Shared post

Matt Fradd

Spirituality/Belief • Books • Writing

This PWA community exists to facilitate an online community of PWA listeners and all lovers of philosophy and theology.

Interested? Want to learn more about the community?

Show me more content first

Mark Cobuzzi@AquinasPupilMC73

November 10, 2024

Pop-Cultured Catholic #18: Playing One’s Given Role in God’s Theo-Drama… Or OwlKitty’s Mashups

Halloween season has been a prime opportunity for my series to delve into dark, complex, and macabre subject matter, and now it is over. To provide a 180-degree shift away from that tone, I have decided to focus on something simple, silly, and adorable for today… a popular cat named Lizzy… better known by her YouTube stage name, OwlKitty.

The story begins with Licorice, a stray cat taken into foster care, after she was found flea-bitten, malnourished… and pregnant with kittens. While rehabilitating, Licorice soon got the attention of one particular couple, Tibo Charroppin and Olivia Boone, who have already owned a cat and were ready to adopt another one. And on March 3rd, 2017, Licorice had finally given birth to a litter of six kittens. The couple especially took interest in one of her kittens, the black-colored one named Lizzy. While Licorice was adopted by another household, Tibo and Olivia got to bring home Lizzy, who eventually formed a mutual bond with their current cat named Juliette. Soon, Tibo would put his video recording and editing skills to good use, creating a library of videos starring Lizzy.

The turning point began when the owners of Licorice’s kitten, Lizzy, got the idea to make a video mashup, where Lizzy replaces one of the Velociraptors in the “Jurassic Park” film’s iconic kitchen scene. Using a combination of green screens, video editing, and cat toys to coach Lizzy, the “Purrassic Park” mashup was made. Due to Lizzy’s appearance, she was also given the nickname of “OwlKitty”. Soon, the 14-second parody went viral.

From that one brief “Jurassic Park” parody video starring Lizzy, a whole series of OwlKitty videos spawned. The repertoire grew from adding Lizzy to short clips of films, shows, and video games into making full parody trailers starring her, complete with supplementary “Behind the Scenes” videos. The production value grew to the point of Tibo sometimes inserting dubbed dialogue, clips of himself, other props, and even a “stunt double” for Lizzy. OwlKitty soon got to fight alongside the Avengers against Thanos, board the Titanic with Leonardo DiCaprio, clash with Godzilla as a kaiju-sized version of herself, snatch the fly buzzing around Mike Pence’s head, terrorize Amity Island in “Jaws”, pilot fighter jets with Tom Cruise, become the true culprit of “Paranormal Activity”, face down Gandalf as he commands she shall not pass, join the roster of a Super Smash Bros. game, and so on. She even got to revisit “Jurassic Park” and get promoted to the role of the Tyrannosaurus rex. As of now, the OwlKitty channel has 2.53 million subscribers.

While reading the comment sections for these videos, there has been one recurring comment I can paraphrase, which caused a silly theological analogy to cross my mind: “That cat is a superstar and she doesn’t even know it”. As far as Lizzy understands, all she is doing is just being a cat, playing with various toys, hanging out in front of a green blanket, and following her owner’s coaching. It is Lizzy’s owner, Tibo, who takes the actions he coaches out of her, then uses his knowledge, his abilities, and other collaborating “actors” far beyond her understanding to yield a bigger picture. That is, one more amazing than she can possibly comprehend… yet starring exactly her. Yet, if these OwlKitty videos were also being written, casted, directed, and produced by the cat herself, with no input from her owner, then they would be not only vastly inferior, but utterly nonexistent.

Over the years of watching Bishop Robert Barron’s videos, one of the recurring motifs I have seen is his distinction between God’s “theo-drama” versus an individual person’s “ego-drama”. Bishop Barron has used the latter words to describe the common tendency of many people to approach life as a play they are not only starring in, but also writing, casting, directing, and producing all on their own. People like Theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar have coined the term “theo-drama”, to illustrate the potential roles each person can act out in the bigger play that God is writing, casting, directing, and producing. If one thinks the difference in knowledge, intellect, creative vision, and resources between Lizzy the cat and her owners is vast, then imagine the difference in such qualities between God and regular humans. In a way, one can state that each person is still being offered their own unique starring role, which God can work into the broader “cinematic universe” he envisions. And the “genres” that God is enabling us to star in include countless others besides parodic comedy shorts. Yet in our limited knowledge and perception, all we can see around us are the mere “green screens”, “props”, “laser pointers” coaxing our actions, etc. We see those with no ability to fully comprehend how it will all look, once God brings together the other cast members' performances, the visual effects in post-production, and so on. Perhaps a human clinging to his own “ego-drama”, with a presumption that it will automatically be the greatest work for him to star in, would be partly akin to Lizzy the cat trying to be a better YouTube superstar by her own ideas and skills, without any of her owner’s direction, creativity, abilities, and resources.

Finally, I have always liked Bishop Barron’s take on the meaning of Matthew 18 Verses 1-5. That excerpt from the Gospels read: “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me’”. Granted, we are not meant to specifically be like children, in the sense that we keep our intellectual capacity low and underdeveloped compared to an adult's. Rather, Bishop Barron has offered this as one of the potential explanations: “Children are like plants, rocks, and flowers in this sense: they don’t know how to be something that they are not. They haven’t yet learned to lie, dissemble, pretend, or to seek to be someone they are not meant to be. We are all, right now, being created by God for God’s purposes. Childlike joy returns to us the moment we put aside all our games of self-promotion and self-deception and live in accord with God’s deepest desire for us”. For that matter, I guess the Bishop could just as easily liken children to Lizzy the cat. She just behaves as the creator naturally made her to behave, remains receptive to the creative guidance of someone higher than her, and can let said someone fill in the rest to create a very good show, far better than any that she could envision purely on her own.

The first two supplementary videos will feature the adoption story of Lizzy, who would become the OwlKitty, as well as one of Bishop Barron's talk on the ego-drama versus theo-drama. Following that, I will include links to a large sample of OwlKitty mashups and "Behind the Scenes" videos which entertained me...

1.) "OwlKitty: The Adoption Story"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E-8DsGrpb0

2.) "Give Up the Ego-Drama! — Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermon"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x_blFDePJY

20 OwlKitty Mashups and "Behind the Scenes" videos...

1.) "Jurassic Park - Starring my cat" (debut video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYZ6YNg_1OQ

2.) "Making Purrassic Park!" (debut video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An5-RXCHTJ8

3.) "Jurassic Park but with a Cat" (T-Rex Breakout)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W85oD8FEF78

4.) "Jurassic Park with a Cat — Behind the Scenes" (T-Rex Breakout)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtIoMT1WX4U

5.) "Titanic with a Cat"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEPfM3jSoBw

6.) "Titanic with a Cat (Behind the Scenes)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONgEvIuyVtE

7.) "Godzilla vs. Cat (OwlKitty Parody)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf7GsKFepDg

8.) "Godzilla vs. OwlKitty (Behind the Scenes)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V29BO4UR2mc

9.) "CLAWS! (Jaws OwlKitty parody)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhmKfpKM8bw

10.) "Jaws + Cat (OwlKitty Behind the Scenes)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAa0XYLCKXA

11.) "Avengers Endgame with my cat OwlKitty"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYr0hGFzU2I

12.) "The Shining + My cat (HD)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIkxDXyNgAU

13.) "Lord of the Rings + My Cat"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mf06IwdpVM

14.) "Lord of the Rings + OwlKitty (Behind the Scenes)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDer-LnEOXA

15.) "Top Gun with a Cat"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3rQ3328Tok

16.) "Top Gun with a Cat (Behind the Scenes)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kO8z5fyr8U

17.) "Smash Bros with a Cat"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35MNFLkSyf0

18.) "Super Smash Bros. + ‪@OwlKitty‬ (Behind the Scenes)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu9ZqJVXcrY

19.) "Purranormal Activity (with my cat OwlKitty)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEqJjzN4J7s

20.) "Cat vs. Debate Fly (Behind the Scenes)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrjLIytek6o

Interested? Want to learn more about the community?

Show me more content first

What else you may like…

Videos

Podcasts

Posts

Articles

Matt Fradd@Matt_Fradd

April 21, 2025

Our response to the death of Pope Francis

00:01:29

Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.@frgregorypineop

April 16, 2025

On the Lookout for Sins of Speech - Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.

Hello! I'm writing a book at present on sins of speech for Emmaus Road. I've been thinking a lot about cultivating healthy habits of communication, so just thought I'd share a few thoughts. Prayers for you during this Holy Week!

00:20:01

Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.@frgregorypineop

April 01, 2025

The Practice of the Presence of God - Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.

There are various different prayer practices that people have used in the tradition as a way of remaining in the presence of God--the practice of the presence of God (or recollection) is just one. In this video, I explain a little how it helps us to connect the dots between earthly life and heavenly realities.

00:19:43

Matt Fradd@Matt_Fradd

April 16, 2024

Simple NEW Lofi Song

Working on an entire album of lofi music. Here's one of those songs. Album should drop next week. THEN, a couple of weeks after that we hope to have our 24/7 stream up and running.

Matt Fradd@Matt_Fradd

December 01, 2022

Day 5 of Advent

THE ERROR OF ARIUS ABOUT THE INCARNATION

In their eagerness to proclaim the unity of God and man in Christ, some heretics went to the opposite extreme and taught that not only was there one person, but also a single nature, in God and man. This error took its rise from Arius. To defend his position that those scriptural passages where Christ is represented as being inferior to the Father, must refer to the Son of God Himself, regarded in His assuming nature, Arius taught that in Christ there is no other soul than the Word of God who, he maintained, took the place of the soul in Christ’s body. Thus when Christ says, in John 14:28, “The Father is greater than I,” or when He is introduced as praying or as being sad, such matters are to be referred to the very nature of the Son of God. If this were so, the union of God’s Son with man would be effected not only in the person, but also in the nature. For, as we know, the unity of human nature arises from the union of soul and body.

The...

Matt Fradd@Matt_Fradd

November 27, 2022

Day 1 of Advent

RESTORATION OF MAN BY GOD THROUGH THE INCARNATION

We indicated above that the reparation of human nature could not be effected either by Adam or by any other purely human being. For no individual man ever occupied a position of pre-eminence over the whole of nature; nor can any mere man be the cause of grace. The same reasoning shows that not even an angel could be the author of man’s restoration. An angel cannot be the cause of grace, just as he cannot be man’s recompense with regard to the ultimate perfection of beatitude, to which man was to be recalled. In this matter of beatitude angels and men are on a footing of equality. Nothing remains, therefore, but that such restoration could be effected by God alone.

But if God had decided to restore man solely by an act of His will and power, the order of divine justice would not have been observed. justice demands satisfaction for sin. But God cannot render satisfaction, just as He cannot merit. Such a service pertains to one who ...

Matt Fradd@Matt_Fradd

April 23, 2025

Meme Monday

… okay. This isn’t a meme. Just my heart’s deepest longing. Also I’m aware that it’s Wednesday.

Matt Fradd@Matt_Fradd

April 23, 2025

Daniel O’Connor

Apparently, Daniel has recorded a video about me canceling him from my show. I haven’t watched it, nor will I, But I was shown a screenshot of an edited message from me to him which I think makes my communication with him seem harsher than it was. Here is his version, mine is beneath. I wish Daniel well.

Mark L@Arfarf

April 24, 2025

I have resigned from my job. I would appreciate some prayers as I start a new phase in my life. I'll be looking for my next programming gig shortly. Thanks.

Matt Fradd@Matt_Fradd

April 22, 2025

Candor and Charity: Reflecting on a Papacy

In a recent article by Archbishop Charles Chaput in First Things, he reflects on the legacy of Pope Francis in this moment between pontificates. He was both charitable and candid—two things we desperately need right now.

I have personal memories of Pope Francis that I greatly value: a friendly and generous working relationship at the 1997 Synod on America when we were both newly appointed archbishops; his personal welcome and warmth at Rome’s 2014 Humanum conference; and the extraordinary success of his 2015 visit to Philadelphia for the Eighth World Meeting of Families. He devoted himself to serving the Church and her people in ways that he felt the times demanded. As a brother in the faith, and a successor of Peter, he deserves our ongoing prayers for his eternal life in the presence of the God he loved.

There’s a real tenderness and respect here. And it’s a good example of how disagreement with a pontificate shouldn’t involve hostility toward the pope. Sadly—though not surprisingly—I’ve seen more than a little of that in comment sections online.

He continues:

Having said that, an interregnum between papacies is a time for candor. The lack of it, given today’s challenges, is too expensive. In many ways, whatever its strengths, the Francis pontificate was inadequate to the real issues facing the Church. He had no direct involvement in the Second Vatican Council and seemed to resent the legacy of his immediate predecessors who did; men who worked and suffered to incarnate the council’s teachings faithfully into Catholic life. His personality tended toward the temperamental and autocratic. He resisted even loyal criticism. He had a pattern of ambiguity and loose words that sowed confusion and conflict.
In the face of deep cultural fractures on matters of sexual behavior and identity, he condemned gender ideology but seemed to downplay a compelling Christian “theology of the body.” He was impatient with canon law and proper procedure. His signature project, synodality, was heavy on process and deficient in clarity. Despite an inspiring outreach to society’s margins, his papacy lacked a confident, dynamic evangelical zeal. The intellectual excellence to sustain a salvific (and not merely ethical) Christian witness in a skeptical modern world was likewise absent.
What the Church needs going forward is a leader who can marry personal simplicity with a passion for converting the world to Jesus Christ, a leader who has a heart of courage and a keen intellect to match it. Anything less won’t work.

I love that. “A leader with a passion for converting the world to Jesus Christ.” Amen!

May the Holy Spirit lead the cardinals in choosing our next pope. And may Pope Francis rest in the peace

Read full Article

Matt Fradd@Matt_Fradd

April 21, 2025

The Pope is Dead

I got a text from my sister this morning: “The pope died.” I stood there for a moment just staring at the words. I then went to the internet, thinking maybe it was a rumor or a mistake.

But it wasn’t.

Pope Francis died this morning at the age of 88. He passed away in the Casa Santa Marta, the residence inside the Vatican where he had lived since his election in 2013. He had been suffering from a number of health issues in recent years, including a recent case of pneumonia.

His death marks the end of a 12-year papacy, and now the Church enters the period known as sede vacante—the seat of Peter is vacant. Cardinals from around the world will soon gather in Rome for a conclave to elect the next pope. No one knows who it will be, but we should be praying: that the Holy Spirit guide their decision, and that the next pope be a faithful shepherd for the Church in these difficult times.

Pray this prayer with me for the soul of Pope Francis:

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Read full Article

Matt Fradd@Matt_Fradd

April 16, 2025

7 Terrible Arguments For Atheism

I’ve heard plenty of arguments for atheism over the years—some thoughtful, some clever, and some… well, let’s just say I used to rattle off the worst of them back when I was an angsty 17-year-old agnostic.

Today I want to look at 7 terrible arguments for atheism—the kind that sound good at first but fall apart when you give them more than five seconds of thought.

1. "Who created God?"

This question misunderstands what Christians (and classical theists) mean by “God.” God, by definition, is uncaused—the necessary, self-existent being who causes everything else. Asking “Who created God?” is like asking “What’s north of the North Pole?” or “If your brother is a bachelor, what’s his wife’s name?” It’s a category mistake. The question only makes sense if God were a contingent being—just one more thing in the universe that needed a cause. But He isn’t. He’s the reason anything exists at all.

2. "I just believe in one less god than you."

This is clever-sounding but logically shallow. The difference between atheism and theism isn’t about the number of gods one believes in—it’s about the kind of being we’re talking about. Christians reject all finite, tribal, man-made gods too. The Christian claim is not that God is just one more being among many, but that God is Being Itself—the necessary, uncaused source of all reality. Saying, “I just believe in one less god than you,” is like saying, “I contend we’re both bachelors—I just have one less wife.” The difference between one and none isn’t minor—it’s everything. Atheism isn’t a slight variation on theism; it’s a rejection of the entire foundation of existence.

3. "Science has disproven God."

Only for Supporters

To read the rest of this article and access other paid content, you must be a supporter

Read full Article

Available on mobile and TV devices