In the tradition of teen pop princesses, Miley Cyrus, or Hannah Montana as her fans know her, is on top of the world. She has dolls, action figures, and a concert series all based on her hit Disney Channel show, Hannah Montana. While her music is not mainstream, it is extremely well-known and popular for her target demographic. If you’re under the age of twelve and female, you already know everything there is to know about Miley aka Hannah.

The Show
The show, Hannah Montana, features a young girl who is perfectly normal, perhaps even a bit awkward, by day, but at night, she sheds her boring persona and becomes a famous pop star – Hannah Montana. Of course this transformation is secret, and only her closest friends know Miley (Stewart on the show) is really a stage goddess. They do such a good job of keeping her secret, Miley’s enjoyed multiple seasons of success.

The Concerts
Miley/Hannah is fourteen and enthusiastic and Miley the actress is the daughter of country music star Billy Ray Cyrus. She is quite talented vocally, and when those vocals combine with the ruthless Disney promotion, Hannah Montana has become one of the absolute hottest stars around – at least for the elementary bunch. (more…)

There is a big movie coming out in December that already has much of the Christian community in an uproar. The Golden Compass, based on the award-winning novel by the same name, has been much touted and stars some A-list Hollywood celebrities including Nicole Kidman. It has drawn much enthusiasm, and even more discord.

Promoting Atheism
The author of The Golden Compass, Phillip Pullman, is well publicized as atheist. There is a rumor that is based on aspects of truth that the Golden Compass was written to foil the Narnia series which is very pro religion. This would mean that they are anti-religion. In fact, The Golden Compass is actually part of a trilogy called His Dark Materials.

Pullman’s lack of faith coupled with the title of the series makes many religious groups, especially Catholics, very suspicious. And of course, one of the main themes throughout the book is overcoming the church’s influence. Even Snopes.com reports that the film is in fact a message against organized religion. (more…)