Monday, January 15th, 2007...4:49 pm
deeper meanings
a few observations about children’s shows and books:
1. Underlying religious tone of Dora the Explorer. Come on, after about the 2361st time, I GOT it — “who do we always turn to, when we don’t know the way to go?” Map! Map = God. It is SO obvious now!
2. The Runaway Bunny — at first a slightly creepy book about a codependent mother who cannot let go; however, after numerous reads and hearing it read out loud in “Wit” (the movie), the mother bunny, always present, close, loving the baby bunny…..yep, God.
3. Handy Manny and Kelly the hardware store owner secretly love each other deeply but perhaps their different cultures or professional business relationship keeps them apart.
4. Oscar the Grouch is a grandfather — outwardly grumpy and detached, inwardly very loving and caring with loads of secret tricks in his can to help you.
5. Cinderella’s prince and the Little Mermaid’s Prince Eric, same guy (this was pointed out by Kid). He ages well! BTW, I am hiding the Cinderella movie. She is such a whiner! And that Some Day My Prince Will Come song just pisses me off now! The message I get: be beautiful, have expensive clothes, be mysterious, hide your true self, get the prince, get married. Ugh.
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4 Comments
January 17th, 2007 at 8:36 am
I am inclind to agree with you about Cinderella, but the others, I think you are reading into them, things that are not really there.
I believe that the producers, publishers etc, would never allow even the hint of anything religious, especially anything pertaining to the Christian God, for fear of repercussions from people like the ACLU.
Of course there is the possibility of a sublimitive message there, that you are picking up, but is quit oblivious to most of us, but from where, or who would be responsible for it?
Perhaps a Christian mole, planted in the organization by God Himself to pollute the minds of our little ones.
Two questions:
1. Does it bother you?
2. If so, why?
January 18th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
I believe that without some imagination, perhaps nothing would be possible in this life! This may apply to creative story writing, or even having a religious faith. More power to (or God bless) those who make not only their own life more pleasant by expressing their creativity, but also enhance other peoples’ daily lives by sharing their talent. I believe that we are limited only by our own imagination.
Love the stories and the comments, too.
January 18th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Good comments! Perhaps all that potential liability is the reason the writers go subliminal, so to speak! Or maybe even writers are not aware of all that is buried in their stories or the various ways their stories can be interpreted. I was excited to “find” (”create”?) some added meaning. Even large, mythic archetypes can be found in children’s stories. I am all in favor of God-like ideas in children’s literature, not fire and brimstone ones, but unconditional love ones.
January 18th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Very good comments indeed, and I think you have something there with the writers being unaware of all that is buried in their stories. The subconscious part of the mind, I believe, plays a part in the creation of a good story.
Maybe we could call it, “subconscious subliminal”. If this is true, and I believe it is, I find it very interesting that you were able to pick these things up. I never would have. Perhaps only a writers mind could.
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