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Why you (and your daughter) should see Katy Perry’s movie.
25 Posted in Gal Stuff
Well, at least my title was succinct. I’m known for my economy of words.
A few weeks ago, some friends and I loaded up and headed to see Katy Perry’s movie Part of Me. I’m a fan of the music documentary- especially pop musicians. If you haven’t seen Never Say Never – the documentary about the Biebs- do it.
The movie was in 3D which is annoying to me, but more annoying to my friend Nichole because she has a tiny head and the glasses slide down.
But it was a really good movie. I laughed. I cried. I sang along. I loved it.
And after seeing the movie, I have to say- I think you should see it. And I think you should take your teenage girl to see it.
The language isn’t all appropriate, and I’m not saying that I think you should watch the movie because every decision should be mimicked. Please don’t hear me saying that.
I think you need to watch the movie WITH your teen daughter because you need to talk about it.
Here’s why:
Katy was raised in a evangelical Christian home, even spent years writing music as a Christian artist. But she had questions and desires to make art outside of that box. It appears she felt trapped, y’all. Trapped in a religion and faith that she loved but felt confined by.
Is she right? Is she wrong?
You know what? That’s not the question.
The question is: Is your daughter feeling the same things in your home?
THAT is the question.
Katy, who I think would say she is a believer, married a non-Christian. During the film, you watch their genuine love for each other fall apart and lead to divorce because of distance and time and who knows what else.
Somebody needs to talk to your daughter about that. About choosing a career, choosing a husband, choosing a life.
Did Katy make the wrong choice? Did she make the right choice? Again, not the question and frankly, not our business.
The question is: How is your daughter going to process similar decisions that will come?
THAT is the question.
Watching this sweet girl go from a mediocre Christian musician to worldwide absolute superstar led to many-a-convo in our friend group about what happens when someone leaves their belief system and then becomes a mega-celebrity. Right? See the question there?
Your daughter is thinking about that. Or the girls in your small group are. They are wondering why Katy hit the big time after she walked away from Jesus, they are wondering why she cries when she has everything the world could offer, they are wondering where she stands in her faith.
We can’t have all those answers. But we can talk about it. Conversations with teenagers don’t always require solutions- sometimes just sharing sentences is solution enough.
Let me tell you this, I’m a Katy Perry fan. In fact, I hope that we become friends one day. I don’t know where she stands in her faith and I know that this is a movie that is meant to make you a bigger Katy Perry fan and tell you her side of the story. I get all of that.
But on another level, this is about a girl who was raised in a evangelical Christian home, maybe a lot like yours, and she shares the inside track on why that didn’t work for her.
That’s some serious stuff, y’all.
I know it is hard to talk to your gal about this kind of stuff. So we adults probably owe Katy a big thanks [and a movie ticket purchase] for making the kind of documentary that creates common space to talk for Christian women and Christian teen girls.
I think, when watched together, the movie can open a lot of conversations in your home that your teen daughter probably is wanting to have with someone. Why not you?
. . . . .
Have you seen Part of Me? What do you think?
