Wednesday, November 20, 2002
Adults, manufactures of children’s pop culture (some with good intentions, others with greedy motives) must recognize their responsibility. Take Harry Potter and its hype, for example. The film is a fantasy and does appeal to youthful imagination. It’s not a classic, though. It’s not timeless. It’s no Wizard of Oz or anything. The fact is Harry Potter is contrived—manipulated, it seems, to trigger excitement from the audience at the rapid pace children have been trained to expect it. This excitement quotient is more important than any semblance of plot continuity or motivation; the film just piles through one misadventure after the other.
Defenders say kids like it this way. Of course kids do. Adults trained them to; instant gratification is the greatest pacifier. This gives parents, the folks with the dollars, a respite from their parent jobs, the most important job they never knew they had.
We raise emotional dependant people in this country—conditioned to seek outside stimulus for comfort. In the end, what does Harry Potter offer children besides escape? At a point when there’s still time to actually build wholesome hearts we’re filling our youth with toxic stimulus. Yes, we’re trying to please the kids, of course. But, must we inject our disease on the innocent. Try taking the kids on a day hike. Or consider placing, in your child’s hand, the movie cash; explain to her she can use it for anything her golden heart desires. This way you'll uncover her genuine self. You'll have a moment to see what she loves, and who she is.
- kimmel
9:49 AM
|
