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AUGUST 23, 2003 at 4:48 AM
Posted by CHEESER
Source: Hawkes Bay Today via Wizard News
New Zealander Laura Franklin opines about the seeming desire of some parents to sterilize children's imaginations
, using the claim that today's superheroes aren't suitable for kids. "Obviously," she says mockingly, "that sort of activity has to be ruthlessly stamped out before it spreads."
Where is the line in the sand that separates healthy fantasy from dangerous fixation?
... some tight-lipped teacher-type will frown across the desk ... and pronounce: "I'm dreadfully sorry to have to inform you of this, but your little Benjamin is showing signs of an imagination. It's not the sort of thing we encourage here at the Little Robots Modern Children's Facilitation Complex. Yesterday we caught him wearing a cape and we're fairly sure he was having fun."
What the heck is up with these people?
Where will the daycare police draw the line? A kid can't be Superman or Spider-Man. Can he be Buzz Lightyear? Is Spongebob Squarepants a threatening archetype?
I think we need to have clear guidelines on this. Does Harry Potter encourage black magic and satanism? Does Barney the dinosaur offend those who don't believe in evolutionary theory?
...how cringingly correct do you want to be?
Reader Comments (28)
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Witch
Points: 917
Slytherin_Punk says:
Thjere is nothing wrong with harry potter or spongebob but barney yes there is. He is one freaky dude.
Posted Aug 23, 2003 at 7:12 AM EST
Points: 564
oriole1115 says:
Yep, everything here sounds about right (Barney does offend people, those who dont believe in evolution and everyone else)! LOL
Posted Aug 23, 2003 at 7:54 AM EST
Transfiguration Professor
Points: 2990
Choralee says:
Children need superheroes. Adults need superheroes. Without the belief in the impossible, wouldn't the human race become stagnant and die out? Any teacher parent or guardian of a child should be thrilled beyond belief to find that an imagination is lurking in the recesses of that child's mind. Without imagination, what would the world be like?
Ben Franklin - would have never wondered what would happen if lightening hit a key (electricity)
Thw Wright Brothers - would have never had the nerve to toss themselve off a cliff to see if they could build their own set of wings (airplanes)
Guttenberg - would have never figured out how to bulk print books and papers for public use (first printing press)
What a dull and boring place this earth would be without the imagination of those living on it!
Posted Aug 23, 2003 at 8:09 AM EST
Squib
Points: 154
Evans says:
OH GOD ! i hate it when people oppose superforces saying children get tooo influenced by it ! if your child gets too influenced taht he humps of a terace with a broom thinking that he will be able to fly like a wizard then probaly you have not explained to him/her that the characters are imaginary ! you have to control your kid not the world !
Posted Aug 23, 2003 at 8:16 AM EST
Metamorphmagus
Points: 37946
tonks black says:
That article made me surprisingly think of petunia and vernon dursley trying to "stomp the magic" out of harry. Children with no imaginations is like Harry Potter with no magic.
Posted Aug 23, 2003 at 9:41 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1856
Rupert Baby says:
Why do people keep ragging on Harry Potter and all these other super heroes i think they are good for kids many of them are written as regular guys (or girls) and it gives kids something to think about and imagine what it would be like to be one of them. Imagination is a great thing i think Harry Potter just helps our imaginations grow even more!
Posted Aug 23, 2003 at 1:32 PM EST
Witch
Points: 712
harryroxmysocks says:
I think children need superheros...They inspire kids to have imaginations, which are very important.
Posted Aug 23, 2003 at 3:03 PM EST
Witch
Points: 742
TigerEyez says:
I agree with harryroxmysockskids these days need someone to look up to because, well at least in America, sometimes they can't even admire their parents. I think it's funny how people have problems with Barney, because when you're a kid, and that is who the show is for after all, you don't give a flying fish!
Posted Aug 23, 2003 at 4:10 PM EST
Witch
Points: 750
siriusgurl says:
Lol I liked this article since I so agree. Um people have something against Barney, to be honost I never liked him over friendlyness scares me but um...? Anyway Sponge bob, Harry Potter, Superman all rule so get a life who ever thinks it's gonna warp their children.
Posted Aug 23, 2003 at 5:15 PM EST
Witch
Points: 979
Butterbeer says:
I find nothing wrong wiht harry potter, spongebob, spiderman and Buzz Lightyear...but barney, well he is ok. The only thing we need to wrry about is Telle Tubbies (sp?).
Posted Aug 23, 2003 at 11:19 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 43
Catweazle says:
I really can't understand this abhorrence of Superheroes myself. So they'd rather kids grow up hero-worshipping sports stars and the like? "Real" people so to speak. Fine. And what about the disillusionment a few years down the track when they discover their 'idol' is a paedophile, rapist or murderer?
At least I know that my child, a Superman/Batman fan, is not going to face that.
In my experience, their dressing up as Superheroes is good and healthy and NORMAL. And you know what? They grow out of it. And move onto more complex forms of roleplaying. ;~)
Posted Aug 24, 2003 at 12:53 AM EST
Wizard
Points: 547
ivanlo says:
People not just kids really do need role models. I want to see less of killing people before really trying to handle the situation non-violently scenerios with absolutly no consequences. Remember detective Holmes; hell even superman is a good rolemodel. Now days we get the T-1000 and all that junk. No wonder kids are as ignorant as ever these days.
WE need real rolemodels and I'm saying this as a 16 year old myself.
Posted Aug 24, 2003 at 1:05 AM EST
Muggle
Points: 43
Catweazle says:
And you know what else? Kids KNOW these Superheores are not real. They KNOW they're make-believe. And that is healthy too. Certainly healthier than transposing 'superhuman' qualities onto real people.
PS: Tonks Lupin , I'm scared of Barney too! He creeps me out completely.
Posted Aug 24, 2003 at 1:18 AM EST
Muggle
Points: 43
Catweazle says:
Well, this is true. They try to blame violence on TV and Movies forgetting (for some UNFATHOMABLE reason) that these things have not yet been around for 100yrs! What, pray, do we blame the previous 7000yrs (approx.) of human violence on??
Posted Aug 24, 2003 at 2:11 AM EST
Chief Brain Washer
Points: 2881
Chogiiiirl says:
Loved it! Loved the article, and the author's opinions. She is right on the money with all of this PC about superheros and such. The school where I teach had some trouble last year with our principal not letting anyone dress up for Halloween. We had "black and orange" day (gag). Since I am on the spirit comittee, we have decided to have a dress up day. The only things we ask for is no blood, guts, or gore. There are some things that are not appropriate in a school or preschool, but superheros are definately not one of those things. I remember running around in my Wonder Woman Underoos in Kindergarten, along with this rest of the class. We got into a lot of trouble (since we had stripped down to our underwear), and I got in the most trouble, since I was the ringleader. But, we did have fun, and our teacher never tried to stamp out our imagination, she just asked that we kept our clothes on the next time!
Posted Aug 24, 2003 at 8:09 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 1st Class
Points: 1990
HarrysGran says:
Hm, I don't know Barney. Seems to be an interesting character!
And Chogirl, that was a nice story about being Wonder woman, it made me smile!
Luckily, I live in Cologne, Germany, and we have a custom to dress up what we like in February. It's called "Karneval" and everybody runs around for - if you like - five days (!) in all costumes imaginable. You can do this at school, at work, everywhere. And you have the chance to dress up as your personal hero! And I know I will sew some Hogwarts robes for the next occasion, running around as a student.
In our so called modern world it is absolutly vital to have some heroes with virtues as bravery, honesty and a feeling for friendship. Where is so much corruptness, meaness and dishonesty we need a place to forget all about it and dream about a better world. And Harry helps a lot! There should be more of Gryffindor in all of us!
Posted Aug 24, 2003 at 8:41 AM EST
Points: 351
Imelda Moonshine says:
What is it with people and political correctness?So long as no-one's getting hurt, who cares what superheroes are like.Anyway, there are real life people out there who are a far more dangerous threat.
Posted Aug 24, 2003 at 1:53 PM EST
Chief Brain Washer
Points: 2881
Chogiiiirl says:
Thanks for the nice response HarrysGran to my silly little story. The February custom sounds great. I've only been to Cologne once, on a summer vacation, and it was a beautliful city. It would be cool to see what you are describing firsthand. I also agree with your comments at the end, about how we need positive role models in today's society, and a means of imaginations and escape.
Posted Aug 24, 2003 at 2:00 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 64
serious-sirius says:
I liked harrysgran's comment. "'it is absolutly vital to have some heroes with virtues as bravery, honesty and a feeling for friendship.'" I was a huge superman fan as a kid, i would even say he was my hero. he fought evil and for the betterment of mankind (and he flew). I think we need to encourage heros that are good, now beavis and butthead... that is another story. Harry Potter fights evil and in the book "evil" is defined for us. Voldemort is a murderer and doesn't care for other people and Harry is opposing that. if children have harry for a hero, won't they likely emulate him and so hold in contempt those aweful qualities that voldemort has?
Posted Aug 24, 2003 at 2:24 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 43
Catweazle says:
Hahaha! Bevis and Butthead! My boys went through a phase of emualating them too. "I am Cornholio!" But in a deliberately comic way. They understood completely that the characters were total losers.
Posted Aug 24, 2003 at 6:42 PM EST
Head Girl
Points: 468
Charlie'sMum says:
Loved this article. This is the kind of 'band-aid' theroy that seems to be popular these days, instead of looking for the root of a problem, they just create some silly rule and so they can absolve themselves of responsibility. Kids have been dressing up like superheros for ages, and I don't think it causes aggressive behavior. Kids are agressive sometimes, its what kids do. Get over it. I spent much of my childhood pretending to be alternately Wonderwoman or one of the Charlie's Angels, and I don't think it made me an evil person. Odd, maybe, but not evil!
Posted Aug 25, 2003 at 11:56 AM EST
Wizard
Points: 603
Padfoot7 says:
Ah! Crazies on the loose again! Come on! Let our kids have a freaking imagination!
Posted Sep 3, 2003 at 10:06 PM EST
Professor
Points: 1092
quidditch_queen says:
I agree with choralee. Everyone needs a heroe.
Posted Sep 13, 2003 at 6:32 PM EST
Witch
Points: 684
Malakite says:
I get tired of all this censorship. You shouldn't try to control people's minds and their children's minds by taking away their free choice, and the freedom to make up your OWN mind, and use your IMAGINATION, etc. As a parent, I may hold my children back from certain things that I know will confuse them, but that's only until they are older and can understand - and can make their own decisions. But I would never deny them the right to read what they want as they grow older!
Posted Sep 15, 2003 at 10:53 AM EST
Points: 216
RhondaWeasley says:
'A British psychologist even complained that Thomas the Tank Engine has too many crashes and is frightening for little ones.'
This made me laugh, so kids can't even watch a show about a talking train?! You know, my mum made me a Superman cape -- okay Supergirl cape, my cousin was the boy so he was Superman. And I had such fun running around day care and playing in it with him, but I knew I was playing! What the heck is wrong with playing? You get such a short time to be a child and enjoy superheros on that simple level where there are clear good guys and bad guys, what's so wrong with that?
Posted Sep 20, 2003 at 10:15 PM EST
Points: 7828
Rococoed says:
Children need imagination, an escape from reality, in these times of terrorism. Was I influenced to satanism or wicca after reading Potter? No. Did I believe the evolutionary theory when I was younnger or now when I play Pokemon? No. Was I inspired to jump off the Empire State Building after Superman? No. And Spongebob isn't evil! He's one of the best shows on television not just because of it's jokes but it also lifts your spirits if you're upset. Ask my mother about what she did on 9-11; flop in a Spongebob DVD! It's okay for children to have imagination, as long as they can draw that critical line between fantasy and reality. Are you listening Christian fundamentalists?
Posted Sep 22, 2003 at 7:05 AM EST
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