What’s the Contrarian Review?
Recent Posts
Welcome, y’all.
These posts represent unsolicited reviews of various faith-based, sports and secular content floating around the cyber ether. The theme of the reviews is simple: they’re a celebration of where content creators are hitting the bullseye, rather than microscopic analysis of where they’re missing it. These reviews are seen through and reflective of the fact that I’ve chosen to do life with God (no, I’m not a Nun). I deeply appreciate those who have made the same choice, and I appreciate their willingness to share the good, bad, challenging and cringe things that come with a full commitment to making that choice.
As well, this blog will include what I call Life Reviews: my first-hand, zoomed-out insights on lived experiences that are, at once, individual and universal. Life Reviews are purges intended to cleanse myself and constructively contribute to you. Let me know how I fare there.
I invite you to engage, disagree and debate. Or, to agree. In the words of one of my favorite teachers, “You have the right to be wrong, but I’m not gonna agree with you or we’d both be wrong.” I, of course, quote him in jest, but those closest to me know I’m #kiddingnotkidding.
My most fervent desire, however, is that you challenge yourselves to turn - and leave - critical thought switched to the 'On’ position while looking through a Biblical lens.
I challenge myself to the same thing.
“Relatable” with Allie Beth Stuckey + guest, Kat Von D (Ep. 902)
I thought about Kat Von D a few days ago. I know. It sounds preposterous. It’s preposterous, of course, because I don’t know her, and I’m not at all familiar with her career and popularity. In fact, Von D’s baptism video was the first I’d ever seen or heard of her, and I commented on her IG post.
She liked my comment.
“Fearless” with Jason Whitlock (Ep. 518)
It’s been a minute since my inaugural Contrarian Review of Jason Whitlock’s should-be award-winning program, “Fearless.” That review was the detonator of this blog’s content. When I sent it to Jason (before launching the blog), and received his almost immediate reply of encouragement about my writing skills, I knew he’d confirmed God’s edict to write with regularity and I sheepishly complied with a slow dribble of content.
That first “Fearless” review covered episode 251: Whitlock’s emboldened narrative about his show’s origin story, its purpose and his #notsorry, trailblazing media and culture ministry. Since then, Whitlock has offered his audience a delectable buffet of intriguing show topics, interviews and controversies. So plentiful is that bounty in fact, that I’ve been challenged with choosing which episode I will review next.
The problem is officially solved.
Norris Johnson, II: The era of deception
Let me save everyone some time.
If you call yourself a Christian and you’re legit concerned about the fact that, in many churches, what is being accepted as Christianity is nothing more than homogenized, glorified TedTalks with an, at best, dotted line to Scripture, Johnson’s content is for you. If you’ve had it with church leaders who assign blame to God because they are ill equipped to provide answers to life’s toughest challenges (am I the only one annoyed about that?), follow Johnson on all available platforms (here, here and here). Just do it. You can thank me later.
Forrest Laurent: Dating multiple people
There’s a sifting and shifting happening. It’s tangible, and taking place on a social app near you. The sifting and shifting is the separation between men of God who have put away childish things, and men-children who haven’t yet gotten the memo. An emergence of Millennial-aged men who are leveling up in the areas of their faith, emotional intelligence and entrepreneurship is upon us, and they’re spitting truth at scale.
“Fearless” (Ep. 251)
I’m not a journalist, but I’m journalist adjacent.
For the last couple decades, I’ve worked as a communications professional in myriad capacities: PR (with all those hats), corporate comms, Influencer campaigns, writer, editor. I cite that information, not to bring attention to my skill set, but to offer context with respect to the ethos of this piece.
Divine assignments are a thing.