Should Shows be "Bad" to be Good?

Can stories still entertain you without naughty content?

Many people assume that Christian storytelling is like gluten-free bread—safe, a bit healthier, but not super yummy. You might think that this is because it has been stripped of all excitement, as if Christians stay on the kiddy rides. This raises the question: what ingredients do you need for a killer story? Sexy car chase scenes? Norm-defying shock bombs? Naughty humor?

Does the lack of these ingredients take it down a notch? I had a Peacock subscription for half a hot sec, (they do have The Office), and noticed that one of their shows on offer is “even steamier and sexier!”

Are these ingredients necessary for story-grip?

Should stories get down and dirty to be good? The answer to that is not what you might think. Stories should be messy, but not naughty. Stories should be fierce, but not crass. What exactly does that mean?

Let’s take The Office, for example. In the wake of its success many shows attempted to imitate it by cranking up the obscenity and the cringe-worthy awkwardness. All they proved is that they did not understand what made The Office good. So, why is it good (and it is)? Why are the opening scenes of the pilot gripping? It shows a few dudes sitting under fluorescent lights talking about not much.

Yes… The Office is crass. And no, I don’t like that aspect of it. More importantly… it’s not necessary.

Crass humor is not what makes The Office work.

Here is where it gets tricky but it’s an important point. While crass humor is actually not at all necessary, wickedness absolutely is. Whether you realize it or not, you love The Office because it has morally bad bad guys and morally good good guys.

The Office reinterprets the classic Comedy of Manners genre with a fierce moral standard.

This is where most Christian storytelling misses the boat entirely. Unfortunately, Christians usually do stay on the kiddie rides, when they should not. Stories should be unafraid of darkness. Real darkness.

If this is confusing it might be worth learning the right ingredients for good stories and how to recognize them when you see them… and when you don’t.

We must learn to spot good storytelling versus the counterfeit.

It might be one of the most important things you do. It’s not the same thing as spotting the difference between, say… a quality coat of paint. As I mentioned here storytelling is essential—it is the DNA of our lives. To understand ourselves and those around us we need to become good at reading stories.

For starters, we need to recognize the difference between what I call “outer polish,” and “inner story structure.”

Outer Polish?

Outer polish is the final, glossy, movie-magic effect of a great story. It is the exterior paint, the green window-shutters, and cute flower pots. When done well it’s a good thing. It can be done badly, however, and crass humor is often an example of that. In that case…

Off-color jokes often only mask the writer’s insecurity and lack of real wit.

But even when done well, polish is not the place to start. You don’t choose flower pots, when you are facing an empty lot full of dirt and more dirt.

This may seem obvious, but when it comes to stories it’s not at all obvious. That is how we end up with the kind of misconceptions mentioned above about what makes and doesn’t make good stories.

It’s the polish that attracts and excites the audience, and this causes a lot of confusion about what’s really working.

Too many people want to begin with polish. Don’t get me wrong, great outer polish is crucial, but it only works when it is married with strong story bones. When you leave a theater or put down a novel and think, why was that so good?

If you make “polish” the goal of a story, it will fail. If you begin with the primary goal of creating a story that is “culturally relevant,” for example, it will likely consign you to all the relevance of an eighties perm.

Peanut Butter Falcon is a great story. Yet, a friend who works in the showbiz industry recently told me that stories about “Down’s people” are trending in its wake. I love that the movie features a Down’s guy. I have a daughter with Down’s Syndrome and for that reason, my family affectionally adores watching this movie.

But that is not what makes it good…  

What Makes a Story Great?

Well… the answer to that cannot be reduced to a quick takeaway, hence the whole point of this article. Think of this as an introduction to the topic. If you want more answers then stick around because that is the object and theme of my blog! We will look in more detail at good and bad stories from past and present and talk about what makes them fly or flop.

(Note: some of you may have noticed an earlier version of this article on my site but I have since changed and lengthened it to get it ready to send out!)