When I was a teenager, my mother would often tell her friends that as long as I had enough peanut butter and ice cream to eat, books to read and classic films to watch, I would never leave the house. I never contested this for the simple fact that it was true (#introvert).
Fast-forward a decade, and not much has changed — just the additions of my husband and some wine to my list of must-haves.
So I was thrilled to learn that the National Catholic Reporter's very own film critic, Sr. Rose Pacatte, a Daughter of St. Paul, is hosting a program on Turner Classic Movies this month highlighting 27 films that the Catholic Legion of Decency condemned in the last century.
As is the case for most classic film fans, TCM is my jam. It's one of nine channels included on my personalized TV guide at home, and when I was in seminary, I would binge-watch TCM while dog-sitting a pup named Poochie each summer.
But, folks, there are more reasons I'm stupidly excited about this. It's not just the classic films and Catholic sister drawing me into this program. I'm also a sucker for condemned media. One of my favorite college classes was an honors symposium in which all we did was read banned books, which was the best.
Furthermore, the last film of Sister Rose's series is "Love in the Afternoon," staring Audrey Hepburn. This seems like the appropriate time to mention that when you walk into my apartment, some of the first artwork you see is three giant Audrey posters in the entryway (balanced, of course, with some University of Kansas art. I did marry a Jayhawk, after all).
Perhaps you see what I'm getting at.
I think it would be well within both my professional responsibilities and qualifications to stay home every Thursday this month and watch Sister Rose on TCM. You all agree, right?
If you'd like to support my cause, email our editor, Gail DeGeorge, and let her know you stand with me.* I won't even expense my ice cream and peanut butter.
*To be clear, I don't actually want you to email my boss about watching movies. However, I might do some film live-tweeting this month at @dawn_cherie.
[Dawn Araujo-Hawkins is Global Sisters Report staff writer based in Kansas City, Missouri.]