Outraged
Air and I went to the movies last night to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (finally). Our 9-year-old has been after us to see it and decide whether he may watch it as well. He has read all 6 books, by the way, several times each, and eagerly looks forward to the movies as they come out. But since this one was rated PG-13, we were a little more cautious and told him we would preview it first.
It took us some time (and a gift-card) to get around to it, and found it very entertaining and incredibly inappropriate for the demographic for which the books are written. The themes were very mature and very dark. As opposed the the third movie, though, there were some light moments with some humor. Although I believe the humor would have been lost on any nine-year-old, as it was targeted to a teenage audience. The third time my hand flew up to cover my eyes out of fear or revulsion, I leaned in towards Air (whose hand I held the entire time) and whispered, "He will not see this movie for a very long time." Air agreed and we went home knowing heavy disappointment would follow.
(As a side point, when I was 13, my parents went to see Dirty Dancing so they could determine whether my older sister and I could watch it too. Guess what they decided?)
Today, after carefully separating their Tzedaka money, (IDF and their school won) Air and I took the kids to Toys R Us to cash in their Chanukah Gelt. Searching through the toys in the running, we happened upon the Lego sets. There were a couple of sets from Harry Potter movies, but one caught my eye. It was the scene where Harry is doing his second task, the underwater Merpeople one. And I was disgusted. You have to see it. Two children are being drowned underwater by having their necks, hands, and feet tied down by a weight. If you zoom in on the images you won't believe it. Also, on the explanation it says they are asleep, but they are dead.
http://shop.lego.com/product.asp?p=4762&cn=233&d=7&t=3
Are you as outraged as I am? Don't worry, I wrote to Lego, calling for a complete national recall of this product.
It took us some time (and a gift-card) to get around to it, and found it very entertaining and incredibly inappropriate for the demographic for which the books are written. The themes were very mature and very dark. As opposed the the third movie, though, there were some light moments with some humor. Although I believe the humor would have been lost on any nine-year-old, as it was targeted to a teenage audience. The third time my hand flew up to cover my eyes out of fear or revulsion, I leaned in towards Air (whose hand I held the entire time) and whispered, "He will not see this movie for a very long time." Air agreed and we went home knowing heavy disappointment would follow.
(As a side point, when I was 13, my parents went to see Dirty Dancing so they could determine whether my older sister and I could watch it too. Guess what they decided?)
Today, after carefully separating their Tzedaka money, (IDF and their school won) Air and I took the kids to Toys R Us to cash in their Chanukah Gelt. Searching through the toys in the running, we happened upon the Lego sets. There were a couple of sets from Harry Potter movies, but one caught my eye. It was the scene where Harry is doing his second task, the underwater Merpeople one. And I was disgusted. You have to see it. Two children are being drowned underwater by having their necks, hands, and feet tied down by a weight. If you zoom in on the images you won't believe it. Also, on the explanation it says they are asleep, but they are dead.
http://shop.lego.com/product.asp?p=4762&cn=233&d=7&t=3
Are you as outraged as I am? Don't worry, I wrote to Lego, calling for a complete national recall of this product.
posted by Veev at 9:23 PM
17 Comments:
outraged? i think bored is more like it.
there are so many things to expend your outrage energy on, and you choose hp? that is nuts.
here are some:
detroit frummie politics and small mindedness;
general frummie politics and small mindedness;
corruption and ineptitude in american and israeli govt, and of course the ortho leadership;
female genital mutilation.
...and hp outrages you?!?!
of course the themes were mature and dark. it had a pg-13 rating. what did you expect?
incredibly inappropriate my foot. isnt this the book in which hps hormones begin to rage (we will say nothing of how this may have caused your kids hormones to intiate the rage sequence; he is a guy after all)? isnt this the book with casual death?
note well, this is a book you find highly appropriate for a nine year old. interesting.
of course, you allow him to watch not just imagined violence, but real violence, maliciously inflicted, on all sorts of what is commonly known as 'sports' nowadays.
[at least the movie enhanced your shalom bayis, since you were holding airhands, and we all know how air feels about THAT. and as a side point, hope your parents enjoyed dd as much as you enjoyed hp.]
amazing, how you think this is the worst you kid has experienced from the media, and probably even more amazing is that you think you are controlling all the media that enter your house and that he is exposed to.
not to mention that travesty of an orthodox school you subject your kids to. and you think that hp is out of bounds. unbelievable.
legos? legos is your problem now? as anyone who read the book knows, *this is exactly what happens in the book. which your kid read.*
and all readers know the outcome. so give it a rest.
again, the books, and their derivatives, are so innocuously harmless relative to everything else out there and that your kids experience, it is laughable that this outrages you.
veev, get a job, or a hobby, or another kid, or something. clearly you have too much time on your hands. all this pent up energy is bursting forth as rightous indignation over hp, when female genital mutilation abounds?
to some, THAT would constitute an ourage of misplaced energies!
Veev--
I am so with you on this one. I admit to having never read any of the books or seen the movies, so perhaps that invalidates any criticism I might have; however, I just can't imagine a single context, literary or cinematic, that would render a drowning scene appropriate for duplication in a toy marketed to 5-9 year olds.
My goodness anon. You are spouting all these things and throwing in torah words, take a better look at yourself. Attacking other people constantly does not help you on the road of life.
We are up to the secong harry potter book, my daughter and I. And I am already starting to feel that this one is a little much for her. I can't say I am very surprised by hp making a toy like this, but I agree that protesting it is the only way to go.
what torah words? sholom bayis? gimme a break, roll.
and if no one is here to point out the inconsistencies and hypocrisies of life, even the life of the cherished and revered veev, how would anyone improve?
i serve a valuable and important role on this blog, and the world at large.
krunk, drop the psychoanalysis, and critique what i said, anon-style. that would really be the most productive route for you.
i raise important issues which for some reason you avoid addressing. timid, perchance?
Anon#1: you've got some issues; one's better left debated with like-minded kooks.
Because Krunk chose not to nibble on your sad excuse of 'argument' makes him no less timid than you hiding behind 'Anonymous'. You seem to know the Air's. Grow some cojones and post under your name.
With the problems you have with Veev wishing to insulate her children from the crap out there, I'm hoping you don't have kids. If you do, I'm sure they're in a 'non-travesty school' where they preach an open mind about lego corpses.
...whaaat?....
don't be defensive Krunk. Here's a translation of what you were trying to say: "Stop being an pompous ass". Much easier, right?
This might explain why there is so much death is Harry PotterCNN.com - Rowling: Why death dominates 'Potter' - Jan 10, 2006
NO ONE DISSES HP!!! i loved the movie, if my nephew wouldve seen it i wouldve questioned teh sanity of his parents and i love cedric. i think thats the end of all the issues right here.
and veev, u let ur PARENTS watch dirty dancing?!?!?
I know, what was I thinking? BTW, 6 months later I saw it on video anyway at a friend's house. I own the DVD and it remains one of my favorite movies ever!
Try again, Krunk. Her parents read this.
WHAT DID HE WRITE??? never mind...i dont wanna know...
I should say the same to you, Krunk. ;)
IM SHOMER, IDIOTS! only ONE person is allowed 2 touch me and that person is NAMELESS...and why r u saying boy crazy like its a bad thing?
Excellent, love it! »
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