Portrait of a Popular Primetime Portrait of a Popular Primetime Post-modern Pluralist:Post-modern Pluralist:

exploring and analysing religious beliefs and values through

commercial television

DAN 6th International Conference - April 2007

Lourdes Hill College

Footprint Workshop B2

You have to think hereYou have to think inside

the box

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Case Study: My Name is Earl

• Premise: Earl – rough, trouble maker who “only ever did bad things”

• Opening sequence

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My Name is Earl

• Problem - “When ever something good happened – something bad was just around the corner”

• Solution – “Do good things and good things happen.” Karma

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Exploring Karma

• Hinduism – • karma ("action" or "deed").

• Impact of previous deeds (usually in former lives) on one's current circumstances.

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Exploring Karma• Buddhism– • karma (Sanskrit, "action").  Moral law

of cause and effect in which good actions have good effects and bad actions have bad effects. A Hindu concept that was absorbed, largely unchanged, into Buddhism.

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Karma and Earl

• Actions (karma) V Beliefs • His motivations for “doing good” – he

is afraid to do bad• He develops a conscience• Earl becomes tolerant, respectful,

compassionate and just

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Earl Hickey: postmodernist? pluralist?

• Is karma Earl’s only motivation?• References to Christian God?• Forgiveness? – Is Earl’s list a way of

seeking forgiveness or a reversal or karma?

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Karma and Grace

• Karma – “do bad things and it will come back to bite you” (Earl)

• Unlike karma, Grace is undeserved. • Grace – do bad things – repent –

God forgives

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Karma and Grace

“You know what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics – in physical laws – every action is met by an equal or opposite one. It’s clear to me that…

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Grace and Karma

“…karma is at the heart of the universe. And yet, along comes an idea called grace to upend all that ‘as you sow, so shall you reap’ stuff. Grace defies reason and logic”

- Bono

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Classroom Applications

• Religion and values must be the focus, not the series

• My Name is Earl merely provides the hook or launch pad into an investigation

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Classroom Investigations

• Your Turn – How are / can you use technology as a tool to engage students in the exploration of Religious beliefs and values

• Share with your group

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Classroom Investigations

• “Propose a Christian response to… karma” (CSCF – Lutheran Education Australia)

• Comparing Karma and Grace

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Classroom Investigations

• Actions V Beliefs – What are your motivations?

• Deconstructing Earl’s beliefs and values (with reference to Religion)

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Classroom Investigations

• Exploration of the Hindu Faith

• Exploring Oppositions:• Yin / Yang• Law / Gospel• Sin / Grace• Good Karma / Bad Karma

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Classroom Investigations

• Religious Pluralism in society – Eastern thinking in Western Society

• Representations of Religion in Society

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Resources• My Name is Earl – Series 1 (DVD)• Earl’s list – • http://www.answers.com

/topic/the-list-my-name-is-earl • Official Website -

http://www.nbc.com/My_Name_Is_Earl/