Quote:
Originally posted by Sly_RJ
I know many people who won't let their kids watch Harry Potter and LOTR because of religious overtones. I always find that hilarious. I actually had an argument with my grandma about this the other day. She couldn't believe everyone loved LOTR, there's such "religious overtones" in it. So I asked if she had ever seen it or read the books... of course not! I just find it funny how people love to criticize before actually experiencing it (not referring to you).
|
I find that attitude about LotR fascinating, in a "people are really stupid" kind of way. I can't see ANY religious overtones in it...at one point, Gandalf says something about "the power of our law" to the Balrog (one of my favorite sequences, BTW) but never anything religious. I think people must be freaking out because it's about "magic", which is of course "evil and pagan."
On the contrary, watching LotR (obsessively, since my daughter apparently has a mad crush on Elijah Wood now
) has been the catalyst for some really interesting ethical discussions at my house, about how the One Ring takes control of your darkest wishes, and why it's wrong to actually act on those kind of wishes, the battle between good and evil, the evil that lurks in the hearts of Men, that kind of thing. Philosopical discussions with an 8 year old are a trip.
And any magical or pagan religious content would be perfectly cool in my house anyway, since we're all -- husband, daughter, and girlfriend included -- Witches.
And as for Rugrats or any other cartoons...the best thing I can suggest is to watch it with your kids, as much as you can, and talk to them about the stuff they see, on a level they are ready to grasp. If you don't like the stuff about how Angelica acts like a spoiled little twat and disobeys her parents, use that as an opportunity to reinforce your values about behavior. Any show can be turned into a conversation that enriches your kids' lives and makes them aware of your values and beliefs. And it's a great way of being involved and attentive to them, too.