For what it’s worth, here’s my take on the
Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day Halftime Show with Selena Gomez. I’ll
refrain from responding to all the negativity, judgmental attitudes, and
hypocrisy, as it would fall mostly on deaf ears anyway.
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First, I want to salute the Jone’s family for
what they do day in and day out for The Salvation Army. It’s not just 6 minutes
during a halftime show that may or may not resonate with the cultural values of
every viewer. I’ve sat on the Commissioner’s Conference, been involved
intimately with the National Advisory Board, and I’ve seen their Christian
spirit up close and personal. It is real and genuine. Let’s celebrate, not
denigrate it.
There are charitable organizations, religious
and otherwise, who would give anything for this kind of opportunity. The
financial contribution in prime media airtime and national exposure is mind
boggling. I watched the show and recognized immediately that this was geared to
the right genre, the charitable giving audience of tomorrow. My personal
response was to applaud the producers for their creative vision and willingness
to cross those cultural boundaries.
The Founder got hammered by the religious elite
for taking on the cultural taboo’s of his day, but I’ll not delve into that as
it would only provide more fodder for the negativity furnace (There is a
parallel here, however). I’ve been hammered relentlessly at times for crossing
cultural boundaries, so I write from a wealth of experience, scars and all.
Success involves risk taking, and risk taking is fraught with danger. The
larger the stage, the greater the risk. The greater the risk, the larger the
reward, and sometimes, consequently, the steeper the fall. And every successful
venture is preceded by many falls.
Selena Gomez, and those of her ilk, do not
resonate with this aging septuagenarian. In fact, I had no idea who she was
until this Thanksgiving weekend. But the GEN Y multitudes do, and they view
things differently through a filtered cultural lens. I remember, clearly, when
Elvis hit the world stage. “The world is going to hell in a hand basket,” the
religious elite cried. And the beat goes on.
And The Salvation Army is losing this
generation, simply because we are turning a blind eye to their cultural
realities. Whilst not the purpose of this writing, I do have the research and
data to back it up, perhaps the subject of another Blog soon.
My main message here is directed to those who
have chosen social media as the medium for airing their grievances. May I
suggest that there is a better and more productive way, as we all have every
right to express our opinions. And I do respect every POV, although it may
differ from mine. Let’s remember when expressing ourselves, that those on both
sides of the issue care deeply about The Salvation Army’s mission. Let’s
celebrate it, virtually, online, and everywhere else.
Joe Noland
Commissioner (R)
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