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A ministry of the ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP Ministry) A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Christian Ministry. www.capalert.com/ Entertainment Media Analysis Report A service to His little ones through you in His name by His Word MAR2011.005  (2010), PG-13 [Hard R-13*] (1hr 27.5min) The #1 Christian entertainment media analysis service on the Internet. We give you OBJECTIVE tools NO ONE ELSE CAN to help YOU make an informed decision for yourself whether a film is fit for your family. Over 1200 analyses for parents, grandparents, pastors, youth leaders and more. |
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(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)
 Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database Production (US): Screen Gems, Oliver Bridge Entertainment Distribution (US): Screen Gems Director(s): Will Gluck Producer(s): Zanne Devine, Alicia Emmrich, Will Gluck, Mark Benton Johnson Writing Credits: Bert V. Royal Cinematography/Camera: Michael Grady Music: Brad Segal Film Editing: Susan Littenberg Casting: Lisa Miller Katz Production Design: Marcia Hinds Art Direction: Bo Johnson Viewed on Sony Pictures Home Entertainment DVD  The title of this film itself is an innuendo. The film is filled with innuendo. And all about sex ... teen sex. And about profanity. And booze. All the things that define "teen." At least according to Hollywood. From the first sight of the title I had my suspicions about the content. It is, after all, a PG-13. Well, my suspicions were 100% correct. This film is rife with premarital sexual intercourse between teens ... and calling it "love." None of the characters are evidently old enough (nor are the writers evidently wise enough) to know a teen does not have to be slave to sex drives but can be master of them. Evidently no one connected with the film has the wisdom to know that sex is not love and love is not sex: that sex is a tool of love. Nothing more. Nothing less. And evidently no one connected with the film is aware of the fact that God reserved such sex for the husband and wife; for the married man and woman pair. [1 Cor. 7:1 - 2, Deut. 22:29, 1 Cor. 7:9, 1 Thess. 4:1 - 7] In one scene, the parents of Rhiannon (Alyson Michalka), a friend of the quintessential star, Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone), invite Olive to a lawn dinner. Rhiannon's parents appear to be nudists. In the scene the woman reaches across and above Olive with her left arm, pressing her nude left breast in Olive's face. That is about the best representation of the caliber of this film. Since that describes well the caliber of this film, there is little reason for you to read on if such cinematic demonstrations offend you (as they should). By the way, the Christian characters, led by Marianne Bryant (Amanda Bynes), secretary of the student council, chairman of the Orange Blossom dance committee and president of the Cross Your Heart Club who express Christian values and standards in the film are, of course, ridiculed and belittled, made to appear as shallow, judgmental and holier-than-thou. I just completed the calculations of the scoring distribution for the content of this film. I really do not know what words will adequately express the depravity of the content of Easy A. It is little more than a teen cussfest and sexfest. Take a glance at the CAP thermometers. ZERO in Impudence/Hate (mostly due to profanity). ZERO in Sexual Immorality. ZERO in Offense to God. A final score of 39 out of 100 when R-rated films earned 54 and below in the comparative baseline database. This film is so serious an enemy of wholesome and noble values I came close to not taking the time to complete this report. But Paul did not shirk his duties to God in Corinth so I will take example from Paul and continue. That comment in the immediately preceding sentence sounds just like a comment Marianne, who was portrayed as a holier-than-thou Bible-thumper, would use in the film. So be it. But that is how Hollywood has been ridiculing faith in and love of Jesus for years -- just another form of content to sing praises to rebellion and defiance of authority to lure those with foolishness bound in their hearts with smooth talk and fine-sounding augments that feed rebellion and defiance. [Prov. 22:15, Col. 2:4, Rom. 16:17 - 18, Jude 1:4]--THUMP, THUMP -- Back to the point. This film is equivalent to R-rated films in our comparative baseline database. Note that our model deals with magnitude and frequency of all assaults on morality and decency, not just with the most severe of individual assaults like the MPAA. The MPAA will slap an R on a film if there is an extreme of ignominy. Our model takes into account the impact of the lesser examples of assaults on morality as well. Indeed, a few examples of lesser assault on morality and decency can truly be equivalent in moral impact to a single but more extreme assault. For example, 100 instances of assault of the lesser kind can be as morally corrosive as 10 more extreme assaults. This relationship of many "lesser" assaults being equivalent to fewer but more bold assaults is what we revealed in the CAP Rule of 1000. Easy A is a prime example of the CAP Rule of 1000. The final score of 39 out of 100 is quite enough to prove the content of this film is truly equivalent to most R-rated films, i.e., a R-13 film. But the final score is not the only indication of the R-rated equivalence of Easy A. In the comparative baseline database (the films analyzed by actual use of the analysis model for verification and validation of the model), R-rated films earned an Influence Density range of 0.78 to 2.04, the higher the figure the more dense the assaults on morality and decency. (The Influence Density is the frequency of assaults per unit of time.) Easy A earned an Influence Density score of 3.11, exceeding the most dense R content film in the baseline database by 186%! More proof of the R-equivalence of Easy A. The proof of the R-equivalence is based in unrelenting mathematical brutality -- each analysis report involves more than 30 mathematical equations which cannot be manipulated by personal opinion or other subjectivity. I am not going to dignify this celluloid cyanide with a typical Summary/Commentary brief discussion of the plot and/or story. I will just say that if you imagine the most debaucherous tinkerings of Hollywood's apparent impression of all teenagers being drunken and cussing sex fiends, then you will have the story and plot. Emma Stone as Olive Penderghast builds a horrible lifestyle by building a horrible period of her life with lying about her sex life, lying about her lying and feeding the lies. The writers indeed attempt to redeem the film with some noble finale presentations (after the moral damage is done) but rest assured that a noble destination does not excuse an ignoble path. Please look to the listings in the Findings/Scoring section for a detailed accounting of the content of this film. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 92 out of 100 The only matters of content applicable to this investigation area are an episode of reckless driving (which is another characteristic trait of "teen" according to Hollywood) and a demonstration of extortion to achieve sexual ends. Impudence/Hate (I) - Zero out of 100 Yes, this film is another "teen" cussfest. At least adults playing teens -- Emma Stone was 21, Amanda Bynes was 24, Penn Badgley was also 24. Maybe being adult makes profanity "socially acceptable" but it does not excuse the sin of using profanity. Neither does being adult excuse the sin of emboldening youth to do likewise [Luke 17:2, Matt. 25:40]. Remember also that acting does not excuse sin. Fifty times someone uttered profanity. And only five of them by adult characters. [Col. 3:8] There is a number of other behavioral matters such as lying [Rev. 22:14 - 15, 21:8] that apply to this investigation area but I ask that you look to the listing in the Findings/Scoring section for more information about the content applicable to this investigation area. Sexual Immorality (S) - Zero out of 100 Yes, this film is another "teen" sexfest. There is such disregard for sexual humility and such contempt for sexual purity that I have contempt for the writers who thought this stuff up and for the performers who demonstrated it. Remember, content does not have to be skin to be sex. There is so much to the sexual content of this film that I again ask that you look to the listing in the Findings/Scoring section for a detailed accounting of the sexual content. [Col. 2:20 - 3:6, 1 Ths. 4:1-5] Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 43 out of 100 Of course, there is teen partying with booze. It must be so. It is a show about teens so there must be arrogance and rebellion to excuse booze in it. [Eph. 5:18] Must be? Must be ... sin? Yes, but Jesus Himself warned us about such thinking: Matt. 18:7 "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!" Note that "man" in Matt. 18:7 is anthropos meaning man or woman, people, everyone. There is also one instance of teen smoking in the entire 87.5 minutes of program. Offense to God (O) - Zero out of 100 The contempt for God's Word about abuse of His name was as rampant as contempt for His Word about profanity and sexual immorality. Twenty-one times someone uttered His name in vain, mostly by teens of course. [Deut. 5:11] But of at least as dire significance as using His name in vain was the mockery of faith and practitioners of faith: of portraying having faith as undesirable; of portraying the practitioners as holier-than-thou. Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 There were no murders or suicides noted. SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S) If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ] or bold. If you wish to have full context available, the Blue Letter Bible is a convenient source. If you use the Blue Letter Bible, a new window will open. Close it to return here or use "Window" in your browser's menu bar to alternate between the CAP page and the Blue Letter Bible page. CHAPTER/VERSE ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry*** As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie. |
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 Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 92 out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - Zero out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - Zero out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 43 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - Zero out of 100 Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 |
| There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our years of study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the "rest of the story" and our findings. |
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