Aliens with Paul McDonald and Britt Mooney
This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we explore the deeper themes of Aliens, starring Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, and Paul Reiser. We contrast the characteristics of godly femininity and masculinity with the signs of toxic femininity and masculinity. The toxic examples are driven by scarcity, treats life like a zero-sum game, manipulating and sacrificing others to get what they want. But Ripley demonstrates the ability to empower others while being empowered herself, finding strength in her vulnerability, and willing to sacrifice herself to protect others. We’re tiptoeing through this topic like walking through a cave full of facehugger eggs. Join us as we discover God’s truth in this movie.
Who is the biggest villain in Aliens?
Quotes
The reason masculinity and femininity can be toxic is because there is a way that it should be used. There’s a right way that it should work.
An insecure man can’t empower the women around him. The problem we see is that the world is full of insecure men.
It takes a strong woman to trust a man with his decision.
We empower people because they have value.
In order to be vulnerable, you have to be strong. But we are afraid to be vulnerable because toxic people attack us when we are.
We are all trying to make sense of the tragedy in our stories.
Sometimes it’s the skill we learn in the worst season that ends up saving our lives.
We are only truly strong after we have been made vulnerable.
Themes
Contrast between toxic vs godly femininity and masculinity
Characteristics of toxic behavior
The queen
Sacrifice others for her children
Shows strength by taking control
Steals, kills, and destroys
Burke
Condescending
Manipulative
Deceptive
Driven by scarcity
Lives life like a zero-sum game. If I feel less than and want more power, you must have less. And if you want more power, I must have less, and that’s unacceptable.
Rejects becoming vulnerable, considers it weakness
Responds to vulnerability by attacking
Argues with volume and aggression
Uses their power and identity to hurt others and serve themselves, to see what they can get out of it.
Insecure
Others have to sacrifice for their success
Characteristics of godly behavior
Ripley
Her heart is for the people
Defends and protects children
Willing to sacrifice self for others
Transformed by Newt
Willing to be trained
Empowers Hicks become the leader
Corrects and affirms Hudson in his fear
She takes what she’s learned to help others
Hicks
Teaches and empowers Ripley
Receives Ripley’s empowerment of him
Listens to counsel
Makes decisions with others’ best interests in mind
Looks out for what others need
Challenges others, not to put them down, but to lift them up
Empowers those under their care
Treats others as equal
Defers to the authority that’s been given
Uses their identity and power to help and serve others
Confident
Believe they are on the same team because they have the same enemy
Importance of facing fears and trauma
Resources
“Who is the bigger villain?” on the Men at the Movies YouTube channel
Power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. - Lord Acton, 19th century British politician
Terminator podcast with Sarah Daniels
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Ephesians 5:21 (NIV)
“Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” - Ephesians 4:1-3 (NLT)
“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” - Matthew 7:3-5 (NLT)
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8 (NLT)
Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King
Questions
How do you respond when others are vulnerable?
How are you vulnerable with others?
How can you empower and lift up the women in your life?
Where do I want others to sacrifice for me?
What are you willing to sacrifice for those you love?
How can the speck in others’ eyes reveal the plank in your own?
More info
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Edited and mixed by Grayson Foster (https://graysonfoster.com/)
Logo and episode templates by Ian Johnston (https://ianhjohnston.com/)
Audio quotes performed by Britt Mooney, Paul McDonald, and Tim Willard, taken from Epic (written by John Eldredge) and Song of Albion (written by Stephen Lawhead).
Southerly Change performed by Zane Dickinson, used under license from Shutterstock
Links: