Metaphors and driver's ed
Let me say that I don't hate ''American Idol.'' It's a fine show if you like that sort of thing. Personally, I don't think it has the variety of, say, Ted Mack's Amateur Hour. You never see many jugglers on prime time these days.
But I wrote a column in today's paper about some problems I had with a hit song by last year's Idol, Carrie Underwood. Titled "Jesus Take The Wheel,'' the song seems silly and wrongheaded. A young woman hits a patch of ice, sending her car spinning out of control. She let's go of the wheel and asks Jesus to drive the car. My point was that there are times when if "you let go and let God,'' you're going to wind up in a ditch somewhere. Well, apparently you can't have a little fun with something like that.
I got a few nasty e-mails taking me to task for my criticism. Normally, I don't answer e-mails that refer to me as a moron. But I thought I might respond generally in this forum. I was taken to task for supposedly not understanding what a metaphor is. Of course I know what a metaphor is. The trouble is the lyrics of the song don't. There's nothing metaphorical in the first verse of the song, the one where the woman lets go of the steering wheel.
I'm sure Ms. Underwood is a nice person, and heartfelt in her faith. But we all don't have to like everything she does, do we. For those interested in how the trouble started, see my column at:
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060317/JERSEYLIFE/603170329/1054/LIFE
But I wrote a column in today's paper about some problems I had with a hit song by last year's Idol, Carrie Underwood. Titled "Jesus Take The Wheel,'' the song seems silly and wrongheaded. A young woman hits a patch of ice, sending her car spinning out of control. She let's go of the wheel and asks Jesus to drive the car. My point was that there are times when if "you let go and let God,'' you're going to wind up in a ditch somewhere. Well, apparently you can't have a little fun with something like that.
I got a few nasty e-mails taking me to task for my criticism. Normally, I don't answer e-mails that refer to me as a moron. But I thought I might respond generally in this forum. I was taken to task for supposedly not understanding what a metaphor is. Of course I know what a metaphor is. The trouble is the lyrics of the song don't. There's nothing metaphorical in the first verse of the song, the one where the woman lets go of the steering wheel.
I'm sure Ms. Underwood is a nice person, and heartfelt in her faith. But we all don't have to like everything she does, do we. For those interested in how the trouble started, see my column at:
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060317/JERSEYLIFE/603170329/1054/LIFE
posted by Michael Riley at 3:35 PM
2 Comments:
Man, I am seeing a streak of misogyny. Girls can't write songs or tv shows?
Actually, the song was written by 3 people, 2 of whom are male, none of whom are Carrie Underwood.
As for drivers, whenever I'm behind a really bad driver and I spot a Christian bumper sticker or fish emblem or other iconography, I always make the same comment: "Apparently he's letting Jesus drive."
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