I am twenty years old. Yes. Two decades I have been alive. And I am the happiest person in the world to have been born in the early nineties.
What got be thinking about this was me wanting to listen to some chipper music while I was writing. I don't remember exactly where I started but I went from listening to songs from the "Goofy Movie" to listening to "Ghostbusters." Listening to those songs brought back so many memories and I'm sitting here thinking... wow these poor children's childhoods are so... depressing.
I'm not saying that if you were born after the nineties that your childhood sucked- just that from my point of view... it really doesn't compare.
Now I do have a bias to begin with because that is the time that I was raised but I must insist, there are some things that you are missing out on.
There are two main things that I feel are effecting the quality of material presented to our current youth.
For one, we have the tendency to not value intelligence- that or ignore its existence. I was shocked when I helped out at church for the kids Sunday School program when the teacher had to say, "One two three- eyes one me!" to get the kids to be quiet and sit still. To me it sounds like a command you give a dog. When I was a kid at church and the kids weren't paying attention the adult would raise his hand to get our attention and say something along the lines of, "Guys, you are not showing respect for so and so. You need to sit still and listen."
Worked for us. I could go on and on with that subject but maybe I'll save that rant for another day.
The other is everything is geared toward adults. We took a kids TV show and turned it into a huge action packed porno film(Transformers). I know some people will hate me for saying that but I won't be anything but honest on the subject. Whatever happened to movies like Star Wars or Jurassic Park? Action films that have little to no swear words, sex wasn't shoved in anyone's faces, and some violence. Side note, Jurassic Park was intended to be a thriller, not a family movie. I'm not saying oh no! Ban sex and vulgarity from movies! I'm just saying that for majority of movies its really not all that necessary. Kids don't have a lot peer role models. Its not cool to be a kid, everyone wants to be an adult because adults don't have rules. We tell our kids they can't drink until their 21 and they know that it really isn't a perfect rule. Someone who is sixteen and has the ability to drink responsibly will get into more trouble than a twenty-two year old who drinks themselves into a stupor and gets themselves and the people around them hurt in the process. Point is, we've created adulthood into some sort of club and the kids can only see the unfairness of not being included. So be quick to be grown up because only cool people are in the adult club.
Take our cereal for example; when was the last time it ever changed- besides becoming "healthier?" When I was a kid Captain Crunch was off making new versions of their cereal every few years. Peanut Butter Crunch, Crunch Berries.
One year Captain Crunch mysteriously vanished and we kids had to solve the mystery as to where he is. A small computer game was made out of the end of the puzzle that I sometimes get out and play today.
The rabbit from the Trix cereal has been going on with the "Silly Rabbit- Trix are for Kids!" for about two decades... if not longer.
I feel like... we've completely lost that sense of innocence and adventure. They tried to bring it back with Super 8 but the tone of the flick was still geared toward adults(don't get me wrong, I LOVE that flick). I'm not saying slap Cinderella's Perfectly Perfect World onto these films... but whatever happened to going out to sea not because some horrible thing is about to happen but just because we wanted some gold? Go wherever the wind may take us just for the sake of having an adventure.
If you'd like an example of capturing an adventure a kid would have go watch something from Studio Ghibli. That wonderful man has got it down. Though note that if you aren't a little sensitive to cultural differences you're going to think his movies are either slow, weird, just plain creepy, or all of the above.
What if we made a movie that was full of excitement, adventure, and a little bit of surprising humor*? Something that gets kids dreaming and it not being just about what they'll be when they grow up. Lets get pet dragons and race them- not having kid-gladiator fights to the death.
I think that we've just lost our childhood and no longer know how to relate to kids. I'm probably exaggerating a little bit but I really do miss those David and Goliath stories. Movies like Pollyanna staring one kid who changed a whole town for the better instead of starring a kid who is trying to find their place in school.
It wasn't all perfect though... Batman did save a man from "boiling acid" and you were supposed to take the scene seriously.
Hahahaha boiling acid.
Well... I think I've rambled enough for one day. I might go watch some animaniacs or something..
If I've inspired some memory lane I'd love to hear about it! <3
Until next time--- BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEUH! <3 <3 <3 <3
*I'm talking about you watching a film that is taking itself seriously then suddenly something ridiculous and awesome happens like two men having a button busting contest(by flexing muscles). Usually scenes like these happen in movies that show a long progression of time with a warm, cheery beginning, something happens that takes away happy days like war or someone dies or someone moves, then ends with something bittersweet that kind of looks back at the "good old days" from the beginning. Love movies like that.
