Friday night was movie night at our house. My kids LOVE movie night. One Friday or Saturday night a month, we get ready for bed as usual, only instead of going to bed - we all pile into the spare bedroom bed...and watch a movie...and eat popcorn...in bed! This time we watched "Stuart Little." (Excuse me for one moment while I drag out my soapbox....) Can anyone tell me why movie makers feel the need to add profanity of any kind to a children's movie?? I mean, really, what possible reason could you need to say curse words in a child's movie? I have been a stickler for not letting my kids watch PG movies for just this reason. I think my kids may be the only kids in the free world not to have seen the Shrek series or The Cat in the Hat. Recently I decided to take my nearly 9 year old to see Enchanted at the theater (rated PG), and surprisingly it seemed quite innocent. So we decided to all give Stuart Little a try.
Toward the end of the movie the "bad cats" have 2 expletives. One says something like "what the hell." Both kids missed it. whew. The second expletive comes when a cat falls in the water. It says something like "I can't believe I fell in the damn water." My oldest daughter looked at me with HUGE eyes. I eyed back to her "yes I heard it too.". She looked over at her four year old sister, and exclaimed "Yes, I'll bet that water was DAMP!"
I was so proud of my big girl. She was trying to protect her little sister from the evils of the movie. All the arguments of the day had melted away. It didn't matter if they'd argued over Polly Pocket, or who got to go first. She was doing her job, protecting her sister. Something the movie makers, and I guess myself, had failed to do.
I'm still upset about the movie. Why do they market profanity to kids? I tell you it makes me mad. DAMP mad. Or maybe it's the movie makers who are all wet?
Matthew 18:6 -- But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Matthew 18:7 -- Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!
Matthew 21:16 -- "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, " 'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise' ?"
7 comments:
Kelly, you are too funny! I feel the same DAMP way, though. I just do not see where profanity adds anything of value whatsoever to ANY movie. Certainly not to a kid's movie.
That is so cool how your daughter stepped up to protect her little sister. My oldest son and my nephew do that for my little 6 year old. Then they will wink at me! I just think that is so adorable!
Love,
Starr
I LOVE THIS POST!! Really, I love everything about it! Mainly I find it amazing that a nine yr old has the maturity to try to protect her younger sister's ears. That alone says LOADS about your parenting.
And YES I agree about the kids movies. I've seen (HEARD) it on numerous occasions. There is ABSOLUTELY NO reason to throw in any sort of curse word or obscenity in a G or PG movie.
It also happens on "prime time"---aka family time TV. It drives me crazy-er!
Thanks for writing about such an important topic.
I think there are a lot of parents who are damp mad regarding this.
Hey Kelly..
It is ashame that movie makers want to include bad words in movies. On the other side, I guess it can provide teachable moments in some cases. I don't remember any words like that from Stuart Little, but it has been a long time. My kids have not watched Shrek either, but we do own Cat in the Hat. I don't remember bad words, but it did have some adult implications.
We really have to watch what the kids are watching...like a hawk!
Your girls are precious! So sensitive to evil. The problem is that Hollywood wants to numb us to sin so that we more readily accept it. I have found that I'll watch a movie and then approve it only to "realize" the bad words when my kids are watching it.
There are websites that tell you why a movie is rated ph or more, I just don't reacall what they are, you could probably google it. :)
For me, I have had to stop watching TV and I've found that now I'm much less numb to the sin after just a few months of fasting TV.
Ok, I meant pg not ph, noone cares about the ph of a movie! Unless the bad ones are more acid! LOL! Where's spell check when I needed it!!
I whole heartedly agree! And since the soap box is out,-- the marketing for the super hero movies are aimed for little boys. They make Spiderman, Hulk and other super hero toys but the kids can not go watch the films.
CK,
You are a cool mom--Movie night sounds like so much fun!
Profanity and movies seem to go hand in hand, unfortunately. I would encourage everyone with some advice someone once gave me: Rather than getting upset at a lost world for acting like it's lost :), use this as an opportunity to point your kids to Christ and to reveal to them how much this lost world needs Him! For example, a simple explanation to children would be to say:
"When people use those words, it shows they don't have self-control. The Bible says the fruit of the Spirit is self-control. Let's thank God that Jesus helps us say right things, and let's pray that those people will know Him soon and start doing what He wants them to do."
I'm so thankful for your daughter's protective heart! I know you are, too!
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