Young People Ask: How Can I Make Real Friends? (page 2)

JAVA

Thanks for the movie review, SNG. I?m sorry I missed this meat in due season from the almighty Tower. I was out the door by the early 1980s when assembly dramas wowed the faithful (I was in one of them). Talk about corny, but I remember how most were in their seats during dramas. No walking around trying to look official or busy during those times. You know assemblies are boring if the dramas draw in the crowds.

If I only waited on Jehovah I could have had the pleasure of seeing God?s Organization in pictures. I feel so bad. :-)

jwbot

When I was in highschool and it came out, my friends father had a bunch of us kids over to watch it. I had a really hard time...for so many reasons. I HATED that the witness kids were such ASSES...I mean, who wants to be around that sort of negativity? Oh and I was also very happy that I was going to college...and it was clear the video was against that. It was really annoying to be told on one side that yes I could go to college and that the society does not discourage it...and then see the society blatenly discouraging it (but no one catches on??). Their view that worldly kids only think of money, drugs, etc. Oh and the worldly boy in the car?? I could not finish watching it and I made up an excuse to hang out in the kitchen while it was playing in the livingroom (thats where the food was!).

In a room full of young witnesses...it was so hard not to laugh and scream at the television and it pisses me off to know that they use that type of LIES to trick teenagers.

jwbot

Seattle, I would like to ask if you could possibly get that in digital format? Otherwise I could always steal my parents...but I would rather download it illegally ;)

seattleniceguy

jwbot,

We had a group watch it over at an elder's house, too. At the time - I'm embarassed to say - I thought it was pretty good, but in retrospect I think I may have been looking for something to like and latching onto the production quality in the void of anything else.

Unfortunately, I don't have the equipment to get it in digital form. Sorry. I hear the Society has these things on DVD now, so maybe someone else has a DVD they could work from? Anyone?

SNG

Leolaia

I would love to see this tripe. Reminds me of those shorts from the fifties, like "Your Body and You". I wonder if its on eBay....

Preston

I'm actually surprised you guys were able to watch the whole thing. Not because the production values, or the acting, or the directing, or even the editing was up to snuff (did I get everything down) but because THIS was the society's response to young JWs who didnt have any friends. When I was an erstwhile JW in school I started watching this video and I could barely make it through the first couple of minutes because my lack of social life, friends, going out on friday nights made it too painful to watch. For me, It was the saddest cinematic experience this side of "The Elephant Man".

"The Organization Behind the Name" is more tolerable since it reminds me of those 1950's information docs they use to make fun of on Mystery Science Theater 3000. Haydn Covington is about as convincing of a lawyer as Lionel Hutz

- Preston

Cygnus

That's interesting. I never knew such a video existed. In a 1994 D.C. drama I played the part of "Peter", an aspiring college student who was convinced by a slightly older and wiser (i.e. more spiritual) JW that college is for suckers and putting off baptism is a big mistake. By that time I was 4 years out of high school and had wished I had gone to college, but I did the thing because it was fun, and I got to wear normal street clothes to the convention which in a youthful way made me feel cool.

Also, I wonder if that video is on the WT website....... gonna head over there to check...

Dan-O

This sounds about as entertaining as watching the "Reefer Madness" or any of the junk they showed us in junior high in the late 70s to discourage us from trying drugs.

I'm kinda glad I bailed out before the Borg decided to start distributing videos.

Euphemism

Preston wrote:
When I was an erstwhile JW in school I started watching this video and I could barely make it through the first couple of minutes because my lack of social life, friends, going out on friday nights made it too painful to watch.

My thoughts exactly. I was still a loyal dub when the video came out; we watched it as a group after the bookstudy. I was impressed with the production values and the relative non-hokiness of the fictional part (a hell of a lot better than your average WTS drama, at least), but the first half really bugged me. It pretty much implied that if you coudn't find friends in the congregation, it must be because you were arrogant, self-centered, and had poor personal hygiene.

I had forgotten what SNG mentioned, however... the 'worldly' kids at the school were all remarkably well-adjusted! The worst thing they did was smoke pot and try to get a little nookie. And the worst consequence that the protagonist suffered from her 'worldly association' was that she was tempted to make out with a guy! The only kids the movie could possibly appeal to would be ones like that girl--kids who were already thoroughly brainwashed, with just an inkling of spirit or individualism trying to seep out. (And yes, I am ashamed to say, I was just such a kid.)

Young People Ask: How Can I Make Real Friends?

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