I think Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was the first Christmas song I learned. I can still sing all the words. Every year, as a small child, I was thrilled to watch Rudolph on TV and I sat on the floor mesmerized by the familiar story.
I grew fast as a child and I was an "early bloomer" -- I was bigger than all the other kids when I started kindergarten and that was true right up until 6th grade, when a couple of the boys finally got taller than me. I was also chubby. So I felt like a freak and a misfit in school, always. (In high school it was the opposite -- I was shorter than most everyone!) Rudolph was a misfit, too. I felt Rudolph understood my pain. If I had been a character in his world I would have felt right at home on The Island of Misfit Toys.
In the end, Rudolph's nose [spoiler alert] was seen as a beacon, and Santa used it to steer by. He didn't insist Rudolph get a nose job, to conform to all the other reindeer.
I was dismayed to see that some folks now consider Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer "problematic" and "bigoted," as reported here. Political correctness strikes again. The Thought Police are here.
So I watched Rudolph dozens of times as a kid and guess what? I'm not bigoted. I have friends of all races and creeds. I am not materialistic, or sexist.
I also used to watch The Three Stooges and guess what? I don't go around snarling at anyone or hitting anyone.
I've read all the Harry Potter books and yet I don't try to do witchcraft or worship the devil.
Amazing, isn't it?!?
I wasn't corrupted as a child. I had parents who let me read and watch anything. There was no censorship. They were always available to discuss everything with me and my brother, but we had no trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality.
We can over-analyze just about any book or movie and find things that are disturbing.
Let's play the political correctness game, shall we?
Cinderella depicts cruelty and oppression (the wicked stepsisters and stepmother). The moronic Prince has to take a slipper all over town because he can't remember what Cinderella's face looked like.
Snow White depicts cruel stereotypes of Little People and may put children off of eating apples.
Willy Wonka tortures children and tries to ruin their health by feeding them too many sugary snacks.
And on and on. I could eviscerate just about any classic story by adopting the ruthless and idiotic Politically Correct mindset. It seems strange to me that we now celebrate racial diversity almost fanatically in this country, yet we don't want to allow diversity of thought. [For instance, I let my kids eat dessert almost every night and neither one got fat, nor did their teeth rot, nor did they turn into sugar fanatics.]
Why must we all conform to the mindset of Political Correctness?
How are we going to teach our children to distinguish between what is good and bad if we present them only with what we decide is good, and ruthlessly censor what we have decided is bad? Then there is no contrast. If you've never seen the damage a charging rhino can do, you will not know to be afraid of it.
Another reason not to overly censor is that children have an innate BS detector. Ever feel the sting of embarrassment when your child corrects you in front of company? Most children are not stupid and they can experience all sorts of stories without internalizing those stories.
I am always suspicious of someone (or some entity) trying to tell me how to think or feel, or what to put into my mind or my body. Like everyone else, I want to be free to make my own choices, good or bad.
It's not just Liberals that want to police our thoughts and our art.
There's a popular idea now among conservative Christians that Halloween promotes evil. Yet, millions of people now in their 30's and 40's and 50's went trick-or-treating as children, dressing up as ghosts and witches, and we don't worship the devil. Most of us believe in God, pay our taxes, and are kind, loving folks.
During the Cultural Revolution in China, in which the government tried to force everyone to decry and ignore all art that wasn't zealously pro-communist, the result wasn't what the government wanted. People began to mistrust their government and the seeds of the next revolution were sown. It totally backfired.
Whenever something is presented as morally wrong -- like alcohol consumption for instance -- it instantly becomes more attractive. During Prohibition [1920-1933] the manufacture, sale and distribution of alcohol were prohibited. Tell someone they cannot have a drink and guess what? They will drink more. The ban was bad for health -- bootleg booze killed a thousand people a year. Crime rates rose. Government spent too much trying to enforce Prohibition, and lost money. It was called a "noble experiment" and theoretically it should have worked, but it didn't.
Forcing people to conform to any one train of morality or moral thought never works.
Instead of pulling Rudolph off the airwaves, watch it with your children. If you see something bothersome, pause the show and talk to your kids. I showed my kids a lot of movies and videos and used the PAUSE button carefully. I tried to teach them to look critically and analyze what was presented to them, not just swallow it hook line and sinker. Also keep in mind that art produced decades ago is bound to present characters and situations that may not conform to your belief system, but that doesn't mean the entire creative endeavor should be decried, banned, or destroyed.
Remember, kids are not stupid. My kids loved Willy Wonka, but he didn't turn them into sugar junkies.
Ban all "incorrect" books and movies from your house and your child will make a beeline for them as soon as they can. The forbidden is always attractive.
