The OKC Thunder have become the NBA’s favorite villain, Pope Leo publishes an AI manifesto, and The Mandalorian and Grogu has a disappointing first weekend. But first:
Song of the Week: the cure
When Olivia Rodrigo strums her guitar and confesses what is usually left unsaid (like counting how many girls the guy she was dating had slept with, expletives included), people listen. Her latest single, “the cure,” debuted at #1 on the Global Spotify Streaming Chart. “I thought I found the antidote this time,” she pleads, reflecting on a relationship that went awry and the hope she lost along the way. The music video portrays Rodrigo as a nurse trying to heal broken hearts, only for her to become a patient whose heart needs mending in the end. Rodrigo’s music has always been unvarnished, with most of her tracks earning a decisive E (for explicit). But she is also articulating the restlessness of the human condition: “Why can’t you come stitch me up? Why can’t it ever be enough?” Augustine, in Confessions, said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” Even for those who profess Christ, we can relate to the feeling of wanting something, getting it, and realizing it was not “the cure” we thought it would be. Lyrics Lyric Video (language)
And now for our three conversations..
1. Thunderstruck
What it is: The NBA playoffs are reaching their zenith as the conference finals wrap up. The New York Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games to reach their first NBA Finals in a quarter of a century, and the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are locked in the titanic—and divisive—Western Conference finals.
Why it’s sparking discussion: It’s strange to say that the Knicks going to the NBA Finals isn’t the biggest conversation around the NBA postseason (even if it did excite Timothée Chalamet and our resident New Yorker, Kate Watson). Instead, the discussion has focused on the officiating, foul-baiting, and the integrity of the game in the Spurs/Thunder series. Essentially, many basketball fans feel like there’s a “proper” way to play basketball, and the OKC Thunder are not partaking. Of course, many disagree, including Thunder fans. (Hence, all the online discussion.) Sports love a villain, and whether or not OKC fans agree, the Thunder have become the boogeyman of the modern NBA. Who knows, maybe the Knicks will win the championship, and that will be the story.
Continue the conversation: Would you rather win and be thought of as a villain, or lose but be thought of as a hero?
2. Magnificent Humanity
What it is: This Monday, Pope Leo XIV released Magnifica humanitas (which translates to “magnificent humanity”), an encyclical about the need to protect human dignity in the age of AI.
Why it’s something Catholics and Protestants can agree on: In his presentation of Magnifica humanitas (which Pope Leo gave alongside several AI experts, including Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah), the pope spoke of the need to “disarm” artificial intelligence so it might become a tool to promote the common good. He insisted that, although the Church won’t always have “technical answers,” it does bring the wisdom that “every person is unique and irreplaceable, a free and intelligent subject with a conscience, capable of seeking God, serving one another, caring for our common home.” His call was for AI to be developed in such a way that these human realities are served, instead of being displaced. And yes, at one point, he did quote Gandalf. For the full (42,000-word) text, click here.
Continue the conversation: In ten years, what role do you think AI will be playing in our world?
3. Spinning Off
What it is: The Mandalorian and Grogu set a record—but not a good one. The spin-off film had the lowest box-office opening weekend of any Star Wars movie since Disney acquired the franchise.
What it means for the Star Wars galaxy: The Mandalorian is still the most-streamed show on Disney+, and the first feature-length film based on its characters is far from a flop. But it’s been three years since season three concluded, and its plotline, which focused on Mandalorian legends and intergalactic politics, fell flat for many. Perhaps it’s not surprising that many Star Wars fans weren’t in a hurry to catch the latest antics of Din Djarin and Grogu on the big screen. Content-wise, The Mandalorian and Grogu is a stripped-down, fan-service-heavy, space western adventure. Fans who did venture to theaters seemed to like the film much more than critics did, giving it 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Let’s translate this one further…
Bounty-hunter-turned rescuer Mando longs for a peaceful life—a bolthole on a forgotten planet, a pair of Blurrgs, and perhaps his culture’s equivalent of watching college football on a Saturday afternoon. Instead, he is called into action, again and again. He is a vigilante heir, a warrior without a tribe, a cowboy who answers to no one. But he is also doing whatever it takes to love and launch his adopted child, Grogu.
In short, he is everything many of us would want to see in a father figure: brave, selfless, sacrificial, but also tender, engaged, and sympathetic. But he is also guarded. For the Mandalorian, to be seen bare-faced, without armor, is a source of irrecoverable shame. Not even Grogu can see his face uncovered.
In C.S. Lewis’ final novel, Till We Have Faces, Queen Orual is made to wear a veil due to her ugliness. But eventually, the veil becomes her choice: a symbol of mystery, from which she derives great power. It means nobody can see her, and it seems like she’s invulnerable. But this veil also costs her love, true discernment, and spiritual growth. With a veil on, as with a mask or helmet, she can’t really see what’s in front of her.
In the Old Testament, God talks about hiding His face from His people. But it’s symbolic of a tragic separation, not a show of power. In Ezekiel 39:29, God promises that the days of hiding His face will come to an end, at the same time that He pours His Spirit out among His people. He will behold us, as always—but then we will fully behold Him, in a stunning moment of intimacy.
All of this makes me wonder, and not just because I work at a Christian content company: How would my relationship with my kids change if I decided I had nothing to hide? What if I let them see my true face?
Letting our kids see us—the real us—allows them to bear witness to something real. Something that can help them in the real world—not a facade. I’ve already forgotten most of the CGI monsters I saw when I watched The Mandalorian and Grogu. But it will be some time before I stop considering which masks I’ve been wearing at home, and asking why.
For more context and nuance, check out our Roundtable podcast on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts. In the meantime, here are three questions to help you continue the conversation with your teens:
- Who do you allow to see your “true face”?
- Where are you most comfortable relaxing and being unguarded?
- What can we do to help you feel comfortable being yourself at home?
Parenting together,
Kate Watson and the Axis Team
In Other News…
- Small “dot cakes,” baked in cups, and covered in frosting and rainbow nonpareil sprinkles, are going viral. The colorful aesthetic of these cakes is just half of the appeal, with the other part being the satisfying scrape of a spoon being dragged across the top.
- A new YPulse report found that 87% of 13 to 24-year-old guys agree with the statement, “I am a gamer,” suggesting that online gaming continues to be one of the fastest-growing social spaces for boys and young men.
- A newly published report from the American Bible Society found that 38% of parents are regularly engaged with the Bible, as opposed to 23% of nonparents. A ton of other interesting statistics are included in the latest chapter of their State of the Bible report, linked here.
- DIY “cyberdecks” are the latest tech trend on TikTok. Creators are using Raspberry Pi mini computers to build whimsical homemade devices inside of retro purses, Game Boys, or briefcases.
- Off Campus has become Gen Z’s latest #BookTok-adapted TV obsession, landing as Prime Video’s biggest debut ever among viewers aged 18-34. Common Sense Media flagged the series for extreme explicit sexual content.
PS: Know someone who could use our conversation starters with their teens? Share the CT with a friend!