THE TRASHING OF THE CHRIST - Contrasts In Media Treatment of The DaVinci Code and The Passion

Media Research Center ^ | May 23, 2006 | Tim Graham

[NYer]

The news media play an important role in popular culture by providing publicity for the movie studios as films are readied for release. But some movies are more favored by the news media than others, some for their expected status as expensive but appealing blockbusters, and some for their social commentary (for example, the film Brokeback Mountain). The DaVinci Code was both: an expected blockbuster movie based on one of the most publicized works of fiction in the new century, drawing enormous national media interest with its vision of a vast, murderous church conspiracy. It should not be surprising that The DaVinci Code came roaring out of the box office with a $77 million opening weekend.

The media’s views on religion played a part. In 2004, the networks showed hostility to a more orthodox vision of Jesus in the movie The Passion of the Christ. So MRC analysts compared coverage of the year before The Passion (March 2003 through February 2004) and the year before The DaVinci Code movie (May 19, 2005 through May 18, 2006) on the morning, evening, prime-time and late-night news programs of ABC, CBS, and NBC. Some key findings were:

■ The DaVinci Code received more of a publicity push from the networks than The Passion of the Christ. The number of segments devoted to the movies in the year before their cinematic release was 99 for The DaVinci Code to 66 for The Passion. Most of those came on morning shows. By far, the biggest Code promoter was NBC’s Today, which more provided more stories (38) than the other two network morning shows combined (29). By contrast, NBC was in third-place in Passion segments (11).

■ The Passion of the Christ was treated as a social problem – the biggest TV anti-Semitism story of that year – while The DaVinci Code was presented more often as an "intriguing" theory rather than threatening or offensive to Christians. Nearly every one of the 66 network segments on The Passion on ABC, CBS, and NBC touched on those complaints. But only 27 of the 99 Code segments focused on Christian and Catholic protests.

■ While the faith of millions of Americans, Christianity, is singled out for criticism, with one "fascinating" fictional detail after another, the networks either refused to air or barely aired mild Mohammed cartoons out of great sensitivity to American Muslims. At the same time that Christianity is questioned as a false religion in The DaVinci Code, the networks demonstrated an exquisite sensitivity to American Muslims on the sensitive subject of threatened violence against mostly mild Danish cartoons mocking the prophet Muhammad. ABC aired a glance at one cartoon on two programs. CBS and NBC declared they would censor the images.

■ In their push to promote The DaVinci Code, the networks routinely failed to address how the book most offended Christian sensitivities: that Christianity itself is a lie. The networks showed their lack of belief or interest in religion as they almost always failed to examine Brown’s most contentious charge: that Jesus was not the Son of God. While many noted the scandalous claim of a sexual relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene, only six stories explained the Code’s denial of the divinity of Jesus.

■ While Mel Gibson was attacked and even psychoanalyzed for his religious beliefs, DaVinci Code author Dan Brown and filmmakers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer were never personally examined or challenged about their personal religious beliefs, their willingness to milk controversy, play fast and loose with facts, and offend Christians for personal gain. Whenever the networks decided to address fact and fiction in The DaVinci Code, they almost always found it was stuffed with falsehoods. But they never focused on the idea that Brown, Grazer, or Howard should be criticized for being too casual with the truth.

■ The networks also bought into the DaVinci Code craze by picking up and publicizing other Code-related books attacking Christianity and the Catholic Church, but their standard of evidence was hardly an example of what a skeptical journalist would apply. Authors of new books like The Jesus Papers and The Jesus Dynasty were offered publicity forums, even though the network journalists pronounced the evidence behind the claims was flimsy, even non-existent. So why did the networks promote them?

The report concludes that one reason for the commercial success of The DaVinci Code movie (as well as the book) was very aggressive salesmanship on the part of the network news divisions. "Network television news stars may boast at seminars that they are tough on everyone, but in real life, their devotion to secularism is almost religious in its intensity."

 

[NYer]

Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[Aquinasfan]

Godless media bump.

[Borges]

Did the media play that big of a role in the book sales? Wasn't it something of a grassroots phenomenon?

[NYer]

Did the media play that big of a role in the book sales?

He's a popular author. As Hollyweird is often wont to do, they attempt to turn popular books into movies.

[Woodstock]

The DaVinci Code was a good book, but that's about it. I took it as gthe kind of story that amkes for good beach reading, like Clive Cussler. There's way too much hype over it.

[stuartcr]

It must all be part of God's plan...otherwise, how can it happen?

[marshmallow]

DA Vinci Code Boosts Opus Dei Numbers

[Woodstock]

Note to self - Spell check is your friend.

[Borges]

Adapting popular novels into dramatic form goes back to the Victorians. Nothing new or weird about it.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

--their devotion to secularism is almost religious in its intensity.--

Better to be said, it IS religious in its intensity. They worship at the throne of Secularity, they work hard to demean the old truths and values, and are very busy stacking the decks in favor of their viewpoint. And they proselytize endlessly.

KAC

Pray for the immigration crisis:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1640434/posts

[Darkwolf377]

No, it got a huge push from the publisher right away--huge bins, posters, etc. That stuff's expensive and DaVinci Code was in every damned store around.

Brown was a good seller leading up to this and it was considered his "breakout" book.

Check out the date on this article:March 2003

"Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is going to make publishing history. Trust me. There are already tables at the local Barnes & Nobles featuring books about the Freemasons, biographies of Leonardo Da Vinci, guidebooks to the Louvre and Renaissance art, all centered around Brown's book. And the book has been out less than two weeks."

The book received the kind of "push" from Doubleday usually reserved for the likes of John Grisham and Daniel Steele. They're extremely pleased by the advance copy sales and overwhelming support of retailers for the book. Brown, who quietly moved from Pocket to his new publishing house Doubleday when senior editor Jason Kaufman, (publisher of Brown's two previous books) moved to there in 2001. Brown received a small advance, a boon to Doubleday who can now spend money on a literary show of force, pushing the book with sales incentives and an extensive advertising campaign. According to publishing pundits, many houses held back their spring releases because of the February 2nd laydown of John Grisham's latest King of Torts. Brown's book received a slam dunk response from advance copies to reviewers and booksellers sent out months ahead of publication (Doubleday gave out 5,000 advance reader copies at regional shows and in the field last year). Doubleday reps devoted themselves to making sure the book received prominent display space, something not usually reserved for breakout books. The house will even launch a website where readers can attempt to "break the code". Brown has also committed to a six-city promotion tour, but as the response for this book will probably multiply exponentially, I suspect he'll be going to more than six.

http://www.popmatters.com/books/reviews/d/da-vinci-code.shtml

[Nihil Obstat]

costs for advertising the movie are estimated at $125,000,000 - I wonder how much went to ABC, CBS, NBC, etc?

[Borges]

I don't get your point...of course the publisher is going to push their product! They want every book to make 'publishing history'.

[massgopguy]

The Da Vinci Code is historically inacurate. Not one mention of Pontius Pilate's fwend, Biggus Dickus.

[Woodstock]

Note to self - Spell check is your friend.

[Darkwolf377]

I don't get your point...of course the publisher is going to push their product! They want every book to make 'publishing history'.

No. No offense, but you don't know much about the publishing industry.

You stated it was a grass roots phenomenon, but it wasn't; it was pushed with big ad budgets with very few books get, big advance preview copies, which very few get (5000 advance copies is a HUGE amount), and look at the number of "dumps" at book stores the next time you go in, and compare the number of those with the number of books on the new release shelves, and you will see that publishers put all their eggs in a few baskets.

Most books get maybe a $2000-$5000 advance; compare that to the Stephen King levels of millions. Thus, it makes no financial sense to them to put out 5000 copies for free when if they're lucky they will SELL 5000 copies.

Publishers don't push their usual product with ads, posters, and other publicity materials the way they pushed this one. Them's the facts.

Also, this was an interesting prophetic note on the end of that article:

http://www.popmatters.com/books/reviews/d/da-vinci-code.shtml

What I can tell you without ruining the book, is that Brown's book takes myth and reality and combines it in just the right way. He appears to be right on target with his many of his conclusions, and while the book is "fiction", one can't help but believe much of it. Brown doesn't insist you believe him, in fact, he's almost apologetic about how strange and unusual his conclusions may sound. In a subtle way, he warns the reader that everyone is allowed their own belief system and whatever gives someone spiritual comfort should be respected. But Using Will and Ariel Durant's The History of Civilization, Francis and Joseph Gies' Women in the Middle Ages, and Barbara Walker's The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets to confirm Brown's facts, I learned that when he puts two and two together, it's amazing what he comes up with. This book will have what is probably an unintentional effect. The Da Vinci Code counteracts the WalMart best sellers by Tim LaHaye. Brown presents an intellectual and fact-based suspense thriller that will hopefully start a trend toward debunking the misquoted myths and errant Biblical interpretations perpetuated to financially support LaHaye's ministry, encourage the arrogance of born-again Christians, and scare people into "being saved". One can't help but wonder when the fanatics of the religious right will rise up in defense of the End Times series and call for a boycott of The Da Vinci Code. Go ahead and start your indignant engines. Such publicity will only increase sales for Doubleday and Brown. — 2 April 2003

[Darkwolf377]

big ad budgets with very few books get

Big ad budgets WHICH very few get

Just woke up...

[DoctorMichael]

Agree with all the 'above'. Also.......

.....I'm not sure if this is correct but, because of the Corporate interests involved and the usual heiracrchical relations of US business (one Corporation owns another, which owns another, which owns another [Drudge likes to bring this point out a lot]) they may have more to gain in a monetary sense by promoting a movie that one of their subsidiaries stands to make a lot of money on, as opposed to 'Passion' which was substantially controlled by Mel Gibson.

[Uddercha0s]

I'm not one to quote scripture but this does come to mind...

"And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. "