As I begin to write this, I just realized that this is the second straight post touching on Christian culture and praise/worship music. This is most definitely unintentional on my part. The clip from a couple of days ago was simply too good to pass up…and today’s news simply shows how prophetic I really am.
Without any further ado…you’ll remember that back in April (4.2.08 to be exact), I posted a little satirical news item about a new game entitled Praise Band. During one of the times that Teddy and I were hanging out, the idea of a Christian rip-off of Rock Band popped into my head and I passed it off in conversation as something that was legitimately in development. When Teddy (who is not a gullible man) fell for it and thought that it was an actual product, I knew I had to try it out on the world of the internets. And as luck would have it, a few other people thought that it was legit. So I blew the whistle on myself and revealed that it was merely for grins and giggles.
Fast forward to yesterday. It was brought to my attention in the comments that fiction has become fact, life is imitating satire…my friends, I give you Guitar Praise!!
I wish I were joking about this, but as you can see from the link, this product is quite real. They’ve even got a tracklisting of all the artists who will be featured on the game. Apparently it’s only for PCs and Macs right now, but who knows? Maybe it’ll be licensed at some point for the big three console systems.
Now if I were a prideful man, I might brag about how this is obviously proof of prophetic powers, but to be honest, I think this has more to do with how easy it is to predict the knock-off crap that the Christian bubble poops out rather than my own spiritual gifts. It’s yet another example of how lazy some of my brothers and sisters tend to be.
The irony is that there are some good songs and artists on this game. Some of these folks (Family Force 5, Hawk Nelson, Flyleaf, Relient K) are known in wider music circles. All of them have had songs licensed and used in commercials, they’ve appeared on various “mainstream” tours…it’s not that much of a stretch to think that they might be able to appear in a download pack at some point for Guitar Hero or Rock Band. So why settle for some cheap facsimile? Are they even aware of their involvement in this nonsense? And The Crucified?!?!? How in the world did they end up on this game? Does Mark Salomon know about this? Do any of the kiddies who will be playing this even know who they are? It’s crazy.
So there you go. The moral of this story? Just keep waiting on the rest of the world to come up with something creative and then give it the Jesus Special. Repackage it with the right “code” words and Christians will eat it up. Or will they? Only time will tell…
I want one! I WANT one! I WANT ONE!! I WABRABABABABANT ONE!!! HALELUJIA! AMEN!
oh Ferster, you crazy sonofagun. why come you never call any more?
You never return my phone calls. You know, sometimes you just give and give and pour yourself into a relationship, and then you realize, it’s over. (sniff) Maybe if you had thought … (sniff) … to think about someone but yourself … (sniff) … this could have worked. But let me tell you something mister, I don’t need you. I never have. (Triple snap in z formation)
(That guy’s so wierd … and pale … Ho-o-o-t Pocket.)
I’m baffled by Ferster but strangely attracted. In a purely heterosexual way. Assuming, of course, that Ferster is male. If not, then I am attracted in a non-sexual maintaining-monogomousity sorta way.
This is nowhere near the worst “stamp-’Christian’-on-it-and-it-will-sell” marketing I have witnessed. Search for the “I am the bread of life” breadboard…
it seems to work for politics too…:’-(
Jon, funny that you should mention that…my pastor just started a series on Jesus and Politics, talking about how the calling of the Kingdom of God trumps any other political claim on a Christian’s life. It’s pretty interesting.
But yes, it is sad that we’re all too willing to through our support behind a candidate or party simply because we think they’re saying the “right” things.
[...] is not a joke, this is a real product. You can read more about it here. Props to house of hunt for ferreting this [...]
You wont believe this but I wrote a blog about this also. Go to “Bad art” on my blog and read what Mark thought about this
I GUARANTEE you Mark Salomon has no idea this is happening…
Does this call for, like, a special collection being taken up at church so that all you mid-90’s Tooth and Nail kids can have a Guitar Praise-off? I think so!