Response: Rated T for Toddlers

This is a response to: http://faithisourmedium.blogspot.ca/2012/04/disney-rated-t-for-toddlers.html

Although I agree that the creation of 30-minute-a-day series can increase viewership and sustain the interest of audience, I do not believe there is a new targeted demographic on Disney's agenda. If we were to take into account Mickey Mouse and other related shows, children have arguably been the center of Disney's target audience for quite some time now. Moreover, there already exist toys, books, and plentiful other commodities to further attract their attention and this, again has been going on for quite some time. With that being said, it is the wide age spectrum of Disney fans acquired, from children to adult, which illustrates how powerful the Disney brand is in shaping not only popular culture, but preconceived ideas that children may have as well, ideas which can very well extend into adulthood.

However, one must always take into account the cognitive capacities of children at a very young age—such children cannot process complex ideas at a deeper level compared to their older counterparts. By the same token, these children may very well be watching Disney shows simply for the sake of colours, having a good laugh or because they like a certain character. This is no way suggests that parents should not be concerned with what their children are watching on TV; the suggestions here are to (1) lessen the worry and expose children to as many different, age-appropriate movies as possible to expand their understanding and horizons and (2) immediately address what can be faulty stereotypical formations, perceptions, and beliefs later on in the future. Children's brains are like clay—early on they are easy to mould, but once the clay hardens, efforts to change things become quite challenging if not ever the more next to impossible. The bottom line is that Disney is a heavyweight in popular culture and if used effectively, it can actually be a positive influence to society.    

It's The End of the World! No Wait...It's Not.

What do the above movies have in common? Apocalypticism—a belief that there will be an apocalypse, an imminent ending of the world. Such a belief is a defining feature in the Christian tradition, notably the book of Revelations and the book of Daniel. Moreover, this belief system has become a means behind many blockbuster hits, generating a wealthy amount of profit for the entertainment industry. As the selective few posters illustrate, there are various interpretations as to how such an event will unfold—global warming, viral infections, natural disasters, these are just a few possibilities out of many. In a sense, these apocalyptic movies are quite "monstrous" in their own way; like zombies, vampires and other literal monsters, the "end of times" also addresses yet another fear humans have surrounding death: global destruction. The difference, however, is that apocalypticism addresses humanity's fear on a much more macroscopic and global level compared to that of monsters.

Usually imbued at the end of such apocalyptic movies are survivors and the restoration of the Earth back to its simplistic way. This can actually reflect the way of thinking that many apocalyptic Americans hold—that there has been a loss of a golden age, creating both nostalgia and a hopeful mindset that it such an age can be restored again. From a Christian perspective, survivors in apocalyptic movies can be comparable to Jesus himself in the sense that both were able to triumph over death although within such comparison also arises a contrast: Jesus resembles the triumph of death towards a path of eternal life; human survivors, on the other hand, are still mortal and susceptible to dying. Furthermore, Jesus is s redeemer, a saviour of all humanity whereas humans cannot achieve the same feat. Nevertheless, the ultimate idea here is that apocalypticism is but another "monster" bringing the reality and idea of death closer to humanity and aside from its entertainment purposes; it also helps us address the sociophobics surrounding death. 

Response: Real Monster

This is a response to:  http://whatwouldchirstdo.blogspot.ca/2012/03/real-monster.html

The metaphorical usage of cancer in representing a form of “monsters” that are prevalent in the world today is actually quite a clever move on ccandelario’s part.  Death is, indeed, an endpoint feared by a majority of people, if not all human beings. However, how people grapple and cope with this fear is tremendously diverse and varies between one individual and the next—some are profoundly terrified, others more accepting and understanding as evidenced by ccandelario’s reference of Jamie in “A Walk to Remember”.  

From a Christian standpoint, present us a way of better understanding humanity and God; they illustrate the extreme of what we do not want to be like and what we fear can happen to us when it comes to death: being trapped on this earth (vampires), being lifeless corpses (zombies), being buried alive (mummies), and the sort. Monsters also demonstrate the omnipotence of God’s power. Although cancer does not fall into any of the former’s categories, it can still be classified as a “monster”. Cancer addresses yet another fear surrounding death—that of knowing when one is about to die, dying slowly, and of course, leaving loved ones behind. Moreover, what is currently still an incurable disease illustrates the unlimited powers and creative control that God has over the world, a power that can create both good and evil, a power that is solely at God’s own discretion and jurisdiction.

To have movies like “A Walk to Remember” brings another fear surrounding death into reality (despite the fictional love story lines): sickness. Although a tear-jerker and regardless of the grand entertainment and profitable agenda behind them, such movies of the same genre:

  The Notebook

Titanic (WHO IS WATCHING THE 3-D VERSION?! :) )

The Vow

...all bring into reality different ways an individual can die, sensitizing audience members to death’s reality and multifaceted ways of occurrences. In a sense, these movies help us to come to grasp with death and tries to buffer its tantalizing fear so that we do not enter it paralyzed and immobile without an idea of what to do. This extends both to the person that is dying and those who have to witness and deal with the eventual loss of a loved on. Having death in our face teaches us to appreciate the people and things around us. As the saying goes “live everyday as if it were your last”. 

Monster-copalypse

They are everywhere, and they are after you. Well, your attention and money that is. Even if you're not a fan, you've probably heard of it. Twilight, The Walking Dead, True Blood, Vampire Diaries, heck if you're a Lady Gaga fan you're one—folks, I welcome you to the era of monsters.

In relation to Christianity, monsters have played a pivotal role in revealing things about knowing humanity and knowing God. For instance, vampires (i.e. Twilight, True Blood, and Vampire Diaries) are the illustration of the idea behind human form seeking redemption, a life free from the binds of Earth. This redemptive ethos is actually a key concept in Christian tradition; humans look towards Jesus as the one who has triumphed over death and the saviour who will redeem humanity. As for zombies, these grotesque figures point to the limits of our knowledge and our lack of unknowability of this world and God. Furthermore, they serve to be a reminder of how precious our lives are, how special each moment is because it could be our last. Monsters in general, along with offering us a way to cope with the sociophobics of death, allow us to accept the good things about ourselves.  

The fascination with monsters is not a recent phenomenon; rather, it has existed for centuries and scholars have been studying them for quite a long time. (On a side note, it's given producers quite a substantial amount of money!) It is worth noting that the existence of monsters is not teaching us how to be human; they are teaching us how to be better people in a different way. Let us take The Walking Dead for example. This recent popularized TV show addresses how people are affected by drastic situations and how humans live in dire circumstances. The world has not changed, but it has become exaggerated where the evil still plunders and the wear are left behind. If it were not for monsters, moments of grace cannot occur for without death, there cannot be living. It is through the anticipation of death where we confront our biggest fear and survive to live a life where we can be better people; it is in death were we are the most in life.