CT: The Jim Carrey Clone Conspiracy, Resident Evil, and Alysa Liu

0:00Welcome to the Culture Translator. This is the audio version of our weekly email newsletter. To sign up for our free newsletter, or for more access resources, go to access.org. This week, Jim Carrey reacts to being called a clone, what parents should know about the new resident evil video game, and why people are still talking about Alyssa Leeu's Olympic performance. But first, slang of the week. Moving in silence. The slang term, moving in silence, refers to keeping a personal project to yourself until it becomes big or successful. Rather than announcing your big plans at the outset, for example, the fact that you're starting a new workout plan, or beginning a new creative project, the idea of moving in silence refers to keeping your cards close to your chest, at least at first. Internet culture deeply values disclosure and authenticity, so keeping something to yourself for a time can be understood as making a statement.

1:02First in the top three, The Dead Abides. Resident Evil Requiem, the ninth installment in the popular video game franchise, was released last week to hide a claim and a high number of players. What parents should know. Like earlier games in the series, Requiem features two protagonists, newcomer Grace Ashcroft and returning fan favorite Leon Kennedy. When you play as Grace, you spend your time hiding from grotesque monsters and trapped in a mysterious maze-like hospital. Leon's sections are more action-focused as you roundhouse kick zombies and ride motorcycles. The dichotomy between the sections is a recipe for gripping tension and satisfying resolution as you transition from frightened to powerful. But with that being said, the game is rated M for Blood, Gore, Intense Violence and Strong Language. It's standard for horror, but it's hard to recommend, and it's worth knowing about if your team is curious. Here's a question to continue the conversation. What's a video game world you'd like to live in?

2:07Next up, The Mask. Last week Jim Carey accepted the Honorary Cesar Award at the Cesar Award Ceremony. In addition to the fact that he gave a full speech in French, he looked just different enough that a portion of the internet felt sure they were seeing a Jim Carey clone or impersonator. Why it's bizarre? First things first, human clones definitely do not exist. But for years, conspiracy theories have abounded that major celebrities and political figures such as Kanye West, Katy Perry, Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton died long ago and have since been replaced by clones for nefarious reasons. Adding to the confusion, a makeup artist named Alexis Stone suggested that he himself had stepped on stage in a face mask for Dena to be Jim Carey and accepted the award. Carey's team denied all this and described his mental state this way. Jim is sad. Not because people are questioning or making fun of his appearance, he's not worried about that at all. Rather, he said that people are stupid. Here's a question to continue the conversation.

3:12What's your favorite conspiracy theory? Discipling a team doesn't come with instant results. It's faithful, unseen work. Access exists to help you stay in it for the long haul. If this podcast has helped you stay curious or maybe just stay sane, we're asking you to join the people who make that possible. Become a monthly donor today at access.org slash the table. Last in the top three, the struggle is real. As buzz about the Milano Cortina Olympics begins to fade, women's figure skating gold medalist Alyssa Liu continues to have a viral moment. Why is she resonating with young people? Very rarely do we see an athlete triumph for putting artistry first, but at the end of a journey that included quitting the sport at age 16 and taking a two year hiatus, Liu's winning free skate performance was praised for fusing joy and beauty with technical prowess. With tree-inspired vertical streaks of bleach in her hair and a frenulum piercing she did

4:14herself, it's easy to read Liu's appearance on the ice as an act of rebellion in a sport marked by red lipstick and ballerina buns. But getting to the gold required more than rebellion, a demanded resilience, and Liu hasn't shied away from the struggle. In fact, she told 60 minutes, I love struggling actually, it makes me feel alive. Let's translate this one further. And surprised by joy, CS Lewis wrote that earthly joy isn't something we can permanently possess, but a desire for something longer ago or further away or still about to be. This quote rose to mind as I watched Alyssa Liu's exhibition performance of state side by Pink Pantherous and Zara Larson alongside my four-year-old daughter. Before the two and a half minute skate was over, my daughter was bopping around the kitchen, doing her own improvised toe loops and begging for me to take her to the ice skating rink. It looked like Liu was owning joy, but what she was doing was giving it away. Watching that performance also reminded me

5:20of the K-pop demon hunter song Golden performed by Huntrix. Rumi sings, no more hiding, I'll be shining like I'm born to be. The lyrics point to the idea that to reach our full potential, we have to confront shame, doubt, and our true selves. Then, through self-acceptance, we can reach the height of our powers, athletic, artistic, or otherwise. This seems to resonate with Gen Z and Gen Alpha in particular. And to some, Liu's story of quitting, reckoning, and returning is the perfect embodiment of it. But the journey toward an infectious transferable joy, the magnetic kind that transfixes and inspires, demands so much more than self-love. It's an ongoing conversion of our energy into something fit to give away, and that conversion often feels hard. That's why I love Liu's comment about embracing the way struggle makes her feel. It turns I have to do this into I get to do this. And that makes all the difference. We can't all be gold medalist, figure skaters, but we can represent a sanctified riot

6:23joy in our everyday lives, a longing for heaven, which Jesus promised he would fulfill, and an easy yoke and a light burden on the way there. For more context and nuance, check out our roundtable podcast right here in this podcast feed, and now on our YouTube channel. In the mean time, here are three questions to help you continue the conversation with your teens. What's something that makes you feel alive? Imagine you could choose any sport and excel in it. What would you choose? When do you feel the most proud of yourself? On your way out, here's more of what's happening in the Cultural Landscape. Earlier views for the new game Pokemon, Pocopia, have been enthusiastic with critics comparing it to a blend of Minecraft creative mode and animal crossings relaxed village life. The game focuses more on building and exploration than traditional Pokemon battles. Apple is stepping into the budget laptop market with the new $599 Macbook Neo. The price places it much closer to the Chromebooks and Windows laptops that many schools

7:26recommend for students. Rumors that Zendaya and Tom Highland secretly got married started after Zendaya's stylist casually told reporters that the wedding had already happened. The couple hasn't confirmed anything, but fans online are already in full detective mode. About 40% of Gen Z and millennials say spiritual advice from AI can be just as trustworthy as advice from a pastor, according to a recent survey by Barna and Tech Platform Glue. Many young adults say they already use AI tools for prayer, Bible study and spiritual questions. And finally, energy drinks were once marketed almost entirely to young men with branding tied to extreme sports and masculinity. Now companies are launching pastel colored cans and fruitier flavors aimed at women, including cotton candy, which is delicious at a carnival and deeply questionable as a beverage. If you'd like to look into any of these subjects further, check out the links in the show notes. And be asked if you know someone who could use our conversation starters with their teens, share the culture translator with a friend.

8:28Thanks so much for listening. This podcast is made possible because of our generous donor community, which is called the table, to help us support more parents and caring adults through culture translation. We'd love to invite you to check it out by visiting access.org slash the table. Also, if you've been impacted by what we do, we hope you'll consider helping us get the word out by leaving a five star review on whatever podcast platform you use. And even by sharing this episode with someone who you think could benefit. Finally, you can now find this podcast on our YouTube channel as well at Access Conversations. Thank you so much for caring about having intentional conversations with the next generation.