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CHALLENGE

Does the frog drive you crazy?

HILARY MCDOWELL wonders what a certain ringtone and number one single says about our contemporary culture

Not being an advocate of murder myself (as a rule), I was brought up sharp this month at the formation of a new band which openly pursues it as a justifiable action.

But wait, the potential victim in question is a frog. Yes, the Kill the Frog band had in mind the slaughter of Crazy Frog whose automated singing evolved from ringtone to top of the charts in a leap which is truly astounding (even for a frog).

Declared the most irritating song in the business and harangued by the good, the great and just about everyone who has a voice on the subject, this tiny, electronic, cartoon pop star has managed to rub the nation up the wrong way. It is alleged that even the frog’s own creator hates himself for this song. Although, considering its recent surge in popularity, it must surely be a case of “crying all the way to the bank”.

What on earth, you are probably thinking, has this got to do with Word on the Street? Well, the children love the Crazy Frog and that makes me sit up and take notice. A very clever combination of characteristics endears this little, metal-sounding monster – large eyes; round baby-shaped face; the fact that he is being chased and therefore the underdog; a repetitive jingle; rhythm coinciding with the human heartbeat and, most of all, adults hate him, making him a prime candidate for teen anti-hero adoration; and child identification. Add all this to saturation advertising, and how could the frog lose?

Yet the first time I witnessed his bug-eyed stare on the television it reminded me once again just how ugly children’s heroes are now being drawn. Have you noticed how many illustrations in books, even for the tiny tots, are just plain ugly and often quite frightening, and I am not referring merely to the “bad guys”? Once a child’s world was populated with beautiful visions from Beatrix Potter, Narnia, and the like. Even the wicked witch of the North, quite obviously evil, was not as grotesque as many of her modern contemporary monsters.

St Paul encouraged his readers to focus upon “whatsoever is true, pure, beautiful” etc and we must ask ourselves: with what are we inspiring impressionable minds today? What they read and see in their formative years will be their template for art/literature/drama/poetry in the future.

I have to ask: where will the Crazy Frog and his like take us? No, I am not advocating a highbrow versus lowbrow battle, but asking whether or not we are fully aware that the continuing slide of morals and ethics around us is also mirrored in the slow decline of the expression of the beautiful and the appealing which brings joy and inspiration to the heart.

Adult cynicism about essential truths sadly has nowhere else to go but to become yet more pronounced in the arts. In saying that, I recognise that even Shakespeare wrote for the “common mob” and some of CS Lewis’ works were chided by his contemporary dons as being too popular. Nevertheless, within these popular works of art are truths that have stood the test of time.

What was the common denominator? Within all of these diverse artists was a drive to say something. Perhaps this is what irks most about Crazy Frog – why is he running? Just to support a fun jingle or an advertising tool to make money? The result of “toys for the boys” laying on the electronic wizardry to see how far the machines can be pushed? Well, push away at the standards of beauty and creativity if you will, but I still ask: how far are you prepared to push our children? Into automatons or consumers who cannot discriminate? Or those who have a void in their heart for a beauty undefiled; a creativity that has something to say and will spare no effort to say it?

Of course music and any art form is a matter of taste and I cannot tell the electronic wizards to refrain from pushing the medium to its ultimate conclusion. However, what my Christian duty prompts me to ask right now is what is its ultimate conclusion? Have our children not been “automated” enough already? Innocent tactile contact made suspicious and threatening by an ever more litigious society. Relationships “distanced”, at times menacing, by the remote control of the computer chat room. Families shrinking to the bubble-sized world of the car, or the entertainment centre in the bedroom with “strangers” – a foreign entity to be treated at best with caution, at worst with hostility and exclusion.

Let’s not advocate the killing of an innocent frog, however infuriating – I love nature. But I make a plea to protect human nature. The positive aspects of which God has placed within each of us to enable us to feel pain (for warning), love for fulfilment; beauty for joy.

So keep on running little frog, I don’t know who you are running from, it certainly doesn’t need to be me. When all is said and done you are probably one of the least of our problems on this crazy planet. But are you a sign of what is to come? If so, awake Christian artist and create works to raise us higher, not to pull us down

Awake Sunday School teachers and search for what is a delight to eye and ear!

Awake parents and see your offspring are stimulated with a balance of many things, not merely mesmerised by a hypnotic rhythm which sounds loudly and speaks not, a thing “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”.

CHECK OUT

Philippians 4:8
Ecclesiastes 3:10-11
Ephesians 2:10
2 Timothy 2:15
Exodus 31:1-5
Revelation 18:22

Hilary McDowell, author of five books and qualified deaconess, pastors and teaches in Belfast, throughout the UK and beyond

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		CHALLENGE Does the frog drive you crazy? HILARY MCDOWELL wonders what a certain ringtone and number one single says about our contemporary culture Not being an advocate of murder myself (as a rule), I was brought up sharp this month at the formation of a new band which openly pursues it as a justifiable action. But wait, the potential victim in question is a frog. Yes, the Kill the Frog band had in mind the slaughter of Crazy Frog whose automated singing evolved from ringtone to top of the charts in a leap which is truly astounding (even for a frog). Declared the most irritating song in the business and harangued by the good, the great and just about everyone who has a voice on the subject, this tiny, electronic, cartoon pop star has managed to rub the nation up the wrong way. It is alleged that even the frog’s own creator hates himself for this song. Although, considering its recent surge in popularity, it must surely be a case of “crying all the way to the bank”. What on earth, you are probably thinking, has this got to do with Word on the Street? Well, the children love the Crazy Frog and that makes me sit up and take notice. A very clever combination of characteristics endears this little, metal-sounding monster – large eyes; round baby-shaped face; the fact that he is being chased and therefore the underdog; a repetitive jingle; rhythm coinciding with the human heartbeat and, most of all, adults hate him, making him a prime candidate for teen anti-hero adoration; and child identification. Add all this to saturation advertising, and how could the frog lose? Yet the first time I witnessed his bug-eyed stare on the television it reminded me once again just how ugly children’s heroes are now being drawn. Have you noticed how many illustrations in books, even for the tiny tots, are just plain ugly and often quite frightening, and I am not referring merely to the “bad guys”? Once a child’s world was populated with beautiful visions from Beatrix Potter, Narnia, and the like. Even the wicked witch of the North, quite obviously evil, was not as grotesque as many of her modern contemporary monsters. St Paul encouraged his readers to focus upon “whatsoever is true, pure, beautiful” etc and we must ask ourselves: with what are we inspiring impressionable minds today? What they read and see in their formative years will be their template for art/literature/drama/poetry in the future. I have to ask: where will the Crazy Frog and his like take us? No, I am not advocating a highbrow versus lowbrow battle, but asking whether or not we are fully aware that the continuing slide of morals and ethics around us is also mirrored in the slow decline of the expression of the beautiful and the appealing which brings joy and inspiration to the heart. Adult cynicism about essential truths sadly has nowhere else to go but to become yet more pronounced in the arts. In saying that, I recognise that even Shakespeare wrote for the “common mob” and some of CS Lewis’ works were chided by his contemporary dons as being too popular. Nevertheless, within these popular works of art are truths that have stood the test of time. What was the common denominator? Within all of these diverse artists was a drive to say something. Perhaps this is what irks most about Crazy Frog – why is he running? Just to support a fun jingle or an advertising tool to make money? The result of “toys for the boys” laying on the electronic wizardry to see how far the machines can be pushed? Well, push away at the standards of beauty and creativity if you will, but I still ask: how far are you prepared to push our children? Into automatons or consumers who cannot discriminate? Or those who have a void in their heart for a beauty undefiled; a creativity that has something to say and will spare no effort to say it? Of course music and any art form is a matter of taste and I cannot tell the electronic wizards to refrain from pushing the medium to its ultimate conclusion. However, what my Christian duty prompts me to ask right now is what is its ultimate conclusion? Have our children not been “automated” enough already? Innocent tactile contact made suspicious and threatening by an ever more litigious society. Relationships “distanced”, at times menacing, by the remote control of the computer chat room. Families shrinking to the bubble-sized world of the car, or the entertainment centre in the bedroom with “strangers” – a foreign entity to be treated at best with caution, at worst with hostility and exclusion. Let’s not advocate the killing of an innocent frog, however infuriating – I love nature. But I make a plea to protect human nature. The positive aspects of which God has placed within each of us to enable us to feel pain (for warning), love for fulfilment; beauty for joy. So keep on running little frog, I don’t know who you are running from, it certainly doesn’t need to be me. When all is said and done you are probably one of the least of our problems on this crazy planet. But are you a sign of what is to come? If so, awake Christian artist and create works to raise us higher, not to pull us down Awake Sunday School teachers and search for what is a delight to eye and ear! Awake parents and see your offspring are stimulated with a balance of many things, not merely mesmerised by a hypnotic rhythm which sounds loudly and speaks not, a thing “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”. CHECK OUT Philippians 4:8 Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 Ephesians 2:10 2 Timothy 2:15 Exodus 31:1-5 Revelation 18:22 Hilary McDowell, author of five books and qualified deaconess, pastors and teaches in Belfast, throughout the UK and beyond © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.