here_inmyhead: Raggedy Ann as animated in "Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure." (1977) (Everdred :: Just Wait)
[personal profile] here_inmyhead
What's the line between responsibility and censorship?

You remember your favorite kids classics growing up, like Disney or Bluth or whatever? We go back to watch them again and we realize "Holy shit, this is dark stuff." Take All Dogs Go To Heaven. Rated G. Smushy and cute, right? Wrong. There's gambling, smoking and drinking. We kiddies didn't think much of it back then, but to today's Health Department, it's OMG A BIG DEAL!1!11 and would smack a PG rating for a single puff alone. There's a detailed sequence of both Heaven and Hell (the latter which I recall gave many kids nightmares. Not me, but still scary), so fundies would be automatically pissed. There's death and murder and guns--lots and lots of guns. At which point the soccer moms are screaming. Oh, and there's a scene where Itchy gets beaten up by gangsters. Wow, that's cheery.

So it's just Bluth right? Nope, Disney's sinister too. If I recall, The Great Mouse Detective had a bar and a prostitute. Don't get me started on The Hunchback of Notre Dame either, and it's sugary compared to the book... and STILL dark.

Puri loves all these movies and have fond memories of them from as a kid. It's not like I was OH GOD DAMAGED FOR LIFE!!1!1! like the soccer moms claimed. I knew death happened. I still cried, but hey. Fact of life. I wasn't stupid enough to try smoking on my own. Hell, a lotta the darker themes went over my head until I was already old enough to understand anyway. If an enraged soccer mom whined about the meaning of Frollo's "Hellfire" being him wanting to keep and molest Esmerelda, I'd just give her a confused look and go "...Huh?" When you're a kid, this stuff goes over your head. So who cares?

Since when did people equate G-rated films with stupid shallow happy fluff with no mention of bad evil things like "death" whatsoever? I thought G movies were for everybody, not clueless toddlers that later grow up and get sick and gag at anything labeled "family friendly". Just because something is G-rated doesn't mean it's for ignorant oblivious Peter Pan wannabes. They're capable of substance and conquer just as much as a PG-13 or R movie can. Animation is a medium, not a genre: it's another way to convey various topics. Just look at Miyazaki and anime!

Maybe I'm just scared of soccer moms trying to sugarcoat everything and poison our memories. GUESS WHAT MA: BAMBI'S MOM IS DEAD.

Not saying G-rated film should allow gore and guts or anything like that. There's a fine fine line between having your 5-year-old kid watch Snow White and the SAW films. But if it crosses censorship ("OH NOES IT HAS AN UNHAPPY ENDING!!11!1"), that's when I'll have to look at you like you're the thought police.

I worked backstage for when my Mom and her best friend (and everyone in the Chattanooga Little Theater) performed Sweeney Todd. I don't remember how old I was then; I just know a lotta the themes went over my head. (Hell, I forgotten Mrs. Lovett had a creepy obsession with Todd! XD) I was basically, "Okay, Sweeney wants revenge on the evil Judge who locked him up and took away his wife and daughter. Okay! :D" Puri was a timid one who always covered her eyes and looked away from the throat-slicing scenes. Other than that, Puri was just fine and adored the musical to pieces. :o /was the only little girl who sang "Johanna" in line for entering Dollywood. In the theater, you got a red cut and fake blood on the throat, that was it. If the Tim Burton movie had come out while I was still that age, Mom and Dad would've NEVER let me see it. XDDDDD! Or at least sit with me and tell me not to look at the gory parts, but even then, it's a dark film. Puri would've been too scared. She would've stuck with her theater memories until then.

See? Puri has responsible parents. Nomnomnomnomnom. ♥

Soccer moms aren't thinking what's best for their kid. They're thinking what's best for themselves and their delicate sensibilities. :P

Date: 2008-05-04 03:23 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] soulrockcandy.livejournal.com
I wholeheartedly second this rant.

I SECOND IT SO HARD IT'S LIKE I FIRSTED IT. >:D

Date: 2008-05-04 03:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] runawayblue.livejournal.com
Sing it, sista!

Seriously, this is a disturbing trend. Nothing has meaning anymore, kids are just "treated" to cookie-cutter films with no substance. They just aren't interesting in the least.

Sigh. I've said it before and I will say it again; I really, really pity any children growing up with this nonsense. It makes me want to grab every kid out there and sit them down and make them watch the right films.

Date: 2008-05-04 03:53 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] oshiro-akina.livejournal.com
*agrees*

This reminds me of watching stuff on TV and me wondering why the good guys always have to win every single time; it's as though they are perfect and without any flaws. For once I wanted to see the other guy win the competition or bad guy win the battle.

I cannot stomach any of today's kiddy crap on Tv or in the movies; it's basically the same pointless plot written over and over for profit. It makes me sick.

Date: 2008-05-04 08:44 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] oshiro-akina.livejournal.com
I just remembered something: I read somewhere that all of the Tom and Jerry cartoons were going to be edited to take out the smoking and other "offensive" antics. Did that ever happen?

Date: 2008-05-04 04:22 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gravity-xx.livejournal.com
Censorship. xD Oh boy.

Story time. I used to have three step sisters. One didn't live with us, the others were eight and ten, and I was twelve at the time. We were all in mine and the ten year old's bedroom, and they turned on mtv. We ended up watching one of those catty "makeout with everyone" shows. I being the good girl, went and told my mom, and she talked with their dad. He thought it was a "children's show".

There is things now like tivo and parental controls. At least watch what your kids are watching once to make sure it's okay for crying out loud. There is no reason any parent should think what my ex-step father thought. Take responsibility, people.

Date: 2008-05-04 04:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sarajayechan.livejournal.com
I agree with this so much it's depressing.

What's funny is that the moral watchdogs of today were kids in the 50s and probably sat laughing their asses off at Bugs Bunny and the gang pelt each other with anvils and explosives. :P

And little kids don't get stuff like smoking and bars and prostitutes. They're just in it for the funny little cartoons. :P

Date: 2008-05-04 05:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dia-aren-marie.livejournal.com
GUESS WHAT MA: BAMBI'S MOM IS DEAD.

I lol'ed.

Rock on, Puri. XDDD

I just find it so sad that children will probably not be prepared for what real life's got in store for them because of this...

I keep thinking I saw gory, violent, twisted, sexual etc. stuff at 10, but then records (lol) confirm I saw things as early as 7 years old, but here I am, fine and dandy. XDDDD Whut.

Date: 2008-05-04 06:19 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] darkfreakoid.livejournal.com
Couldn't agree more. None of that stuff I watched as a kid made me think it was bad. As a kid I probably saw every episode of Looney Toons, Tom and Jerry, anything that was on Nick in the 90's, Scooby Doo, etc. I never asked myself why Shaggy and Scooby were always hungry, thought it was humorous. I never attempted to drop a hot iron on anyone. In fact, I laugh more at the antics of Tom and Jerry now as a soon to be adult than I did as a kid!

Date: 2008-05-04 08:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] spfi-duo.livejournal.com
(Nam)

Bambi's mom isn't dead! She's just not....THERE anymore!
-bricked-

(Seriously, I lol'd through this whole thing and cannot properly express my love for the truthfulness of this ranting. Part of the joy of these cartoons is that we can still watch them for entertainment instead of nostalgia. I miss that in modern television. D:)

Date: 2008-05-05 01:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mirwolf.livejournal.com
Tell me about it. In the UK there's recently been a TV show called something like the "Cotton wool generation" where kids talk about their worries, and instead of it being NORMAL stuff they're all shitting themselves over being kidnapped, being attacked, their parents breaking up, effing rising HOUSE PRICES for god's sake. This censorship, wrapping-them-in-bubblewrap and blocking their ears crap isn't doing anybody any good.

Date: 2008-06-27 08:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dioschorium.livejournal.com
All Dogs Go to Heaven is my all-time favorite movie. Lilo and Stitch is the only possible contender for that claim.
And yes, I agree so much with this entry that it makes me want to do a little dance of solidarity.

Profile

here_inmyhead: Raggedy Ann as animated in "Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure." (1977) (Default)
Here. In My Head.

October 2016

S M T W T F S
      1
23 45 678
9101112131415
161718192021 22
23242526272829
3031     

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 12th, 2025 10:32 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios