” and the zealous belief that the force will make things right are strikingly similar to the role of God in Judeo-Christian religious stories. The broad idea of the “light side” versus the “dark side” is similar to the battle between good and evil, and more specifically God and the Devil. Even further, the lure of “the power of the dark side” that Darth Vader and the Emperor continually try to push onto Luke Skywalker is reminiscent of the snake in the Garden of Eden. Underlying themes such as these can be seen in countless Hollywood films, including Disney as Laderman discusses. However, currently there is an interesting trend in popularity for openly religious mainstream films.

            Recently, there has been an increase in (blatantly) religious Hollywood movies. For example, in March Darren Aronofsky’s Noah opened number one in the box office and globally was a booming financial success. Future movies such as Exodus (based on the story of Moses), and Mary, Mother of Christ further illustrate this shift from overtly religious films traditionally being independent productions to big budget Hollywood movies. It is interesting to consider why, in the face of rising secularism, religious movies are becoming more mainstream. Is this reactionary to this rising secularism, or are we as a society simply enthralled with traditional religious stories regardless of belief?

Captain America: The First Prophet

 

In Sacred Matters, Laderman highlights the religiosity of film and the creation of the cosmos. Laderman highlights the importance of film in framing the cosmos. Laderman says, “films provide myths that frame and make sense of basic, universal dilemmas faced by finite, mortal humans and serve as touchstones for making sense in a cruel, painful world full of suffering”(9).  While reading, all I could think about is the Marvel Universe. The Marvel Universe while, action-packed and cartoonish, is filled with countless examples of religious-like transcendence. From Peter Parker being bitten by a radioactive spider and becoming Spiderman to the mutations that create the X-Men, the marvel universe showcases humans transcending human bounds and cosmic limitations. Captain America (2011) is a great exemplification of Laderman's point. Captain America begins a frail young man by the name of Steve Rogers. He is plagued by mortal dilemmas such as sickness, weakness and vulnerably. Despite this, Rogers maintains a sense of confidence and courage. The frail young man is then enhanced to the peak of human perfection by the experimental "Super Solider Serum," which transforms Rogers into Captain America.

The myth of Captain America echoes various religious myths, most notably Jesus. Like Jesus, Captain America is a man with superhuman abilities teaching humanity. As the movie title suggests, Captain America is the first Avenger. Captain America creates a legacy that defines what it means to be a superhero in the marvel universe. More importantly, he is the standard we judge both heroes and culture as the universe progresses. Like Jesus, Captain America maintains his ethos despite his transcendence. In one of the final scenes of the movie, Captain American crashes his plane into the Arctic to prevent the detonation of weapons of mass destruction. He sacrifices himself much like Jesus, in order to save humanity from suffering. Captain America maintains the American work ethic and morality that existed in Steve Rogers. Though Captain America, Moreover, he goes about his life with intimate knowledge of the moral, finite bounds of humans and attempts to limit pain in a world "full of suffering." Like many religious myths, the myth of Captain America showcases how one should behave no matter their circumstance, even if you are the first avenger. 

The Visualization of Myth

How are myths visual? Originally, myths existed only as verbal stories as they were passed down from the older generations to the new ones. With myths arrived the art of storytelling, since the myths were often stretched and enlarged according to the person that was telling them. The history of myth is thus intrinsically related to the history of human creativity and imagination. As soon as the first paintings appeared, myths started operating not just as verbal, but also as visual mediums. In today’s world, film acts as the perfect medium for the visualization of myths. It offers the perfect environment for creativity, mashup and preservation of myths. Film is also an extension of storytelling, it has the power to create identities and portray myths that construct sacred worlds. 

As Laderman writes, “films provide myths that frame and make sense of basic, universal dilemmas faced by finite, mortal humans and serve as touchstones for making sense in a cruel, painful world full of suffering, injustice and chaos” (p.9). Films, just like myths, tell us where we come from and how should we act. Their messages can be thought of as religious since they teach about order, meaning, purpose, and identity. For instance, E.T: the Extraterrestrial (1982) teaches us about the value of friendship, Into the Wild (2007) about finding happiness etc. Nonetheless, films borrow directly from existing hero, creation, journey and other myths and present them from a different perspective, in instances like The Godfather (1972)- the succession myth, Forrest Gump (1994)- journey myth and The Matrix (1999)-hero myth. Unlike a verbal story, the visual representation of a particular myth through a film cannot be changed as it stays consistent every time it gets “retold” (re-screened). At the same time, different films may portray the same myth in a different way. Film is thus a visual representation of space and time that helps preserve the sacred worlds created by myths.