For years, when I see a new TV show or movie come out that is centered around a “bad guy” I cringe. It bothers me that we are spending so much time and effort to build a “like” for the villains that hurt others.  From psychopathic serial murders, to telling the ‘sad’ story of how a criminal became said criminal, to just idolizing movie villains in cartoons and history – Hollywood (and Disney) has made millions capitalizing on, and sensationalizing bad guys.

How did it become entertainment to ‘escape into the mindset’ of one of these evil people?  How do people find enjoyment through viewing the tragedies these criminals have caused with their actions, the pain and suffering of others? At least, decades ago, the horror movie ended with at least some of the good guys escaping, and the bad guy ‘getting his’. Not so much anymore. All these movies do is teach us and our children that it is “okay” to be bad. That your heinous, criminal, destructive and hideous actions will be immortalized in books and movies long after you are gone. We’ve gone from Disney Princesses to Disney Villains. The ‘bad guys’ are called Bad for a reason. So you won’t like them.

I get it – I used to enjoy watching horror movies – I don’t anymore. Maybe I’ve grown out of it, maybe I have just gotten ‘old’ or maybe I have seen enough hate, turmoil and disparagement to last me a lifetime. Maybe, with all of life’s daily struggles and stresses I choose to watch something upbeat and lighthearted when I finally settle down to view some entertainment. This mindset might not be ‘popular’ to some, but it is my opinion – and – it is God’s.

It used to be so simple – Good versus Evil – the Good always wins and the Bad Guys get their punishment. I’ll admit even as a child I’d fast forward through the villain’s song in my cartoon movies. I wanted to sing the happy, upbeat songs. I wanted to watch the colorful happy moments. Yes, I enjoyed watching the good guy win and the celebration at the end, and there wouldn’t have been a win without the conflict. I’ve said before and I will say it again, I still feel the happy endings are way too short.  I want to stay in that happy celebration for as long as the bad guy made us sweat.

Today, there are hordes of movies where the villain actually wins. Stories portrayed in a way that actually makes you root for the bad guy. You want the criminal to succeed. I will admit, while doing a search for these movies, I have not seen them and cannot discuss their merits, but I do know this: I have been through some tough times. Harsh life lessons thrown at me so forcefully that I guess, could have turned me to the ‘darkside’ – but it didn’t. Never once did I rob a bank, kill someone, or break the law to get through it. I worked hard, I struggled, I did without, and I crawled through it with blistered hands and came out the other side better, stronger and more proud of my accomplishments.

This is what strong, good morals did for me.

I refuse to idolize villains. I will not support the accomplishments of criminals. I will not tell Hollywood it is okay to keep doing these kinds of movies because they will not get any money from me or any of my time by watching them.

2 Timothy 3:1-5  But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Avoid such people.

Avoid such movies.

Avoid the temptation of rooting for Evil to win, by avoiding the Evil that is coming at you through your eyes and ears.

Choose Good.

Root for Good.

So you can be the light our world so desperately needs right now.

If everyone took the same stand, Hollywood would ‘hear’ our demands loud and clear.

But who knows… maybe I am one of very few who still want Good to prevail and Evil to be eradicated.