Yes, great thread!
Like an iceburg, these videos only show a small part of "witness life and culture"
Has anyone noticed the JW movies are trying to normalise their lifestyle?
by truthseeker 30 Replies latest jw friends
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EyesOpenHeartBroken
I don't know about normal....the 2 sons in the Prodigal Son movie were pretty old to still live at home and looking to dad and mom for approval and answers, especially the older brother. My still in husband said "So the older son is like the 40 year old virgin or something, no wonder the younger one wanted to get outta there."
Totally agree with everyone here about the portrayal of the family's financial status being misleading. That's probably only an accurate portrayal of about 20% of the JWs I have known in the US, let alone worldwide.
Oh, and what about the 1950s housewife having a home cooked dinner on the table right at 5:00 when dad walks in from finishing a day in his unrealistically successful carpentry business. I don't think that has been "normal" for at least 3 or 4 decades.
The portrayal of working in an office in the city was also pretty funny, obviously scripted by someone who has never worked outside the walls of bethel.
My hubby and I actually laughed about how not normal everything in the video was.
It actually seemed more Stepford utopian to me, but I do agree the recent videos are an attempt to project an image of prosperity and balance among the JWs.
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Spiral
This is a great thread! I can't stomach watching those movies all the way through but I think it's entirely possible that they are trying to "normalize" their appearance - somewhat. Of course, they don't really know what "normal" would be.
In my area I would say the elder body is most middle class (left overs from those good economic years where you could actually make a living on one income) and those ones are old (75+).
There is one younger elder and two (or three?, not sure) MS that are younger, and they are poooooooor as church mice. The younger elder is in his 50s and pretty much never left home. (sad) A couple of other brothers who are trying to be MS are poor.
What pioneers we have are all poor, on assistance and just making by in old cars.
But poverty doesn't look very good in a movie, does it? I have had people tell me that all JWs are cleaners or window washers (and this was not in a positive way), so it makes sense that they would want to move away from that stereotype.
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Nitty-Gritty
@ Truthseeker
These movies ARE for JWs, nothing to impress outsiders. The fact is, JWs do do "normal" things, I don't know what you did when you were a JW, but all the families I know are pretty much like this.
You should also watch "What is True love" and "these words....must be on your heart".
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stuckinarut2
Are you counting your time while preaching on this forum nitty-gritty? -
ToesUp
"JWs do do "normal" things, I don't know what you did when you were a JW, but all the families I know are pretty much like this."-
Nitty-Gritty is right JW's do normal things, for example, in our old hall Elders had their kids in college (even getting up on stage ready the anti Education Watchtower). Oh yeah...we also had one cheating on his wife. Oh yeah...and one with a violent temper.
That's right Nitty-Gritty they do normal things. Normal things for JW's ....BLATANT HYPOCRITES!
I guess we will hear you reply: "They are imperfect men." I'm so sick of hearing that one!
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dozy
Where I live ( UK ) it is a bit of a mixture. There are the well-off JWs living comfortable middle class lives in large suburban houses like those in the videos but they are somewhat the exception ( and would generally be regarded as a bit materialistic ).
Most of the working JWs have fairly mundane jobs. Perhaps 30% are window cleaners - you only need to see the car parks at the conventions to see all the cars with ladder racks and ( sometimes ) vans with logos etc. I guess the video maybe is fairly stereotypical of a better off part of the USA - the WTBTS has always been essentially an American religion..
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truthseeker
@NittyGritty
I didn't have a normal life growing up in the "troof".
Yes, JWs do normal things, I have no issue with that. What I have issue with is that all the controversial beliefs that make JWs "unique" are missing from these movies.
There is no discussion of the time of the end or the urgency of the times we live in. Many times, there has been counsel from the platform to talk about "spiritual things" after the meetings.
I did see the movie What is True Love - it is very professionally made and it's easy to see the cult-indoctrinated thinking processes used to make this movie.
If one was not a JW, then one could get the appearance that JWs are reasonable people with high moral standards.
What is missing from this movie is that even when a brother or sister gets baptized they are still not considered approved to date a baptized member in the congregation and they cannot sit next to them at the Kingdom Hall until they are engaged. Everything has to be done in groups yet you see Liz and Zach having coffee together by themselves.
The movies are impressive and so is the psychological manipulation.For example, in an effort to appear reasonable, Zach asks Liz what does she want to do besides pioneering. She responds that she would like to take a few classes. I don't know anyone who says they want to take a few classes. Usually, at the very least, someone wants to work towards an associates degree, if that is permissible, depending on their parents view and whether there dad is an elder or nor. Some might go the full course and get their bachelor's degree. I know of noone who took a few classes in anything. The whole point is to be qualified in something where it's vocational or academic and at the very least certificate programs take about a year to finish and are full time.
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truthseeker
@Dozy,
I grew up in West Sussex.
The kind of lifestyle shown in the Prodigal Son movie is out of the reach for most, though to be fair, in the What Is True Love movie, Liz and her parents are living in an apartment. I presume this movie is filmed in New York?
My hall was a mix of well-to-do families who had nice homes and money and manual blue collar workers plus the assortment of pioneers supported by middle class parents and then there were the welfare mums.
Given the housing situation in the UK right now, it is almost out of reach for anyone to buy a home. Most do the shared ownership thing and pay a subsidized rent in addition to their mortgage to be able to afford anywhere half decent.
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truthseeker
What I am trying to say is to the outside, the movies make JWs out to be reasonable people living ordinary lives. There is nothing about them that appears radical or different.
It's only when you become a JW that you know the truth about them, the discouragement of higher education, the blood issue, reaching out to pioneer after high school, the stressed urgency of the times we live in, "are we giving Jehovah our best?" and the kicker, "we may have to obey direction that is not reasonable from a human standpoint."
The movies give a sanitized view of witness life.