Are Classic Christmas Movies Too Scary for Today's Kids?

[HuckleB]

http://thestir.cafemom.com/big_kid/112847/are_classic_christmas_movies_too#comments

"Christmas is not a holiday most of us associate with horror movies. But before you go and throw on a DVD to keep the kids happy while you're wrapping presents on the sly, you might want to sit down for a preview.

It turns out some of those touchstones from our childhood are a lot scarier than we remember! If you don't want to spend Christmas night trying to convince a freaked out kid to go to sleep, you might want to hit the fast forward on these classic holiday movies (apologies in advance for any spoilers, but they're for your own good!):

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. If you've ever been to a kid's Christmas play, you'll know that little red noses and reindeer equal Christmas. But beware this movie. Because nothing yells "terrifying tots" like the Abominable Snowman, a big-toothed monster who hates Christmas (and seems like he's going to eat Rudolph).

Miracle on 34th Street. Natalie Wood's doe eyes don't make up for the threat of Santa being thrown in the clink. Imaging Santa in there with all the creeps they see on the news is rough on a kid.

..."


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Question 1: Is this serious or parody?

Question 2: If this author is serious, uh, say what?

Merry Holidays!

:hi:

[Occam Bandage]

1. The best children's movies are those that aren't afraid to convey a full range of emotions.

Children aren't so fragile that they can't experience fear in a controlled, safe environment.

[davidinalameda]

2. they forgot the Grinch

not exactly the friendliest looking character

[HuckleB]

14. The modern version is on the list. -eom-

[hlthe2b]

3. I would surely hope it is parody....

Though warning against those movies is but a more extreme example of what concerns one set of parents I am acquainted with.... Their kids are 7 and 8 years old and they still won't let them see the Wizard of Oz. Well, ok... I guess seeing body bags on the tarmac and real death and destruction thanks to the TV news coverage of the Vietnam War growing up, sort of desensitized me to flying monkeys and melting witches.

Yeah, let's shelter these kids from childhood scary fare, so that they are totally unprepared for anything truly frightening. :shrug:

[Drale]

4. God kids are such wimps today lol

really Rudolph scary?

[HuckleB]

6. It's not the kids. It's the parents.

Or 1/2 the parents. The other half show their kids horror films.

The balance is gone.

[Warpy]

20. Maybe an unintended consequence of having only one or two kids

is that parents culture them like hothouse orchids, overprotective to the point that the kids are terrified of Frosty the Snowman and the Grinch.

I fell sorry for the kids I see being brought up this way.

[HuckleB]

23. Good point.

I suspect that may play a part, for some or even many.

[REP]

29. Bad way to grow (many) orchids, too

The Victorians killed a lot of orchids in their hothouses. Turns out many don't need that kind of culture. I've got a bunch of species from many genuses out on the balcony right now.

[Warpy]

35. I had lady's slipper orchids out in the yard in New England

They were in an inconvenient place and illegal to transplant (silly law) and I didn't want to kill them off, so they stayed.

A lot of orchids are remarkably tough, you have to be to survive a New England winter and emerge the next year to bloom. The Victorians just wrongly assumed all were tropical.

The same goes for kids. Damned few need the degree of protection and careful tending that too many suburban kids are getting today.

[REP]

39. I forget the name offhand, but I know what you're talking about and it's endangered

Which doesn't matter when you don't like it and it's in the way! :-)

Cypripedilum reginae! (one of the few slippers I like)

[Warpy]

42. I just curved the path. I'd have preferred transplanting them

but the stupid law is written in such a way that it's OK pave over them and kill them but not OK to transplant them. I suppose it's to discourage plant hunters from destroying native species by digging them up and putting them into inappropriate places, but there should have been some provision made for inconvenienced homeowners.

Still, I did enjoy seeing them pop up and bloom every year.

[Ozymanithrax]

5. What about Santa Clause Conquers The Martians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkEumP828D4&feature=related

[virgogal]

7. Nothing is too scary for today's kids.

[AnneD]

8. Obviously this 'writer'......

never read the Grimms Brothers or Hans Christian Anderson. I was fortunate enough to grow up with the un sanitized versions, not much Disney for me. To feel the great joy you must have the deep sorrow. Oh, and I slept great too.

Remember the flip side of Jolly red suited Santa carrying a bag of goodies is a red Satan carrying a pitchfork.

[HuckleB]

10. What's also interesting in our current state of sanitized kiddie entertainment.

All the new stuff goes 110 miles an hour, with every scene shorter than the one before. They would never make the slower-paced Disney films of the past.

[WolverineDG]

9. Oh, ffs

Why don't we just wrap the kiddies up in 50 yards of bubble wrap until they're 18? Yeah, that'll teach them how to deal with life. :eyes:

Well, I went & read the blog & apparently she has a problem with "Nestor the Christmas Donkey" because Nestor's mom dies or is dead. I sure hope she hasn't shown her fragile, weak-minded children "Bambi."

dg

[MichiganVote]

11. Oh God........

[HuckleB]

13. If you're having that much fun, turn the computer off!

:) :hi: :toast:

[Codeine]

12. The Blood on Santa's Claws. nt

[edbermac]

15. Something like Silent Night Deadly Night could qualify.

[dana_b]

16. oy vey

really? This author needs to get out a little. I'll bet "THe Wizard of Oz" gives him/her a heart attack.

[HuckleB]

17. My guess is that this is what happens when you write on a parenting blog in this day and age.

[Iggo]

18. No. They're too scary for today's PARENTS. (n/t)

[HuckleB]

19. Yup.

Too many of today's parents seem to go to extremes: Either completely sheltering their kids in every way, or exposing them to things way beyond their comprehension.

Where is the balance?

[begin_within]

21. That abominable snowman did scare the crap out of me when I was a kid.

Hell, even the Grinch scared me.

[HuckleB]

22. I do remember being a bit scared by the abominable.

I just despised The Grinch, however.

:toast:

[Art_from_Ark]

24. I remember when the Grinch (original cartoon) premiered

December 1966, I believe, and I was just a little tyke looking forward to watching it. I had already read the book a few dozen times and knew how it ended, so the Grinch didn't scare me in the least.

[hfojvt]

30. one that sorta freaked me out

was "The Little Drummer Boy". He keeps getting kidnapped by these awful brutes. They quit showing that one though and it is probably not even available on DVD.

[Art_from_Ark]

32. The one that freaked me out the most was Mr. MaGoo

The Spirit of Christmas-yet-to-come gave me nightmares

[HuckleB]

38. It's available on DVD.

http://www.amazon.com/Little-Drummer-Boy-Jos%C3%A9-Ferrer/dp/B000R7G6KY/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1292354195&sr=1-1

[TheKentuckian]

25. If you can't handle Rudolph then maybe life will be too much of an obstacle for wittle Todd.

[Norrin Radd]

26. Rankin-Bass always made a point

of redeeming the villains at the end of their specials.

[jmowreader]

27. Okay, then, show them a GOOD movie...

like The Exterminator. Nothing says "Christmastime has come" quite like Robert Ginty running a Mafiosa through an industrial meat grinder.

[Art_from_Ark]

31. I just had to laugh at that one

Thanks for the laugh :toast:

[Warren DeMontague]

28. "Bad Santa"

What? It's a classic!

[HuckleB]

36. It is a classic!

[Kat45]

43. My favorite Christmas movie!

Just watched it the other night. My DVD, unedited version (Badder Santa).

[WinkyDink]

33. Joke. Or else the writer has zero understanding of child psychology.

[Robyn66]

34. Is this SERIOUS??

it truly sickens me the extent kids are sheltered now. I was scared of the Wizard of OZ and A Christmas Carol, but guess what, that is a part of growing up. No wonder we have kids with depression and anxiety disorders, they never learn how to handle the little fears and problems because we have raised a generation of kids who can't handle losing a game or getting a little afraid. When the real world comes crashing down they have no coping skills to fall back on because they never learned any. They are shocked when everyone doesn't win, and they cant handle simple harsh truth's. My daughter was terrified of the Grinch, and she just didn't watch it until she was ready but she got over it and we worked on GETTING her over it because kids need to learn to face their fears, it makes them strong adults.

[fishwax]

37. pretty clearly tongue-in-cheek, but the posts that take it seriously are amusing

:)

[uppityperson]

40. Muppet Christmas Carol addresses this question but says it is ok because it is "culture".

[HuckleB]

41. I haven't seen it yet, but I guess we're watching it this weekend, with our 4-year-old.

At least part of me can't wait.

:beer: