ABSTRACT
‘Can’t you see? You’re not making Christianity better, you’re making rock and roll worse!’ Hank Hill’s assessment of Christian rock music in the episode ‘Reborn to Be Wild’ of the animated sitcom King of the Hill corresponds with much of the mainstream media’s perception of this phenomenon. 1 A Seinfeld episode, ‘The Burning’, also illustrates the poor reputation of Christian pop. Upon learning that her boyfriend listens to Christian rock music, Elaine voices concern about his taste in music, but her friend George disagrees: ‘I like Christian rock. It’s very positive. It’s not like those real musicians who think they’re so cool and hip’. George’s endorsement backfires, of course, as he clearly makes a distinction between ‘real’, ‘cool’, ‘hip’ artists and Christian rock musicians.
