THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 17, 1994 TAG: 9407170044
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ELIZABETH SIMPSON
LENGTH: Long : 106 lines
When my parents used to drop me off at a movie, they didn't have to worry about anything other than whether I had a quarter for popcorn and a ride home with a neighbor.
Heaven help the parent who drops off their kids today. Nowadays you not only have to sit there and make sure your kids aren't abducted from the theater, you have to police the messages piped into their heads.
It doesn't matter that the characters are animated, and the strongest language is ``Suffering succotash!'' You have to make sure that A) There aren't any ethnic or racial stereotypes. B) No sexism is coming through. C) No gun-toting villain is promoting violence and mayhem.
No one ever worried about those issues back in the days of ``Dumbo.'' But 25 years later I cringed when I saw two crows - winged versions of Al Jolson in blackface - gabbing away in the same movie. And the Indians in ``Peter Pan'' powwowing around the stake made me squirm in my seat when I sat down to watch it with my 3-year-old daughter. And just why is it that Snow White has to clean up after those messy little dwarfs anyway?
It was all so magical and harmless when I was sitting there in the dark the first time around.
No doubt producers of kids' movies wouldn't make the same mistakes today. Now we have the book-smart Belle in ``The Beauty and The Beast.'' And headstrong Jasmine who deftly turns down the advances of pompous princes in ``Aladdin.''
But you wonder what will make our children wince in 25 years. Will they wonder why all the mermaids in ``The Little Mermaid'' have hourglass figures and white complexions?
Will they look past the ``don't judge people by their appearances'' message in ``The Beauty and The Beast,'' and instead read Lesson No. 1) Lock up the pretty girl long enough and she'll fall in love with you; and Lesson No. 2) Just because you yell and growl a lot doesn't mean you're not a nice guy underneath it all. Not to be confused with Lesson No. 3) If you're nice enough, you get rewarded with good looks at the end.
Some would say I'm reaching here, that while I wring my hands over some implicit message, I'm missing the spirit of the movie. But today's subtle undertone may be tomorrow's glaring glitch.
The producers of ``The Lion King'' must have thought they dodged the proverbial bullet this year by eliminating people altogether. The lessons of life and responsibility, while lofting airily over most kids' heads, could hardly offend.
Yet I can picture my daughter watching it 25 years from now and thinking, ``Why are all the other animals bowing down in adoration to the Lion King? Why can't all the animals be equal? And why the Lion King? Doesn't the girl lion ever get to be in charge?''
But for now her review is simpler. ``Mommy,'' her voice came out of the dark between handfuls of popcorn and swigs of pink lemonade. ``This is a good movie, isn't it?''
Yes, it is a good movie. And may it stay that way when you're watching it with your kids.
When my parents used to drop me off at a movie, they didn't have to worry about anything other than whether I had a quarter for popcorn and a ride home with a neighbor.
Heaven help the parents who drop off their kids today. Nowadays you not only have to sit there and make sure your kids aren't abducted from the theater, you have to police the messages piped into their heads.
It doesn't matter that the characters are animated, and the strongest language is ``Suffering succotash!'' You have to make sure that A) There aren't any ethnic or racial stereotypes. B) No sexism is coming through. C) No gun-toting villain is promoting violence and mayhem.
No one ever worried about those issues back in the days of ``Dumbo.'' But 25 years later I cringed when I saw two crows - winged versions of Al Jolson in blackface - gabbing away in the same movie. And the Indians in ``Peter Pan'' powwowing around the stake made me squirm in my seat when I sat down to watch it with my 3-year-old daughter. And just why is it that Snow White has to clean up after those messy little dwarfs anyway?
It was all so magical and harmless when I was sitting there in the dark the first time around.
No doubt producers of kids' movies wouldn't make the same mistakes today. Now we have the book-smart Belle in ``Beauty and the Beast.'' And headstrong Jasmine who deftly turns down the advances of pompous princes in ``Aladdin.''
But you wonder what will make our children wince in 25 years. Will they wonder why all the mermaids in ``The Little Mermaid'' have hourglass figures and white complexions?
Will they look past the ``don't judge people by their appearances'' message in ``Beauty and the Beast,'' and instead read Lesson No. 1) Lock up the pretty girl long enough and she'll fall in love with you; and Lesson No. 2) Just because you yell and growl a lot doesn't mean you're not a nice guy underneath it all. Not to be confused with Lesson No. 3) If you're nice enough, you get rewarded with good looks at the end.
Some would say I'm reaching here, that while I wring my hands over some implicit message, I'm missing the spirit of the movie. But today's subtle undertone may be tomorrow's glaring glitch.
The producers of ``The Lion King'' must have thought they dodged the proverbial bullet this year by eliminating people altogether. The lessons of life and responsibility, while lofting airily over most kids' heads, could hardly offend.
Yet I can picture my daughter watching it 25 years from now and thinking, ``Why are all the other animals bowing down in adoration to the Lion King? Why can't all the animals be equal? And why the Lion King? Doesn't the girl lion ever get to be in charge?''
But for now her review is simpler. ``Mommy,'' her voice came out of the dark between handfuls of popcorn and swigs of pink lemonade. ``This is a good movie, isn't it?''
Yes, it is a good movie. And may it stay that way when you're watching it with your kids. by CNB