Catholic in Film School

Angela wrote a nice post entitled, “Supermodel Your Hero? Hold that thought.” about Adriana Lima’s latest GQ cover:

Remember the secular world’s shock and the Catholic world’s awe when supermodel Adriana Lima told a GQ interviewer that she was a strong Catholic and would remain a virgin until after marriage?

But wait…

What’s this?

In a more recent edition of GQ, under a feature titled, “Love, Sex & Madness,” Adriana poses nude. The mag’s cover shows a strategically-placed leaf over some more personal parts…What’s up with that?”

Compare this now to my blurb about Adriana in the last edition of the Rumor Has It thread:

…Pro-life Victoria Secret supermodel Adriana Lima is engaged to NBA star Marco Jaric…I know people just looooove to get down on models and actresses who like to get naked for money, but I’ve always liked Adriana and she has clearly stated on more than one occasion that she opposes the culture of death…give her a break…

Let me make myself perfectly clear: I agree with Angela. Scantily clad women on the covers of men’s magazines is nothing more than softcore pornography, and pornography is an evil of this world that currently has a hold on millions of men (and women.) But while I agree with her about the cover, I do however have a different perspective on Adriana and Christians in the entertainment world in general.

While I (like Angela) would not describe Adriana Lima as my role model, I understand her and I respect her. It’s hard enough being Catholic as it is, but standing up for the Church when you work as a contract model for a mainstream brand that probably donates to anti-life causes is tough stuff. She has the luxury of being a household name, but if Victoria Secret wanted to get rid of her they could have. Girlfriend has gonads, and I can’t be mad at her for it.

Now. I have always found that the best evangelization tool is just being myself. I had a friend who when I first met him described himself as an atheist, but then after growing a bit closer to me started to ask about Jesus. That led to conversations about scripture and then eventually to conversations about the church. He hasn’t gone running to church to be baptized, but the seeds have been planted and I trust that the Holy Spirit will continue to work in him.

I’ve had other experiences like that, and I’ve come to the conclusion that you have to meet people where they’re at. In a similar vein, I have a lot of gay friends/know a lot of gay people. During my freshman year I went on a retreat as required by a class on diversity and tolerance. In one of the group sessions the discussion turned to the topic of gay marriage, and as expected I was one of only a few who were firmly against it. The argument got a bit heated between myself and one of the other members of the group who happened to be the president of our campus Gay-Straight Alliance, but later on that night we had a long talk in which I explained what I was saying and tried to make it very clear that the church doesn’t hate gays or anything of the sort. He didn’t change his opinion and neither did I, and eventually the conversation peacefully culminated in comparing notes about shoes. After that retreat he would always say hello to me around campus, and there was always a certain tone of respect and understanding in his voice.

My point is that though we may stand for truth, we have to always be conscious of whether we are condemning or teaching because outright condemnation isn’t going to get us anywhere. If I ever had the chance to talk to Adriana Lima about her career, I would ask her what she thinks she is accomplishing and whether or not it aligns itself with what she believes. I don’t think Adriana posed nude to hurt anyone, she did it because that’s what she knows. She knows her career, she knows the entertainment industry, and at the moment she knows that this is what is in demand. She will only know this until someone shows her differently.

Take for instance the story of St. Pelagia (a story I am considering adapting into a film):

Pelagia was a brilliant actress in Antioch, in what is now Syria, who possessed a great number of beautiful jewels, servants and lovers, including the empress’s brother. She was reported to have used sorcery and drugs to bring people under her power, and was famous as far afield as Cappadocia and Cicilia, both parts of what is now Turkey.

One fine day in Antioch she was passing by a huddle of bishops who were sitting around listening to a sermon by Bishop Nonnus. When the pious bishops saw this flamboyant woman parading past, dressed in clothes that left little of her famous beauty to the imagination, and trailing a retinue of admirers, they averted their eyes. Nonnus, however, gazed at her and then burst into tears.

As the story goes, Pelagia noticed Bishop Nonnus who was saddened that such beauty be wasted on the lusts of men, and she went to hear him preach the next day. Pelagia was converted and baptized, and the rest is history.

We need to teach our girls the importance of modesty and chastity, and at the same time we need to teach our boys about true manhood. As for those like Adriana, my response and my instinct is to show compassion and to lead by example as Bishop Nonnus did. Perhaps I should be a bit more gung ho about it, but my experience just won’t let me.

I had my conversion in high school, but my views on chastity didn’t align themselves with my faith until some time later. But like Ali Landry (who was also a model), Eduardo Verastegui, and many other Catholics in Hollywood, once I saw the light, I really saw the light, and that light breathed new life into my career choices. I pray that one day Adriana will experience what I and so many others have, but until then, I’ll take her just as she is.

Pax Christi, Rebecca.