Agenda-Free Kid Movies?
April 15, 2008 | Filed Under Politics, Movies, Family
Lately it seems some filmmakers are really living up to the Parental Guidance rating. And not in the way that you’d think. It used to be that movies for children were generally a safe bet. It was rare to have one of the main characters lose someone close to them, or encounter violence that warranted a stronger warning. Today, those events are commonplace, and nearly every kid movie has some underlining theme or ultra liberal* subtext. I’m surprised just how political the movies are, some with strong messages. Case in point: Seinfeld’s Bee Movie. We rented it about a month ago.
Now I think Seinfeld is a funny guy and still like watching reruns from his show. But the Bee Movie, in my view, is not an agenda-free movie. It was great about a third of the way through, then spirals into something else. It starts off with the main character unsatisfied with his life, but ultimately twists into some bizarre “Bee rights” battle that includes everything from lengthy courtroom drama, SWAT-like crews pinning down an elderly woman, and snipers shooting Winnie-the-Pooh. Crude humor in some circles, but not for my boys. In my view, it’s just another advocacy group planting seeds.
This isn’t the only film that prompted Brighton to ask questions as to why something was in the movie. I took him to the theater to see “Over the Hedge” when that came out, and again, it was very disappointing. The “moral” of the story? Little creatures should stay put, because there are angry, violent White people in suburbia who drive around in huge SUVs that hire stupid, male exterminators to kill them. It should have been called, “Over-the-top.” Nearly every movie out there now that is marketed toward children, either as cartoon or computer animation, turns out to be some Left-wing agenda bent on schooling my kids on a warped perspective.
My main problem with it is that it is specifically targeted to kids. Want to make a statement? Go right ahead. And Hollywood does it everyday. And a lot of the time they find it doesn’t penetrate certain markets. So they make a so-called kid’s movie. The studios make deals and arrange promotions, and the kids buy the stuffed animals and the Happy Meals and the games. And all the kids know the lines. But they’re not movies for children.
There are some good films out there, though, made for kids. And Pixar has made some good ones, like “Finding Nemo,” for instance. And I’m not one of those parents who think they need to stop having kids because the world is such a dark and evil place. My hope is that because my kids are in the world, it will become a better place. It just seems some studios are trying harder on the younger ones with some movies.
I’m finding that it’s easier to simply rent movies that I know are good, because I grew up watching them, and don’t have to screen them. Stuff like “Honey I Shrunk the Kids,” may seem cheesy to me now, but Brighton saw it recently, and thought it was great. Just like I did back then. No agenda included. This post is probably a little too politically charged for a family blog, right? Maybe. I know some of you will think I’m just being paranoid or exaggerating, but really I just tire of having to preview a seemingly harmless movie to determine what’s really the motive of its creators.
Is there a V-Chip out there to block indoctrination? Because that’s how I see it.
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*I’m a registered Independent…
Which means I’m not a “choose the lesser of two evils” voter…
Which also means I’m likely not voting for any of the 3 “candidates” this year. 
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3 Responses to “Agenda-Free Kid Movies?”
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Interesting. We just watched the bee movie and I didn’t really notice. It was just fun to see bees flying around. But when Taisei’s old enough to follow the story lines a little bit, I’m sure I will have to think a lot more about these things too.
The older Brighton gets the more aware of the movies he becomes. And a lot of the time we have to explain why something happened or what is meant by some phrase, etc. More and more films supposedly for kids have a much stronger political emphasis now it seems.
Hmm…I agree and disagree. I think while some movies indeed have hidden “liberal” messages directed towards children, many one can interpret either way. For example, a couple summers ago, Carolina and I went with Janese & Jared, and Mom & Dad to watch Ice Age 2. The kids loved it! They were laughing all the way through the movie. We had a great time! I am one of those people on the fence about global warming, because I think far too many people care more about the environment than they do about human beings. They will throw themselves out in front of harms way to save a tree, but would not do that for the “evil” human. So an argument could be made that a movie such as the Ice age 2 is teaching child about global warming. Ok, on this point I would agree, and I could even agree that maybe those “liberals” are planting little seeds, but parents have a choice here. Parents could not let their children watch Ice Age 2 fearing that their children will be indoctrinated, or they can teach their children correct principles and let them govern themselves. Anja and Michael were not concerned about global warming when we all watched the movie that summer they were concerned that the Squirrel couldn’t seem to ever get the nut!
While it is important to make sure children don’t have to grow up to fast, I feel it is equally important for parents not to be too hyper sensitive to the media, because if everything is forbidden then kids and later teen age youth may overly rebel. Lets face it, having kids watch the Bee movie is for better than allowing them to watch something far worse. If parents ban both movies, then what? I think when it comes down to it parents need to instill in their children faith, and the skills to see goodness that is found in the world. There are many realities that cause us as adults to be afraid each day, but the challenge is to not pass on this fear to the children. I think that we need to look for the good in all things, and teach kids the principles that are incorrect along the way.
As for politics, I feel we have a duty to vote for the lesser evil. Otherwise, we may end up with the more evil alternative. There is no perfect person in public office. I surely do not agree with many of the polices presented this election cycle, but I will vote for the person that shares as many of my values. They may not share them all, and there may be some that I firmly disagree with, but if I do not allow my voice to be heard then I give the power to the more liberal side of the equation. Some may argue that by not voting they are allowing their voice to be heard, but the problem here is that those with the power are not going to listen. This is why we need to vote for the lesser evil. Politics are ugly, but the media fuels the fire, and even the best person can make mistakes. Even the best of persons can sin. It would be great if we could have a Captain Moroni running for President, but we don’t we have who we have and I feel we need to vote for the person that over all will strengthen our country. Far too many people have given their lives so that we could vote. In my mind it is a civic duty. It one really doesn’t think their vote doesn’t count then look at Florida in 2000? Anyway, enough on that topic, you get my point. Interesting topic brother!