8.29.25 Culture Friday on the Catholic school shooting, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, and Listener Feedback

Summary

The World and Everything In It

Episode: Culture Friday on the Catholic School Shooting, Spielberg’s Jaws, and Listener Feedback

Date: August 29, 2025
Host: WORLD Radio team (Myrna Brown, Nick Eicher)
Featured Guest: John Stonestreet, president of the Colson Center and host of the Breakpoint Podcast
Movie Review: Max Bells on Jaws

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Episode Overview

This episode centers around three major segments:

1. Culture Friday: In-depth analysis of the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting, media framing, and biblical engagement with cultural crises.
2. Film Retrospective: A 50th anniversary look at Steven Spielberg’s Jaws and its enduring impact.
3. Listener Feedback: Responses, corrections, and reflections from the audience on recent WORLD coverage.

The episode maintains a signature tone of earnest biblical analysis, seasoned news reporting, and warm listener engagement.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Minneapolis Catholic School Shooting and Media Framing

[00:53–18:59]

The Tragedy

• Two children, 8-year-old Fletcher Merkle and 10-year-old Harper Moisky, were killed during Mass at a Catholic school by a shooter who also wounded 18 others, most of them students.
• The shooter, a 23-year-old transgender-identifying male, left a manifesto expressing hate for many groups, including strong anti-Catholic, antisemitic sentiments, and a fascination with mass killings.

Media Coverage and its Consequences

• John Stonestreet notes that the media’s approach diverges significantly from previous incidents with similar facts, especially when it comes to the identity and motivations of the perpetrator.
• Some outlets downplayed the shooter’s transgender identity, while others reported it openly—more than in prior attacks.
• Stonestreet points out a dangerous detachment from truth: “To detach from reality on something so obvious and then pretend like that won’t have any sort of comorbidity or connection to other mental illness … it was always nonsensical. Now we have another example of people who paid the price.” ([09:44])
• Media use of pronouns and framing can serve to obscure rather than reveal important truths behind such tragedies.

The “Thoughts and Prayers” Critique

• Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s “don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers” remarks ([11:51]) are echoed and amplified in national media, notably by commentators like Jen Psaki and Allie Velshi, and by Rep. Maxwell Frost. The refrain—“Thoughts and prayers aren’t enough”—is critiqued as an inadequate response.
• Stonestreet highlights the irony: “That statement, thoughts and prayers aren’t enough, but gun laws are. I mean … that is the political illusion … the problem is us. The problem is the kind of people that we are cultivating.” ([13:17], [13:53])
• He points to the disconnect between believing laws or policy changes alone suffice, versus addressing deeper cultural and spiritual crises.

Hope and Redemption – Chloe Cole’s Story

• The discussion pivots to documentary Truth Rising and the story of Chloe Cole, a young woman who detransitioned after medical interventions and found hope and peace in Christ.
• “She has this epic line in our film … 'It's not my truth or your truth. Jesus is the truth.' … Redemption is possible … that’s the task of the church.” ([16:09], [17:50])
• Stonestreet calls for Christians to be “revolutionaries” by courageously speaking truth in a culture of deception.

Notable Quotes

• “To detach from reality on something so obvious and then pretend like that won’t have any sort of comorbidity or connection to other mental illness… was always nonsensical. Now we have another example of people who paid the price.”
  — John Stonestreet, [09:44]
• “Thoughts and prayers aren’t enough, but gun laws are? If that’s not the political illusion, I don’t know what is.”
  — John Stonestreet, [13:17]
• “If George Orwell said, which I think he did, ‘In an age of deception, telling the truth is a revolutionary act,’ Christians are to be revolutionaries in this sense—and not just some of us, all of us...”
  — John Stonestreet, [17:45]

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2. 50th Anniversary: Steven Spielberg’s Jaws

[20:47–26:31]

The Film that Changed Summer Movies

• Jaws (1975) is hailed as the original summer blockbuster—suspenseful, action-packed, with strong performances and memorable lines ("You’re gonna need a bigger boat." [23:44])
• Max Bells highlights Spielberg’s camera work: the use of horizon, pacing, and tension above and below the waterline.
• The story’s themes are epic, recalling classics like Moby Dick and The Old Man and the Sea—ordinary people confronting an unstoppable menace.
• Notable Moments:
  • Quint’s monologue about surviving the USS Indianapolis disaster ([24:59]) brings gravitas and history to the film’s central conflict.
  • Insights from director Francis Ford Coppola position Spielberg as a masterful audience-centric filmmaker ([25:31]).

Notable Quotes

• “Spielberg’s visual instincts to place individuals against the blue sky or the chop of the water, heighten the action in Jaws.”
  — Max Bells, [23:09]
• “He was very fortunate that the kind of movie he really had a sense for was also the kind of movie that the audience had a sense for.”
  — Francis Ford Coppola, [25:37]

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3. Listener Feedback

[26:39–34:19]

Corrections and Clarifications

• Date mistake on Dr. James Dobson Family Institute founding corrected to 2010 ([26:59]).
• Pronunciation corrections for “Marty Makary” (FDA commissioner), “gyotaku” (Japanese art form), and “fentanyl” ([27:08–27:35]).
• Lighthearted feedback on dictionary slang pronunciation, e.g., “skibidi” ([27:57]).

Reflections and Critique

• Listeners appreciated coverage of the Scopes trial and tech/screen issues, but requested deeper scriptural engagement in some cultural segments ([29:14–30:51]).
• A mother’s moving tribute to Dr. Dobson as an encouragement for Christian parenting ([31:02]).
• Lighthearted moment with a two-year-old enjoying Myrna’s weekly sign-off—hearing “grace and peas” ([32:51]).

Engagement Invitation

• Recurring reminder for listeners to send feedback, corrections, and to participate in live events ([33:48–34:19]).

Notable Quotes

• “He was my cheerleader on the radio. … He gave me so much encouragement as a mom, reminding me I was … valuable to God … And he actually helped me get involved in political action … I still do that.”
  — Brenda Davis (Listener), [31:02]
• “Gregory especially loves to hear Myrna’s closing words … As he hears it, though, he hears ‘grace and peas.’ Not quite the biblical shalom we’re going for, but … when he eats his peas, that will probably bring some peace at home for sure.”
  — Nick Eicher, [32:58]

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• Minneapolis Catholic School Shooting—News Recap: [00:53–07:20]
• Culture Friday, In-depth Analysis: [07:29–18:59]
  • Media framing: [08:54–11:26]
  • “Thoughts and prayers” debate: [12:01–15:19]
  • Chloe Cole & hope of redemption: [15:19–18:52]
• Jaws 50th Anniversary Retrospective: [20:47–26:31]
  • Iconic moments and director’s insights: [23:44–25:49]
• Listener Feedback: [26:39–34:19]
  • Corrections: [26:59–27:35]
  • Listener reflections: [27:57–32:43]
  • “Grace and peas” moment: [32:51]
  • Invitation to WORLD Stage Houston: [33:48–34:19]

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Episode Takeaways

• Culture Friday: The tragedy at the Minneapolis Catholic school highlights deep fractures and confusion in societal discourse over identity, mental health, and reality. The episode challenges listeners to move beyond platitudes (“thoughts and prayers”) to address foundational truths and offers a redemptive alternative in gospel hope.
• Jaws Retrospective: Spielberg’s classic film is celebrated as a storytelling milestone—technically innovative, viscerally thrilling, and packed with memorable themes and lines.
• Listener Feedback: WORLD maintains a culture of humility and engagement—correcting mistakes, amplifying listener voices, and staying rooted in biblical worldview.

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Language & Tone

• The tone is consistently earnest, compassionate, and biblically grounded—even when offering cultural critique or engaging in spirited debate.
• Listener voices are respected and featured with warmth and light humor, helping to draw the audience into a participatory conversation.

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Conclusion

This episode threads together national tragedy, pop culture, and robust listener engagement under the unifying call for biblical truth and Christian hope to prevail amid confusion and suffering. It’s an installment that blends tough news, analytical clarity, and moments of levity—representative of WORLD’s distinctive voice in Christian journalism.

Transcript

[Myrna Brown]

Good morning. Today on Culture Friday, the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting and the media's favorite framing.

[Nick Eicher]

Don't just say this is about thoughts.

[John Stonestreet]

And prayers right now.

[Nick Eicher]

These kids were literally praying that and the redemption that can come when truth prevails. John Stonestreet standing by. And 50 years later, the movie Jaw still keeps audiences on edge.

[Mark Mellinger]

I don't want him on the ocean.

[Listener or Caller]

He's not on the ocean. He is in a boat.

[Myrna Brown]

He's not gonna go in the. It's Friday, August 29th. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Iker. Good morning.

[Myrna Brown]

Up next, Mark Mellinger with today's news.

[Mark Mellinger]

Parents of the two students killed in this week's shooting during a time of prayer at a Catholic school mass in Minneapolis are giving the nation windows into their grief. This is Jesse Merkle, who lost his eight year old son Fletcher when the gunman opened fire Wednesday.

[John Stonestreet]

We will never be allowed to hold.

[Nick Eicher]

Him, talk to him, play with him.

[John Stonestreet]

And watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming.

[Mark Mellinger]

He says Fletcher loved his family along with fishing, cooking and sports. The other victim who died was Harper Moisky, a 10 year old. Her parents describe her as bright and joyful and say words can cannot capture the depth of their pain. Fifteen other children between the ages of 6 and 15 were hurt in the shooting along with three worshippers in their 80s. Police do expect most of those remaining victims to survive. Investigators say the shooter, who also killed himself, expressed hate toward almost every group imaginable. They also say he was obsessed with the idea of killing children and had a deranged fascination with mass killings. John Stonestreet will have in depth analysis in the wake of this tragedy in just a few minutes. On Culture Friday. The Trump administration has greenlighted its first major sale of new weapons to Ukraine. Under the deal, Ukraine will pay $825 million for more than 3,300 extended range attack missiles. The US could deliver those missiles this year. This comes as Russia intensifies its assault on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, where an aerial attack Thursday left 21 people dead, including four children. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, interpreted through a translator, says it's proof Russian leader Vladimir Putin's words are meaningless in Washington.

[John Stonestreet]

We heard that Putin is supposedly ready to end the war, to meet at the leadership level and resolve key issues, but he chooses ballistics instead of any real steps toward peace.

[Mark Mellinger]

Zelensky also calls Thursday's bombardment a strike against President Trump and other global players trying to bring Putin to the negotiating table. Britain says the latest attack has sabotaged peace efforts. A military parade in China next week is set to double as a display of dictatorial unity. The stated purpose of the parade in Tiananmen Square is to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. But But China is raising eyebrows by announcing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin will be in attendance, both at the top of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's guest list. The three nations, all US Adversaries, have spent the past few years forging closer ties with one another. Though China was a crucial partner of the allied powers In World War II, leaders from major Western nations are not on Xi's guest list. Deputy Health and Human Services Secretary Jim o' Neill will serve as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or cdc. President Trump fired CDC Director Susan Menarez Wednesday. The White House says she wasn't aligned with the president's mission and refused to resign. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt it.

[John Stonestreet]

Was President Trump who was overwhelmingly reelected on November 5th.

[Listener or Caller]

This woman has never received a vote.

[Myrna Brown]

In her life and the president has the authority to fire those who are not aligned with his mission.

[Mark Mellinger]

Manares is still fighting to keep her job. Her lawyers say she was targeted because she stood up for science. Supporters cheered as several other top officials who resigned in solidarity with Manara left CDC headquarters in Atlanta Thursday. The Trump administration says one school district in Colorado's failure to protect private spaces for girls is unconstitutional. World's Travis Kercher has more.

[John Stonestreet]

The Department of Education found that a Denver Public Schools bathroom policy violates Title IX of the U.S. constitution. Title IX is of course, the provision prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded education programs. The announcement comes after the school system converted girls restrooms to what the district calls all gender facilities. That means both male and female students can use the same multi stall restroom as long as the facility lines up with their so called gender identity. In a statement, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor says the district is free to endorse a self defeating gender ideology if that's what it wants. But he said it can't do that if it expects to receive federal funds. The school district has yet to respond to the decision. For World, I'm Travis KERCHER.

[Mark Mellinger]

More than 300 school districts and charter schools in Texas are adopting a new curriculum that uses the Bible as part of its lessons. The state developed reading lessons became the focus of national attention last year because of their extensive references to the Bible and Christianity. Texas Tribune reporter Jaden Edison tells kvue some districts with large numbers of economically disadvantaged students are adopting the program for financial reasons.

[John Stonestreet]

With this curriculum comes a $60 per student incentive that districts otherwise may not be able to get. You know, those that have kind of.

[Nick Eicher]

A high financial need, they adopted the.

[John Stonestreet]

Materials not necessarily for the religious components, but for some of that financial relief.

[Mark Mellinger]

The Texas Tribune reports the number of districts and charter schools planning to use the new curriculum comes to about a quarter of all Texas public school systems. I'm Mark Mellinger. Straight ahead, John Stonestreet is standing by for Culture Friday. Plus, the 50th anniversary of a shark story that changed summer movies. This is the WORLD and Everything in it.

[Myrna Brown]

It's Friday, August 29th. Glad to have you along for today's edition of the World and Everything in It. Good morning. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Eichert's Culture Friday. John Stonestreet joins us. He's president of the Colson center and host of the Breakpoint podcast. John, good morning.

[John Stonestreet]

Good morning.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, John, it was Wednesday morning in Minneapolis, a gunman opening fire during mass at Annunciation Catholic school. Sadly, tragically, two children were killed, 18 others were wounded, most of whom were students. And we've got to bear in mind that whether wounded or not, those who were present are likely scarred for life. Authorities in Minneapolis reporting The shooter, a 23 year old male who identified as a transgender woman, left behind a video manifesto that was filled with anti Catholic rage, anti Semitism, hatred for the president, no significant criminal record here, but clear signs of mental instability. He had steeped himself in violence and gender ideology. And what stands out now, John, is, is the way this tragedy is being portrayed in the media across the country and what it reveals about a deeper detachment from truth and reality. The way the media frame stories like this significantly influences public perception and can shape worldview. But what are you observing at this early stage?

[John Stonestreet]

The media coverage here is very different on a couple levels. The Nashville shooting, it was like there was no information to be had about who the shooter was, what the shooter's motivation was, that the shooter was very anti religious and also identified as a transgender born a woman identifying a man. And so almost immediately, way, way, way more was known about Robin Westman than was ever known about the shooter in Nashville. Interesting also was the willingness of at least a handful more media outlets to identify the shooter as trans, whereas there were plenty of progressive outlets still using pronouns and still downplaying that fact, others seem to suggest that it was important to notice these things because it suggested, first of all, the fact that this isn't the only time that this has happened. It's probably too early to call it a trend, but there certainly is a level of anger and violence by some in the transgender community. And that was not only illustrated by the actions, but by some of the images that came out of the videos this shooter wrote on weapons and ammunition. Things like 6 million were not enough. A statement of anti Semitism, statements against Donald Trump, statements against God and religion, and certainly a worship and love of death. But, you know, at the end of the day, we have been told now by so many people, including many of these same media outlets that are still willing to use pronouns and call a man a woman, as in this case, that this is not a mental illness, but actually is someone being his or her own true self. And that has obviously never been the case. But it's also never been more obvious that it's not the case to detach from reality on something so obvious and then pretend like that won't have any sort of comorbidity or connection to other mental illness or to anger or another way to disconnect from reality. It was always nonsensical. Now we have another example of people who paid the price. It's also interesting, and I think it needs to be said that disconnecting from reality and disconnecting from God are directly related. Romans 1 says this in very clear terms, and we see it in reality at a time like this. And not to mention that that then is accompanied by things like violence and irrational hatred to children who are praying in a Mass.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, I want to pick that up, John, and point out here the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Fry. He has had more than his share of national attention. First during the George Floyd crisis, now this. And maybe emotion got the better of him. But something he said after the shooting, right after it really struck a chord. Corners of the media here is what lit the match.

[John Stonestreet]

These were Minneapolis families. These were American families.

[Nick Eicher]

And the amount of pain that they.

[John Stonestreet]

Are suffering right now is extraordinary. And don't just say this is about.

[Nick Eicher]

Thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying.

[John Stonestreet]

It was the first week of school.

[Nick Eicher]

They were in a church. Former White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki, now hosting on msnbc, she had the mayor on her show, and Psaki loved that.

[Mark Mellinger]

Positioning, Were sort of grateful to you for saying it. Stopped tweeting things like thoughts and prayers, which I felt the same way.

[Nick Eicher]

Anchor Allie Velshi then brought in one of the most liberal members of Congress, Maxwell Frost of Florida, to double down even harder, though at least he censored himself. In the retelling, you expressed a sentiment very far from thoughts and prayers. You said these children were probably praying when they were shot to death at Catholic school. Don't give us your effing thoughts and prayers. You, like my friend Jen Psaki, have had it with the thoughts and prayers. Yeah, man, thanks for having me on.

[John Stonestreet]

We've had it with the thoughts and prayers for years, for decades.

[Nick Eicher]

I mean, I got involved in politics.

[John Stonestreet]

When I was 15 years old because.

[Nick Eicher]

I didn't want to get shot. So, Jon, we hear it again. Thoughts and prayers are not enough. And that's become almost the default refrain after tragedies like this. How do you respond?

[John Stonestreet]

Well, I mean, think of the irony of that. That statement, thoughts and prayers aren't enough, but gun laws are. I mean, look, gun laws have proven not to be enough. We know that because Minneapolis is one of the most heavily regulated cities when it comes to gun ownership in America, and it didn't stop this. We shouldn't expect God to act on our behalf, but we should expect politicians to be able to fix this problem. I mean, listen, if that's not the political illusion, I don't know what is. I mean, none of that makes any sense. And. And all of it is a way of just ignoring what is obviously in front of us. And that is young people in America are not okay. Especially young men, and not always exclusively young men, but especially young men like in this case. And that we've known this for a long time. We've known this in terms of educational outcomes. We've known this in terms of motivation. We've known this in terms of people just detaching from the reality of who they are, not to mention the reality of morality, not to mention hating other people, not to mention obvious comorbidities when it comes to mental illnesses and other kind of psychological breaks. I mean, all of this is like, right out in front of us. Right? It's just clear the fact that there was a much higher percentage of gun ownership in the past and much lower rates of these kinds of mass incidents. In other words, the problem is us. The problem is the kind of people that we are cultivating. And if you see someone with such a definitive break from reality, like someone who struggles with who they are even though their body is telling them clearly who they are, we ought not be too surprised that there are going to be other breaks of reality. I'M not saying that all trans people are murderers. It doesn't always happen that way. But there is a clear and obvious break from reality, so we shouldn't be surprised when other things happen. But it's such selective outrage on behalf of the Minneapolis mayor and others to say that this is somehow the fault of those who want to pray at a time like this. I mean, what a silly thing to say.

[Myrna Brown]

Well, John, I did get to view your Truth Rising documentary. We talked about it a couple of weeks ago. It'll be released, by the way, a week from today. So timely, because the one thing that absolutely jumps out at me in light of this horrible story in Minneapolis is the journey of Chloe Cole. The now here's a young girl swept up in transgender ideology, pushed into hormones and even surgery before she was old enough to drive. What her story shows, and it's told so well in the documentary, is the deep pain and despair that come with believing a lie, and then the hope she found when Christians loved her and pointed her to Christ. How does her journey help us understand what's really at stake here?

[John Stonestreet]

I think that's such an interesting context for us, having just told that story of Chloe in the Truth Rising film. And here's someone who was likewise deceived, who believed one of the most destructive ideas of our lifetimes, and then had the courage to say I was wrong, had the courage to say that truth does not lie with some sort of inner knowledge that I have that's disconnected from the real world. And then she came to that truth about herself. And that truth about herself ultimately pointed her to God, who is the source of truth. And so she has this epic line in our film. It's not my truth or your truth. Jesus is the truth. And that's something more true. That's something deeper than she would have said when she started her activism against the ideology that led to her losing two healthy breasts and made her a perpetual patient under the care of these doctors. How different is that? And the peace that she now exhibits and has found versus the torture that not only Robin Westman clearly felt, but also then inflicted on others. And it just demonstrates to me both that a detachment from God is a detachment from reality. And once you detach from reality, you further detach from reality, but also that redemption is possible and that renewal is possible. And that reattachment to what is true, particularly what's true about who we are, is also possible. And that's the task of the church. I mean, clearly our political officials are going to completely lose perspective on this and whatever pet cause they want to endorse and miss the real crisis that has overwhelmed young people today. So who has the answer? Who can point to what's true? Who can, who can help people reattach to what is true about who they are? This is the task of God's people right now. I mean, if George Orwell said, which I think he did, in an age of deception, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. Christians are to be revolutionaries in this sense, and not just some of us, all of us, because people rub shoulders with Robin Westman prior to this decision and we don't know who the next one is going to be. I mean, God forbid there is anymore. But what is our task? To tell the truth to those who have been deceiving? We've been told it's intolerant. We've been told to do that's hateful. But then stories like this happen. You realize, no. To do that is good. To do that is kind. To do that is loving. To do that is gracious. To do that is the calling of God's people today.

[Myrna Brown]

Amen. John Stonestreet, president of the Colson center and host of the Breakpoint Podcast. Thanks, John.

[John Stonestreet]

Thank you both. Additional support comes from Covenant College. Rigorous academics grounded in Reformed theology lived out in Christ centered community. Covenant. Edu World from Water's edge.

[Nick Eicher]

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[John Stonestreet]

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[Nick Eicher]

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[John Stonestreet]

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[Nick Eicher]

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[Myrna Brown]

Today is Friday, August 29th. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning, I'm Myrna Brown.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Eicher. Coming next on the World and everything in it, the film that ruined the ocean for 11 year old Nick. Well, you know, some movies fade with time, others do not. They still give you chills a half a century later. World movie reviewer Max Bells takes us back to the summer of 1975.

[Max Bells]

Fifty summers ago, Steven Spielberg's Jaws hit theaters. Movie historians now regard it as the first summer blockbuster. It was suspenseful, action packed and audiences could watch it over and over. Let me start by saying that this is a horror movie not appropriate for young children. There are some gory scenes and bad language. In 1975 it was rated PG, but today it would likely get an R rating. With that caution stated, why does it merit recognition? Simply, Jaws made Steven Spielberg a household name. In this story, the sleepy New England town of Amity relies on summertime tourism to boost its economy. But a shark starts attacking Swift, specifically young people. As the shark claims more lives, the townspeople turn on the police chief, Martin Brody, played by Roy Scheider, who represents the red blooded small town America.

[Myrna Brown]

You knew it was dangerous, but you let people go swimming anyway.

[Listener or Caller]

You knew all those things.

[Max Bells]

A kind of madness descends on this quaint town. To solve the problem, Brody teams up with marine biologist Matt Hooper, played by Richard Dreyfus at his high strung best.

[Nick Eicher]

When I was 12 years old, my.

[Max Bells]

Father got me this boat and I.

[John Stonestreet]

Went fishing off of Cape Cod and.

[Max Bells]

I hooked a scup and as I was reeling it in I hooked a.

[John Stonestreet]

Four and a half foot baby thresher.

[Max Bells]

Shark who proceeded to eat my boat. And ever since then, yes, I have been studying sharks. And that's why I know that I'm gonna go to the institute tomorrow and tell them that you still have a shark problem here. Brody and Hopper are at loggerheads with the mayor about what to do. So they join a wizened fisherman named Quint to track and kill the awful fish.

[Listener or Caller]

That's it.

[John Stonestreet]

Goodbye. I'm not gonna waste my time arguing.

[Nick Eicher]

With a man who's lining up to be a hot lunch.

[John Stonestreet]

I'm gonna see you later.

[Max Bells]

One of the movie's striking features is Spielberg's skill with the camera. It absorbs action and gesture, even in sequences that would be easy to miss. In an early scene, the city council corners Brody on a ferry to pressure him into not closing the beaches despite the terror of the ravenous shark. I'm only trying to say that Amity is a summer town. We need summer dollars. If people can't swim here, they'll be.

[Nick Eicher]

Glad to swim at the beaches of.

[Max Bells]

Cape Cod, the Hamptons, Long Island. The camera holds on the conversation while the horizon slides around behind the ferry. Rather than having the characters move the background moves, providing a mesmerizing visual effect. Spielberg, like other great filmmakers, was inspired by John Ford. Ford told Spielberg that the young man would succeed if he placed the horizon near the top or the bottom of the camera frame rather than right in the middle. Spielberg's visual instincts to place individuals against the blue sky or the chop of the water, heighten the action in Jaws.

[John Stonestreet]

You're gonna need a bigger boat.

[Max Bells]

The second half of the movie is shot with high drama on the open seas. This part of the story recalls Moby Dick, the half crazy sea captain, sacrificing everything to catch a menacing sea creature. The maniacal search for a fish brings the old man in the sea to mind as well.

[John Stonestreet]

Martin, it's his birthday tomorrow.

[Mark Mellinger]

I don't want him on the ocean.

[John Stonestreet]

He's not on the ocean. He is in a boat.

[Listener or Caller]

He's not gonna go in the water.

[Nick Eicher]

I don't think he'll ever go in the water again.

[Mark Mellinger]

After what happened yesterday, you'd think that.

[Max Bells]

The confines of a small boat in a big ocean would be visually limiting. But Spielberg's camera soaks up the action above and below the waterline, finding new angles as the characters crawl around their boat in a panic.

[John Stonestreet]

You know the thing about a shark.

[Nick Eicher]

He'S got lifeless eyes.

[John Stonestreet]

Black eyes like a doll's eyes.

[Max Bells]

One shot before the final encounter with with the shark shows Quint on the prow of the boat with only a yellow buoy streaking along the surface of the blue water. Just before the movie's climax, Spielberg works. In a moving speech, Quint reveals that he was among the few men to survive the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, leaving most of its sailors to die from the elements or to be eaten by sharks.

[Nick Eicher]

1100 men went into the water. Vessel went down in 12 minutes.

[Max Bells]

Didn't see the first shark for about half an hour.

[Nick Eicher]

Tiger, 13 footer. You know how you know that when you're in the water, chief?

[Max Bells]

You tell by looking from the dorsal to the tail. Spielberg's camera packs in drama and action. The composition of the scenes and the movement of characters in relationship to their environment keep the story in perpetual motion. Here's fellow movie director Francis Ford Coppola on Spielberg.

[John Stonestreet]

Steven always was a creature of the studio and his thinking and his methodology went that direction and he became a master of it. He was very fortunate that the kind of movie he really had a sense for was also the kind of movie that the audience had a sense for.

[Max Bells]

Spielberg went on to become one of the greatest filmmakers of all time with the Indiana Jones movies and Jurassic Park. But he's also created moving historical epics like Schindler's List. His penchant for emotionally moving action filled movies struck a chord with audiences in 1975. And his camera and Jaws still keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. I'm Max Bells.

[Nick Eicher]

Today is Friday, August 29th. Good morning. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported world radio. I'm Nick Iger.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. Time now for listener feedback for August. We'll start with corrections. In our Aug. 22 obituary for Dr. James Dobson, we misstated the year he started the James Dobson Family Institute. The correct year is 2010.

[Nick Eicher]

A couple pronunciation notes. In a July 30th story, we mispronounce the name of the FDA commissioner. It is Marty Makary.

[Myrna Brown]

And in my August 21st story about a cancer survivor using art therapy, I fumbled a Japanese art form. Listener Carol Baker helped us out.

[Listener or Caller]

Pronounced gyotaku, gyo for fish and taku for stone impression. I understand the pronunciation in the story was a local pronunciation, but just in order to clear things up. Thank you so much for all you do. Your stories are truly inspiring.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, hey, Myrna, I've got one, too. A physician got in touch with me to straighten me out on the correct pronunciation of fentanyl. Not fentanyl like alcohol. It's fentanyl. And one more this morning. This is kind of funny. Do you remember the dialogue you had with Mary about all that new slang in the Cambridge dictionary?

[John Stonestreet]

Hello, my name's Keith Russell. I'm calling from Superior, Wisconsin. I was listening this morning to Mary Riker. Try to pronounce some of the new words added to the dictionary. It is pronounced skibidi. Just gotta speed it up a little bit there. And I only know that because I teach middle school and high school and I've heard that word way too many times over the past. Love the show, love what you guys do. And thank you so much for making me laugh this morning.

[Myrna Brown]

Well, we're right back at you. And well said.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, now onto some tougher feedback. Robert mineo in Brooklyn, New York, thought our Aug. 19 discussion on the war in Ukraine didn't go far enough.

[John Stonestreet]

Hello, this is Robert Mineo from Brooklyn, New York. I am calling because this morning I heard George Barrow speak and I just couldn't get that piece out of my head because the gentleman was dour and negative. The way he came across the fact that he would seemingly present that the best thing to do is to let Russia and Ukraine continue to fight and that at some point Russia will run out of soldiers. Seems crazy to me.

[Myrna Brown]

And we also heard from Rachel Wilson, who wrote in about our take on the American Eagle blue jeans ad. She said she agreed with our cultural critique, but wish we would have leaned more on scripture, pointing to 1 Peter 3 and Proverbs 31 for a fuller, more biblical view of beauty.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, this year marked the 100th anniversary of the Scopes trial. Jenny Ruff reporting that one for us. Susan Camp Heiss from Kalamazoo, Michigan, sent this.

[Listener or Caller]

I thought it was a great segment. I come from a family that has had a passion for creation science for many years. But many of the arguments that you guys had in this segment were presented in a really beautiful new way to me that I really appreciated. I just wanted to thank you for covering the history of this trial and the science that was connected to it. This was a really wonderful piece.

[Myrna Brown]

We also heard from Nathan Howell in Amarillo, Texas about our tech exit conversation with Claire Morrell.

[Max Bells]

I do see the way that screens affect children as being something which is gaining steam in the story today. She clearly talked about the need to do digital detox and other beneficial activities to get kids less damaged by screens, but I saw that almost lurking in the background. There's problems for adults as well. I would love to know more about what is being done to address adult problems. Thank you for the work on all this and I look forward to hearing more about ways to follow Christ in a world that has been so transformed by screen.

[Myrna Brown]

All right, we'll stay on it.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, next an extended comment from Brenda Davis in Antioch, California. An appreciation for the life and ministry of Dr. Dobson.

[Listener or Caller]

Dr. James Dobson for me was a warrior and he provided a lifeline. I began tuning into his radio show in the early 1980s every morning and it became a 10 o' clock thing for me, a show I even structured my morning around. My toddler's new focus on the family was Mom's show and they knew to play quietly or at least leave the kitchen so mom can listen to Dr. Dobson. He was my cheerleader on the radio. He gave me so much encouragement as a mom, reminding me I was a working mom, not just a stay at home mom and I was valuable to God and I was the best adult for my children. He added so much to my degrees in education for Child Development and Early Childhood Education and now I was at home raising my own kids. He gave me some strong advice to hug my kids after discipline or affirm correction and to kiss them every night before bedtime and to pray with them after discipline and to keep praying for them for they were more precious to God than to me. And he actually helped me get involved in political action and learn who my congresspeople were and write them letters and make phone calls about family bills in the House and Senate. I still do that. He helped me be a loving mom who discovered I had the most important job on the planet. I love the clip you shared by Shirley Dobson that now her husband is with his savior Jesus. Praise the Lord for the work he has accomplished and what a gifted man he was. And now he's receiving a great reward. Thank you world.

[Nick Eicher]

All Right. And before we go, one more. This is Kathryn Lipscomb. She sent this recording in of her two year old, Gregory.

[Listener or Caller]

Gregory, what did she say? Grace and peace.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, Katherine says that young Gregory especially loves to hear Myrna's closing words. As he hears it, though he hears grace and peas. Not quite the biblical shalom we're going for, but I'll just add this when he eats his peas, that will probably bring some peace at home for sure. Well, one more note before we go. The World Stage event in Houston, if you didn't hear about it on Monday. Now, if you're near enough to the Houston area, please make plans to join us for our very first World Stage event, Monday, September 15th. David Bonson will speak on themes from his book Full Work and the Meaning of Life that will be followed up by Q and A and a chance to meet him and the world team.

[Myrna Brown]

It's at First Baptist Houston, downtown. There's no charge, but space is limited and it's filling up fast. Reserve your spot [e-mail] theworldstage and if you'd like to comment on a recent segment, send us an email or a recorded message to editorng.org you can also phone it in 202-709-9595.

[Nick Eicher]

And that's listener feedback for August. All right, time now to name the team who helped to make things happen this week. Max Bells, Kim Henderson, Addie Offrence, Cal Thomas, Denny Burke, Jenny Ruff, Mary Reichert, Hunter Baker, Elisa Palumbo, Emma Eicher, Daniel Darling, John Stonestreet, Mary Muncie, David Bonson and Lindsay Mast. Thanks also to our breaking news crew, Kent Covington, Mark Mellinger, Travis Kircher, Christina Grube, Steve Klosterman and Lindi Langdon. And thanks to the moonlight maestros, Benj Eicher and Carl Peetz. Paul Butler is executive producer, Harrison Waters is Washington producer, Kristin Flavin is features editor and Les Sillers is editor in chief. I'm Nick Iker.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. If you enjoyed the program this week, could you take a moment and share it with a friend? Send a link to a particular story or from your podcast player, share the link to the whole thing. Thank you. The world and everything in it comes to you from World Radio. World's mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates and inspires. The Bible records that Jesus was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, but they did not find anything they could do for all the people were hanging on his words. Verses 47 and 48 of Luke chapter 19. Well, here we are at the end of another week. Be sure to go to a Bible believing church this weekend and give praise to the Lord. Encourage others, others and let others encourage you. And Lord willing, we'll be right back here on Monday. Go now in grace and peace.