What Disney Taught Me

Ever since I’ve resigned, I’ve spent a lot of times accompanying Eros watching the TV. It’s one way of us spending time together and also to make sure he’s not watching the unnecessary programs. I usually sit with him and we talk about the colors and discuss the things that are going on in the TV show.

And of course one of the shows we watch would have to be Disney. I grow up with Disney and now Eros too. Some of the cartoons are new like Ratatouille and some are old like Fantasia and Bambi.

The magic that is Disney is undeniable

Sometimes after Eros has gone to bed, I would play the movie and watch it again. It’s nice to sit in a quiet hall and watch Beauty and The Beast again after so many years. Of course now that I’m older, I’m able to pick up on subtle messages (not those subliminal sexual messages rumored to be hidden in Disney’s cartoons) in them.

After a while I realized that I actually learnt something from them and it’s amazing how much a simple cartoon for kids can relate to adults like me. Even until now, I would cry at the end of Disney’s cartoons either over a touching ending or how much the lessons in them taught me.

In my opinion, one of the best Disney's cartoons.

Tarzan is one of the movies that I really love. I love it for the colors, the attention paid to the details and of course, how incredibly handsome Tarzan is. Although he is quite hairless for a man who lives in a jungle all his life and never seen a razor, he is still very much an eye candy and I think one of the cutest Disney heroes ever.

What I love about Tarzan is how he, the estranged son, is struggling to please his father as much as he can even though there are times he wants to go against him in what he believes. This resonates in my own relationship with my father because I had a fall out with him for several years now. Although I’m not trying to please my father that much anymore, I can understand how much it pains him to be ostracized because he is different. My father stopped talking to me because I grew up to be different from what he wanted me to be so I to some level, I can understand how hard it is for Tarzan to please his father.

Jane taught me some things too.

She did fall too easily in love with him, but I don’t blame the girl. If I was in a place as exotic as Africa and met a man as handsome and macho as Tarzan who can, by the way, speak to animals, I would’ve been just as smitten. What more with the luscious background of nature and all. I don’t think she can help herself.

Even so, it is obvious that Jane is no bimbo. She is the daughter of a professor and she followed her father to study gorillas. So she is someone with a high education too. But she choose to stay behind with Tarzan in a jungle, a place where she knows there is nothing but primeval life.

It teaches you that love can, transcends all. Even if you know you’re going to live in a spartan place where you may have to work with your hands and eke a living, you’re willing to do it for that one person that you love. It may seem hopeless and even useless to others but if you believe it enough, you’re going to do it no matter what.

I can watch this movie over and over again.

I don’t know about you but I think Finding Nemohad to be a movie you just have to watch if you’re a parent. You would understand the extent that Marlin is willing to go to find his son because you know you are able to do about the same thing if your son is taken away from you.

One thing that strike me most is how, Marlin, a fish, is swimming across the entire ocean to look for his son. I don’t know if he realizes this but I’m not so sure what he’s going to do once he finds his son. I mean, sure Nigel helped him out by bringing him to the dentist and all but what if he didn’t meet Nigel? What if he swims all the way from the Great Barrier Reef to Sydney Harbor and found out that he can’t do anything to get his son back?

That didn’t matter to him. What matters to him is he gets to son and he gets to his son fast before anything worse can happen to him. It didn’t matter to a parent what will be the outcome or what other obstacles await him – just as long as he finds his son and take him back home safely. I cried like a baby each time the movie ended. Eros looked at me and rolled his eyes.

One of the timeless fairy tales

A friend once told me that none of the fairy tales are relevant or even logical. Take Cinderella for example. It is physically impossible for a human to wear delicate glass slippers without breaking them the moment she stands up. Even if the glass is made from some…here she goes on rambling about some scientific facts and calculations that I don’t understand.

I don’t get my friend. I thought almost every girl lives in fairy tales and scientific details that often deviates in fairy tales didn’t matter. Why ruin the magic with mathematical equations and physics of the universe and all? Most girls are contented to imagine herself as a princess in the fairy tale.

I explained to her that it’s not about the physics of glass in Cinderella. It means to tell girls that they should have grace and poise and be such delicate creatures that even when wearing glass slippers, hers steps can’t break them for she walks with dignity and grace that she seems to float like air.

My friend stared at me for a while and said she didn’t think of it that way.

I responded that she is obviously not a literature student. But the point is, I like how they teach girls to be regal and delicate that way. A girl is supposed to be lady-like and full of grace, not slutty like how you see most of them nowadays. I’m surprised by how the photos of girls in cut-off torn jeans and drooping singlets are deemed fashionable.

For me, Disney will always be a favorite. There is something about it that makes me feel nice and like a child inside each time I watch it. Although sometimes the endings are all cliche but hey, it’s Disney!

I can’t wait to share the magic with my daughter soon.

So You Want To Kick Some Butts?

First of all, all the movies mentioned in this post are my all time favorites. I used to watch them over and over again when I was a kid and wait for them to be aired during school breaks because it’s so famous, the channels will definitely be airing them.

Second of all, let’s now talk about these movies in parents’ perspective.

Colt, Tum Tum and Rocky

The 3 Ninjas

3 Ninjas movie had to be one of my ultimate favorite ever. If this movie air now, I will definitely still watch them from start to end even though I know the dialog by heart. They are quick and they are cute (I was in love with Rocky for years!). They are not obnoxious and they listen to their parents and Grampa. They are the good kids that probably every parent in the world dream off – they listen to you and they know how to kick butts.

Child’s Perspective - It’s awesome to know all the ninja moves and have super close brothers who will come and save you when the mean bikers got you by your neck. It’s not impossible to jump from a table to a chair, fall perfectly on your two feet and still can kick the bad guy’s in the crotch. That guy is no taller than I am. Hey, if they can do it, I can too!

Parent’s Perspective – Are these people crazy teaching that my kids can do all that and still be safe? Those are grown ups, for Pete’s sake. They only acted dumb because the director told them to. How can a 9-year old strength compare to a mustachioed man whose arms as big as my thighs? Even if he’s been a couch potato all his life, he is still a grown man!

Kevin and The Sticky Bandits outside Duncan's Toy Store

Home Alone

Ah…Who can deny the joy of watching Home Alone on Christmas night with a steaming bowl of popcorn, warm socks on your feet, fire kindling softly and marvel at the ingenuity of a 9 year old in setting up all those traps?

Child’s Perspective – Dad has all those tools in the basement. I know where he keeps ‘em. They are in the big red toolbox on his work-table. And I know where Mom keeps her cooking oil and those extra tough superglue. I will be ready if there is anyone try to break into the house.

Parent’s Perspective – Oh, dear Lord, please let my child be okay when I frantically contact every cop in town and everyone I know to go to my house to watch over my son while I make my way back home – darn this traffic; I will never forgive myself if anything happens to him. Please don’t let my son think of that Home Alone movie where he sets up traps with nails, knives, string, fire (oh, Lord, no), cans of paints and whatever else it is that John keeps in the basement. I know I shouldn’t have let little Brian watch that movie last Christmas, I knew it, I knew I felt something was not right!

Daniel training with Mr Miyagi for tournament

The Karate Kid

This kid deserves a hats-off. From being bullied, to being shoved down a hill, punch in the face, eaten dirt, we gotta give him a break. It was a very heart-warming movie when Mr Miyagi was teaching Daniel how to fight and the most important thing about karate is here (points to heart). It was a matter of pride to Daniel, it was a heritage for Mr Miyagi. Both of them compliment each other perfectly.

Child’s Perspective – I am bullied at school, why can’t I have a maintenance man who knows karate? I need to join a karate class. I need to know all those moves so that if Big Fat Karl comes around again, I can kick his butt. I think Mom wouldn’t mind me joining a class for karate.

Parent’s Perspective – Thank God for at least one decent movie about self-defense! At least this LaRusso kid is not fighting 10 mean bikers at one go by throwing sand or chair or kicking them in the crotch. He’s at least training for a tournament. I can live with that if Brian wants to join a karate class in town. There’s no traps or dangerous kitchen appliances being used. It teaches my kid to honor the martial art and not use it to prove how strong you are to another person. It’s important for Brian to know that he shouldn’t use karate unless really challenged. I know he’s having trouble with that Karl kid. Maybe karate will give him a little bit of confidence. I’ll speak with John.

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I joined several martial arts classes and I know how strong a grown man can be. No matter how much you know the right technique of where to kick or punch or hit him, he is still very strong. If a trained grown woman can’t bring down a man that easily (ladies, do note that I didn’t say couldn’t) what more a 9 year old? If there is anything that I learnt from these classes is that, there is nothing more dangerous than a false hope. And I am not just talking about these kind of movies.

I saw an ad once about how this guy can teach women self-defense in half an hour and you can bring down a man by just a kick-flip-watcha!! should you are attacked in the basement parking lot. I went by the place just to see how many women turned up. The place was jam packed! These women are going to walk out from there after about an hour or so, thinking that they can take down a man. I pray hard for the Lord to keep these women safe.

Now, I still let Eros watch these movies because even though he can imitate the kicks and punches, he couldn’t exactly set up traps and play with fire. Once he’s big enough to understand, I’ll make sure that I will explain to him how these things are superficial and not at all possible to be done under any circumstances. I’ll teach him the correct way of emergency actions and I hope he understands how serious I am about this.

Thank God I didn’t do any of these things when I was a kid although I did try to set up a booby trap for my sister. She did, however, end up with a cut on her eyebrow.

I thought I can kick some butts. Boy, my mom was the one who ended up kicking my butt.

The world-famous crane stance.

All photos courtesy of Google.