In our Warrior Mama Series, we are looking at how Satan, the enemy, uses media to speak lies to our children and lead them away from following the Lord and His ways.  We have looked at how this happens through our pop culture’s secular books and music, and today we are going to look at how this happens through movies.  

While movies are a great form of entertainment, they are also a powerful tool that shapes the hearts and minds of our children. As moms striving to raise our kids to love God and follow His ways, we must be aware of the subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) messages being woven into the stories they watch. From distorted views of truth to the normalization of sin, the enemy is using movies to confuse our children and lead them away from a Biblical mindset. 

To help us navigate this, I had the opportunity to speak with former Hollywood actress and pop culture expert, Tina Griffin. Tina now dedicates her life to exposing harmful media messages and equipping families to stand firm in their faith. In this interview, Tina shares her personal journey, insights into the entertainment industry, and practical advice for parents who want to raise media-wise kids in a culture that often opposes Biblical truth.

Tina, tell us how you became a Hollywood actress and what made you want to be used by God in this industry?

What type of roles did you play in Hollywood and what was your experience like?  

I was cast into movies and shows like Bowfinger with Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy, Lizzie McGuire, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Melrose Place, 90210, Little Black Book with Brittany Murphy, and Vanilla Sky with Tom Cruise.  

I also started doing beauty pageants, so I could use my voice to advocate for and share my message to make clean Hollywood movies. As I continued my career, I started to see firsthand what was going on behind the scenes in Hollywood.  I spoke with an actress on set who said she was a Christian, yet she felt pressured to take roles with inappropriate content that went against her values. I found this type of situation happening all too frequently.

I personally had to turn down roles that would compromise my values, including a $50,000 beer commercial offer and countless others with inappropriate content. I began to realize that a lot of dark things were happening in Hollywood, including underground trafficking, and when individuals tried to speak up, they were threatened or silenced.  

Tell us how your career transitioned from actress to an advocate for both teens and parents.

I began to share my stories with teens, and I would see their faces light up when I explained what Hollywood was like behind the camera and why they shouldn’t believe the harmful messages being shared.  This led me to develop a passion for helping students see what is really taking place behind the scenes in movies. 

I started traveling all over the world sharing this message in schools and youth events, exposing the lies in Hollywood and also exposing how harmful messages are glamorized without showing their consequences.  Many teens would come up to me and share how my talk impacted them and how they were going to stop allowing harmful media into their minds.  

During COVID, my travel came to a halt due to all the meeting restrictions, and I was forced to stop giving talks at schools and youth assemblies at that time.  It was then that I decided to launch the Counter Culture Mom Show, where I share podcasts and resources with parents to educate them about the harmful effects of media and help them make safe media choices for their kids.  I recently reached my thousandth podcast episode, covering a plethora of topics to keep parents informed and equipped while navigating pop culture today. 

What resources do you have available to help parents navigate pop culture and discern which media to allow their kids to consume?  

I have so many great resources on this topic, including a Free Parenting Guide, the Counter Culture Mom app, and my website, counterculturemom.com.

Where can Christian parents find God-honoring movies that are both entertaining and align with their Biblical values? 

You can find our reviews on the latest movies in the Counter Culture Mom app to help you navigate which ones are appropriate for your family. 

I also recommend becoming a Guild Member of Angel Studios, where you can stream the latest clean, God-honoring movies for kids of all ages. Sign up at angel.com/tinag to receive a discount.  I had the opportunity to pre-watch Angel Studios’ newest film, Young Washington, on the big screen, and it was truly phenomenal and so inspiring.  Young Washington arrives July 3rd in theaters. Premium Guild Members also receive two free tickets to see Young Washington.  

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Thank you, Tina, for sharing your journey in Hollywood with us.  I love how God called you into the film industry for a higher purpose —to learn and expose the harmful messages being portrayed on the big screen.  Because these messages infiltrate our society, it is so important to expose the enemy’s lies through these messages, so children and families do not fall prey to their harmful effects.  Thank you, also, for sharing ways families can find clean and God-honoring movies with us.  May the Lord continue to bless and multiply the work you are doing.

For more practical ways to navigate movies with your kids, check out my Christian Parenting Guide to Shows and Movies. For great Christian movie options for your kids and teens, check out my resource tab at growingkidsforthekingdom.com and search by age. To see my blog: Top 10 Christian Movies for Teens, click here.