Topic: The Role of Animated Movies

[pisskop]

Specifically ones designed for children.  Sad I have to denote that. . .

I  was watching my stepfather's Runt while he works.  'Brother Bear' was put on.  Multiculture drivel I would have turned off had she not owned it.  I remember things like 'Fern Gully' as a kid, but even that was mor hippie and less about 'tolerance'  I was wondering if anyone is interested in discussing this or has any good bits of knowledge/books/links to share.

[IronDioPriest]

Sadly, children's cartoons are almost all mindless drivel, or worse yet, mind-sucking drivel. Sometimes I'm amazed even by older "children" - meaning young adults who consume these programs like "Sponge-Bob Square-Pants" or any other of a couple dozen cartoons. Perfectly intelligent people sit in front of those shows and moronically chortle like Beavis and Butthead.

Shows like "Dora the Explorer", "Go Diego Go" and "Ni Hao Kai Lin" are Nickelodeon's multi-cult programs. They're relatively inoffensive, but their target audience is the very most basic pliable preschool mind, instilling the "given innate value" of multi-culturalism.

I do have to say though, there are a few that I find perfectly delightful - one of them being "Little Bear". Not sure if that's the one you're referring to as "Brother Bear". Little Bear is about family: mother who cares for the home, father who works and bounces the little one on his knee, uncle who takes the kid fishing. The girl plays with dolls; the monkey is cute and mischievous; the owl is wise; the cat is finicky; the snake embraces his snake-ness.

Most importantly for preschool kids, there no no "bad guys", no graying of morality, and no secret moral messages in Little Bear. It's all right out there in the open. Of all the shows my little girl watches, that's one that I can sit down and watch with her without wondering if her brain is being polluted.


ETA: I should be more observant. Now I see that you specified animated movies, not children's cartoon programming. Oh well, I'll leave the comment anyway. I get the record for earliest thread-jack.

[Weisshaupt]

I do have to say though, there are a few that I find perfectly delightful - one of them being "Little Bear". Not sure if that's the one you're referring to as "Brother Bear".

I suspect that  its a reference to Disney's Brother Bear.  Personally I don't find the film offensive. Its a story about empathy more than anything, as the main character is literally forced to walk miles in another's shoes..  Multiculturalism, as liberals understand and practice it, is about ignoring and even condoning bad and destructive behavior in others - because all cultures are "equal" - no matter how savage some behave.  Its about imposing your own prejudiced wants and desires on others as what they <should> want (if they were good people), rather than understanding what others are actually feeling.

Brother Bear is really about respecting the DIFFERENCES between us. The main character forced to walk a mile in a Bear's shoes,  decides to stay a bear, and the human tribe accepts him as such. It has a bit of a hippy "circle of life", all things are connected, accept the nature of things vibe to it. But fundamentally that is what individualism is about - letting each one of us BE the individual we want to be as long as we don't harm others.  And really the overall mythology wasn't the liberal  "man is a blight upon the earth" but Man is a  part of Nature.

  I guess one could argue that Brother Bear is about "condoning" the savage nature of a bear. But, yeah, a bear is a bear - its an Animal, capable of savagery, especially when protecting its young. But that is the problem with anthropomorphism in all cartoons.  Those mean hunters killed Bambi's Mom!  The child  human feels empathy with the cartoon child deer, portrayed as a human child. And no, I don't think Bambi was an evil Liberal plot either.  Its just the nature of the genre. And yeah, if I were a sentient deer, rabbit, bear etc, I would see Humans as a threat, because THEY ARE A THREAT.  But in real life kids should figure out that animals aren't sentient - at least not in the same way as humans.

Can you imagine the outcry if I  condoned a group of blacks acting like savage monkeys because they are black?   Niggers are Niggers after all. Its their nature right?  Its fundamentally what liberals argue when that say we "need" affirmative action. Its an admission on their part that Bears will be Bears.. but I guarantee that rich white Liberals wouldn't  accept a bear into their tribe. The tolerate Blacks as long as they know their place: in poverty, on the dole, and voting for Rich, White, Liberal  Democrats. IN their country club?  Not so much. The Dems fought for slavery, for Jim Crow and for the KKK for a reason.  They Hate a conservative black who thinks they have rights and individuality.

I just didn't get that gag-me-with-a-spoon response from Brother Bear.  And really that story itself is much, much older story - predating communism, marx and the rest of this liberal BS.. 

[pisskop]

Hmmm I suppose my initial judgement may be skewed. . .

I saw, in this Brother Bear, a cast of lacking or incompetent chartacters with definitive flaws  work in relative harmony.  I saw what I percieved as stereotyped roles working together, all in a world where even the bad guys,the hunter/brother per se, were simply a misunderstood faction.  I saw (if I'm to be completely honest) Token Irish, young black kids, Native Canadians and French Canadians, all together.  Looking at almost every character I saw a stereotype portrayed in accepting light when in reality the qualities possesed by the individual were lackluster; but taken admist a crowd of faults it was not a fatal flaw as it would be IRL.

hmm.  maybe I am too highstrung over it.  Little Bear is, to be sure, a delightful children's tale.  I've seen it and it is somewhat infectious. I wish I could be so optimistic.

I'm on a phone now, otherwise Id say in detail why I disapprove of shows like Spongebob or Dora.  But I know the 'Runt', is easily swayed by the media, and not as critical as I may be. . .  Am I too critical?  I try to guide her but my viewpoints often mean taking a highroad.

What's too much to mallible mind?

[Sectionhand]

Does the bear sh*t in the woods ?

[Libertas]

I dunno SH, if it is called Brother Bear it might sh*t on the street.

[pisskop]

Well, I have never seen a movie where there were more incompetent characters living together happily.  Except maybe Idiocracy or the Stooges.
 

[Weisshaupt]

I saw, in this Brother Bear, a cast of lacking or incompetent chartacters with definitive flaws  work in relative harmony.  I saw what I percieved as stereotyped roles working together, all in a world where even the bad guys,the hunter/brother per se, were simply a misunderstood faction.  I saw (if I'm to be completely honest) Token Irish, young black kids, Native Canadians and French Canadians, all together.  Looking at almost every character I saw a stereotype portrayed in accepting light when in reality the qualities possesed by the individual were lackluster; but taken admist a crowd of faults it was not a fatal flaw as it would be IRL.

Well, its a kids movie, so simplistic characters and stereotypes are going to be in evidence. Bob and Doug McKenzie is about as stereo typical "canadian" as you can get, but I think its meant to be funny- as it was on SCTV when they were forced, by PC Canadian laws to introduce the segment to meet "Canadian Content" requirements. Incompetent Characters living as family is a fact of life.  In real life, real people are flawed too. Accepting the (minor)  flaws in others  is just a necessity  in any society.  I don't count it as overtly PC till they are telling you that you must accept (or laud)  violence against you, disobedience to laws, and rude behavior as part of "being tolerant"

I don't personally recall having to do this with Brother Bear,  but if something in a film bugs you, then you have a teaching moment. Bottom line,  kids are going to be exposed to the toxic culture the left is pushing on them from all sides.  We must train our children to identify it and clearly enunciate why some principle or idea being expressed in the movie isn't exactly true- to sort the reality from the propaganda. They are going to hear dirty words too ( often from me)  and I made it clear that they were never to say them- even if I do, because I am wrong, and I want them to be better than me.  (If we watch some movie and  someone swears I tell them - Yes, if there really is a giant dinosaur chasing you then and only then you may use that word.. )

 Maybe the propaganda is subtle, maybe its overt, but I talked with my kids at an early age about such things and continue to do so. A warning to be wary from a parent or other trusted adult can go a long way.. even if the warning is just in the form of a question: "What  did the makers of the film WANT you to think about X,Y,Z?", "Why did they want you to think that?" "What parts of their argument do you think are true and which false?"  "What do you think about X,Y,Z?" , "Why do you think that?"  makes them aware they SHOULD be asking those questions about everything.  I also feed them BS sometimes just to see if their detectors go off - its a fun game for them as they get to yell Shenanigans! and pretend to whack me with Brooms ( no they don't know WHY)

And yes, when they are older South Park is also going to become a teaching tool.