Taking into consideration our discussion in class, I'm left with a sort of blurry and upsettingly more complex idea as to what childhood is and what the term "Children's Media" refers to. I've always been proud of my love for children's films and have used that love and devotion to the genre as a signifier of my "extensive" knowledge on the subject as well. I'm now sitting here questioning what I thought, and am excited for what I might learn.
Benjamin gave us three categories to consider:
1. Media For Children
2. Media About Childhood
3. Media That Children Consume
I was left trying to understand what to define as a child, and what to define as appropriate. Many of us brought up good points about ethics and content and intent, and all of them seemed to propose a new thing that would complicate my former ideas about each subject. You could lump all movies that seem to be aimed at children into the category of "children's media" but what about the films that are subtly or even explicitly just about childhood? Shouldn't a film that deals overtly with themes about growing up and the mindset of being a child be a child's right to watch? Examples of this that pop into my mind are films like Finding Neverland (2004), Boyhood (2014), or even Ivan's Childhood (1962). You could make the argument that Finding Neverland, a film that talks about childhood and depicts it quite beautifully is a piece of children's media quite easily; however, something like Boyhood or Ivan's Childhood is more complicated in the sense that content and disturbing imagery and themes get in the way of it being appropriate for a child. So that category gets complicated. Perhaps not ever film that discusses childhood is for a child, but children should still be exposed to media that is about them and the things they go through.
The film we watched in class, Son of Rambow (2007) is a wonderfully imaginative and full of heart film that definitely is a piece of media that I find hard to define. It deals with issues about being a kid and being in a world of kids. The adults are distant and hard to understand and villainized for the most part. This, I've found to be a common thread in a lot of films for children--the adults are misunderstood or presented as antagonists (hinting at an underlying ideology within children's minds). The film represents the imagination and freedom in children as uber-important and, essentially, the thing that must be saved in children. The main character, Will, is seen being stifled creatively in his family and his religion, and must find a way to break out of that or help others see the importance of the special world he lives in. A common thread here also lies with his mother, who we see in a flashback being stifled creatively by her own parents.
There are definitely themes in the film that are aimed at parents in re: understanding your children, and also at children in re: being a kid and dealing with the issues that go along with that. I would define it as a piece of children's media in the sense that it is a film that is for a kid, could be consumed by a kid, and deals with being a kid. However, it is also something that could be argued to be aimed at adults as well, as I read and interpreted the film to be a message to adults about what we've lost, or what we're doing wrong.
I could go on forever about this topic, but I want to end on this specific note: children's media is a complex and beautiful genre within filmmaking. Isn't it special that there are things that appeal to almost every single person on Earth, regardless of their intelligence level or comprehension? Isn't is really unique that a film can give one adult a certain message and one child a different one? I've found in my experience that children are incredibly smart and wise beings, and they deserve all media that is SMART and doesn't treat them like idiots. Children should not be talked down to, they should be challenged. Because they can handle it, and some of them want it and seek it out. There are children out there that deserve beautiful and magical and special art to consume, and that is the children's media that stands out.
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