Column # 114
“Scary Tales”
IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE
Hetty Gray
June 5, 2012
Forget about that “second childhood”. Youth, as we knew it, is history. It’s gone, folks! When I was a child, I learned how to handle adversity through tough experiences. I learned humility by example from stern but fair teachers and parents who expected me to do well. This holds true for most Americans over the age of 50 as well as others who were younger and were reared in traditional homes where parents paid attention to what their kids were doing and instilled faith as a major part in their lives.
I’m not less of a person because of those years. I am better for them. I could tell that things began to slide when my sons grew up in the 70s and 80s, but they have hit the pits now. The first hint began to surface in competitive childhood sports.
I thought I had heard it all when parents pushed for coaches to do away with keeping score to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. Oh, please! Winning is winning and losing is losing. Each outcome, in its own way, serves as a valuable tool and a real character builder. No scores? Good grief!
Yes, I thought that movement was stupid. I still judge it so. If you think I’m off in left field, just apply that wisdom to professional sports. Forget about a playoff game or a Super Bowl. Scores don’t count, right? Yeah. That would go over like a lead balloon. Just who would pony up money for NFL, NBA or professional baseball tickets if nobody won the game?
I never adjusted to that mentality or the contention that little boys shouldn’t be allowed to play with army men or act like cowboys and little girls should avoid playing “house.” Well, that worked out well, didn’t it? I can’t tell you how many middle-aged men tell me that they do the cooking and the laundry because their wives don’t do “those things.” As the church lady said, “Well, isn’t that special?” Role models require roles.
All that said, the media just reinforces that image in popular films. And if that weren’t enough, they’ve moved on to the younger set and hit a new low.
Who among us over 40 didn’t fall to sleep to the sound of a parent’s voice reading a fairy tale? There’s nothing wrong with a little girl imagining herself rescued by a handsome prince… or a little boy taking on the role of the hero in a desperate struggle to save the maiden… or the relief when the main character saves an animal from the jaws of a predator at the last minute….
The animated version of “Snow White” featured perhaps the most famous song of its time — I’m Wishing From “Snow White and the seven dwarfs” Music and Lyrics by Frank Churchill and Larry Morey. Released in 1937, “Snow White” was Disney’s first full-length animated feature film, and you might be interested in the identity of the vocalist.
According to IMDb.com, Adriana Caselotti (1916–1997) was born into an operatic family — her father Guido, an immigrant from Italy, taught music in New York City, her mother Maria (from Naples) sang at the Royal Opera, and a sister Louise was a noted opera singer and voice teacher. She was 18 when Walt Disney personally chose her for the voice of Snow White.
I adore that movie and I really need to purchase the DVD and enjoy it, both for the story and the music. As I take a deep breath and relish the memories of the film, I am shocked back to the present by a commercial touting a new film that turns my fairy tale into a “scary tale”.
Now, I must admit that I don’t intend to see “Snow White and The Huntsman,” but the very thought of turning that story on its head goes against the grain for me. The evil queen was true enough in the 1937 film, and Disney’s animators didn’t have to rely on special effects and wild chase scenes to get that message across.
Once, a family night at the movies was a treat and a special night out. Now, with movies available on cable or on DVD, families avoid the high cost of refreshments and enjoy those movies at home. Yet, it’s a shame that picking a movie isn’t as easy as it once was. I’m not sure it’s even possible to insulate children from the film violence that is so widespread we are turning out entire generations of young adults who are not shocked at all when it comes mayhem and death. They’ve seen too much of it for the reality to ring true.
The shock value of yesterday’s films was often left to the imagination. Not so today. The childhood innocence so valued by previous generations is a thing of the past. This poses the question do we care? Think about it.