by Camila Rico
Have you ever heard the saying “Evil isn´t born, it´s made”? It is said that we are born free to choose our way and that nobody can change our will without our consent; but in that case, would we ever choose to be evil? Megamind, the main character of the film that takes his name, reflects, “No matter how hard I tried. I was always the odd man out. (…) The bad boy.”
Produced by DreamWorks Animation in 2010, “Megamind” is a 3D computer-animated action and comedy film. Set in the fictional Metro City, the film portrays the life-long rivalry between Megamind, the blue and big-headed supervillain and Metro Man, the defender of the city and beloved superhero. After never-ending battles where he always loses, Megamind finally finds his rival´s weakness, which seems to be copper, and surprisingly defeats him. But then, he loses his purpose in life because he has no rival to fight against anymore. While being evil is the only thing he thinks he is good at, Megamind astounds himself and Metro City citizens when he saves the city from a new villain menace.
The film suggests that the strong influence that society has in personal development may corrupt people´s construction of beliefs. Although having a sweet and lovable soul as a child, Megamind becomes a bad boy due to his own experiences in life. Being led to exclusion, he assumes that maybe his purpose in life is no other than being evil. In this respect, “Megamind” condemns society as responsible for human evilness.
When constructing identity, environment and people may shape the primary understanding of the world of any child. After landing on Earth in a Superman-like manner, the two innocent new-borns, both later known as Metro Man and Megamind, arrive at two very different environments. While Metro Man gets to a wealthy family mansion, Megamind ends up in prison. They are both taught the difference between good and evil but, obviously, from different perspectives. Being raised by prisoners in an unfavourable environment, Megamind learns that police is wrong while thieves are right. Thereby, he conceives evilness as the natural way of being. The role of prisoners in “Megamind” is a clear example of how bad influences in childhood lead people to construct wrong ideas of the world and believe that evilness is the correct path while goodness is the wrong one.
Belonging or not to a social group may affect behaviour and relationship skills. Although he heartily wants to be accepted, Megamind is continuously rejected by his classmates. At school, teacher and children are delighted with Metro Man´s abilities. While seeking acceptance, Megamind tries to imitate him with witty inventions of his own; but it always turns into a disaster and he ends up being mocked by his classmates and punished by the teacher. Being excluded, he feels completely alone with only one faithful friend in the world, a fish called Minion, who accompanies him since he was born. Megamind assumes that there may be something wrong within him and reflects, “Was this my destiny? (…) Being bad is the one thing I'm good at.” He comes to the conclusion that he is destined to be a supervillain and he proposes himself that he would be “the baddest of them all.” Since then, he begins being a bad boy on purpose. The film shows that children who are constantly excluded and rejected at school may believe that they are actually the rotten apple of society and that their destiny is no other than being evil.
Strongly fixed stereotypes of beauty and good behaviour may exclude those who are different and don´t possess these accepted characteristics. While Metro Man is the role model to follow, Megamind doesn´t fit the common personal standards of society. Cute and charming, Metro Man is the perfect superhero: he is the altruistic and well-built man with enchanting face and manners who protects Metro City and gains the heart of its citizens. Megamind, the skinny and big-headed blue alien, is feared and rejected just for being different and weird. Without taking into account his feelings, society makes him an outcast for his mere appearance. Excluded and neglected, Megamind confirms that he and Minion are both alone against the world; and consequently, he also rejects any type of approach towards people and sees them as if they were on the enemy side. Of course, he would give people back the same “courtesy” he always receives from them. In this case, the film portrays how stereotypes of beauty and good behaviour let people who don´t fit in completely outside society and condemns them to isolation, disregard and evilness.
“Megamind” depicts the active role of society in leading people to bad choices and evilness. Being aware of this may make us reflect about our own responsibility. What would we do to change it? After changing himself and saving Metro City, Megamind finally concludes, “I guess destiny is not the path given to us, but the path we choose for ourselves.”
Monday, November 17, 2014
Have you heard there’s a rumour in Anastasia?
By Amílcar Ferrero
Some weeks ago, my little nephew, me, and nothing to do. After a long debate (she was victorious), we ended up watching the film Anastasia. From the very beginning I couldn’t believe my eyes. The film is not much more than any princesses’ movie: a beautiful princess, a love story, an evil enemy, a happy ending, and a positive reception. But there is something in it that preoccupied me. Sadly, my nephew’s cry didn’t let me turn off the TV.
The peculiarity of this animated musical film, directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman and released in 1997, resides in the use of historical places, events and characters. It is set in imperial Russia in 1916 and the story focuses on the consequences of the Russian revolution for the royal family at that time. The bad thing is that Anastasia transmits a misleading view of history by distorting, manipulating and altering it.
Who was Anastasia? Talking about the real person, she was Tsar Nicholas II’s daughter, and she was killed in 1918 with all his family because of the outbreak of the Russian revolution. The film takes Anastasia as the main character but it makes her survive the revolution and builds a complete new life for her. While it is true that still in 1997 there was a rumour that stated that Anastasia had survived the revolution because her corpse hadn’t been discovered yet, I don’t think this rumour can give the film the power of using her name and changing her history.
Every princesses’ movie has an evil witch. In this case the scriptwriters decided to make Rasputin their “evil witch”. Rasputin, the real one, was a mystic and faith healer, and the adviser of the royal family in Russia. The film, however, shows Rasputin as the most dishonourable enemy of Nicholas II and his family; and, also, as a wizard with dark powers that helps to impulse the Russian revolution and destroy the monarchy. Let me tell the scriptwriters, in case they don’t know, that the real Rasputin had been killed two years before the Russian revolution, and that while he was alive he had nothing to do with the Bolsheviks (the people who actually carried out the revolution). About the dark powers, I leave it to your own judgment.
After the revolution the film jumps ten years later and shows life in St. Petersburg, the Russian capital at those years. By singing a song, the working class people show how grey, gloomy and bleak their lives are since the revolution. “Have you heard there's a rumour in St. Petersburg? Although the Czar did not survive, one daughter may be still alive!” goes the song. A rumour about Anastasia being alive gives the working class a hope to return to monarchy. Probably the food shortages, autocracy, misery and brutal suppression during tsarist Russia made the life of the lower class happy and colourful. I don’t want to discuss to what extent these things changed after the revolution, but showing a feeling of excitement among the common people because of the supposed return of Anastasia is an act of distorting history.
The positive reception the film received provoked on me some kind of indignation. While it is true that the film uses history only as a starting point, that doesn’t give the scriptwriters the right to manipulate it. I might ask what the intention is behind this manipulation, if any. Dealing with history is something to be considered seriously. We should not let any film take history and mess it up.
Some weeks ago, my little nephew, me, and nothing to do. After a long debate (she was victorious), we ended up watching the film Anastasia. From the very beginning I couldn’t believe my eyes. The film is not much more than any princesses’ movie: a beautiful princess, a love story, an evil enemy, a happy ending, and a positive reception. But there is something in it that preoccupied me. Sadly, my nephew’s cry didn’t let me turn off the TV.
The peculiarity of this animated musical film, directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman and released in 1997, resides in the use of historical places, events and characters. It is set in imperial Russia in 1916 and the story focuses on the consequences of the Russian revolution for the royal family at that time. The bad thing is that Anastasia transmits a misleading view of history by distorting, manipulating and altering it.
Who was Anastasia? Talking about the real person, she was Tsar Nicholas II’s daughter, and she was killed in 1918 with all his family because of the outbreak of the Russian revolution. The film takes Anastasia as the main character but it makes her survive the revolution and builds a complete new life for her. While it is true that still in 1997 there was a rumour that stated that Anastasia had survived the revolution because her corpse hadn’t been discovered yet, I don’t think this rumour can give the film the power of using her name and changing her history.
Every princesses’ movie has an evil witch. In this case the scriptwriters decided to make Rasputin their “evil witch”. Rasputin, the real one, was a mystic and faith healer, and the adviser of the royal family in Russia. The film, however, shows Rasputin as the most dishonourable enemy of Nicholas II and his family; and, also, as a wizard with dark powers that helps to impulse the Russian revolution and destroy the monarchy. Let me tell the scriptwriters, in case they don’t know, that the real Rasputin had been killed two years before the Russian revolution, and that while he was alive he had nothing to do with the Bolsheviks (the people who actually carried out the revolution). About the dark powers, I leave it to your own judgment.
After the revolution the film jumps ten years later and shows life in St. Petersburg, the Russian capital at those years. By singing a song, the working class people show how grey, gloomy and bleak their lives are since the revolution. “Have you heard there's a rumour in St. Petersburg? Although the Czar did not survive, one daughter may be still alive!” goes the song. A rumour about Anastasia being alive gives the working class a hope to return to monarchy. Probably the food shortages, autocracy, misery and brutal suppression during tsarist Russia made the life of the lower class happy and colourful. I don’t want to discuss to what extent these things changed after the revolution, but showing a feeling of excitement among the common people because of the supposed return of Anastasia is an act of distorting history.
The positive reception the film received provoked on me some kind of indignation. While it is true that the film uses history only as a starting point, that doesn’t give the scriptwriters the right to manipulate it. I might ask what the intention is behind this manipulation, if any. Dealing with history is something to be considered seriously. We should not let any film take history and mess it up.
Of Pretty Faces and Evil Hearts
by Mariana Figueredo
The essential is no longer invisible to the eyes. Run to your nearest mirror and check. Or run to the nearest Blockbuster, get Nanny McPhee and check. Second option will take a little longer, but you can do it with popcorns at hand.
Based on the books Nurse Matilda (no, not Mary Poppins) by Christianna Brand, Nanny McPhee is a British fantasy movie about seven mischievous motherless siblings with surprising skills in driving nannies mad. But their unruly world is about to end when a new nanny, Ms McPhee, appears with her magical secrets…and her hideous face. Played by British actress Emma Thompson, McPhee gradually loses her unibrow, hairy warts and scary traits, as the kids start to behave and love her. Likewise, Evangeline, the poor good and unnoticed young maid of the house is subtly turning into a lady in order to gain Cedric’s love, the children’s father. But that would only happen if he could run away from the grotesque and evil Mrs. Quickly, who can’t wait to marry him and send the kids away.
McPhee’s transformation from an ugly witch into an angel-like lady is what director Kirk Jones and producers claim as the movie’s most fascinating element. This magic change is supposed to teach children that one shouldn’t judge other people by their appearance. However, such a message falls short when the physical transformation is correlated by a change in her behaviour. McPhee, as other characters, have a fixed role according to their physical appearance. In this sense, Nanny McPhee supports standards of beauty as markers of people’s morality.
By the beginning of the movie, McPhee’s physical appearance and actions resemble those of a “traditional witch” from Disney movies. Her snaggletooth, warts, unibrow and twisted nose are the perfect companions for her severe treats. When she arrives to The Brown’s lives, they feel intimidated by her facial features. Still, it takes more than an unusual face to discipline the kids. The five lessons Nanny McPhee wants them to learn (to go to bed, get up, get dressed, do and listen when they are told) are not accomplished by the kids own will, but by the nanny’s scary magic tricks. For example, the first morning she spends in the house, the children refuse to get up and pretend to be ill. McPhee uses her powers to bind them to the beds and makes them feel actually sick, forcing into their mouths a horrible medicine. When the siblings don’t stop playing in the kitchen, she uses her magic cane and makes them lose control of their own bodies, nearly provoking that the littlest of the Browns jumps out the window. The
kids have to apologize before a tragedy takes place. In this way, her ungracious physical appearance corresponds with the stereotypical concept of ugliness as synonym of evilness.
But McPhee’s aspect is not the only thing to be afraid of. Characters such as Lady Adelaide Stitch, the children’s rich aunt, and Mrs. Quickly, Cedric’s future wife, represent the antagonists every fairy tale needs. Since the moment both women are presented, the feeling they are up to no good appears. This is made by portraying their lack of fashion sense and grotesque facial expressions, like twitching the nose too much or atrocious smiles escorted by yellow teeth. The children’s aunt dresses in grey and kind of resembles a raven. Mrs. Quickly wears eccentric dresses of bright unpleasant colours, and a wig that matches her dirty teeth. Such impression I mentioned before is later confirmed, for Lady Adelaide forces penniless Cedric to marry soon, or she will stop economically supporting the family. She doesn’t care about the kids’ safety or happiness, but about what people would think if their father doesn’t get marry soon. The same happens with Mrs. Quickly. She is a vile, children-hater, thrice widow. Adelaide’s wealth is the only thing that motivates her to tolerate the Brown family. Hence, the movie foreshadows the characters’ morality by the use of clothes and manners conventionally considered unattractive or unpleasant.
Let’s now go to the other side of the coin. When the kids reluctantly start to behave and McPhee loses her awful appearance, curiously, she also loses her harsh traits and violent methods. Now the nanny is a beautiful slender fairy godmother who sweetly advices children and rescues fathers in distress. One of the final scenes of the movie shows how she helps the kids to get rid of their aunt and their father’s fiancée, to fulfil their wish of getting their father married to the maid. Likewise, Evangeline has also been transformed. She abandons the ragged clothes and poor manners for uptight dresses and refined gestures. And she is finally noticed by Cedric. Evangeline is pretty and in fashion, she would be a good mother, right? Or at least that’s what Cedric believes, for he immediately changes his mind and marries her. It is true that she has always cared for the seven children, but her good actions were overshadowed by her clothes and manners. It is only when she is seen dressed and acting as a sophisticated high-class lady, that everyone, including the kids, qualifies her as “beautiful”. In this sense, the movie backs up the idea that conventional beauty equals goodness.
My main concern about this movie is the way its moral is exemplified, as if there is no other way of portraying goodness and evilness than through beauty and ugliness. My concern goes beyond, for the world is not divided into good people and bad people, pretty people and ugly people. But coming back to my previous point, what do those simplifications of people’s morality say about our society? My answer is that the so currently “repudiated” superficiality of human beings strongly remains in our society. What we see is what we get. Then there is little doubt why McPhee couldn’t remain ugly till the end, because she becomes a good person and such a combination would confuse anyone…
The essential is no longer invisible to the eyes. Run to your nearest mirror and check. Or run to the nearest Blockbuster, get Nanny McPhee and check. Second option will take a little longer, but you can do it with popcorns at hand.
Based on the books Nurse Matilda (no, not Mary Poppins) by Christianna Brand, Nanny McPhee is a British fantasy movie about seven mischievous motherless siblings with surprising skills in driving nannies mad. But their unruly world is about to end when a new nanny, Ms McPhee, appears with her magical secrets…and her hideous face. Played by British actress Emma Thompson, McPhee gradually loses her unibrow, hairy warts and scary traits, as the kids start to behave and love her. Likewise, Evangeline, the poor good and unnoticed young maid of the house is subtly turning into a lady in order to gain Cedric’s love, the children’s father. But that would only happen if he could run away from the grotesque and evil Mrs. Quickly, who can’t wait to marry him and send the kids away.
McPhee’s transformation from an ugly witch into an angel-like lady is what director Kirk Jones and producers claim as the movie’s most fascinating element. This magic change is supposed to teach children that one shouldn’t judge other people by their appearance. However, such a message falls short when the physical transformation is correlated by a change in her behaviour. McPhee, as other characters, have a fixed role according to their physical appearance. In this sense, Nanny McPhee supports standards of beauty as markers of people’s morality.
By the beginning of the movie, McPhee’s physical appearance and actions resemble those of a “traditional witch” from Disney movies. Her snaggletooth, warts, unibrow and twisted nose are the perfect companions for her severe treats. When she arrives to The Brown’s lives, they feel intimidated by her facial features. Still, it takes more than an unusual face to discipline the kids. The five lessons Nanny McPhee wants them to learn (to go to bed, get up, get dressed, do and listen when they are told) are not accomplished by the kids own will, but by the nanny’s scary magic tricks. For example, the first morning she spends in the house, the children refuse to get up and pretend to be ill. McPhee uses her powers to bind them to the beds and makes them feel actually sick, forcing into their mouths a horrible medicine. When the siblings don’t stop playing in the kitchen, she uses her magic cane and makes them lose control of their own bodies, nearly provoking that the littlest of the Browns jumps out the window. The
kids have to apologize before a tragedy takes place. In this way, her ungracious physical appearance corresponds with the stereotypical concept of ugliness as synonym of evilness.
But McPhee’s aspect is not the only thing to be afraid of. Characters such as Lady Adelaide Stitch, the children’s rich aunt, and Mrs. Quickly, Cedric’s future wife, represent the antagonists every fairy tale needs. Since the moment both women are presented, the feeling they are up to no good appears. This is made by portraying their lack of fashion sense and grotesque facial expressions, like twitching the nose too much or atrocious smiles escorted by yellow teeth. The children’s aunt dresses in grey and kind of resembles a raven. Mrs. Quickly wears eccentric dresses of bright unpleasant colours, and a wig that matches her dirty teeth. Such impression I mentioned before is later confirmed, for Lady Adelaide forces penniless Cedric to marry soon, or she will stop economically supporting the family. She doesn’t care about the kids’ safety or happiness, but about what people would think if their father doesn’t get marry soon. The same happens with Mrs. Quickly. She is a vile, children-hater, thrice widow. Adelaide’s wealth is the only thing that motivates her to tolerate the Brown family. Hence, the movie foreshadows the characters’ morality by the use of clothes and manners conventionally considered unattractive or unpleasant.
Let’s now go to the other side of the coin. When the kids reluctantly start to behave and McPhee loses her awful appearance, curiously, she also loses her harsh traits and violent methods. Now the nanny is a beautiful slender fairy godmother who sweetly advices children and rescues fathers in distress. One of the final scenes of the movie shows how she helps the kids to get rid of their aunt and their father’s fiancée, to fulfil their wish of getting their father married to the maid. Likewise, Evangeline has also been transformed. She abandons the ragged clothes and poor manners for uptight dresses and refined gestures. And she is finally noticed by Cedric. Evangeline is pretty and in fashion, she would be a good mother, right? Or at least that’s what Cedric believes, for he immediately changes his mind and marries her. It is true that she has always cared for the seven children, but her good actions were overshadowed by her clothes and manners. It is only when she is seen dressed and acting as a sophisticated high-class lady, that everyone, including the kids, qualifies her as “beautiful”. In this sense, the movie backs up the idea that conventional beauty equals goodness.
My main concern about this movie is the way its moral is exemplified, as if there is no other way of portraying goodness and evilness than through beauty and ugliness. My concern goes beyond, for the world is not divided into good people and bad people, pretty people and ugly people. But coming back to my previous point, what do those simplifications of people’s morality say about our society? My answer is that the so currently “repudiated” superficiality of human beings strongly remains in our society. What we see is what we get. Then there is little doubt why McPhee couldn’t remain ugly till the end, because she becomes a good person and such a combination would confuse anyone…
Freaky just got fabulous!
by Jessica L. Vega
"Be yourself, be unique, be a monster!" or "Where Screams Come True!" are just some of the typical slogans of Monster High. This is the newest Mattel product. Five supernatural girls who are daughters of horror icons such as Dracula, Frankenstein and The Werewolf. These girls go to an abnormal high school, have eccentric pets and possess a dark and horror-themed fashion which nowadays is highly appeling for little girls.
Monster High products go from fashion dolls, sticker albums and magazines to a web series, special TV episodes and DVD films. This variety of mechandising surrounds little girls who are fascinated by these “new” dark likeable girls that day by day become more and more consumed.
This dark wave had a great impact not only in the market but also in the media. Monster High got to many girls’ houses fastly and powerfully not only because of its huge quantity of products but also because of its sympathetic unnatural web episodes which are seen several times a day by spellbound young girls. These episodes seem to contain a new kind of girls: modern girls who have different interests, different appearance and a different life from those traditional ones. But not all the dark tone and innovation of the world could cover the real message: even though its supernatural and horror style, Monster High web series does not get rid of traditional beauty stereotypes.
One of the most obvious points to the eye is the girls’ body. Despite they have unlike and unusual colours in their skins, they still have the typical “dream girl” shape. This means that their bodies are extremely skinny but their breasts and back sides have a considerable size. When little girls are exposed to this, they get a wrong message since they believe this is the ideal body to achieve. What is more, little girls may be not able to realize that it is not a real image, it is not a real body but it is just a stereotyped body.
There is a stronger and even more visible point in this web series, the supernatural girls’ fashion and appearance. Even though these girls are supposed to break the standard boundaries of beauty by their unique dark style, they simply do not break it. It is true that their clothes have dark and deep colours and also unusual patterned such as skulls, crosses and blood drops. But it is also true that these monsters wear very short skirts, tight t-shirts and high heel shoes; and they possess hundreds of purses, watches and odd sinister jewellery which mark a clear passion for fashion and at the same time, they stereotype this passion as a typical feature of an ideal girl to be.
This passion for fashion is accompanied by the constant worry about appearance. The girls in the web series show an incessant obsession for making up perfectly, that is to say, in their freaky world, keeping blood red lips all the time, having their eyes deeply delineated and walking with a delicate style. Once again, the show is centred on girls’ physical appearance and in the beauty standard. This transmits an incorrect message of how a beautiful girl would be to the series’ young female audience.
Eventually, Monster High series has nothing new to offer to its young audience since behind its supernatural characters, freaky clothes and fancy fashion, there are no more than simple and fake beauty stereotypes. Beauty stereotypes that little girls acquire as a pattern to follow are what have to be stopped. This generation of girls must be saved from ruining their minds with this absurd beauty standard of girl to be.
"Be yourself, be unique, be a monster!" or "Where Screams Come True!" are just some of the typical slogans of Monster High. This is the newest Mattel product. Five supernatural girls who are daughters of horror icons such as Dracula, Frankenstein and The Werewolf. These girls go to an abnormal high school, have eccentric pets and possess a dark and horror-themed fashion which nowadays is highly appeling for little girls.
Monster High products go from fashion dolls, sticker albums and magazines to a web series, special TV episodes and DVD films. This variety of mechandising surrounds little girls who are fascinated by these “new” dark likeable girls that day by day become more and more consumed.
This dark wave had a great impact not only in the market but also in the media. Monster High got to many girls’ houses fastly and powerfully not only because of its huge quantity of products but also because of its sympathetic unnatural web episodes which are seen several times a day by spellbound young girls. These episodes seem to contain a new kind of girls: modern girls who have different interests, different appearance and a different life from those traditional ones. But not all the dark tone and innovation of the world could cover the real message: even though its supernatural and horror style, Monster High web series does not get rid of traditional beauty stereotypes.
One of the most obvious points to the eye is the girls’ body. Despite they have unlike and unusual colours in their skins, they still have the typical “dream girl” shape. This means that their bodies are extremely skinny but their breasts and back sides have a considerable size. When little girls are exposed to this, they get a wrong message since they believe this is the ideal body to achieve. What is more, little girls may be not able to realize that it is not a real image, it is not a real body but it is just a stereotyped body.
There is a stronger and even more visible point in this web series, the supernatural girls’ fashion and appearance. Even though these girls are supposed to break the standard boundaries of beauty by their unique dark style, they simply do not break it. It is true that their clothes have dark and deep colours and also unusual patterned such as skulls, crosses and blood drops. But it is also true that these monsters wear very short skirts, tight t-shirts and high heel shoes; and they possess hundreds of purses, watches and odd sinister jewellery which mark a clear passion for fashion and at the same time, they stereotype this passion as a typical feature of an ideal girl to be.
This passion for fashion is accompanied by the constant worry about appearance. The girls in the web series show an incessant obsession for making up perfectly, that is to say, in their freaky world, keeping blood red lips all the time, having their eyes deeply delineated and walking with a delicate style. Once again, the show is centred on girls’ physical appearance and in the beauty standard. This transmits an incorrect message of how a beautiful girl would be to the series’ young female audience.
Eventually, Monster High series has nothing new to offer to its young audience since behind its supernatural characters, freaky clothes and fancy fashion, there are no more than simple and fake beauty stereotypes. Beauty stereotypes that little girls acquire as a pattern to follow are what have to be stopped. This generation of girls must be saved from ruining their minds with this absurd beauty standard of girl to be.
Let´s stop Lockwoods of the world!
by Nahir Penelas
Have you ever seen a piece of cheese falling from the sky? Or even better, a delicious hamburger coming from the sky into your hand? Well, if you haven’t, you can find this amazing phenomenon in the film “Cloudy with a chance of meatballs”. This film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation and distributed by Columbia Pictures in 2009, was based upon the book with the same name, written by Judi Barrett and published in 1978.
Flint Lockwood, a crazy young scientist, lives in Swallow Fall, the dark and boring city, producer of sardines, where the story is set. Tired of living in a city crammed with sardines, Flint creates the “FLDSMDFR”, a machine that produces food by a genetic alteration of hydrogen molecules. At the beginning everything seems perfect, but then, food over mutates and the citizens has to evacuate the city escaping from the attack of hot sauce waves and big corns, as Chernobyl citizens have escaped from dangerous radioactive particles.
Scientists tend to take decisions without being able to oversee the consequences they might bring. This human behavior towards nature will have fatal repercussions in the future. Describing a crazy and absurd situation, “Cloudy with a chance of meatballs”, criticizes the manipulation scientists make over nature.
The “FLDSMDFR” turns water, the most pure substance that exists on earth, into toxic fatty food. The mayor of the city represents the worst consequence that implies an abusive consumption of junk food: obesity. We know that in the last decade junk food has invaded all our cities, contributing to the increase of people suffering obesity in the world. Companies, with the cooperation of scientist, have discovered that the combination of sugar, fat and salt have the same effect as drugs in the human brain. In order to raise the amount of sales, they have started making products with these ingredients. That is how hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, candies and sodas have become a legal drug that kills millions of people annually. The same science that might save humans lives is the one that creates the conditions for their death. Instead of a solution, Flint has created a problem: a machine that produces artificial, toxic and addictive food that does not feed but intoxicates his neighbors.
Spray on shoes and Rat birds are some of the failed inventions Flint has created before the “FLDSMDFR”, both with everlasting consequences. Once he wears the Spray on shoes, hoping to solve the epidemic of untied shoes, he realizes that he would never be able to take them out; now shoes are part of his skin. Rat birds, a crossbreed between rats and birds, an absurd and useless creation, turns into a plague that bothers the whole city. Scientist like Flint should reflect upon the consequences their actions might have, because some results are permanent, and there is no way back.
Even though Lockwood has suffered many failures, he insists on making a marvelous invention that would change the world, as many other scientists dream. When he creates the food replicator, he commits the same mistake he had done with the previous inventions: not to think in the consequences it might bring. “What happens if food over mutates” asked Sam, the weather broadcaster, “I don’t know. It´ll never happen” answered Flint. But it happened: food over mutates and the city was under a big danger. Like many other disasters that have occurred in our world as a result of lack of prevention (as the Chernobyl disaster I have previously mentioned), the film shows the background that involves an episode like this one. There is a combination of an unconscious society, unscrupulous politicians and risky scientists, which allow manipulation of nature.
Through a funny and fantasy plot, “Cloudy with a chance of meatballs” not only entertains us, but also helps us to notice the high number of artificial products we daily consume, result of the manipulation that scientist make toward natural substance. Reflecting upon this reality, we might became conscious citizens, try to stop the over manipulation and mutation of organisms, and enjoy the world the way it is.
Have you ever seen a piece of cheese falling from the sky? Or even better, a delicious hamburger coming from the sky into your hand? Well, if you haven’t, you can find this amazing phenomenon in the film “Cloudy with a chance of meatballs”. This film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation and distributed by Columbia Pictures in 2009, was based upon the book with the same name, written by Judi Barrett and published in 1978.
Flint Lockwood, a crazy young scientist, lives in Swallow Fall, the dark and boring city, producer of sardines, where the story is set. Tired of living in a city crammed with sardines, Flint creates the “FLDSMDFR”, a machine that produces food by a genetic alteration of hydrogen molecules. At the beginning everything seems perfect, but then, food over mutates and the citizens has to evacuate the city escaping from the attack of hot sauce waves and big corns, as Chernobyl citizens have escaped from dangerous radioactive particles.
Scientists tend to take decisions without being able to oversee the consequences they might bring. This human behavior towards nature will have fatal repercussions in the future. Describing a crazy and absurd situation, “Cloudy with a chance of meatballs”, criticizes the manipulation scientists make over nature.
The “FLDSMDFR” turns water, the most pure substance that exists on earth, into toxic fatty food. The mayor of the city represents the worst consequence that implies an abusive consumption of junk food: obesity. We know that in the last decade junk food has invaded all our cities, contributing to the increase of people suffering obesity in the world. Companies, with the cooperation of scientist, have discovered that the combination of sugar, fat and salt have the same effect as drugs in the human brain. In order to raise the amount of sales, they have started making products with these ingredients. That is how hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, candies and sodas have become a legal drug that kills millions of people annually. The same science that might save humans lives is the one that creates the conditions for their death. Instead of a solution, Flint has created a problem: a machine that produces artificial, toxic and addictive food that does not feed but intoxicates his neighbors.
Spray on shoes and Rat birds are some of the failed inventions Flint has created before the “FLDSMDFR”, both with everlasting consequences. Once he wears the Spray on shoes, hoping to solve the epidemic of untied shoes, he realizes that he would never be able to take them out; now shoes are part of his skin. Rat birds, a crossbreed between rats and birds, an absurd and useless creation, turns into a plague that bothers the whole city. Scientist like Flint should reflect upon the consequences their actions might have, because some results are permanent, and there is no way back.
Even though Lockwood has suffered many failures, he insists on making a marvelous invention that would change the world, as many other scientists dream. When he creates the food replicator, he commits the same mistake he had done with the previous inventions: not to think in the consequences it might bring. “What happens if food over mutates” asked Sam, the weather broadcaster, “I don’t know. It´ll never happen” answered Flint. But it happened: food over mutates and the city was under a big danger. Like many other disasters that have occurred in our world as a result of lack of prevention (as the Chernobyl disaster I have previously mentioned), the film shows the background that involves an episode like this one. There is a combination of an unconscious society, unscrupulous politicians and risky scientists, which allow manipulation of nature.
Through a funny and fantasy plot, “Cloudy with a chance of meatballs” not only entertains us, but also helps us to notice the high number of artificial products we daily consume, result of the manipulation that scientist make toward natural substance. Reflecting upon this reality, we might became conscious citizens, try to stop the over manipulation and mutation of organisms, and enjoy the world the way it is.
“The rape of the wings”
by Daniela Uriona
740 million dollars collected and ranked second in the list of films with highest earnings in 2014 is not a surprise when talking about a Disney creation. Maleficent is one of the most popular and well-received releases for children in the current year. It is an adaptation of the extraordinary and acclaimed classic of Disney of all time: ´The sleepy beauty´. The successful film exceeded all expectations in the world of cinema. Directed by Robert Stromberg, and counting with outstanding actors and actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley and Lesley Manville, the high-grossing film was the favourite entertainment chosen by children at box–offices around the world.
The film let us find out the reason why Maleficent goes from an innocent fairy to a villain. Certainly, her change Iet us Iearn that she is not born wicked but turns into an evildoer due to betrayals, insincerities and deceits that she, unfortunately, experiences throughout her life. This teaching seems not to be the only one that the film portrays. Maleficent is a pure-hearted young fairy who spends her days pleasantly in a nonviolent forest kingdom. Everything is calm and placid. She is deeply in love with Stefan, a boy who belongs to the humans´ kingdom and really desires to be the king. Due to his greed and ambition, he cuts away Maleficent´s adored wings, Ieaving her devastated and forceless. As we can appreciate, he not only steals her heart but also something extremely valuable of her. This allegoric episode chosen to depict the change in Maleficent´s behaviour is by no means innocent at all. Undoubtedly, Maleficent symbolizes women´s rape in order to raise awareness in our society.
Three women are raped every minute in the world. Definitely, to be a victim of a rape is a very atrocious episode that, in most cases, needs psychological treatment. Shame, hatred, guilt, depression, low self-esteem, fear and isolation are some of the feelings that women experience after the rape. These change of attitude is clearly easy to find in Maleficent. After having Iost her wings, her pure heart becomes stone. This happened because of the brutal betrayal she experienced. After the tremendous episode, she finds hard to be the same natural fairy that she used to be. She is shocked and something certainly changes in her mind. She becomes the queen of revenge and obscurity. Without doubts, Maleficent´s personality is altered as many victims´s attitude because of rape, in our society.
As if MaIeficent´s change in her behaviour isn´t enough, another coincidence between women´s rape and the scene brought into analysis, is the use of drugs. Flunitracepan, rohypnol and XTC are common tools rapists use to carry out their objective and to reach their hideous goaIs. In most of the cases they put the drug into a drink. It can cause amnesia, tiredness or sleep. Having the victims completely sedated and in a state of unconsciousness, the abusers take advantage of the situation to attack their preys. As we can clearly appreciate in the story, the winged fairy is tricked. Stefan offers her a sleeping and unknown potion that she accepts without hesitating even for a second. Later while she reposes on the ground, Stefan executes the wings´ rape. When she wakes up the next morning, she notices what has happened to her and shrills in pain and horror.
It is no surprising that Angelina JoIie, the actress who performs Maleficent, is always present in events that deal with sexual violence and helps society focus on this subject that worries everybody. Being a well-known celebrity, her participation is really useful in those meetings which prevent and inform about the issue around the worId. One of them is “The gIobaI summit to end sexual violence in conflict” which took pIace in London on June, 13 th. As she really cares about this humanistic matter, she is totally passionate about the controversial point. Certainly, this can be seen as a fact that encouraged her to perform the main character in the story and, through the film, to urge end to rape.
The most relevant point when watching this movie is that a real daily fact that takes pIace in our society is being showed to children as many others means do. They only have to switch on the television or the radio to soak themselves with announcements of rapes. Although they are aIways surrounded by examples of this problem, the film contributes in creating consciousness about the topic. All of us agree with the fact that women´ rape has to be eradicated in our society and, clearly, Maleficent works as a tool to raise awareness about this increasing issue.
740 million dollars collected and ranked second in the list of films with highest earnings in 2014 is not a surprise when talking about a Disney creation. Maleficent is one of the most popular and well-received releases for children in the current year. It is an adaptation of the extraordinary and acclaimed classic of Disney of all time: ´The sleepy beauty´. The successful film exceeded all expectations in the world of cinema. Directed by Robert Stromberg, and counting with outstanding actors and actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley and Lesley Manville, the high-grossing film was the favourite entertainment chosen by children at box–offices around the world.
The film let us find out the reason why Maleficent goes from an innocent fairy to a villain. Certainly, her change Iet us Iearn that she is not born wicked but turns into an evildoer due to betrayals, insincerities and deceits that she, unfortunately, experiences throughout her life. This teaching seems not to be the only one that the film portrays. Maleficent is a pure-hearted young fairy who spends her days pleasantly in a nonviolent forest kingdom. Everything is calm and placid. She is deeply in love with Stefan, a boy who belongs to the humans´ kingdom and really desires to be the king. Due to his greed and ambition, he cuts away Maleficent´s adored wings, Ieaving her devastated and forceless. As we can appreciate, he not only steals her heart but also something extremely valuable of her. This allegoric episode chosen to depict the change in Maleficent´s behaviour is by no means innocent at all. Undoubtedly, Maleficent symbolizes women´s rape in order to raise awareness in our society.
Three women are raped every minute in the world. Definitely, to be a victim of a rape is a very atrocious episode that, in most cases, needs psychological treatment. Shame, hatred, guilt, depression, low self-esteem, fear and isolation are some of the feelings that women experience after the rape. These change of attitude is clearly easy to find in Maleficent. After having Iost her wings, her pure heart becomes stone. This happened because of the brutal betrayal she experienced. After the tremendous episode, she finds hard to be the same natural fairy that she used to be. She is shocked and something certainly changes in her mind. She becomes the queen of revenge and obscurity. Without doubts, Maleficent´s personality is altered as many victims´s attitude because of rape, in our society.
As if MaIeficent´s change in her behaviour isn´t enough, another coincidence between women´s rape and the scene brought into analysis, is the use of drugs. Flunitracepan, rohypnol and XTC are common tools rapists use to carry out their objective and to reach their hideous goaIs. In most of the cases they put the drug into a drink. It can cause amnesia, tiredness or sleep. Having the victims completely sedated and in a state of unconsciousness, the abusers take advantage of the situation to attack their preys. As we can clearly appreciate in the story, the winged fairy is tricked. Stefan offers her a sleeping and unknown potion that she accepts without hesitating even for a second. Later while she reposes on the ground, Stefan executes the wings´ rape. When she wakes up the next morning, she notices what has happened to her and shrills in pain and horror.
It is no surprising that Angelina JoIie, the actress who performs Maleficent, is always present in events that deal with sexual violence and helps society focus on this subject that worries everybody. Being a well-known celebrity, her participation is really useful in those meetings which prevent and inform about the issue around the worId. One of them is “The gIobaI summit to end sexual violence in conflict” which took pIace in London on June, 13 th. As she really cares about this humanistic matter, she is totally passionate about the controversial point. Certainly, this can be seen as a fact that encouraged her to perform the main character in the story and, through the film, to urge end to rape.
The most relevant point when watching this movie is that a real daily fact that takes pIace in our society is being showed to children as many others means do. They only have to switch on the television or the radio to soak themselves with announcements of rapes. Although they are aIways surrounded by examples of this problem, the film contributes in creating consciousness about the topic. All of us agree with the fact that women´ rape has to be eradicated in our society and, clearly, Maleficent works as a tool to raise awareness about this increasing issue.
A Regular show
by Acosta Clenar Melina
Since its premiere, “Regular Show” has turned into a success. The programme has been watched by approximately 2.5 million viewers each week. Moreover, it has been nominated for several awards such as the Primetime Emmy awards. Regular Show, created by J.G Quintel for Cartoon Network, is a TV show directed to preadolescents. It revolves about the story of two friends, a blue jay called Mordecai and a brown racoon named Rigby. Both of them are the groundskeepers at a park and their attempts to avoid working lead them into very unreal situations. With a gumball machine as their boss, Mordecai and Rigby try to vulnerate their boss’ orders. Sometimes strange situations happen to them and that situations prevent them from working. In many episodes they are trapped by virtual video games. While discovering a way to go out of them, they escape from their daily routine and with that behaviour they shrink their unpleasant boss. Regular Show does not transmit values of responsibility to children and fosters lack of commitment.
There are many situations or even expressions that the characters use that might make children feel identified or attracted. Mordecai and Rigby use the vocabulary preadolescents speak. For example they say “hey dude, we have to get a job!” It’s like preadolescents and the characters speak the same jargon. What is more, there is a particular utterance similar to a shout these characters say when celebrating their “adventures” that is quite unbearable and it turns repetitive throughout the episodes.
In one of the episodes Rigby and Mordecai are in charge of mowing the park. Rigby is too lazy to do it so; he decides to look for a temporal replacement. Finally, he hires a replacement to do his job. As in this case, in many opportunities the characters solve their everyday duties by creating situations that are quite similar to those we may see in video games. In one of the episodes, Rigby is decided to ask for a rising of his salary to his boss. All of a sudden, he finds a magic keyboard which is the tool he needs to convince his boss, Gumball. After singing a song, the boss gives him some extra money but if we analize this, we might infer that this situation is quite ridiculous. It seems that the solution to their laziness is imagining unnatural contexts in which they win games and from one moment to another all their problems are solved as easily as singing a song. We know that this context is quite different from real life. When you turn into an adult you cannot say to your boss you don’t feel like working or that you have more important things to do than to earn a salary. Regular Show episodes represent an idea of life that does not reflect the reality which every children would have to face once grown ups. Although Mordecai and Rigby are 23 years old, they are not mature enough. They are lazy and childish. But what is worst, they are not respectful with their boss.
Regular show depicts its characters having irresponsible attitudes. As a result, we may see Rigby and Mordecai driving a car at high speed. It is common to all people that there are many victims caused by car accidents every year but still, this show promotes speed as something exciting and funny.
Although Regular Show has been censored in its Latin-American version, it still contains a big amount of obscene scenes and many examples of improper vocabulary. The characters talk to each other with the vocative “dude” which is extremely sticky so as a result we would have children who are talking about “dudes” and not Sir or Mrs. The fact that children may incorporate improper vocabulary would cause a problem with what parents teach and what “Regular Show” reproduces.
Regular Show TV programme might be appealing and funny for children, but in a deeper analysis; it’s just a promotion of a light management of life. Apart from creating very unreal situations in which the characters scamper from problems, they do not assume any responsibility. It’s probable that J.G Quintel did never grow up because of the behaviour he gives to his characters. Someday Rigby and Mordecai would have to maturate and act as responsible adults.
Since its premiere, “Regular Show” has turned into a success. The programme has been watched by approximately 2.5 million viewers each week. Moreover, it has been nominated for several awards such as the Primetime Emmy awards. Regular Show, created by J.G Quintel for Cartoon Network, is a TV show directed to preadolescents. It revolves about the story of two friends, a blue jay called Mordecai and a brown racoon named Rigby. Both of them are the groundskeepers at a park and their attempts to avoid working lead them into very unreal situations. With a gumball machine as their boss, Mordecai and Rigby try to vulnerate their boss’ orders. Sometimes strange situations happen to them and that situations prevent them from working. In many episodes they are trapped by virtual video games. While discovering a way to go out of them, they escape from their daily routine and with that behaviour they shrink their unpleasant boss. Regular Show does not transmit values of responsibility to children and fosters lack of commitment.
There are many situations or even expressions that the characters use that might make children feel identified or attracted. Mordecai and Rigby use the vocabulary preadolescents speak. For example they say “hey dude, we have to get a job!” It’s like preadolescents and the characters speak the same jargon. What is more, there is a particular utterance similar to a shout these characters say when celebrating their “adventures” that is quite unbearable and it turns repetitive throughout the episodes.
In one of the episodes Rigby and Mordecai are in charge of mowing the park. Rigby is too lazy to do it so; he decides to look for a temporal replacement. Finally, he hires a replacement to do his job. As in this case, in many opportunities the characters solve their everyday duties by creating situations that are quite similar to those we may see in video games. In one of the episodes, Rigby is decided to ask for a rising of his salary to his boss. All of a sudden, he finds a magic keyboard which is the tool he needs to convince his boss, Gumball. After singing a song, the boss gives him some extra money but if we analize this, we might infer that this situation is quite ridiculous. It seems that the solution to their laziness is imagining unnatural contexts in which they win games and from one moment to another all their problems are solved as easily as singing a song. We know that this context is quite different from real life. When you turn into an adult you cannot say to your boss you don’t feel like working or that you have more important things to do than to earn a salary. Regular Show episodes represent an idea of life that does not reflect the reality which every children would have to face once grown ups. Although Mordecai and Rigby are 23 years old, they are not mature enough. They are lazy and childish. But what is worst, they are not respectful with their boss.
Regular show depicts its characters having irresponsible attitudes. As a result, we may see Rigby and Mordecai driving a car at high speed. It is common to all people that there are many victims caused by car accidents every year but still, this show promotes speed as something exciting and funny.
Although Regular Show has been censored in its Latin-American version, it still contains a big amount of obscene scenes and many examples of improper vocabulary. The characters talk to each other with the vocative “dude” which is extremely sticky so as a result we would have children who are talking about “dudes” and not Sir or Mrs. The fact that children may incorporate improper vocabulary would cause a problem with what parents teach and what “Regular Show” reproduces.
Regular Show TV programme might be appealing and funny for children, but in a deeper analysis; it’s just a promotion of a light management of life. Apart from creating very unreal situations in which the characters scamper from problems, they do not assume any responsibility. It’s probable that J.G Quintel did never grow up because of the behaviour he gives to his characters. Someday Rigby and Mordecai would have to maturate and act as responsible adults.
The Giant Nightmares
by Gabriel Castillo
“I grew up during the Cold War, when everything seemed tenuous. For many years, right up until the fall of the Berlin Wall, I had vivid nightmares of nuclear apocalypse,” tells American author John Cronin about his childhood during the Cold-War period. Let’s remember that the USA went through World War I in 1917 and World War II in 1941. Moreover, the country was involved in the Cold War which was a state of political and military tension between superpowers USA and the Soviet Union. Because of the USA involvement in war, the American society entered into a state of paranoia as regards any foreign affair. Not only can people tell about being affected by the country’s involvement in war, but also a film for children can narrate the everyday life that the American society was undergoing.
The right film to narrate that everyday life is The Iron Giant, an animated science-fiction film released in 1999 by Warner Bros. Animation, and based on the novel The Iron Man by Ted Hughes. The film tells the story of Hogarth Hughes, a nine-year old boy, who discovers a giant iron robot that falls from space. With the help of Dean McCoppin, a beatnik artist, they try to stop the U.S. military and Kent Mansley, a government agent, from finding and destroying the Giant.
Set in 1957 in the American state of Maine during the Cold War, the film does not only narrate the friendship between Hogarth and the Iron Giant, but also goes deep in its setting by showing how their characters´ behaviors and customs are affected by the USA involvement in war. In this sense, The Iron Giant criticizes the effects of the war by portraying a paranoid American society.
Having said this, we can look at Hogarth Hughes who is the main character in the film. When the boy sees that his tv antenna has been taken away, he looks around in his garden, trying to find some hint of the disappeared device. He sees that everything is a mess and gets scared. Immediately, he goes back into his house and prepares himself as if he were heading to a battle. He carries a helmet, a weapon, and what is more, he looks himself in a mirror and makes the military salute. Bear in mind that children were exposed to daily television and radio programs where war was the main issue to be treated. So many references to the war made people think that the best think they could do was being prepared for an attack. That is why, in any unusual situation, Hogarth sets himself ready for battle.
Now, look at the antagonist in the story, Kent Mansley. This government agent is told about the strange case of a giant robot in the city. Since neighbors said that a satellite fell from space, Mansley thinks that he is dealing with a menace for America. Then, he gets a picture of the robot and calls the US army to destroy it. Furthermore, when inquiring Hogarth about the giant robot, Mansley claims, “You think this metal man is fun, but who built it? The Russians? The Chinese? Martians? Canadians? I don't care! All I know is we didn't build it, and that's reason enough to assume the worst.” Exactly, the man has become extremely paranoid. It is worth mentioning that during the Cold War, Superpowers USA and the Soviet Union started creating new technological weapons which led countries to being suspicious of each other. In this way, Mansley is afraid of anything that comes from outside America, and can result in a possible threat to the country.
The film does not miss the opportunity of showing a common Hogarth’s day at school. In the classroom, Hogarth and the rest of the students are shown a video with a cartoon animal which sings: “Time to duck and cover, the bombs are comin' down. The radiation shower will pour throughout your town. Hands over your head; keep low to the ground. Time to duck and cover, the bombs are comin' down.” Pretty explicit and objective. The video is meant to teach children how to protect themselves in case of an atomic bomb falls. The paranoid created by the Cold war reached the American institutions, and made necessary some explanations about how the dropping of an atomic bomb was possible.
The Iron Giant depicts people who are not just afraid, but who become paranoid about a foreign attack on America at any time and at any place. On the other hand, the film shows us a certain moment in the character’s lives, but now, think about an altered life for many years, produced by the effects of the war. Similar to John Cronin’s comment on his childhood, Americans’ repeated nightmares about a nuclear catastrophe continued too.
“I grew up during the Cold War, when everything seemed tenuous. For many years, right up until the fall of the Berlin Wall, I had vivid nightmares of nuclear apocalypse,” tells American author John Cronin about his childhood during the Cold-War period. Let’s remember that the USA went through World War I in 1917 and World War II in 1941. Moreover, the country was involved in the Cold War which was a state of political and military tension between superpowers USA and the Soviet Union. Because of the USA involvement in war, the American society entered into a state of paranoia as regards any foreign affair. Not only can people tell about being affected by the country’s involvement in war, but also a film for children can narrate the everyday life that the American society was undergoing.
The right film to narrate that everyday life is The Iron Giant, an animated science-fiction film released in 1999 by Warner Bros. Animation, and based on the novel The Iron Man by Ted Hughes. The film tells the story of Hogarth Hughes, a nine-year old boy, who discovers a giant iron robot that falls from space. With the help of Dean McCoppin, a beatnik artist, they try to stop the U.S. military and Kent Mansley, a government agent, from finding and destroying the Giant.
Set in 1957 in the American state of Maine during the Cold War, the film does not only narrate the friendship between Hogarth and the Iron Giant, but also goes deep in its setting by showing how their characters´ behaviors and customs are affected by the USA involvement in war. In this sense, The Iron Giant criticizes the effects of the war by portraying a paranoid American society.
Having said this, we can look at Hogarth Hughes who is the main character in the film. When the boy sees that his tv antenna has been taken away, he looks around in his garden, trying to find some hint of the disappeared device. He sees that everything is a mess and gets scared. Immediately, he goes back into his house and prepares himself as if he were heading to a battle. He carries a helmet, a weapon, and what is more, he looks himself in a mirror and makes the military salute. Bear in mind that children were exposed to daily television and radio programs where war was the main issue to be treated. So many references to the war made people think that the best think they could do was being prepared for an attack. That is why, in any unusual situation, Hogarth sets himself ready for battle.
Now, look at the antagonist in the story, Kent Mansley. This government agent is told about the strange case of a giant robot in the city. Since neighbors said that a satellite fell from space, Mansley thinks that he is dealing with a menace for America. Then, he gets a picture of the robot and calls the US army to destroy it. Furthermore, when inquiring Hogarth about the giant robot, Mansley claims, “You think this metal man is fun, but who built it? The Russians? The Chinese? Martians? Canadians? I don't care! All I know is we didn't build it, and that's reason enough to assume the worst.” Exactly, the man has become extremely paranoid. It is worth mentioning that during the Cold War, Superpowers USA and the Soviet Union started creating new technological weapons which led countries to being suspicious of each other. In this way, Mansley is afraid of anything that comes from outside America, and can result in a possible threat to the country.
The film does not miss the opportunity of showing a common Hogarth’s day at school. In the classroom, Hogarth and the rest of the students are shown a video with a cartoon animal which sings: “Time to duck and cover, the bombs are comin' down. The radiation shower will pour throughout your town. Hands over your head; keep low to the ground. Time to duck and cover, the bombs are comin' down.” Pretty explicit and objective. The video is meant to teach children how to protect themselves in case of an atomic bomb falls. The paranoid created by the Cold war reached the American institutions, and made necessary some explanations about how the dropping of an atomic bomb was possible.
The Iron Giant depicts people who are not just afraid, but who become paranoid about a foreign attack on America at any time and at any place. On the other hand, the film shows us a certain moment in the character’s lives, but now, think about an altered life for many years, produced by the effects of the war. Similar to John Cronin’s comment on his childhood, Americans’ repeated nightmares about a nuclear catastrophe continued too.
Argentina’s goal!
by Chao María Paula
Juan José Campanella, the Argentinian film director, has scored a goal for his country with his 3-D animated movie “Metegol”. With very positive press opinion and over two millions of cinema-goers, it was the first national cartoon that threatened the giant Disney Pixar leadership in Argentina. A football player may say, “In your face, Mickey!”
The film, inspired in the Roberto Fontanarrosa’s tale “Memorias de un Wing Derecho”, won the Goya award from the Spanish Film Academy and many other prizes around the world. Its success is remarkable in most Spanish-speaking countries and it has been also dubbed into English with similar public acceptance. In the best way possible, Metegol presents Argentinian idiosyncrasy to the world.
Plenty of hilarious situations, the story depicts several characteristics of the average Argentinian. This melting pot society is portrayed by many different stereotypical characters, some of them not a whit exaggerated. For instance, “El Beto”, one of the funniest characters, is a mix of charm and arrogance, who speaks about himself in third person. This could be considered extremely weird by non Spanish- speakers who never listened to Maradona or Riquelme speaking about themselves in the same way.
One essential feature of the characters’ identity is the language they use. A noticeable local accent and lots of idiomatic expressions make them unmistakeably Argentinian. Idioms such as “pecho frio” or “lo tengo de hijo” may don´t find their equivalent in English, possibly missing the essence of some jokes in dubbed versions of the film. Nevertheless, its success in different countries is an indicator that the movie´s theme has overcome any cultural distance. The fanaticism of football supporters is shared by people of all nationalities, no matter their language.
Let´s reflect upon Carlos Tevez career. He was born in one of the poorest towns in Buenos Aires and twenty four years later, he was playing football in Manchester. Taking into account that both cities are like water and oil and that the only phrase in English he was able to produce was “It’s very difficult”, we arrive at the point of admitting that a kind of metaphysical force has operated on his life. Of course, that understanding between so different cultures has its origins in a millionaire business, but I prefer a more romantic explanation of the facts. At the very moment that Tevez scores a goal, the public vibrate with emotion. They communicate perfectly and no language is needed.
As a mosaic, Argentinian society has been built by immigrants from every corner of the globe that added their weaknesses as well as their strengths. This kind of pluralism could be found in any stadium of the world, where people congregate to watch a match putting aside any difference. In other words, football leads people to fraternize all around the world, because it has no other language than passion.
Why Metegol succeeded is the big question. Despite its good technical quality might have differentiated it from other local productions, it is not a convincing explanation on its own. Naturally, the presence of humour throughout the movie is one of its main attributes. But, there is something more important that makes the film attractive. Actually, different societies could identify with any of the characters embodying Argentinian idiosyncrasy.
Juan José Campanella, the Argentinian film director, has scored a goal for his country with his 3-D animated movie “Metegol”. With very positive press opinion and over two millions of cinema-goers, it was the first national cartoon that threatened the giant Disney Pixar leadership in Argentina. A football player may say, “In your face, Mickey!”
The film, inspired in the Roberto Fontanarrosa’s tale “Memorias de un Wing Derecho”, won the Goya award from the Spanish Film Academy and many other prizes around the world. Its success is remarkable in most Spanish-speaking countries and it has been also dubbed into English with similar public acceptance. In the best way possible, Metegol presents Argentinian idiosyncrasy to the world.
Plenty of hilarious situations, the story depicts several characteristics of the average Argentinian. This melting pot society is portrayed by many different stereotypical characters, some of them not a whit exaggerated. For instance, “El Beto”, one of the funniest characters, is a mix of charm and arrogance, who speaks about himself in third person. This could be considered extremely weird by non Spanish- speakers who never listened to Maradona or Riquelme speaking about themselves in the same way.
One essential feature of the characters’ identity is the language they use. A noticeable local accent and lots of idiomatic expressions make them unmistakeably Argentinian. Idioms such as “pecho frio” or “lo tengo de hijo” may don´t find their equivalent in English, possibly missing the essence of some jokes in dubbed versions of the film. Nevertheless, its success in different countries is an indicator that the movie´s theme has overcome any cultural distance. The fanaticism of football supporters is shared by people of all nationalities, no matter their language.
Let´s reflect upon Carlos Tevez career. He was born in one of the poorest towns in Buenos Aires and twenty four years later, he was playing football in Manchester. Taking into account that both cities are like water and oil and that the only phrase in English he was able to produce was “It’s very difficult”, we arrive at the point of admitting that a kind of metaphysical force has operated on his life. Of course, that understanding between so different cultures has its origins in a millionaire business, but I prefer a more romantic explanation of the facts. At the very moment that Tevez scores a goal, the public vibrate with emotion. They communicate perfectly and no language is needed.
As a mosaic, Argentinian society has been built by immigrants from every corner of the globe that added their weaknesses as well as their strengths. This kind of pluralism could be found in any stadium of the world, where people congregate to watch a match putting aside any difference. In other words, football leads people to fraternize all around the world, because it has no other language than passion.
Why Metegol succeeded is the big question. Despite its good technical quality might have differentiated it from other local productions, it is not a convincing explanation on its own. Naturally, the presence of humour throughout the movie is one of its main attributes. But, there is something more important that makes the film attractive. Actually, different societies could identify with any of the characters embodying Argentinian idiosyncrasy.
The Dammed Anime
by Alvarez Mariela
The Japanese anime, Dragon Ball Z, has been one of the most watched animated cartoon on TV. It was first televised in Japan, in 1989 by Fuji Television, and then it was rapidly distributed to the rest of the world through Cartoon Network. The name “Dragon Ball” comes from seven magic spheres that being together, they call a magic dragon who grants wishes to their possessor. Goku, the main character, uses the wishes to save humanity from evil.
However, the end not always justifies the means. Goku is extremely violent and he slams his fist with rage against his enemies exposing his darkest feelings of anger and wildness. Blood seems to exit the screen and the violent movements of martial arts are constantly repeated images along the duration of the program. Also in the fight scenes, one can observe a high content of savagery and brutality and is evident that Dragon Ball Z ´s aggressiveness negatively influences children´s behaviour.
Taking into account the hours that the kids are in front of the TV set, the exposure to violent cartoons is as inevitable as the fact that they copy the aggressive acts contained therein. In the case of Dragon Ball, the ferocity of the images attracts the audience ´s attention to the point that they repeat these cruel actions against to their friends, family members and sometimes to their classmates. For example, the fact that Goku wants to demonstrate that he has more power than his opponents is something that many children tend to reproduce. When they see so many bloody stages, the traits of hate in the characters’ face, and the darkness perceived in the atmosphere of the setting, where actions are developed, they behave like their favourite character.
Toddlers are vulnerable to the attack of harsh cartoons like Goku, Krilin, Vegeta, Piccolo or Freezer. All of them are personages that fight between good and evil, and their characterization is so wild that it is difficult to distinguish between them, it is not easy to identify the bad and the good one. Children do not have any chance to choose a pacific character to imitate, so they copy what they see. That is the reason why “Dragon Ball Z” encourages the youngest people to violence and disturbs their behaviour making them more aggressive and rude.
In other words, despite the fact that Goku fights to save the world from tyranny and madness, he is as rude as his enemies. That is what children see and repeat, the exposure to the Dragon Ball is so harmful that it poisons our children´s mind, and affects their behaviour in a negative way.
The Japanese anime, Dragon Ball Z, has been one of the most watched animated cartoon on TV. It was first televised in Japan, in 1989 by Fuji Television, and then it was rapidly distributed to the rest of the world through Cartoon Network. The name “Dragon Ball” comes from seven magic spheres that being together, they call a magic dragon who grants wishes to their possessor. Goku, the main character, uses the wishes to save humanity from evil.
However, the end not always justifies the means. Goku is extremely violent and he slams his fist with rage against his enemies exposing his darkest feelings of anger and wildness. Blood seems to exit the screen and the violent movements of martial arts are constantly repeated images along the duration of the program. Also in the fight scenes, one can observe a high content of savagery and brutality and is evident that Dragon Ball Z ´s aggressiveness negatively influences children´s behaviour.
Taking into account the hours that the kids are in front of the TV set, the exposure to violent cartoons is as inevitable as the fact that they copy the aggressive acts contained therein. In the case of Dragon Ball, the ferocity of the images attracts the audience ´s attention to the point that they repeat these cruel actions against to their friends, family members and sometimes to their classmates. For example, the fact that Goku wants to demonstrate that he has more power than his opponents is something that many children tend to reproduce. When they see so many bloody stages, the traits of hate in the characters’ face, and the darkness perceived in the atmosphere of the setting, where actions are developed, they behave like their favourite character.
Toddlers are vulnerable to the attack of harsh cartoons like Goku, Krilin, Vegeta, Piccolo or Freezer. All of them are personages that fight between good and evil, and their characterization is so wild that it is difficult to distinguish between them, it is not easy to identify the bad and the good one. Children do not have any chance to choose a pacific character to imitate, so they copy what they see. That is the reason why “Dragon Ball Z” encourages the youngest people to violence and disturbs their behaviour making them more aggressive and rude.
In other words, despite the fact that Goku fights to save the world from tyranny and madness, he is as rude as his enemies. That is what children see and repeat, the exposure to the Dragon Ball is so harmful that it poisons our children´s mind, and affects their behaviour in a negative way.
All Work and no Play Makes George a Submissive Monkey
by Evelyn Malaver
“I believe as long as man tortures and kill animals, he will torture and kill humans as well—and wars will be waged—for killing must be practiced and learned on a small scale.” Edgar Kupfer Koberwitz.
The previous significant extract was written by Edgar Kupfer Koberwitz. He was a Nazi prisoner and during his captivity he pretended to be not clever and got a clerk’s job. At that time, he wrote a journal describing his relevant experiences. Some of them, as the mentioned before, are related to his genuinely affection towards animals. Innumerable people were escaping from Nazi’s soldiers, one of them was Margaret Rey who was simultaneously writing a set of books, later called “Curious George.” The main character George is a curious monkey who lives in a big city and always tries to help his owner, a person who kidnapped him from the jungle and took him to civilization. This pitiful monkey is involved in highly unnatural situations for an animal. The books written by Margaret Rey naturalize animal’s slavery and portrait the alienation of its main character.
One point to highlight is the submission that the protagonist of the story, George, shows in the book titled “Curious George Rides a Bike”. This book seems to be didactic for children because it would give them a good message: to help others. In the text, a boy is delivering newspapers and suddenly sees George happily riding his new bike. After some flatter to the gorgeous bike, the young boy asks George if he could help him with his job. The monkey gently takes the boy’s bag full of periodicals, and the paperboy ends returning home without finishing his work. The book reads “George was very proud as he rode off with his bag”. Very proud? Read the following definition: “a state of depersonalization or loss of identity in which the self seems unreal; the state or experience of being separated from a group or an activity to which one should belong or in which one should be involved.” That’s it! Alienation. Taking into account this concept, it can be appreciated the fact that George is alienated from his jungle life.
For the great majority of people, the most common term associated with animals is “freedom.” It is known that animals which live in their natural environment are supposed to be free. If we look up the word “freedom” in the dictionary, we will find the following: “the condition of being free from restraints;” or “liberty of the person from slavery, detention or oppression.”
Comparing these definitions to George’s attitude, we realize that the main character of “Curious George” breaks the rules of freedom because of the way he is portrayed. A clear example of this can be observed by the manner in which the little monkey is dragged by two policemen on “Curious George” book’s cover. They create the impression to be very proud and decided. However, George seems to be having fun, since a big smile is drawn on his face. This illustration anticipates readers the main problematical issue of this book, that is to say, George is not free and he is alienated.
When reading “Race Day”, another “Curious George's” book, we can find that the protagonist of the story, the monkey, suffers from animal abuse. This issue is extremely connected to the fact that the monkey is a prisoner and that his owner does whatever he wants to him. A clear example is shown when the man of the yellow hat, his owner, orders George to train professor Wiseman for a race. George asks his boss for some pedagogical ideas as regards Professor Wiseman’s training, after perceiving her disinterest about running. A picture in that page, portrays him recalling his venerable moments when he used to run and play freely in the jungle. His sorrowful remembering is compensated with a visit to the zoo offered by the professor, where he meets his convict buddy, the elephant. As a result of his alienation, George seems to have forgotten his past, and he is really happy to visit the place where he used to live in the first book published.
Despite the fact that “Curious George” seems to be a didactic and enjoyable book for children, it can be affirmed that another message is hidden. George reflects an example of cruel treatment, animal abuse, submission and lack of freedom. These negative issues are frequently seen in zoos and in circus. It is surprising that a person that was about to be a prisoner, wrote a set of books where a monkey is kidnapped and enslaved. It is clear that her experiences were reflected in her writings. “Curious George” shows us that freedom is a submission state, in opposition to the idea that being free is the natural condition that animals need to live their lives.
“I believe as long as man tortures and kill animals, he will torture and kill humans as well—and wars will be waged—for killing must be practiced and learned on a small scale.” Edgar Kupfer Koberwitz.
The previous significant extract was written by Edgar Kupfer Koberwitz. He was a Nazi prisoner and during his captivity he pretended to be not clever and got a clerk’s job. At that time, he wrote a journal describing his relevant experiences. Some of them, as the mentioned before, are related to his genuinely affection towards animals. Innumerable people were escaping from Nazi’s soldiers, one of them was Margaret Rey who was simultaneously writing a set of books, later called “Curious George.” The main character George is a curious monkey who lives in a big city and always tries to help his owner, a person who kidnapped him from the jungle and took him to civilization. This pitiful monkey is involved in highly unnatural situations for an animal. The books written by Margaret Rey naturalize animal’s slavery and portrait the alienation of its main character.
One point to highlight is the submission that the protagonist of the story, George, shows in the book titled “Curious George Rides a Bike”. This book seems to be didactic for children because it would give them a good message: to help others. In the text, a boy is delivering newspapers and suddenly sees George happily riding his new bike. After some flatter to the gorgeous bike, the young boy asks George if he could help him with his job. The monkey gently takes the boy’s bag full of periodicals, and the paperboy ends returning home without finishing his work. The book reads “George was very proud as he rode off with his bag”. Very proud? Read the following definition: “a state of depersonalization or loss of identity in which the self seems unreal; the state or experience of being separated from a group or an activity to which one should belong or in which one should be involved.” That’s it! Alienation. Taking into account this concept, it can be appreciated the fact that George is alienated from his jungle life.
For the great majority of people, the most common term associated with animals is “freedom.” It is known that animals which live in their natural environment are supposed to be free. If we look up the word “freedom” in the dictionary, we will find the following: “the condition of being free from restraints;” or “liberty of the person from slavery, detention or oppression.”
Comparing these definitions to George’s attitude, we realize that the main character of “Curious George” breaks the rules of freedom because of the way he is portrayed. A clear example of this can be observed by the manner in which the little monkey is dragged by two policemen on “Curious George” book’s cover. They create the impression to be very proud and decided. However, George seems to be having fun, since a big smile is drawn on his face. This illustration anticipates readers the main problematical issue of this book, that is to say, George is not free and he is alienated.
When reading “Race Day”, another “Curious George's” book, we can find that the protagonist of the story, the monkey, suffers from animal abuse. This issue is extremely connected to the fact that the monkey is a prisoner and that his owner does whatever he wants to him. A clear example is shown when the man of the yellow hat, his owner, orders George to train professor Wiseman for a race. George asks his boss for some pedagogical ideas as regards Professor Wiseman’s training, after perceiving her disinterest about running. A picture in that page, portrays him recalling his venerable moments when he used to run and play freely in the jungle. His sorrowful remembering is compensated with a visit to the zoo offered by the professor, where he meets his convict buddy, the elephant. As a result of his alienation, George seems to have forgotten his past, and he is really happy to visit the place where he used to live in the first book published.
Despite the fact that “Curious George” seems to be a didactic and enjoyable book for children, it can be affirmed that another message is hidden. George reflects an example of cruel treatment, animal abuse, submission and lack of freedom. These negative issues are frequently seen in zoos and in circus. It is surprising that a person that was about to be a prisoner, wrote a set of books where a monkey is kidnapped and enslaved. It is clear that her experiences were reflected in her writings. “Curious George” shows us that freedom is a submission state, in opposition to the idea that being free is the natural condition that animals need to live their lives.
Thanks God for the Stars
by Roxana Borredá.
While walking on the streets of my beloved Argentina. I can see a lot of T-shirts of Captain America. Kids and some adults are carrying on their chest Captains America’s shield. Do they notice that they are carrying the US flag?
During World War II, Hitler invaded the world in a threatening way. The Führer put the world democracy in danger. This situation generated wars in all Europe. But at the last moment USA appeared to save the world with Steve Rogers, our hero.
Steve Rogers, a common boy from Brooklyn, tried to enlist in the US army in order to fight against the Nazis in Europe. He was refused because he was a weak and sick boy. But a scientist of the government selected him to be part of an experiment which would generate super soldiers. Those soldiers were going to be used as weapons to combat in the war.
During the last century, United States generated wars with invented causes against terrorism, a phantom which was spread all over the world, in order to invade countries and overthrow and take possession of governments with the purpose of domination and imperialism. With the objective of maintaining this position, it is necessary to produce continuous armed conflicts. Although the discourse that US government has is quite different: Wars are necessary to establish peace and liberate oppressed peoples.
It is ironic that in order to stop an armed conflict and to establish armistice, United States employs a bloody strategy: war. The movie Captain America supports actions that US takes about fighting and war policy. Steve Rogers, the brave soldier, was always trying to support the war. His patriotism and feelings about fighting were really strong and he was genuinely determined to be part of the conflict. At first, he used all the strategies that he had in order to be accepted in the army, although he was rejected many times. Steve initiated fights with guys who didn't care or were against the war. In some scenes we can see him asking people to show respect about the soldiers who are risking their lives in order to defend their country and restore peace in the world, a peace made by bloodshed. In this sense, there are some countries that are allowed to break out a war, something that Steve seems to support.
Captain America was the first of what it intended to be a litter of soldiers. He was created, initially we think, for the purpose of defeating Hitler, but later, we realize that he was used for the sake of war propaganda.
Steve has become a patriotic symbol and he was obliged to record some short films in order to persuade more young men to be enlisted in the US Army. Kids wanted to be like Captain America and when they grow up they wish their country is involved in some war to fight in it for it. He was also used in order to cause patriotism among citizens. Patriotism is necessary in order to not have people against the government policy that is mentioned before.
War propaganda was and will always be a powerful tool used by U S government in order to sustain its historical war policy. United States government needs this new Captain America to attract more young conscripts for future wars.
In order to win wars, technology has been developed. The US government is really concerned about that. The film shows us that the progress in war devices are favorable. Captain America himself is a gadget elaborated to win the fight. In the movie also all kind of weapons are improved with the same objective.
The world will always face wars. The interests of the most powerful country will not change and its tools will always be the same. But, if something's wrong in the world, if it seems to be threatened, don't worry the saver of humanity's peace and democracy is always looking for the safety of the "good ones" and the punishment of the "bad ones”. God bless America!
While walking on the streets of my beloved Argentina. I can see a lot of T-shirts of Captain America. Kids and some adults are carrying on their chest Captains America’s shield. Do they notice that they are carrying the US flag?
During World War II, Hitler invaded the world in a threatening way. The Führer put the world democracy in danger. This situation generated wars in all Europe. But at the last moment USA appeared to save the world with Steve Rogers, our hero.
Steve Rogers, a common boy from Brooklyn, tried to enlist in the US army in order to fight against the Nazis in Europe. He was refused because he was a weak and sick boy. But a scientist of the government selected him to be part of an experiment which would generate super soldiers. Those soldiers were going to be used as weapons to combat in the war.
During the last century, United States generated wars with invented causes against terrorism, a phantom which was spread all over the world, in order to invade countries and overthrow and take possession of governments with the purpose of domination and imperialism. With the objective of maintaining this position, it is necessary to produce continuous armed conflicts. Although the discourse that US government has is quite different: Wars are necessary to establish peace and liberate oppressed peoples.
It is ironic that in order to stop an armed conflict and to establish armistice, United States employs a bloody strategy: war. The movie Captain America supports actions that US takes about fighting and war policy. Steve Rogers, the brave soldier, was always trying to support the war. His patriotism and feelings about fighting were really strong and he was genuinely determined to be part of the conflict. At first, he used all the strategies that he had in order to be accepted in the army, although he was rejected many times. Steve initiated fights with guys who didn't care or were against the war. In some scenes we can see him asking people to show respect about the soldiers who are risking their lives in order to defend their country and restore peace in the world, a peace made by bloodshed. In this sense, there are some countries that are allowed to break out a war, something that Steve seems to support.
Captain America was the first of what it intended to be a litter of soldiers. He was created, initially we think, for the purpose of defeating Hitler, but later, we realize that he was used for the sake of war propaganda.
Steve has become a patriotic symbol and he was obliged to record some short films in order to persuade more young men to be enlisted in the US Army. Kids wanted to be like Captain America and when they grow up they wish their country is involved in some war to fight in it for it. He was also used in order to cause patriotism among citizens. Patriotism is necessary in order to not have people against the government policy that is mentioned before.
War propaganda was and will always be a powerful tool used by U S government in order to sustain its historical war policy. United States government needs this new Captain America to attract more young conscripts for future wars.
In order to win wars, technology has been developed. The US government is really concerned about that. The film shows us that the progress in war devices are favorable. Captain America himself is a gadget elaborated to win the fight. In the movie also all kind of weapons are improved with the same objective.
The world will always face wars. The interests of the most powerful country will not change and its tools will always be the same. But, if something's wrong in the world, if it seems to be threatened, don't worry the saver of humanity's peace and democracy is always looking for the safety of the "good ones" and the punishment of the "bad ones”. God bless America!
Time for your check-up!
by Patricia Albarracin
“Time for your check-up, time for your check-up! I'm gonna check your ears, check your eyes, find out how much you've grown...time for a check-up!”
This is the beginning of the song that Doc McStuffins sings while treating her patients. The charming tune can be heard in the well- known television series under the name of Doc McStuffins. The song has such a catchy melody that all of us might enjoy singing it time and time again.
This series is the production of an Irish company called Brown Bag Films which joined Disney to broadcast the chapters daily. The fiction has two seasons and more than 50 chapters which are divided in two 11-minute episodes each one.
Dottie McStuffins is a six-year-old girl who pretends to be a doctor. She mends toys and takes care of them in the clinic situated in the rear of her house. Furthermore, she works with several stuffed animals which are her best friends: Lambie is the pink lamb, Stuffy is the blue dragon, Chilly is the white snowman, and Hallie is the violet hippo. Thanks to the friendly treatment that she and her friends mix with their patients, young viewers are encouraged to go to the doctor´s without fear.
The sweet Doc, who has always good manners to deal with everybody, can communicate with the sick toys; when she uses her magic stethoscope, the toys come to life. She asks them different questions in order to figure out their health problems. After she obtains the answers, she starts the treatment according to each particular patient. That is so: Dottie supports health care.
This animated series transmits simple messages related to this topic, such as getting check-ups, washing hands, brushing teeth, having a bath and helping people feel better. In this way, Doc McStuffins gives advices to children about the importance of taking care of health. In the chapter called “Health check: bath time,” Dottie checks up a tiny toy and she has the diagnosis: sticky disease. The little toy asks her what it means and her answer is that he is not clean because of eating several sweets. She says to him that having a bath is the great funny solution for his problem. The chapter comes to the end with a song which transmits the lesson taught by her. In another chapter called “Health check: brush your teeth” Dottie explains to Stuffy that when he fells some stuff between his teeth, it starts to smell bad. This is why he has to brush his teeth daily. Over again, the chapter comes to the end with a song which transmits the lesson taught by her.
Each episode directly focuses on different situations that parents might face with their children in terms of health, hygiene and medical care, for example: when they do not go to the doctor´s, when they do not take medicines, when they do not brush teeth and so on.
The show is well written: it has got a clear message about health which is interesting for young viewers and adults as well. Her sweetness, when treating her patients, encourages children to see the doctor when feeling sick. Her positive attitude towards her patients also helps kids feel more comfortable when visiting the physician. By the way, is it time for YOUR check up right now?
“Time for your check-up, time for your check-up! I'm gonna check your ears, check your eyes, find out how much you've grown...time for a check-up!”
This is the beginning of the song that Doc McStuffins sings while treating her patients. The charming tune can be heard in the well- known television series under the name of Doc McStuffins. The song has such a catchy melody that all of us might enjoy singing it time and time again.
This series is the production of an Irish company called Brown Bag Films which joined Disney to broadcast the chapters daily. The fiction has two seasons and more than 50 chapters which are divided in two 11-minute episodes each one.
Dottie McStuffins is a six-year-old girl who pretends to be a doctor. She mends toys and takes care of them in the clinic situated in the rear of her house. Furthermore, she works with several stuffed animals which are her best friends: Lambie is the pink lamb, Stuffy is the blue dragon, Chilly is the white snowman, and Hallie is the violet hippo. Thanks to the friendly treatment that she and her friends mix with their patients, young viewers are encouraged to go to the doctor´s without fear.
The sweet Doc, who has always good manners to deal with everybody, can communicate with the sick toys; when she uses her magic stethoscope, the toys come to life. She asks them different questions in order to figure out their health problems. After she obtains the answers, she starts the treatment according to each particular patient. That is so: Dottie supports health care.
This animated series transmits simple messages related to this topic, such as getting check-ups, washing hands, brushing teeth, having a bath and helping people feel better. In this way, Doc McStuffins gives advices to children about the importance of taking care of health. In the chapter called “Health check: bath time,” Dottie checks up a tiny toy and she has the diagnosis: sticky disease. The little toy asks her what it means and her answer is that he is not clean because of eating several sweets. She says to him that having a bath is the great funny solution for his problem. The chapter comes to the end with a song which transmits the lesson taught by her. In another chapter called “Health check: brush your teeth” Dottie explains to Stuffy that when he fells some stuff between his teeth, it starts to smell bad. This is why he has to brush his teeth daily. Over again, the chapter comes to the end with a song which transmits the lesson taught by her.
Each episode directly focuses on different situations that parents might face with their children in terms of health, hygiene and medical care, for example: when they do not go to the doctor´s, when they do not take medicines, when they do not brush teeth and so on.
The show is well written: it has got a clear message about health which is interesting for young viewers and adults as well. Her sweetness, when treating her patients, encourages children to see the doctor when feeling sick. Her positive attitude towards her patients also helps kids feel more comfortable when visiting the physician. By the way, is it time for YOUR check up right now?
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
R is for Rebellious
By Mariana Figueredo and Camila Rico
“Sometimes a baby`s gotta do what a baby`s gotta do,” main character Tommy, from the animated TV series Rugrats, proudly announces. And that means not only napping and wetting diapers but also smashing some universally fixed gender ideas. Of course, little Tommy and his friends are not alone along the way; they have their families to back them up. After all, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Imagined and created at the beginning of the 90´s, Rugrats is one of the three original series broadcasted by the North American TV station Nickelodeon. After being on the screen for thirteen years, its last episode aired in 2004. The programme focused on the toddler’s gang made up by Tommy, Chuckie and the twins Phil and Lil while they are discovering the world. Angelica, a bit older than the rest, is the evil cousin who is always looking forward to every opportunity to scare and bully the babies. Last but not least, the parents of the kids play an important role in the construction of the children’s personalities. The success and the millions didn’t take long to arrive for the show... and neither did the critics.
Rugrats is not just another 15-minute TV programme about kids, but one of those TV programmes defying dominant conceptions and seeking for a different perspective. It represents a non-conventional idea of social and family roles in which roles are not clearly fixed but interchangeable. In this sense, Rugrats clearly breaks with the gender stereotypes symbolically imposed in our society.
While the playpen does all it can, neither material nor symbolic limits are enough: limitation is a foreign word for the babies. In the episode "The Clan of the Duck", Phil and Chuckie decide to wear dresses since it is hot and dresses make everything easier. Girls wear dresses, so why can’t they? At first, both babies are mocked by two kids in the park. But then, more importantly, they are cheered up by their parents who let the boys keep the dresses. For their parents, these limits don´t reach them either: Betty, Lil and Phil’s mother, wears male-like sport shorts; and Charlotte, Angelica’s mother, is never seen without her black suit. Rugrats doesn't draw the common gender limitations for each of its characters, and the clothes they decide to wear are a clear example of it.
Moreover, dolls and pink are not the only options for a girl: mud, business and joint locks can be too. Female characters such as Lil and her mother are portrayed as “tomboyish”. Lil loves playing in mud and eating worms like her brother. Betty is an old pro-wrestler woman who proudly calls herself a feminist. She wears a blue head band, sneakers and a loose t-shirt with the female symbol on it. Charlotte is Angelica’s workaholic mother. She works as a CEO for a very important company. Both mother and daughter like fashion and shoes, but they also like being powerful and independent. Defying the conception of women as the weaker sex, women’s talents or abilities in Rugrats are not restrained by their sex.
Parenthood is not women’s exclusive work. In episode “Potty-Training Spike”, Tommy and Chuckie claim to teach Spike, Tommy’s pet, not potting near the tree of the garden. For that, Tommy names himself Spike’s father, and Chuckie chooses to be “Spike’s other father”. While some will consider this expression as homosexual, the meaning lies beyond the words: it is in the family examples the babies are exposed to. Fathers in Rugrats have aprons at hand, for dirty diapers or cooking emergencies may arise at any time. Chuckie’s dad, Chaz, is a timorous single parent who loves cooking and working on his greenhouse. Tommy’s dad, Stu, works at home as a toy inventor, but will take as many breaks as necessary to feed, play and take care of his son. That’s why it is not strange that Tommy and Chuckie call themselves fathers of Spike (and not father and mother), since both are taking responsibilities in teaching the dog. Men in Rugrats challenge traditional masculinity.
In a society where many TV programmes keep repeating the lucrative and old stereotypes, it is important to distinguish this particular show that takes risks in showing something different to young audiences. For children have the right to express who they are and who they want to be, and Rugrats is an excellent tool to expand their horizons. So as Tommy says, “Hang on to your diapies, babies,” for there are stereotypes to break.
“Sometimes a baby`s gotta do what a baby`s gotta do,” main character Tommy, from the animated TV series Rugrats, proudly announces. And that means not only napping and wetting diapers but also smashing some universally fixed gender ideas. Of course, little Tommy and his friends are not alone along the way; they have their families to back them up. After all, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Imagined and created at the beginning of the 90´s, Rugrats is one of the three original series broadcasted by the North American TV station Nickelodeon. After being on the screen for thirteen years, its last episode aired in 2004. The programme focused on the toddler’s gang made up by Tommy, Chuckie and the twins Phil and Lil while they are discovering the world. Angelica, a bit older than the rest, is the evil cousin who is always looking forward to every opportunity to scare and bully the babies. Last but not least, the parents of the kids play an important role in the construction of the children’s personalities. The success and the millions didn’t take long to arrive for the show... and neither did the critics.
Rugrats is not just another 15-minute TV programme about kids, but one of those TV programmes defying dominant conceptions and seeking for a different perspective. It represents a non-conventional idea of social and family roles in which roles are not clearly fixed but interchangeable. In this sense, Rugrats clearly breaks with the gender stereotypes symbolically imposed in our society.
While the playpen does all it can, neither material nor symbolic limits are enough: limitation is a foreign word for the babies. In the episode "The Clan of the Duck", Phil and Chuckie decide to wear dresses since it is hot and dresses make everything easier. Girls wear dresses, so why can’t they? At first, both babies are mocked by two kids in the park. But then, more importantly, they are cheered up by their parents who let the boys keep the dresses. For their parents, these limits don´t reach them either: Betty, Lil and Phil’s mother, wears male-like sport shorts; and Charlotte, Angelica’s mother, is never seen without her black suit. Rugrats doesn't draw the common gender limitations for each of its characters, and the clothes they decide to wear are a clear example of it.
Moreover, dolls and pink are not the only options for a girl: mud, business and joint locks can be too. Female characters such as Lil and her mother are portrayed as “tomboyish”. Lil loves playing in mud and eating worms like her brother. Betty is an old pro-wrestler woman who proudly calls herself a feminist. She wears a blue head band, sneakers and a loose t-shirt with the female symbol on it. Charlotte is Angelica’s workaholic mother. She works as a CEO for a very important company. Both mother and daughter like fashion and shoes, but they also like being powerful and independent. Defying the conception of women as the weaker sex, women’s talents or abilities in Rugrats are not restrained by their sex.
Parenthood is not women’s exclusive work. In episode “Potty-Training Spike”, Tommy and Chuckie claim to teach Spike, Tommy’s pet, not potting near the tree of the garden. For that, Tommy names himself Spike’s father, and Chuckie chooses to be “Spike’s other father”. While some will consider this expression as homosexual, the meaning lies beyond the words: it is in the family examples the babies are exposed to. Fathers in Rugrats have aprons at hand, for dirty diapers or cooking emergencies may arise at any time. Chuckie’s dad, Chaz, is a timorous single parent who loves cooking and working on his greenhouse. Tommy’s dad, Stu, works at home as a toy inventor, but will take as many breaks as necessary to feed, play and take care of his son. That’s why it is not strange that Tommy and Chuckie call themselves fathers of Spike (and not father and mother), since both are taking responsibilities in teaching the dog. Men in Rugrats challenge traditional masculinity.
In a society where many TV programmes keep repeating the lucrative and old stereotypes, it is important to distinguish this particular show that takes risks in showing something different to young audiences. For children have the right to express who they are and who they want to be, and Rugrats is an excellent tool to expand their horizons. So as Tommy says, “Hang on to your diapies, babies,” for there are stereotypes to break.
Nobody Needs a Thneed
By Amilcar Ferrero & Nahir Penelas
A big dazzling advertisement welcomes us to “Thneedville”, a surreal, plastic, artificial and superficial city, where the film ‘The Lorax’ is set. This movie released by Universal Picture in 2012 and directed by Chris Renaud is based on the book with the same name written by Dr. Seuss in 1971. The director and the producers readapted this children’s story into a modern 3D animated movie for kids.
The main character of the story is Tod, a ten year old boy who lives in Thneedville, a place without trees. Fighting against a superficial and consumerist society, Tod will restore fresh air by seeding a tree in the city again.
Despite the bright colours, catchy songs, and funny characters, “The Lorax” does not just want to entertain children, but it makes a criticism to the capitalist system.
Let’s take for example one of the film’s songs: “Everybody needs a Thneed, a fine thing that all people need.” By singing the lyrics the citizens show their enthusiasm to buy the Thneed, an absurd and useless product. Clearly, the name this product receives is not casual. “Thneed” recalls the idea of basic needs; as if it were something that you need in order to live. Once-ler, the inventor of this product, creates a commodity which everybody wants to have by using an effective slogan. Highlighting the multiple absurd functions this product has (it can be used as a scarf, a hat, a rag and many other things), he seduces people to buy the “Thneed”. Companies in a capitalist system try to infer and cover all the needs people might have in order to make their lives easier, as a strategy to sell products. In this way, the film shows a typical strategy of marketing.
Another problem comes when we are surprised by the method in which the “thneed” is produced. This product is made of a raw material that comes from trees. Instead of using a harmless method to obtain it by using a clamp to collect the leaves from the crown of the tree, Once-ler decides to chop down all the trees. Once-ler’s mom influences his son to work with this easy but harmful method. “You have to do what is best for the company,” she says, representing the common sense of businessmen in the capitalist system and underestimating the importance of nature. We can even hear in one of the songs: “There's a principle in business…It says the people with the money make this ever-loving world go 'round.” The thing is that underestimation and misunderstanding of nature is produced by a system in which money is the most important value. Or at least this is what the movie wants to transmit.
Everything in Thneedville can be sold, even the air. O´Hair Air, the main company in the village, takes advantage of the inexistence of trees, and decides to produce bottles with air. The mayor of Thneedville and head of the O'Hare Air company (power and money go hand in hand), Mr O´Hair says “The more smog, the more people who buy.” This means that in order to sell more “bottled air”, this man pollutes the environment without any guilty feeling. In this sense ‘The Lorax’ shows the ambition produced by the capitalist system where the only thing that matters is becoming rich and powerful.
Luckily, Tod will change this city and its citizen’s perception of their reality by planting a seed, and of course, singing a catchy song! Depicting an extreme consumerist society, the aim of the film is to criticize the capitalist system in order to make the audience reflect upon the world where they live, trying to encourage them to change it. In words of Once-ler (actually, Dr. Seuss’ words): “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
From the beginning up to the end of the story, ‘The Lorax’ shows in a funny but critical way a capitalist society where money and power are more important than nature. Should we follow Dr. Seuss’s advice? At least, let’s give it a thought.
A big dazzling advertisement welcomes us to “Thneedville”, a surreal, plastic, artificial and superficial city, where the film ‘The Lorax’ is set. This movie released by Universal Picture in 2012 and directed by Chris Renaud is based on the book with the same name written by Dr. Seuss in 1971. The director and the producers readapted this children’s story into a modern 3D animated movie for kids.
The main character of the story is Tod, a ten year old boy who lives in Thneedville, a place without trees. Fighting against a superficial and consumerist society, Tod will restore fresh air by seeding a tree in the city again.
Despite the bright colours, catchy songs, and funny characters, “The Lorax” does not just want to entertain children, but it makes a criticism to the capitalist system.
Let’s take for example one of the film’s songs: “Everybody needs a Thneed, a fine thing that all people need.” By singing the lyrics the citizens show their enthusiasm to buy the Thneed, an absurd and useless product. Clearly, the name this product receives is not casual. “Thneed” recalls the idea of basic needs; as if it were something that you need in order to live. Once-ler, the inventor of this product, creates a commodity which everybody wants to have by using an effective slogan. Highlighting the multiple absurd functions this product has (it can be used as a scarf, a hat, a rag and many other things), he seduces people to buy the “Thneed”. Companies in a capitalist system try to infer and cover all the needs people might have in order to make their lives easier, as a strategy to sell products. In this way, the film shows a typical strategy of marketing.
Another problem comes when we are surprised by the method in which the “thneed” is produced. This product is made of a raw material that comes from trees. Instead of using a harmless method to obtain it by using a clamp to collect the leaves from the crown of the tree, Once-ler decides to chop down all the trees. Once-ler’s mom influences his son to work with this easy but harmful method. “You have to do what is best for the company,” she says, representing the common sense of businessmen in the capitalist system and underestimating the importance of nature. We can even hear in one of the songs: “There's a principle in business…It says the people with the money make this ever-loving world go 'round.” The thing is that underestimation and misunderstanding of nature is produced by a system in which money is the most important value. Or at least this is what the movie wants to transmit.
Everything in Thneedville can be sold, even the air. O´Hair Air, the main company in the village, takes advantage of the inexistence of trees, and decides to produce bottles with air. The mayor of Thneedville and head of the O'Hare Air company (power and money go hand in hand), Mr O´Hair says “The more smog, the more people who buy.” This means that in order to sell more “bottled air”, this man pollutes the environment without any guilty feeling. In this sense ‘The Lorax’ shows the ambition produced by the capitalist system where the only thing that matters is becoming rich and powerful.
Luckily, Tod will change this city and its citizen’s perception of their reality by planting a seed, and of course, singing a catchy song! Depicting an extreme consumerist society, the aim of the film is to criticize the capitalist system in order to make the audience reflect upon the world where they live, trying to encourage them to change it. In words of Once-ler (actually, Dr. Seuss’ words): “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
From the beginning up to the end of the story, ‘The Lorax’ shows in a funny but critical way a capitalist society where money and power are more important than nature. Should we follow Dr. Seuss’s advice? At least, let’s give it a thought.
Colourful minds
Students: María Paula Chao and Mariela Álvarez
Twenty four years ago a street artist created Piñón Fijo, a colourful clown who captivated children and parents. Who could think at that moment that he would become a Latin-American phenomenon? Fabián Alberto Gómez, the man under the mask, chose the name Piñón Fijo connecting his bike and his one-track mind. Like fixed–gear bicycles move easily forward, his career has moved from Cordoba streets to the whole of Latin America.
Music and respect seem to be the keys that this man, whose real face is not known, has found to delight children and stimulate them intellectually. During his shows, Piñón interacts with the young audience exchanging anecdotes with them. While many shows for children underestimate their intelligence, Piñón takes children seriously. Merging music, poetry and dance, he contributes with the development of his little fans fertile imagination.
Baring in mind that, for several years, our children´s minds were contaminated by certain TV shows which were conducted by blond and brainless girls like ‘Las trillizas de oro’ or ‘Panam’, Piñón came to our screen to give the young audience a new breath of fresh air. With an innovative and funny way to entertain, the clown, through his mime routines and juggling, catches the kids´ attention and teaches through play.
Furthermore, the clown employs recreation to amuse toddlers and adults. He has designed a musical instrument, called by himself `Saxo Cloacal´, that accompanies the singer in his shows. Not only with his sax and his guitar Piñón fascinates his young spectators, but also over the lyrics of his songs he transmits didactic messages. For example, the importance of cleaning the hands and teeth, taking care of the environment or learning the vowels.
The originality of Piñón´s acting and music too, helps infants to leave out the pacifiers and the baby bottles. Children could drop them through games, interacting with the clown and listening songs like `Basta de mamadera´ or `Nene, dejá el chupete´. Of course, this is something that parents really appreciate because sometimes it is not easy to convince a child to leave behind the dummy and the feeding bottle.
With a great sense of humour, Piñón Fijo embodies a funny and joker clown who spreads joyfulness in each play, show and presentation in public. He has won through his sympathy and his magic young and old people´s heart. Definitely, he contributes significantly to enrich our children´s mind.
Twenty four years ago a street artist created Piñón Fijo, a colourful clown who captivated children and parents. Who could think at that moment that he would become a Latin-American phenomenon? Fabián Alberto Gómez, the man under the mask, chose the name Piñón Fijo connecting his bike and his one-track mind. Like fixed–gear bicycles move easily forward, his career has moved from Cordoba streets to the whole of Latin America.
Music and respect seem to be the keys that this man, whose real face is not known, has found to delight children and stimulate them intellectually. During his shows, Piñón interacts with the young audience exchanging anecdotes with them. While many shows for children underestimate their intelligence, Piñón takes children seriously. Merging music, poetry and dance, he contributes with the development of his little fans fertile imagination.
Baring in mind that, for several years, our children´s minds were contaminated by certain TV shows which were conducted by blond and brainless girls like ‘Las trillizas de oro’ or ‘Panam’, Piñón came to our screen to give the young audience a new breath of fresh air. With an innovative and funny way to entertain, the clown, through his mime routines and juggling, catches the kids´ attention and teaches through play.
Furthermore, the clown employs recreation to amuse toddlers and adults. He has designed a musical instrument, called by himself `Saxo Cloacal´, that accompanies the singer in his shows. Not only with his sax and his guitar Piñón fascinates his young spectators, but also over the lyrics of his songs he transmits didactic messages. For example, the importance of cleaning the hands and teeth, taking care of the environment or learning the vowels.
The originality of Piñón´s acting and music too, helps infants to leave out the pacifiers and the baby bottles. Children could drop them through games, interacting with the clown and listening songs like `Basta de mamadera´ or `Nene, dejá el chupete´. Of course, this is something that parents really appreciate because sometimes it is not easy to convince a child to leave behind the dummy and the feeding bottle.
With a great sense of humour, Piñón Fijo embodies a funny and joker clown who spreads joyfulness in each play, show and presentation in public. He has won through his sympathy and his magic young and old people´s heart. Definitely, he contributes significantly to enrich our children´s mind.
Woody, let it go!
Students: Castillo, Gabriel. Vega, Jessica.
Remember this dialogue from Toy Story 3: “And this is Buzz Lightyear, the coolest toy ever. Look, he can fly, and shoot lasers. He’s sworn to protect the galaxy from the evil Emperor Zurg. To infinity and beyond! Now you gotta promise to take good care of these guys. They mean a lot to me” says Andy, one of the main characters in the film and Buzz and Woody’s owner. “My cowboy!” cries Bonnie, a 4-year-old girl and future owner of Andy’s toys. “Woody? What’s he doing here?” Andy asks confused. Most of us remember this sorrowful scene from the film Toy Story 3 and probably all of us have had the same heartbreaking feeling, and why not some tears in between, when seeing that Andy is giving his beloved toys to Bonnie.
Toy story is a Pixar three-film series not only known by children but also by adults. The films make all of us feel identified with the emotions, situations and themes presented in them; and that is why these films are thoroughly appealing. The most sympathetic theme is abandonment, since it is an inevitable aspect to face up and go through in our lives. Despite its painful connotation, the films deal with it in a strong and evoking way that lets us affirm that Toy Story prepares children for abandonment in life.
Toy Story 1 portrays a clear example of abandonment in friendship. This film shows that Woody is Andy’s favorite toy and that their friendship goes beyond a simple owner-toy relationship. The breaking point in their friendship comes along when Buzz Lightyear, the astronaut toy, is introduced and changes Andy’s world. Andy becomes keen on Buzz and shows a fanaticism which goes from posters on the wall to spatial-homemade costumes, leaving aside Woody. Children will see how best friends may not have a lifelong friendship since people move on in their lives and meet other people in their way.
Take a look at Emily's story in Toy Story 2. Abandonment starts when the other person changes, in this case, Emily, who is Jessie’s owner, grows up and those changes affect people around her. Emily goes from having cowboy’s hats, Jessie’s launchboxes, horse-cover notebooks and an acoustic guitar to colorful manicure, girlish make-up, music records and pop-band posters. Emily leaves behind all her child-stuff to move on to a teenage-wave. Jessie, the cowgirl doll, suffers her owner’s growth since she belongs to her past child-world now. With just two deep verses from the song “When She Loved Me” sung by Sarah Mclachlan, Jessie shows her hollowness of heart: “So the years went by, I stayed the same. And she began to drift away, I was left alone”
A profound focus on abandonment can be noticed in the characters’ dialogues. In most of crucial scenes, they utter totally significant and comprehensible phrases regarding abandonment as a frequent situation to confront in our lives. The most clear example of this is found in the second film of the series when Stinky Pete, the prospector, assures Woody, the cowboy toy and main character of the films, “How long will it last, Woody? Do you really think Andy is going to take you to college, or on his honeymoon? Andy’s growing up, and there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s your choice, Woody. You can go back, or you can stay with us and last forever. You’ll be adored by children for generations.”
When it comes to Toy Story 3, the audience finds itself divided regarding emotions. This is because the younger audience does not feel identified with the abandonment feeling introduced in the film in the same way than the older one does. In particular, Woody will evoke the parents’ figure since he perceives Andy’s abandonment just like parents feel when their children leave home. Andy’s departure to college in the third film marks the saddest instance of abandonment in the film series and allows children to be aware of their parents’ feelings when they will be the ones who abandon their own homes.
After seeing the three films, children may conciously or unconciously internalize the concept of abandonment as a natural aspect in life and the only possible way to go through it may beby facing it up just like Woody did. He knew that there was only one left thing to do: endure abandonment.
Remember this dialogue from Toy Story 3: “And this is Buzz Lightyear, the coolest toy ever. Look, he can fly, and shoot lasers. He’s sworn to protect the galaxy from the evil Emperor Zurg. To infinity and beyond! Now you gotta promise to take good care of these guys. They mean a lot to me” says Andy, one of the main characters in the film and Buzz and Woody’s owner. “My cowboy!” cries Bonnie, a 4-year-old girl and future owner of Andy’s toys. “Woody? What’s he doing here?” Andy asks confused. Most of us remember this sorrowful scene from the film Toy Story 3 and probably all of us have had the same heartbreaking feeling, and why not some tears in between, when seeing that Andy is giving his beloved toys to Bonnie.
Toy story is a Pixar three-film series not only known by children but also by adults. The films make all of us feel identified with the emotions, situations and themes presented in them; and that is why these films are thoroughly appealing. The most sympathetic theme is abandonment, since it is an inevitable aspect to face up and go through in our lives. Despite its painful connotation, the films deal with it in a strong and evoking way that lets us affirm that Toy Story prepares children for abandonment in life.
Toy Story 1 portrays a clear example of abandonment in friendship. This film shows that Woody is Andy’s favorite toy and that their friendship goes beyond a simple owner-toy relationship. The breaking point in their friendship comes along when Buzz Lightyear, the astronaut toy, is introduced and changes Andy’s world. Andy becomes keen on Buzz and shows a fanaticism which goes from posters on the wall to spatial-homemade costumes, leaving aside Woody. Children will see how best friends may not have a lifelong friendship since people move on in their lives and meet other people in their way.
Take a look at Emily's story in Toy Story 2. Abandonment starts when the other person changes, in this case, Emily, who is Jessie’s owner, grows up and those changes affect people around her. Emily goes from having cowboy’s hats, Jessie’s launchboxes, horse-cover notebooks and an acoustic guitar to colorful manicure, girlish make-up, music records and pop-band posters. Emily leaves behind all her child-stuff to move on to a teenage-wave. Jessie, the cowgirl doll, suffers her owner’s growth since she belongs to her past child-world now. With just two deep verses from the song “When She Loved Me” sung by Sarah Mclachlan, Jessie shows her hollowness of heart: “So the years went by, I stayed the same. And she began to drift away, I was left alone”
A profound focus on abandonment can be noticed in the characters’ dialogues. In most of crucial scenes, they utter totally significant and comprehensible phrases regarding abandonment as a frequent situation to confront in our lives. The most clear example of this is found in the second film of the series when Stinky Pete, the prospector, assures Woody, the cowboy toy and main character of the films, “How long will it last, Woody? Do you really think Andy is going to take you to college, or on his honeymoon? Andy’s growing up, and there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s your choice, Woody. You can go back, or you can stay with us and last forever. You’ll be adored by children for generations.”
When it comes to Toy Story 3, the audience finds itself divided regarding emotions. This is because the younger audience does not feel identified with the abandonment feeling introduced in the film in the same way than the older one does. In particular, Woody will evoke the parents’ figure since he perceives Andy’s abandonment just like parents feel when their children leave home. Andy’s departure to college in the third film marks the saddest instance of abandonment in the film series and allows children to be aware of their parents’ feelings when they will be the ones who abandon their own homes.
After seeing the three films, children may conciously or unconciously internalize the concept of abandonment as a natural aspect in life and the only possible way to go through it may beby facing it up just like Woody did. He knew that there was only one left thing to do: endure abandonment.
Pink and empty
Students: Roxana B. and Melina A.
Who is the only girl in the world who has dolphins in her Miami mansion? We can find her every day on the TV moulding children’s appreciation of reality through fashion and glamour. A girl whose only worry is shopping and looking pretty is present in almost every field of children’s life, which is more; nearly every girl has a Barbie product.
Nowadays, television is a socialising element which constructs reality and transmits values and stereotypes. In many cases, the stupid box replaces parent’s image and kids adopt TV shows attitudes instead of their parents’. In a completely flooded pink screen, Barbie transmits female, social class and body stereotypes.
Stereotypes are difficult to obliterate when we acquired them during childhood. Imagine what a little girl internalizes as regards physical appearance when watching Barbie life in the Dreamhouse. Barbie is a skinny girl who represents the ideal body which should be desirable to achieve. In her TV show, women are represented with an image that is unachievable without this entailing health, psychological or self-esteem problems. Notice that not only the main character but all of them have a body that does not resemble reality: excessively slim bodies. Barbie depicts a white, blue-eyed girl with blonde straight hair that is successful just because of looking this way.
Superficiality is always present in Barbie’s TV show. In her world, the ideal woman is focused on fashion and appearance. With her obsession about beauty, Barbie represents a horrible stereotype of the traditional female role. She is excessively feminine and her only interests are related to fashion, shopping, and an obsession for beauty. That is why little girls may internalize this concept and grow up believing that this is the way a perfect woman should act.
This stereotype not only represents a problem on girl’s minds but also on the eyes of the boys towards women. The appreciation young men would have about girls is that of a stupid, empty and shallow woman to be but, still they would like them. This imposition might generate a rejection of a completely different kind of woman who does not care about appearance as much as Barbie does.
Barbie lives in a luxurious mansion in Miami, where she organizes parties with her friends who are as rich and pompous as her. You will never see Barbie or her partners working, but you’ll always notice that they are buying clothes in the shopping malls. In her dressing room, which is the same size as any other mortal’s house, Barbie has an uncountable number of dresses and shoes. And guess what colour they are... Yes, you’re right. They are pink! In her TV show this colour represents another stereotype of womanhood and sensitivity.
This non-working high class is the only present in Barbie in the Dreamhouse TV show. It seems that there’s no other social class in her world, or at least she is not aware of that.
In this globalized world in which parents spend more time working than being with their kids, television may act as a babysitter and create stereotypes that will affect our children’s perception of perfection. Definitely, the imposition of a stereotype is something that harms society not only by fixing wrong models of beauty in the unconscious of our future adults, but also generating a lack of awareness of different social classes. Moreover, all these events are surrounded by a frivolous environment which fosters a reality that is quite distant from the majority of children’s life. Most of the times it is better turning off the TV and opening a book.
Who is the only girl in the world who has dolphins in her Miami mansion? We can find her every day on the TV moulding children’s appreciation of reality through fashion and glamour. A girl whose only worry is shopping and looking pretty is present in almost every field of children’s life, which is more; nearly every girl has a Barbie product.
Nowadays, television is a socialising element which constructs reality and transmits values and stereotypes. In many cases, the stupid box replaces parent’s image and kids adopt TV shows attitudes instead of their parents’. In a completely flooded pink screen, Barbie transmits female, social class and body stereotypes.
Stereotypes are difficult to obliterate when we acquired them during childhood. Imagine what a little girl internalizes as regards physical appearance when watching Barbie life in the Dreamhouse. Barbie is a skinny girl who represents the ideal body which should be desirable to achieve. In her TV show, women are represented with an image that is unachievable without this entailing health, psychological or self-esteem problems. Notice that not only the main character but all of them have a body that does not resemble reality: excessively slim bodies. Barbie depicts a white, blue-eyed girl with blonde straight hair that is successful just because of looking this way.
Superficiality is always present in Barbie’s TV show. In her world, the ideal woman is focused on fashion and appearance. With her obsession about beauty, Barbie represents a horrible stereotype of the traditional female role. She is excessively feminine and her only interests are related to fashion, shopping, and an obsession for beauty. That is why little girls may internalize this concept and grow up believing that this is the way a perfect woman should act.
This stereotype not only represents a problem on girl’s minds but also on the eyes of the boys towards women. The appreciation young men would have about girls is that of a stupid, empty and shallow woman to be but, still they would like them. This imposition might generate a rejection of a completely different kind of woman who does not care about appearance as much as Barbie does.
Barbie lives in a luxurious mansion in Miami, where she organizes parties with her friends who are as rich and pompous as her. You will never see Barbie or her partners working, but you’ll always notice that they are buying clothes in the shopping malls. In her dressing room, which is the same size as any other mortal’s house, Barbie has an uncountable number of dresses and shoes. And guess what colour they are... Yes, you’re right. They are pink! In her TV show this colour represents another stereotype of womanhood and sensitivity.
This non-working high class is the only present in Barbie in the Dreamhouse TV show. It seems that there’s no other social class in her world, or at least she is not aware of that.
In this globalized world in which parents spend more time working than being with their kids, television may act as a babysitter and create stereotypes that will affect our children’s perception of perfection. Definitely, the imposition of a stereotype is something that harms society not only by fixing wrong models of beauty in the unconscious of our future adults, but also generating a lack of awareness of different social classes. Moreover, all these events are surrounded by a frivolous environment which fosters a reality that is quite distant from the majority of children’s life. Most of the times it is better turning off the TV and opening a book.
The functional crew
Students: Evelyn M. and Daniela U.
“Nothing in the world is particularly impossible if it is divided into tasks”, said by Henry Ford, this famous phrase summarizes the essence of the well-known manufacturing system called Fordism. Developed by this significant businessman during the 1940s and 1960s, Fordism was based on industrialized and standardized form of mass production. It was designed to make productivity more efficient. Certainly, hierarchical control, mechanization, specialization and fragmentation of work seemed to be the most relevant characteristics of this economical model. But... Do you have a minute? Have you ever thought that this popular economical method could be applied not only in factory workers, but also in animated trains in a TV show for children?
Division of labour is one of the particularities of Fordism that can be mainly appreciated in “Thomas and friends”. This is an animated children television series that deals with a group of trains and humans working on the railways of the island of Sodor. The tv show first appeared on the IVT network in October 1984. The series displays the tank engines´ adventures. All of them are managed and every member of the group is in charge of one specialized task. Without doubts,” Thomas and friends” reproduces the Fordist philosophy to its young audience.
“Wake up lazy bones! Do some hard work for a change!” This is the sweet way in which Thomas, the train engine leads on his partners when it is time to take on journeys and start work. He exposes leadership over the crew and, as one of the innocent songs affirms, he is the number one. Many times the sweet train is the one who organizes the teamwork. One clear example of this can be seen in one chapter called “Thomas, the manager”. Here, Thomas convinces his mates to push wagons of coal because the railway inspector is supervising their assignments. The devoted tank thinks that if the inspector sees locomotives working hard, then the crew will be consider as useful and efficient. Through this clear sample of Thomas´ attitude, one can notice that hierarchical roles are present behind the useful crew´s performance as it was in the industrial method, Fordism. Top managers, division managers, headquarters, short run coordinators, and longer run coordination were some of the roles executed in the factories in order to operate in the organizational structure of labour. In this case, Thomas would clearly represent a manager.
Take, for example, the figure of Sr Topham Hatt, the fat controller. The locomotives work under his strict and firm control. While we move our heads and sing along we will realize that “Sr Topham keeps an eye on every engine passing by” and that “every tank has to be useful and take care of his supervision”.This is another clue that allows us to recognize the controlling system in the TV programme that was implemented in the Fordist technical revolution. Strict control and discipline were the elements that led to an increment in the productivity. Unfortunately, the song is extremely fun and captivating to let us stop and reflect upon its real meaning.
What is more, catchy and entertaining, the following extract of a Thomas´s song make us enjoy it letting its chorus going round and round in our minds along the day. “All with different roles to play, round Tidmouth sheds or far away, Percy pulls the mail on time, Gordon thunders down the line. Emily really knows her stuff, Henry toots and huffs and puffs. Edward wants to help and share” In this way, the different characters’ roles are stated and so everyone is able to know the precise task that each employed locomotive is in charge of. For sure, this extract of the popular TV show soundtrack resembles functional division of labour and decomposition of tasks that took place in Fordism in order to transform the condition of production.
So, why is it that young children are exposed to this economical system and its characteristics in a TV show that is supposed to entertain? Not all the TV programmes should be consumed as innocent or harmless amusement for our kids. “Thomas and friends” is a reflection of a way of production. Really attractive and by using beautiful colours and charming trains , it goes straight to our children´s minds. This show, full of different characters, inculcates not only how to work always on the same task, but also to be cautious about whom our superiors are. The whole series is a clear example of this, and behind the trains, engineers of their own world, there are many steady and severe ideas that not all parents would want their children to learn, yet.
“Nothing in the world is particularly impossible if it is divided into tasks”, said by Henry Ford, this famous phrase summarizes the essence of the well-known manufacturing system called Fordism. Developed by this significant businessman during the 1940s and 1960s, Fordism was based on industrialized and standardized form of mass production. It was designed to make productivity more efficient. Certainly, hierarchical control, mechanization, specialization and fragmentation of work seemed to be the most relevant characteristics of this economical model. But... Do you have a minute? Have you ever thought that this popular economical method could be applied not only in factory workers, but also in animated trains in a TV show for children?
Division of labour is one of the particularities of Fordism that can be mainly appreciated in “Thomas and friends”. This is an animated children television series that deals with a group of trains and humans working on the railways of the island of Sodor. The tv show first appeared on the IVT network in October 1984. The series displays the tank engines´ adventures. All of them are managed and every member of the group is in charge of one specialized task. Without doubts,” Thomas and friends” reproduces the Fordist philosophy to its young audience.
“Wake up lazy bones! Do some hard work for a change!” This is the sweet way in which Thomas, the train engine leads on his partners when it is time to take on journeys and start work. He exposes leadership over the crew and, as one of the innocent songs affirms, he is the number one. Many times the sweet train is the one who organizes the teamwork. One clear example of this can be seen in one chapter called “Thomas, the manager”. Here, Thomas convinces his mates to push wagons of coal because the railway inspector is supervising their assignments. The devoted tank thinks that if the inspector sees locomotives working hard, then the crew will be consider as useful and efficient. Through this clear sample of Thomas´ attitude, one can notice that hierarchical roles are present behind the useful crew´s performance as it was in the industrial method, Fordism. Top managers, division managers, headquarters, short run coordinators, and longer run coordination were some of the roles executed in the factories in order to operate in the organizational structure of labour. In this case, Thomas would clearly represent a manager.
Take, for example, the figure of Sr Topham Hatt, the fat controller. The locomotives work under his strict and firm control. While we move our heads and sing along we will realize that “Sr Topham keeps an eye on every engine passing by” and that “every tank has to be useful and take care of his supervision”.This is another clue that allows us to recognize the controlling system in the TV programme that was implemented in the Fordist technical revolution. Strict control and discipline were the elements that led to an increment in the productivity. Unfortunately, the song is extremely fun and captivating to let us stop and reflect upon its real meaning.
What is more, catchy and entertaining, the following extract of a Thomas´s song make us enjoy it letting its chorus going round and round in our minds along the day. “All with different roles to play, round Tidmouth sheds or far away, Percy pulls the mail on time, Gordon thunders down the line. Emily really knows her stuff, Henry toots and huffs and puffs. Edward wants to help and share” In this way, the different characters’ roles are stated and so everyone is able to know the precise task that each employed locomotive is in charge of. For sure, this extract of the popular TV show soundtrack resembles functional division of labour and decomposition of tasks that took place in Fordism in order to transform the condition of production.
So, why is it that young children are exposed to this economical system and its characteristics in a TV show that is supposed to entertain? Not all the TV programmes should be consumed as innocent or harmless amusement for our kids. “Thomas and friends” is a reflection of a way of production. Really attractive and by using beautiful colours and charming trains , it goes straight to our children´s minds. This show, full of different characters, inculcates not only how to work always on the same task, but also to be cautious about whom our superiors are. The whole series is a clear example of this, and behind the trains, engineers of their own world, there are many steady and severe ideas that not all parents would want their children to learn, yet.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Forum discussion: The appropriate literature for children
As we have been seeing and discussing in class, there doesn't seem to be any limit to the topics children's literature can handle. The question to discuss then is, should there be any limit for the stories that we choose to work in class? What topics are proper or improper for the classroom? Why?
Join the discussion!
Join the discussion!
Sunday, July 13, 2014
El Amor y la Amistad (review)
El Amor y la Amistad by the philosopher Oscar Brenifier is a well-written book for children and preadolescents. The characters are very nicely illustrated by Jacques Després. Through this piece of literature the author handles with two relevant feelings: love and friendship.
This is an unusual book for its lack of a sequence of events. It shows different points of view concerning love and friendship, which allows not only kids but also preadolescents to relate the book’s situations with their everyday life. Moreover, the audience can interact with the reader giving their own opinions about the issues dealt, inviting them to reflect upon their own experiences with those feelings.
By using engaging pictures and flashy colours, the authors create an enjoyable book. Images and sentences go hand in hand. Through the pages contrast is portrayed with different colours and facial expressions in each character. The most meaningful and philosophical phrases are highlighted in every paragraph.
Even it´s not a typical book, Oscar Brenifier and Jacques Després let us reflect upon feelings and relationships. Presenting different perspectives about facts of life, El Amor y la Amistad is a perfect and different piece of literature that everyone should have in their bookshelves.
This is an unusual book for its lack of a sequence of events. It shows different points of view concerning love and friendship, which allows not only kids but also preadolescents to relate the book’s situations with their everyday life. Moreover, the audience can interact with the reader giving their own opinions about the issues dealt, inviting them to reflect upon their own experiences with those feelings.
By using engaging pictures and flashy colours, the authors create an enjoyable book. Images and sentences go hand in hand. Through the pages contrast is portrayed with different colours and facial expressions in each character. The most meaningful and philosophical phrases are highlighted in every paragraph.
Even it´s not a typical book, Oscar Brenifier and Jacques Després let us reflect upon feelings and relationships. Presenting different perspectives about facts of life, El Amor y la Amistad is a perfect and different piece of literature that everyone should have in their bookshelves.
Monday, July 7, 2014
Grandma Rabbitty's Visit (review)
Amilcar Ferrero - Nahir Penelas
BARRY SMITH
TODDLER STORY BOOK, DK PUBLISHING
1999
Two Little rabbits and their mother are waiting impatiently for Grandma Rabbitty’s visit. They look through the window all the afternoon checking out whether grandma arrives or not. Sounds and colourful pictures will catch children’s attention throughout this short story written by Barry Smith.
The author is capable of creating suspense about grandma´s arrival. Pre-schoolers will be absorbed from beginning to end, waiting for the resolution, which will be funny and unexpected. After watching different means of transports coming and going without Grandma Rabbitty, she surprises us arriving in her motorbike. What a trendy granny!!
With simple drawings, Smith creates real life situations and sets the story in a familiar environment. He shows a mother doing the cleaning and taking care of her children, while they are playing with their toys. Onomatopoeias, written with different fonts, colours and sizes, appear several times depicting the noises of transports, toys and electrical appliances. This strategy invites children to imitate sounds and participate during the reading of the story. That’s why Grandma Rabbitty’s visit is a good story for parents to share time with their children.
Using short and simple sentences, the author creates an enjoyable story that can be read to children before saying good night. Kids will love this gripping colourful story that encourages them to participate.
BARRY SMITH
TODDLER STORY BOOK, DK PUBLISHING
1999
Two Little rabbits and their mother are waiting impatiently for Grandma Rabbitty’s visit. They look through the window all the afternoon checking out whether grandma arrives or not. Sounds and colourful pictures will catch children’s attention throughout this short story written by Barry Smith.
The author is capable of creating suspense about grandma´s arrival. Pre-schoolers will be absorbed from beginning to end, waiting for the resolution, which will be funny and unexpected. After watching different means of transports coming and going without Grandma Rabbitty, she surprises us arriving in her motorbike. What a trendy granny!!
With simple drawings, Smith creates real life situations and sets the story in a familiar environment. He shows a mother doing the cleaning and taking care of her children, while they are playing with their toys. Onomatopoeias, written with different fonts, colours and sizes, appear several times depicting the noises of transports, toys and electrical appliances. This strategy invites children to imitate sounds and participate during the reading of the story. That’s why Grandma Rabbitty’s visit is a good story for parents to share time with their children.
Using short and simple sentences, the author creates an enjoyable story that can be read to children before saying good night. Kids will love this gripping colourful story that encourages them to participate.
Pulling it up together! (review)
Jessica Vega, Gabriel Castillo
The Great, Big Enormous Turnip is an adorable story about and old man who plants a turnip and wants it to grow big and strong. What he doesn’t expect is that his wish comes true in an extraordinary way. With a captivating plot, Alexei Tolstoy achieves an entertaining piece of writing.
When the old man sees that the turnip reaches a huge size, he anxiously wants to dig the vegetable out. Tired of pulling it up and not getting any success, he searches for some help and calls his wife. The old couple makes a big effort but they not even together can pull the turnip up. After the failure, they decide to call some other characters, and some animals are included among them. They all together pull and pull the turnip up.
Tolstoy’s narrative is intelligible and uncomplicated. He uses a simple vocabulary and a repetitive line of events which make the story completely suitable for children. Moreover, a message of cooperation is present throughout the story since everybody contributes to solve the conflict. No matter the helper’s size or strength, help is always valuable and respected.
Helen Oxenbury’s illustrations are outstanding, clear and incredibly funny when it comes to introduce the characters. Drawings are well-defined and colours are vivid. Oxenbury draws an endearing final picture which shows that the long and arduous work during the whole story is worthwhile.
With a simple but catchy narrative, a likeable message of cooperation and appealing illustrations, The Great, Big, Enormous Turnip is for sure a reliable choice for children.
The Great, Big Enormous Turnip is an adorable story about and old man who plants a turnip and wants it to grow big and strong. What he doesn’t expect is that his wish comes true in an extraordinary way. With a captivating plot, Alexei Tolstoy achieves an entertaining piece of writing.
When the old man sees that the turnip reaches a huge size, he anxiously wants to dig the vegetable out. Tired of pulling it up and not getting any success, he searches for some help and calls his wife. The old couple makes a big effort but they not even together can pull the turnip up. After the failure, they decide to call some other characters, and some animals are included among them. They all together pull and pull the turnip up.
Tolstoy’s narrative is intelligible and uncomplicated. He uses a simple vocabulary and a repetitive line of events which make the story completely suitable for children. Moreover, a message of cooperation is present throughout the story since everybody contributes to solve the conflict. No matter the helper’s size or strength, help is always valuable and respected.
Helen Oxenbury’s illustrations are outstanding, clear and incredibly funny when it comes to introduce the characters. Drawings are well-defined and colours are vivid. Oxenbury draws an endearing final picture which shows that the long and arduous work during the whole story is worthwhile.
With a simple but catchy narrative, a likeable message of cooperation and appealing illustrations, The Great, Big, Enormous Turnip is for sure a reliable choice for children.
To Greed, or Not to Greed (review)
Mariana Figueredo
Camila Rico
“Two Greedy Bears”(1976)
Retold by Mirra Ginsburg.
Aladdin Paperbacks.
A big round cheese to divide and two bear cubs who want exact equal parts. In this adapted version of a Hungarian Folk Tale, storyteller Mirra Ginsburg brings us the story of two selfish bear cubs (and their two big tummies) who go on an adventure and learn a worthy lesson. Combined with Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey’s colorful and simple illustrations, Ginsburg succeeds in portraying the values of sharing and being grateful, or more precisely, the consequences of not being so.
Our two little bears are out to see the world, but they find some problems as soon as they leave their home. After some walking, a yummy cheese appears on their way, and a clever fox as well. Arguing and growling, the two bear cubs try to divide the cheese into two equal parts. But pretending to be a friend, from a hidden bush, the fox shows up and offers some help. “Don´t worry,” she said, “I know what to do.” Repeatedly eating more from one piece than the other, the sly one makes sure both bears complain that there is no equality. The more they shout, the more she eats, till finally there are only two tiny crumbs.
Ginsburg plays with a tragicomic sense of greediness, which will make readers feel sympathetic to the two poor bears. Thus, text and pictures are organized in such a way that makes both equally important to convey meaning and to create a humorous atmosphere around the problems these two little bears face in their journey.
Funny and straightforward, Two Greedy Bears wisely exemplifies how greed leads to losses and brings little bears to tears.
Camila Rico
“Two Greedy Bears”(1976)
Retold by Mirra Ginsburg.
Aladdin Paperbacks.
A big round cheese to divide and two bear cubs who want exact equal parts. In this adapted version of a Hungarian Folk Tale, storyteller Mirra Ginsburg brings us the story of two selfish bear cubs (and their two big tummies) who go on an adventure and learn a worthy lesson. Combined with Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey’s colorful and simple illustrations, Ginsburg succeeds in portraying the values of sharing and being grateful, or more precisely, the consequences of not being so.
Our two little bears are out to see the world, but they find some problems as soon as they leave their home. After some walking, a yummy cheese appears on their way, and a clever fox as well. Arguing and growling, the two bear cubs try to divide the cheese into two equal parts. But pretending to be a friend, from a hidden bush, the fox shows up and offers some help. “Don´t worry,” she said, “I know what to do.” Repeatedly eating more from one piece than the other, the sly one makes sure both bears complain that there is no equality. The more they shout, the more she eats, till finally there are only two tiny crumbs.
Ginsburg plays with a tragicomic sense of greediness, which will make readers feel sympathetic to the two poor bears. Thus, text and pictures are organized in such a way that makes both equally important to convey meaning and to create a humorous atmosphere around the problems these two little bears face in their journey.
Funny and straightforward, Two Greedy Bears wisely exemplifies how greed leads to losses and brings little bears to tears.
A review about the story “The great, big, enormous turnip” by Alexei Tolstoy
Roxana M. Cabana
Roxana Borreda
The story “The great, big, enormous turnip” takes place in a farm in which an old man plants a little turnip and says “Grow, grow, little turnip, grow sweet. Grow, grow little turnip, grow strong”. When the moment to pull it out comes, he realizes that he cannot do it on his own so he asks the old woman for help. Since they still cannot remove off the ground the turnip, they resolve to call for more help, and so, more and more characters are added to the scene. Finally, after having made a terrible effort, they together pull out the enormous turnip.
Cooperation and friendship are values that rarely are seen in society and that appear in Alexei Tolstoy’s story. The book shows a mix of characters such as human beings and animals which make little readers get involved with the plot. Moreover, the text is written with no complex vocabulary, with repetition of sequences, simple verbs and nouns which are very common for children and that will make the reading easier and more fluent for them. The appealing illustrations of Helen Oxenbury are joined and explain perfectly the plot. The funny and visual pictures let young readers enjoy the story.
The book is truly recommendable. Perfect to read for story times or by children on their own, the story brings lost values to our children.
Roxana Borreda
The story “The great, big, enormous turnip” takes place in a farm in which an old man plants a little turnip and says “Grow, grow, little turnip, grow sweet. Grow, grow little turnip, grow strong”. When the moment to pull it out comes, he realizes that he cannot do it on his own so he asks the old woman for help. Since they still cannot remove off the ground the turnip, they resolve to call for more help, and so, more and more characters are added to the scene. Finally, after having made a terrible effort, they together pull out the enormous turnip.
Cooperation and friendship are values that rarely are seen in society and that appear in Alexei Tolstoy’s story. The book shows a mix of characters such as human beings and animals which make little readers get involved with the plot. Moreover, the text is written with no complex vocabulary, with repetition of sequences, simple verbs and nouns which are very common for children and that will make the reading easier and more fluent for them. The appealing illustrations of Helen Oxenbury are joined and explain perfectly the plot. The funny and visual pictures let young readers enjoy the story.
The book is truly recommendable. Perfect to read for story times or by children on their own, the story brings lost values to our children.
The importance of Sharing (review)
Lorena Birra
The Doorbell Rang is a children’s story written by Pat Hutchins. The moral purpose of this story is to teach children the importance of sharing with others. The story also has a didactic value since it helps children to learn how to count and divide things, so it may be a useful tool for English ´s teachers, who are teaching numbers in fourth grade. Another important thing is that it has big illustrations that help small children to understand the story and the message beyond.
The characters of this story are a mother, her children, children´s friends and the grandmother of the children. While the mother is cleaning the kitchen’s floor, her children wait to eat the delicious cookies she has prepared for them. Children compare the cookies with the ones that grandma always makes:
“No one makes cookies like Grandma” said Ma as the doorbell rang.
Eventually, some friends come into the house and the mother invites them to stay and share the cookies. The most important thing is that we, as readers, can understand the message of the author, that the only thing that matters is sharing what we have with the rest.
However, the author stereotypes the character of the mother and her role in the family. On the other hand children should ask where the father is and if they have, because the whole story talks about the role of the mother, the father is not mention.
I recommend the story because it has a moral purpose and it is appealing for children since the author uses clear and big illustrations that help little children to understand it and catch its message.
The Doorbell Rang is a children’s story written by Pat Hutchins. The moral purpose of this story is to teach children the importance of sharing with others. The story also has a didactic value since it helps children to learn how to count and divide things, so it may be a useful tool for English ´s teachers, who are teaching numbers in fourth grade. Another important thing is that it has big illustrations that help small children to understand the story and the message beyond.
The characters of this story are a mother, her children, children´s friends and the grandmother of the children. While the mother is cleaning the kitchen’s floor, her children wait to eat the delicious cookies she has prepared for them. Children compare the cookies with the ones that grandma always makes:
“No one makes cookies like Grandma” said Ma as the doorbell rang.
Eventually, some friends come into the house and the mother invites them to stay and share the cookies. The most important thing is that we, as readers, can understand the message of the author, that the only thing that matters is sharing what we have with the rest.
However, the author stereotypes the character of the mother and her role in the family. On the other hand children should ask where the father is and if they have, because the whole story talks about the role of the mother, the father is not mention.
I recommend the story because it has a moral purpose and it is appealing for children since the author uses clear and big illustrations that help little children to understand it and catch its message.
When the Elephant Walks (review)
Mariela Alvarez- Melina Acosta Clenar
When the Elephant Walks, by Keiko Kasza is a well-written story for children. Plenty of humorous pictures, the tale introduces the feeling of fear through dynamic images and refers to situations that make us feel afraid of. All of us could be scared of something at any time of our lives. Even the enormous elephant in the story is afraid of something.
The story begins with a mighty Elephant who scares a big Bear and this scares a fierce Crocodile. When the reptile decides to swim for his life, he scares the Wild Hog who runs fearful from the predator, frightening at the same time a smaller animal. The story elapses up to the end, with different animals that frighten others. The author of this book tries to leave a message to readers, a kind of moral to reflect upon.
When the Elephant Walks is not only a well worth reading book for children, who love funny stories of animals, but also for adults who want to teach values to their sons. The funny pictures and its enjoyable reading, make the book definitely very readable.
When the Elephant Walks, by Keiko Kasza is a well-written story for children. Plenty of humorous pictures, the tale introduces the feeling of fear through dynamic images and refers to situations that make us feel afraid of. All of us could be scared of something at any time of our lives. Even the enormous elephant in the story is afraid of something.
The story begins with a mighty Elephant who scares a big Bear and this scares a fierce Crocodile. When the reptile decides to swim for his life, he scares the Wild Hog who runs fearful from the predator, frightening at the same time a smaller animal. The story elapses up to the end, with different animals that frighten others. The author of this book tries to leave a message to readers, a kind of moral to reflect upon.
When the Elephant Walks is not only a well worth reading book for children, who love funny stories of animals, but also for adults who want to teach values to their sons. The funny pictures and its enjoyable reading, make the book definitely very readable.
The Gingerbread boy (review)
ALBARRACIN, Patricia
CHAO, María Paula
Debby Slier is one of the most famous publisher adapter, author, illustrator and photographer of children´s books. She retells The Gingerbread Boy, a Read Along With Me book. Through humour and tenderness, the writer captures children's attention during the whole narration.
Slier presents the narrative describing an old couple with no children. One day, when the old lady is baking gingerbread cookies, she makes one of them in shape of a boy. At the precise moment she opens the oven, he comes to life and runs out of the kitchen singing "Run, run, as fast as you can. You can’t catch me! I'm a Gingerbread Man. I am! I am!” He gets away from the old man, the little old woman, a horse, a cow and a mouse .Next, he comes to a river and trying to cross it, he is cheated by a clever fox that, finally, eats him all up. In all likelihood, this sharp unhappy ending spices up the story.
All sequences of events described in the story, repetitions of words and phrases encourage children to follow the Gingerbread Boy’s adventures with enthusiasm until the last page. In addition to this, there are words replaced with drawings in the margins of each page. Adults can help children to identify the symbols that stand for these words and figure out grammatical structures. The book would serve as a bridge to join playing and learning.
The story will keep children amused at the time they pick up reading. Don´t miss the opportunity for sharing this outstanding work with them. Take my word for it: you will enjoy this marvellous tale as much as kids will!
CHAO, María Paula
Debby Slier is one of the most famous publisher adapter, author, illustrator and photographer of children´s books. She retells The Gingerbread Boy, a Read Along With Me book. Through humour and tenderness, the writer captures children's attention during the whole narration.
Slier presents the narrative describing an old couple with no children. One day, when the old lady is baking gingerbread cookies, she makes one of them in shape of a boy. At the precise moment she opens the oven, he comes to life and runs out of the kitchen singing "Run, run, as fast as you can. You can’t catch me! I'm a Gingerbread Man. I am! I am!” He gets away from the old man, the little old woman, a horse, a cow and a mouse .Next, he comes to a river and trying to cross it, he is cheated by a clever fox that, finally, eats him all up. In all likelihood, this sharp unhappy ending spices up the story.
All sequences of events described in the story, repetitions of words and phrases encourage children to follow the Gingerbread Boy’s adventures with enthusiasm until the last page. In addition to this, there are words replaced with drawings in the margins of each page. Adults can help children to identify the symbols that stand for these words and figure out grammatical structures. The book would serve as a bridge to join playing and learning.
The story will keep children amused at the time they pick up reading. Don´t miss the opportunity for sharing this outstanding work with them. Take my word for it: you will enjoy this marvellous tale as much as kids will!
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
The rain’s power
It was about to rain and it was a dark and cold evening. A group of ants called ‘The Red Army’ was afraid of the huge drops which were a threat for its anthill. In order to go through the tempest, they strengthened their enormous shelter with branches and leaves.
When the neighbour communities saw how safe their shelter was, they immediately wanted to join the Red Army. The old Queen Margaret totally refused the idea. But the King ordered to remove some extra supplies out of the anthill: ‘-That’s craziness! We will not help them’, said Margaret furiously. Surprisingly, a defiant and rebellious voice was heard. ‘What’s wrong with that?’ said little Red ant. ‘It makes new room for new people’. When the Queen was about to reply the little daring girl a sudden shower broke out. It was in that moment that the King allowed the other communities to come in.
Even though the Queen was against that decision, all the communities worked together to undergo the deadly weather.
When the neighbour communities saw how safe their shelter was, they immediately wanted to join the Red Army. The old Queen Margaret totally refused the idea. But the King ordered to remove some extra supplies out of the anthill: ‘-That’s craziness! We will not help them’, said Margaret furiously. Surprisingly, a defiant and rebellious voice was heard. ‘What’s wrong with that?’ said little Red ant. ‘It makes new room for new people’. When the Queen was about to reply the little daring girl a sudden shower broke out. It was in that moment that the King allowed the other communities to come in.
Even though the Queen was against that decision, all the communities worked together to undergo the deadly weather.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Firebug
Of her tiny room, little red ant was tired. She needed more space to give a big birthday party. She thought and thought and the idea came across. She went to the shop and came back with a bomb. Matches in hand the countdown begun... 5, 4, 3, 2... "NOOOOOOOO!" Little Red Ant's mom shouted and blew the flame. "You can't explode your room!". "What's wrong with that?" Said Little Red Ant. "It makes room for new people". "Oh you little naughty ant, go to sleep!" Ordered Little Red Ant's mom.
The end
The end
The gift of God
Once upon a time there were two old ants’ Kingdoms. One was called ‘The Black’ and the other was named ‘The Red’. They used to live in harmony sharing the goods of the nature but after a dried season, things changed a lot.
As the food was not enough for all of them, they started fighting for the only tree that was alive. Days went on and the situation got worse. Many of them died because of the little food on the land. This is why one little red ant proposed to share the tree in place of keeping on with the cruel struggle. The other group was against the idea since ants were too many.
What’s wrong with that? - Said little red ant. It makes room for new people, too. This simple words changed the minds of the ants and understood how important is to share whatever you have. At this moment, the rain began falling down and hundreds trees grew up around them as a gift of God.
As the food was not enough for all of them, they started fighting for the only tree that was alive. Days went on and the situation got worse. Many of them died because of the little food on the land. This is why one little red ant proposed to share the tree in place of keeping on with the cruel struggle. The other group was against the idea since ants were too many.
What’s wrong with that? - Said little red ant. It makes room for new people, too. This simple words changed the minds of the ants and understood how important is to share whatever you have. At this moment, the rain began falling down and hundreds trees grew up around them as a gift of God.
From the oak tree to the pine tree
Once upon a time, there was a community of red ants which lived behind a pine tree. Where the tallest oak tree was, there lived the black ants community. Red ants hated black ants because they lived in tallest tree of the forest. When the hard rain of April fell, the black antes were desperate. They had to evacuate their home and didn´t want to do it.
Red queen mother was watching at the news. She noticed the black ant’s situation. Immediately, she announced a general meeting with her community. She felt empathy towards the blacks.
“Good Morning. Considering the black ant´s problem I have decided to help them”.
“Are you mad?. They are our enemies.” said the prime minister.
“No. Think what you are saying, we are all ants. We must help our siblings”. Replied the queen.
“What´s wrong with that?” said little red ant. “It makes room for new people”.
“What do you mean by it?” asked queen mother.
“Let´s dig! We have to dig deeper and that will make room for new people.” Said little red ant.
“Good idea! I will let the blacks know about our decision.” exclaimed the queen.
Three days later, the blacks and the reds were living all together as a whole and unique community. They forgot about their anger towards each other.
Red queen mother was watching at the news. She noticed the black ant’s situation. Immediately, she announced a general meeting with her community. She felt empathy towards the blacks.
“Good Morning. Considering the black ant´s problem I have decided to help them”.
“Are you mad?. They are our enemies.” said the prime minister.
“No. Think what you are saying, we are all ants. We must help our siblings”. Replied the queen.
“What´s wrong with that?” said little red ant. “It makes room for new people”.
“What do you mean by it?” asked queen mother.
“Let´s dig! We have to dig deeper and that will make room for new people.” Said little red ant.
“Good idea! I will let the blacks know about our decision.” exclaimed the queen.
Three days later, the blacks and the reds were living all together as a whole and unique community. They forgot about their anger towards each other.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Text discussion 1
This is part of the someone's retelling of her experience with children's literature. Read it carefully. Do you find anything to question or correct?
When I was a child my older sister, María, used to buy a lot of storybooks for me, not only for my school but also for pleasure. She used to read me classic fary tales from a Losada collection, which I still have. However, the stories I liked the most were those she made up for me. She used my name and my best friend’s name in her stories. I loved that. We used to fight drangons and monsters, and always win.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Exquisite cadaver
Love was you and me together. We used to be one soul. Even though, I didn’t want this to change, our fate was already written. I assume the pen was held by her. I would have never figured out that she used to visit me and her eyes were not upon me but on my grandmother. It was a pleasant breezy evening, I opened the door and I found them not drinking tea, not talking, not cooking but kissing. The passion in their lips was extreme. Her wrinkled hands held her skinny face that used to be mine. The disgusting scene made me feel shocked and I was only able to close the door. The noise let them know that they were not alone. As I left, I realized that my reality was not what I thought. It was a dark day and there was smog everywhere. Anxiousness was running through Dan´s veins. He felt nervous about his first experience piloting, and the weather was not helping.
He turned off the engineer, got off the car and went to the instructor´s office. There was music on, but no one answered when he knocked the door. Raindrops began to fall on his head while he paced the landing track, his opportunity vanishing as the hours passed.
Dan decided to walk towards his car. But suddenly he heard a noise on the sky and turned his head up. It was his instructor in the plane he had been waiting for all day long. It was late anyway. The plane arrived late, so the pilot returned home. The passengers had been waiting at the airport for ten hours and started to complain. As I was the check-in receptionist, everybody shouted at me angrily. The situation got worst when people destroyed the airport hall. All the employees were evacuated by the police. I decided to quit my work, because it wasn´t the first time that such dangerous disorder took place. The only person I would miss was my boss, William. I was in love with him, though I wasn´t sure if he felt the same. That day, when I was at home he called me and I decided to start again.
It had been two years without seeing each other. He had gone to study abroad and I didn't want to follow him. At that time our relationship wasn't as good as the beginning of it. He had changed pretty much the last years. He priorized his carrer more than our relationship. I still was with him but I felt lonely. During these two years I went out, met new people even I got a new job. My life was normal, stable. I almost believed that I had forgotten him but last week he called me and we met each other. As soon as I saw him my heart exploded in happiness. All my feelings woke up again.He stared at me and at that moment he said: " Love was you and me together."
He turned off the engineer, got off the car and went to the instructor´s office. There was music on, but no one answered when he knocked the door. Raindrops began to fall on his head while he paced the landing track, his opportunity vanishing as the hours passed.
Dan decided to walk towards his car. But suddenly he heard a noise on the sky and turned his head up. It was his instructor in the plane he had been waiting for all day long. It was late anyway. The plane arrived late, so the pilot returned home. The passengers had been waiting at the airport for ten hours and started to complain. As I was the check-in receptionist, everybody shouted at me angrily. The situation got worst when people destroyed the airport hall. All the employees were evacuated by the police. I decided to quit my work, because it wasn´t the first time that such dangerous disorder took place. The only person I would miss was my boss, William. I was in love with him, though I wasn´t sure if he felt the same. That day, when I was at home he called me and I decided to start again.
It had been two years without seeing each other. He had gone to study abroad and I didn't want to follow him. At that time our relationship wasn't as good as the beginning of it. He had changed pretty much the last years. He priorized his carrer more than our relationship. I still was with him but I felt lonely. During these two years I went out, met new people even I got a new job. My life was normal, stable. I almost believed that I had forgotten him but last week he called me and we met each other. As soon as I saw him my heart exploded in happiness. All my feelings woke up again.He stared at me and at that moment he said: " Love was you and me together."
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