What Will My Children Watch? - Comments

I COMPLETELY agree. This is an excellently written piece; congrats(:

I think another thing that bugs me is they always have to be learning something, what happened to waking up on a saturday and just chilling coloring in your books, eating cereal, why do kids have to be learning 24/7 I mean its great to learn but they need a break to, they are just kids.

*she fell

CallusedSilk said all I was going to say. o.O

Also, I was born with the name Ariel. AND I have natural red hair. xD How Ironic that after I was born the Little Mermaid came out, right? Personally, I LOVE Belle! Mainly because she's a lover of books and because, despite everything, fell for Beast. ^.^

Belle = Greatest Princess ever. ^3^

I pretty much disagree with you. Were movies made during the early 90's pretty much some of the best children's movies of all time? Yes, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Little Mermaid were my childhood. Secret of Nimh is another fantastic movie and there are countless examples of great storyboard creations.

However, look at pixar. Almost every single movie they've made has been memorable and absolutely stunning, but isn't 2D. Toy Story is very near and dear to my heart. Cars was great. Up is spectacular. People rave about these movies, not just because they're good visually, but because they mean something and in most cases teach better values than some of the original Disney movies ever did.

The Harry Potter movies, while not for ridiculously little kids, are still great movies if you haven't read the books. Also, as for television? Show them classic stuff and besides, kids don't need to be watching hours and hours of tv anyway.

Also, on a super serious note. This is what you're concerned about? You're worried that your kids won't have anything good to watch on the TV? Are you kidding me? In the grand scheme of things, this is one of the most inane and pointless things to worry about. Worry about your kid being diagnosed with illnesses, worry about the economy not being great, worry that your kid will be bullied because their mother sits and worries about what's on television, worry about a billion other thins other than the TV. Worst comes to worst, do an even better thing and read to your kids when the time comes.

I'm going to make sure that my kids watch the Disney movies that I grew up with (every single one of them at that), but that doesn't mean I'm going to restrict them to just those. If they want to see something that they think they're going to enjoy, then I have no reason to prevent their viewing (even if I do think it's a load of bull).

This is so funny (in a completely ridiculous way, really). I was thinking about this today in class. I've been watching a lot of the newer animations lately and I can't help feeling they're all the same. There's no real MESSAGE, or it's so blatantly obvious that you feel kind of sick at the predictability.

But I guess there're just some things we can't change.

I agree with you and just lately my sister and I were feeling really nostalgic about Lion King and old Disney movies, and we kept saying I can't wait to watch these again with my children! And I will because they're great, but at the same time I know there's lots of modern day movies for children which are just as funny, entertaining and also teach valuable life lessons. A while ago I watched How to train Pet Dragons with my younger sister and I've watched all of the Shrek movies, and I think movies like those prove that we are still capable of producing great movies for kids. Maybe they're not as memorable or Lion King or Peter Pan, but they're not terrible either.

I completely agree with you, unless there's going to be other really good animated movies that are going to come out I feel sorry for what future children will watch.

Especially with what's on the television right now.

Yeah, I agree with tabloid. Besides, a lot of the Disney movies we grew up with were retro by the time we were seeing them, as well (though there were still quite a few being made in the late 80's-90's). I don't think the things Disney/Pixar have been making proves that they're never going to make anything similar to the older stuff. I think they've just grown with the way animation has grown since Walt Disney started making films, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. 3D computer animated films can have the same message and similar values to the stories as any 2D films, it's just a matter of someone writing one... which I'm sure hasn't seen it's end just yet :)

I think you just answered your own question, didn't you?

If you're so worried/traumatised by the idea of the movies being brought out today, just let your kids (when you have them) watch your own personal movie collection. It'll be more memorable for them then going to the cinema like all the other kids. They'd have stories to tell about staying home on a rainy afternoon watching their mum's "really, really retro" movie collection. Right?
Stop worrying, or go out there and change the animated, child's movie industry yourself. :)