Have you seen Wall-E yet? While we were cruising, my parents came and stayed with our kids. My mom said she felt like the robot in Wall-E--the vacuum who followed Wall-E around because his directive was to clean up dirt.
This was funny to me, not just because the kids do seem to leave a little trail of messes in their wake, but also because I kept thinking of Wall-E while we were away. I felt like we were the overweight, hover-crafting cruisers, whose "directive" for the bulk of the movie was INDULGE. We ate and napped, ate and napped. No dishes, no laundry, no cleaning. As wonderful as it was, I really wouldn't want life to go on like that, because I would become less of a thinking/moving person. And over time, there would be a loss of bone density...just kidding.
But seriously, as for the current controversy about whether Wall-E is liberal propaganda, I want to hear what everyone thinks. One commentator called it a 90 minute lecture, an animated Inconvenient Truth. To me it was SO entertaining I didn't think to take offense. I only chuckled at the irony of paying $42 for my admittedly large family (at matinée pricing) to learn that mindless entertainment and indulgence is dangerous, with DisneyPixar as our teacher... hmmm.
Maybe if it makes us uncomfortable, it's because we are deep-down uneasy about our ultra-lux lifestyle. Maybe we know we are too attached to the pleasure-seeker-within. Or maybe we simply don't want our cartoons to preach to us (unless it's veggietales?). At any rate, I can't believe that DisneyPixar has any agenda other than one: selling stuff. This time around, I happened to like the stuff. How about you all? Offended, entertained, validated? What did you get out of Wall-E?
15 comments:
OOoo yea, I also love this topic. I have never been offended by a Disney/Pixar movie. That said, I do think all of them for the last 10 years or so seem to have an environmental agenda with them only getting more and more blatant as time goes on(with exception of course). I can't figure out if they have some master scheme and I should pull out my conspiracy theory books or simply chalk it up to kids love animals.
Oh, and I haven't seen Wall-E yet. Don't know if I can bring myself to buy that ticket. Sid may just beg me into it though.
We all really enjoyed Wall-E. Kyle and I talked about the message and whether we felt like it was pushed on us, or if it were there as kind of a funny, ha ha, look how fat we are getting type of thing. We decided that it was the later.
I didnt feel dirty and used after it like I did with happy feet.
I dont think that pixar has pushed any agenda really- however, dreamworks is working its way towards banishment with some of their more recent films.
We haven't seen it yet since it was tagged a definate buy. We have a one in, one out policy, so we have to choose with care.
I've liked all the Pixar movies. They all seem to work on multiple levels and have uplifting messages.
I certainly don't see anything wrong with an environmental message. We've got quite a mess to pick up. These kids may be doing the bulk of it.
I was totally entertained but also came away with the resolution to take better care of this planet we live on. I liked the Noah-like attempt to find out if there was a sustainable environment yet. I liked Wall-E's pursuit of his dream girl and patiently wooing her so he wouldn't be lonely any more.
Mom
The kids saw it--and never mentioned their new environmental commitment. Maybe I can work on not letting their personal belongings become a total wasteland.
A couple of additional remarks (it's my blog so I can get the last word, right?):
I mentioned INCONVENIENT TRUTH as if that was a bad thing, which is the opposite of my true opinion. I fact, I want to have my kids see the real thing, unanimated :0)
And I recommend Wall-E based on entertainment value. We go to a movie as an entire family maybe once a year, and this one was worth it. I surprised at how entertained I was.
It's on our schedule of fun summer activities. Now I can't wait to see the deep, subtle messages that lurk beneath the surface! :-)
My favorite part of the movie was the four cheap plastic disposable "Wall-E" watches that they handed out to the kids when they took our tickets. They're still sitting in the kitchen, waiting to be thrown into the garbage.
If Wall-E were to find those watches, would he add them to his collection of valuables? Hmm...
- Mike
We just got back from watching it, and we all loved it a lot! I don't think political issues fit into a strict black-and-white "liberal" vs. "conservative" view anyway, though... it's possible to be conservative and believe we should be good stewards of the earth, for example :) But I didn't really feel hit over the head with the message.
I loved the "I don't want to survive, I want to LIVE" message, though.
I thought there was an interesting take on another controversy around this movie on another blog: http://bradhicks.livejournal.com/404081.html.
hmm... just one warning about that link I posted... looking down at the pile of comments people are leaving on it, some of them are somewhat passionate about the subject and their colorful language shows it :|
The only reason I go to movies is for entertainment purposes and a break. Whatever message they are trying to send, in any movie, usually lasts with my until I walk out of the doors of the theater. Whether or not I agree or disagree with themes that are being thrown out, it's still just a movie to me, and I don't think it's going to change me much. I LOVED Wall-E, by the way.
We loved it. I am all for my kids learning things through movies although I don't think they got the message that we did. It also makes me want to live a better more environmentally friendly life and eat a little better!
I have not seen the movie, but did listen to a radio interview of the maker of the movie. He started making this movie in the 90's, way before all of this environmental surge happened. He just said he was just making a movie. All of your comments are interesting.
I couldn't dislike a movie more. I get the message, and I'm all for the message, but I could write a more entertaining script. I think everyone in the theater laughed one time only. Luckily, it was free. A client from work was taking his clients for an appreciation event. Jesse and I both were ready to fall asleep. Aloysius got out of it by saying he had to puke. I kind of felt the same way.
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