The Courier staff offer their opinions on subliminal messages and adult themes in children’s movies.

Written by Kunal Aggarwal – Staff Writer

Since their beginning in the early twentieth century, motion pictures have been a medium for directors, producers and actors to display their own views on controversial issues pertaining to modern society.  Contemporary children’s films such as Paramount Picture’s Hugo, DreamWorks’s Shrek, Pixar’s Wall-E and Disney’s Mulan give children the ability to assess real world situations through a humorous and relatable medium.  While some adults claim that these films are corrupting American children, they are actually giving children the opportunity to consider important issues in a language that they can easily understand.  Such films provide children with cultural merit, healthy messages about important issues and the opportunity to form educated opinions.

At some point in their lives, all children encounter the reality and controversy of modern society.  Mature cultural influences make a child’s transition into the adult world less traumatizing.  Shrek, for example, suggests that individuals should not rely too much on fantasies.  If children learn to see the good and bad aspects of the real world at a young age, they will be better prepared to enter it.

More mature films often portray important, educational messages that young children will benefit from. For instance, Disney’s Mulan, teaches young girls that women can achieve great success and do not need men to support them.  Furthermore, films such as Pixar’s Wall-E and Universal’s The Lorax teach children that it is important for people to care for the environment and be aware of their surroundings, creating more involved, responsible and proactive individuals.

“I think that as the industry progresses, more and more kids’ films incorporate a subtle political meaning, which can help kids better understand the various political perspectives,” said senior student director Nick Escobar.

Although a majority of children’s media lacks any real cultural merit, many of these “political kids’ films” contain a higher degree of intellect and more mature themes.  For instance, the Oscar-winning film Hugo depicts nineteenth-century Romantic ideologies, such as the value of opposing authority in order to do what is morally right.  Through more intellectual films, children develop new perspectives and refine their critical thinking skills.

“These films greatly inspire kids to actively support a particular cause,” said junior filmmaker Ron Nofar.

Children’s films that depict controversial issues and include mature undertones help future generations to form their own beliefs.  These children will then become educated adults prepared to enter the real world and effectively combat global problems.

Written by Alexa Carlucci – Staff Writer

Previously comprised of talking mice and singing mermaids, children’s movies have taken a dark turn as more films are incorporating political, social and violent undertones.  Inserting adult themes into children’s films brainwashes children before they have a chance to form their own opinions and causes them to prematurely lose their innocence.

Young children are especially impressionable as their minds are still developing beliefs and opinions.  Combining biased messages with lovable animated characters will inevitably brainwash young people into adopting ideas without fully understanding the underlying messages.  According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, violence, sexuality, racial and gender-fueled stereotypes plague a number of children’s movies.  A child’s impressionability will lead him or her to believe that these concepts are acceptable.  Children should be encouraged to develop educated opinions on their own terms rather than through these subliminal messages.

For instance, many children’s films incorporate depictions of war or violence that send young children inappropriate messages.  Disney films such as Mulan and Sleeping Beauty include scenes that portray violence.  Political undertones in films marketed to young audiences are also growing increasingly prominent. Pixar’s Wall-E and Universal’s The Lorax present the messages that private enterprise and big business have been driven by greed to systematically destroy the natural environment.

“Although I do support films that teach my children beneficial ideas, using adult undertones could erase the threshold between what is and is not an acceptable or biased opinion,” said CHS parent Stacy Fournier.

Additionally, older children who understand such crude undertones are negatively affected emotionally and are forced to consider ideas far beyond their maturity level.

“Undertones of adult themes are concepts children do not need to know about,” said CHS film teacher Margie Selke.  “If they must insert these references, they should simply make an adult film.”

These movies add subtle undertones to what families expect to be light-hearted children’s movies, diminishing the innocent themes of the films.  Families expecting to witness a fantasy are forcefully bombarded with the harsh tones of reality. Children’s movies should remain age-appropriate to ensure that children keep their innocence for as long as possible.