I was reading an article in a Torah booklet where two Rabbonim/educators in the Modern Orthodox community were talking about our relationship to pop-culture i.e. Greek culture circa 2018. They offered a very nuanced perspective using many, many impressive words and beautifully crafted sentences. I wish my English was that good. But after all, English is only my second language. My first was baby talk...
My own take is different from theirs - after a request of mechilah from those two important personages, both much greater than me in many ways.
Let me start with an example: Let us say that one gives 99 GREAT REASONS to rob a bank: Think of how many people one could help with ALL THAT CASH!! And it would be so exciting. What a learning experience!! With all of the banks tens of millions, who would notice if just a few million went missing. Like - זה נהנה וזה לא חסר, if I may wax Talmudic for a moment. And the list can go on and on. But after all is said and done STEALING IS FORBIDDEN. PERIOD. All of the rationalizations can't change that stark reality.
Movies, television etc. are FILLED with two of the three worst possible sins for which one must die - murder [and many other forms of violence] and sexual misbehavior. Find me a movie that has no sex or violence and I will show you a G-Rated Disney movie. But besides that - filth-filth-filth. Even seemingly innocent talk or news shows are hosted by incredibly attractive women dressed [or not dressed] in very alluring fashions. Like, some of these women make so little money [it seems] they nebuch can't even afford sleeves or enough material on their skirt to cover their knees... Why do they hire these women and not 88 year old Bubby's? Precisely because men enjoy looking at them and not at the Bubby's [forgiveness from all of the holy beautiful Bubby's whose beauty is much deeper than anything from the skin out but it is rather their souls that shine through].
So yes, OF COURSE they are aspects of pop-culture from which we can benefit. But NOTHING justifies גילוי עריות and שפיכות דמים. They contaminate and pollute mind and soul.
So we must educate our kids to stay away from DYNAMITE even if dynamite has many important uses. Pop-culture is dynamite. Their values invariably conflict with ours and children don't have the filtering system in their mind to distinguish.
There are certain situations where certain people for certain reasons need to engage in certain aspects of secular culture [like - to make a living:-)]. But as a general rule, we have to be VERY wary - especially with our children. OHHHHHH how wonderful it would be if all of the Tumah of that culture in which I imbibed in my youth could be erased.
We must learn from the story of Yosef and Eishes Potiphar - first it says וימאן - he refused. And with a שלשלת. A long NO CHANCE LADY!! Only then he explained why [it is immoral, a sin against G-d etc.]. First we have to say NO, that world is not our world. Then we can give many rational explanations.
This is a VERY big topic and I just offer thoughts on the tip of an iceberg. [A very Jewish way of doing things - "Iceberg" is definitely related to Steinberg and Goldberg].
