Just last week, I participated in a time-honored tradition of the Halloween season: a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show
If you don't know what Rocky Horror is...Go find a copy. No, I mean find a copy right now. This article will still be here when you return, I can wait...
Sweet, your back. Now, some of you may be wondering how this movie, even with its memorable songs, has been the LONGEST RUNNING FILM, continuing to be shown in theaters across the globe since its premier in 1975. For a film that's relatively cheesy and definitely a cult classic, how has it become so ingrained in our culture?
The answer may be found with this:
You see, Rocky Horror is not a film, but an experience. In a crazed, love-hate sorta way, the audience goes from dressing up and singing/dancing along with their favorite scenes one moment, to openly mocking it the next by yelling jibes at the screen.
The more you watch (or attend these events), you start to find a sort of religious experience behind them. A mass of people from different walks of life coming together for a common purpose that flourishes with emotional excitement, joining from many into a solid whole?
Which leads me to ask this: Why is Rocky Horror more of a religious experience than Church?
Here are a few reasons, to which I hope will be picked up by the faith community:
1. Rocky Horror Invites All
Though improving, religion hasn't had the best of relationships with certain people, namely the LGBTQ community. Now, at least in the case of Christianity, I feel that this is more cultural than religious (which I hope to go into in a future article), but even with that out of the way a lot of people don't enjoyed being self-righteously bible-thumped about their personal problems. Rocky Horror on the other hand, accepts that we are all flawed. Even the narrator has issues (WHERE THE HECK IS HIS NECK???).
The film broadcasts two huge dangers in life: being obsessed in portraying yourself as perfect and being obsessed with pleasure. Brad and Janet are so repressed that they explode with desire when given the chance, whereas Dr. Frank N. Furter cares so much about his own satisfaction that he destroys and ends the lives of others without a care. Essentially, you are taught a lesson without being removed from the experience all-together.
2. The Music
While I can't speak for all Churches, I don't think I speak alone in saying that a decent amount of religious music is stolid. To the point and reliable in message, it also tends to lack emotion, and can fail to grasp the heart of the listener. Even worse is Christian as a music category (Christian Rock, Christian Rap, Christian Pop). I'm sorry, but just because you throw the word God or Jesus into a rip-off, carbon-copy song with lyrics written by a marketing hack, it doesn't make it good. In all honesty, profiting off cookie-cutter garbage which you use to exploit people's beliefs is more egregious than some of the critiques being spouted by fire and brimstone preachers. Even Rocky Horror wasn't safe from the horrors of the "mass-market."
A well polished turd indeed, yet still a turd.
It doesn't have to be this way though...
All amazing. Even those who aren't religious can enjoy these songs; they aren't great because of their religious themes, but instead because of their intensity and passion. Now am I saying that we should be rapping and screaming along with the choir during service? Not necessarily (though if you get the right people together, how awesome would that be). I don't see how moving towards something like the below example however (outside of the large amount of people), should be so difficult.
3. Audience Partici...pation
Many of us that were brought [forced] to go to Church when we were little remember the following formula: sit down, shut up, kneel or recite when asked, sing if you want, and don't fall asleep. It's not supposed to be fun, but its necessary. If your a good little kid, maybe you can have a snack in the recession after.
Now I'm sorry, but the more I read and look into it, the more I see that religion is supposed to be a personal and meaningful experience. One in which you are forced to ask big questions, give your own ideas, and come together as a community. It's a connection with that which is beyond you, not a study in assembly-line style memorization.
In Rocky Horror, you aren't asked to sing and dance, your expected to. Your whole purpose in coming is for that sake. You wanna get involved and be lifted by the spirit of the event and when everyone gets involved, it does just that. Even the call-backs have their value. They point out the issues that people have with the film, yet are still reverent to it as a whole. Plus, if done in the right way, it can be a learning experience. Imagine if you were able to question the priest/pastor/preacher during church. Bring up problems you have with a reading/current event, or even just an idea that came to you. Seeing that they were good at their job, I feel that this transition from lecture to discussion will allow people to feel like they're actually involved, and even inspire future sermons. One of the reasons Rocky Horror is so awesome isn't just the reciting with the crowd, creative additions that keep people engaged and on their toes.
Believe in a day in which religion (as well as philosophy, for those who aren't religious) can be a major and impacting force in everyone's life. For all that disagree (as well as agree), I leave you with a sermon that's hard, if not impossible, to nod off during:
