Vying for Your Attention

Psalm 101 says this:
1 I will sing of lovingkindness and ^ajustice, To You, O LORD, I will sing praises. 2 I will ^bgive heed to the ^cblameless way. When will You come to me? I will walk within my house in the ^dintegrity of my heart. 3 I will set no worthless thing before my eyes...  Thousands of influences compete for your attention each day & we can choose to think on God or on the multiple impressions that distract.  It was a spirited contest last night - talented artisans were engaged in a titanic struggle - a high-stakes fight to the top.   And the football game wasn't bad, either.   Yes, the ad wars sometimes seem to get more attention than the players on the field - and with a star-studded lineup and some glimpses of creativity...along with plenty of money - this became a larger-than-life storyline.   Celebrities included Clint Eastwood, Matthew Broderick, and Jerry Seinfeld, along with dogs, polar bears, and babies.   And, there was an unfortunate emphasis on the risque, such as the ads from a certain Internet company whose ads rank near the bottom of USA Today's AdMeter.   Oh, and by the way, according to that publication:

...the research gurus at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire...have been analyzing Super Bowl ads for more than two decades. They've found that spots with sexual imagery take a 10% hit in "likability" vs. ads without racy images.

"As a basis of comparison, imagine if you were a comedian and you knew your audience felt sexy jokes were 10% less funny than regular jokes," says Chuck Tomkovick, the marketing professor who oversees the study. "You'd tell them very judiciously."

While some of the biggest Super Bowl advertisers have spent millions on ads that exude sexual imagery, most viewers actually prefer to see ads with kids or animals. "The more you put sex in an ad, the less it is liked," Tomkovick says. "It's like using Botox but not having it work out."

And, Hollywood movies skew strongly toward less family-friendly fare:

According to The Numbers, a box office website, Hollywood released 205 R rated movies in 2011 but only 184 in 2009, and 193 in 2010. Yet, the average R-rated movie in 2011 made only $10.8 million in 2011, compared to $12.6 million in 2010, and $14.9 million in 2009.

In comparison, G-rated movies averaged $34.6 million in 2011 when 18 G movies were released, $56.6 million in 2010 when nine G movies were released, and $19.9 million in 2009 when 15 G movies were released.

"That means G-rated movies can make up to three or five times as much money as R-rated movies," Dr. Ted Baehr of Movieguide pointed out. "They also far outperform R-rated movies on DVD and Blu–Ray."

As Christians, we have to be aware that material that violates our values and contradicts the character of Christ is prevalent in our culture.   And, the enemy of our souls wants to use those and a host of other messages to distract us, to draw our attention away from the things that are most important - such as God and His Word, His presence, His love for us, and how He desires to be glorified in us, just to name a few.  And, we see that as an important mission for Faith Radio, to provide a media alternative that can help strengthen you in your walk with Christ.