First World

Of Driving and Divergent.

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Finally! I got a Driver’s License. Now I can hold my head up around my peers again.

You know, I realize that without my voice, my sense of humor may seem kind of flat. Delivery is everything.

You want to know what’s crazy about this. My permit had expired after three failed tests, so I had to get a new one. Guess what, they don’t charge you for the fourth one because in the system it’s like the first one.

In case the nuance was missed, that means I almost literally got a fresh start on record.

Oh, I suppose if one dug it up at the DMV, they could find out I took the test four times, but I doubt anyone is going to.

In a sense, I passed on the first try.

Talk about irony, or maybe just redemption.

I can’t help but see this incident as a metaphor for something.

Anyway, in other news, I’ve watched two of the three Divergent movies.

Did you know Veronica Roth, the author of those books, is a professing Christian? I can’t say I really like the movies any better knowing that.

I don’t think they warrant a full review, but in passing, I will say the entire third movie was basically a very thinly veiled parallel of Christianity. Without the Christ. Or the actual point of the faith. Or any strong moral lesson.

Nonetheless, it was better than the first one.

You know, I hate to come down on Christian movies and books, but why are they so weird?

Some are good. Christian movies tend to shine when they just tell life stories and let the faith be a part of it when it actually fits. Like in “Soul Surfer.”

But when they try to make post apocalyptic or dark and gritty fiction; it turns out really badly.

I mean, why would a christian need to write about a fake apocalypse, when they already believe in a real one that would be a way better story than any of the fiction ones?

My biggest problem with that sub-genre is that it takes any real power out of the faith, because it bases all of it’s events on things that will never happen.

The whole Five Faction System would never work. It couldn’t last. And in a day and age where individuality is being celebrated, if anything, too much, it seems stupid.

What do we learn from these stories? (And everything from Ender’s Game to PBS kids is featuring themes like this.) They set up a fake world with fake rules that function in fake environments that we only believe because our own technology is close enough t it to make it seem possible.

And I know a lot of people who love the dystopian genre, and read it exclusively, I expect. And they claim to get stuff out of it.

But if all you get from these stories is that you should celebrate your individuality then it’s the same stupid message you’ve hear a hundred times by now.

And have you noticed that it’s not working? Insecurity runs rampant in our society. No matter how many times we tell kids “Be yourself, love your special-ness” it doesn’t stick.

I am not saying this message is not important in it;s place. I went through a period of self discovery a couple years ago, and Is till continue that process now, only slower.

But that’s the point, you can’t stay there. You can’t keep telling people, especially children, that self-realization is the one-size-fits-all solution to their problems. It’s not.

Sometimes a dose of humility will work wonders in your life. Not demanding people appreciate the wonderful person you are.

Newsflash: You’re not as good as you think.

You’re not as bad as you think either. The truth it, we rarely see either our faults or our virtues clearly.

It’s not wise to tell kids that if they’re special, they’re the savior of the world. (I’m looking at you Tris.)

I think Wonder Woman’s got the right idea. Remember, she says she can’t save the world. Only love can save the world.

I am all for knowing your worth. But one has to know more than that to get by in life. Well, to thrive. Who wants to just get by.

And maybe,  just maybe, taking an honest look at the real world around us; instead of imagining one that is even worse and wildly unrealistic, would be more helpful.

I know this is coming from an unashamed fantasy lover. What can I say? I find Fantasy to be a better example of real world things that pulp fiction.

It’s kind of like a trashy romance novel being held up as an example of true love. When any Disney movie you like gets closer to the actual idea. (And I don’t just mean Frozen.)

I won’t say all dystopian novels are useless trash, I won’t say that. But I will say that it’s one in one thousand that’s truly profound and inspiring.

Honestly, and I mean no disrespect, but I think they are lazy writing. The plots are so fabricated that they can’t be researched for or based on any actual experience that would require work to put into words. The emotional stakes are also way out of proportion to most people’s experience. (Have you watched your mother get shot in front of your eyes? Have you bee inside someone’s hallucination? Have you had to fight to the death for entertainment?)

Even if someone was to have had those terrible experiences, would they find this kind=d of book or movie helpful? I doubt it. If anything, it’s going to make them angry.

From my own life, I will say that the books that helped me through tough stuff were the ones that did not exaggerate my problem, or try to make it seem super dramatic. The fact was, my issues are dramatic to me. But because of that, I can tell when someone else has actually felt what I’ve felt.

Like in Frozen. Elsa never calls herself a monster. She never makes some dramatic monologue aobut how every day of her life is misery. She doesn’t have to. In the moments when we get a glimpse into what she’s feeling. A few short sentences speak volumes. I buy it.

Anyway, I hope this post made some sense, since it was very spur of the moment. Until next time–Natasha.

Wonder Woman–2

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I am looking forward to this part more than the first.

Now I get to talk about the meaning of the movie.

(Let me preface it by saying I am not claiming this movie is christian. But I think they used Christian elements to tell the story. Maybe just because that was what they thought would work. I won’t assume more than that. And I think it’s good whether they did it on purpose or not.)

This is where I feel this movie did do something new.

And I also feel that the fans are entirely missing the point when they nitpick the plot for being like other films. The plot was never supposed to be what made this movie different.

It’s Diana herself.

I think I related to her more not because she’s a woman, but because I felt like her story was kind of like my story.

At least par to fit was.

She was homeschooled after all. And very, very sheltered.

So what happens when you stick that combination into the real world?

Diana’s reaction to the horrors of war really hit home with me. Her honest admission that it was horrible. And her demand that promises be kept. Her insistence that they help those who could not help themselves. And her shock when she learned that Steve, one of the good guys, was a liar, smuggler, thief, and that his people had mistreated other peoples of the world. Just as the Germans had.

Diana starts off believing that even Germans are good, truly, and that Ares is to blame for the evil they are doing, and all the evils of war. When she confronts him, she is ready to unleash justice on all their behalf. But to her astonishment, Ares, while under the rope of truth, tells her that he doesn’t make men do the evil they do. All he does is inspire certain parts of it, and manipulate them into doing more things to prolong their troubles.

I believe Ares was still mincing the truth somewhat, though not completely. He’s bound to have more resistance to the rope than a human could, and he only told part of the story.

But Are’s here is a pretty obvious representation of Satan. The tempter, the deceiver, the one who encourages man to sin. But who will say, “I didn’t make him do it.”

Well, no. Satan can’t make a person sin. As in, he can’t put a gun it their hand and make them pull the trigger. But God is pretty clear about tempters still having a major share of the guilt when someone listens to them.

But Diana and we ourselves can’t avoid the truth that man does sin, and he does it voluntarily.

I still remember when I felt the way Diana did when she saw the men still fighting, and she realized Professor Poison really was a psychopath, only getting helped by Ares, but not set on that path by him.

I remember that sick horror when I realized the evils of things like Abortion, or the holocaust, or abuse.

The look on her face was just the look I remember having. And I remember feeling the same doubt about people. In fact, I still struggle with wondering if people can change. If there is truly anything in most of us worth saving.

And by the way, Ares does not highlight anything except the evils of man and his blindness to his own folly. That’s because that’s all Ares cares about. That’s all the devil cares about. The goodness in humanity makes him look less successful.

And like Diana, I have wished I could help everyone who needs it. I don’t want you all to think I’m saintly or anything for feeling that way. If you ask me, it’s no more than decent to want to alleviate the suffering of fellow creatures.

But the truth is, even a superhero can never help them all.

And the smart thing the movie does is come to grips with that fact. It’s basically what Civil War tried and failed to do. And what every Spiderman movie has dealt with.

Diana realizes that she can’t do it all.

I loved the moment at the end when she says she can’t save the world. Though Steve told her she could, she realized the truth: A hero can’t save the world. “Only love can save the world,” she says.

Diana doesn’t mean that just being nice to everyone can save the world. She means that, though evil still rises and men still commit it willingly, the other men who give up everything to stop them and save their people are the ones who save the world.

Essentially, only the ultimate good is more powerful than the ultimate evil. And Diana means to promote that good, and if necessary, lay down her own life, until that good wins out.

And since I believe love is a Person, I know that love has saved the world, and continues to save it. And will triumph in the end. So Diana is completely right.

And Steve’s sacrifice is our example of that love in action. It’s not just a cliche that his last words were “I love you.”

One more thing:

Earlier on, Steve tells Diana that maybe saving people isn’t about what they deserve, but about what you believe. I didn’t get it and thought it was some cheesy one line moral, until Diana was in the final battle with Ares, and she chose to spare Professor Poison’s life, even though she could have justified killing her as an act of war.

But she didn’t, because int hat moment for Diana, it became aobut more than just ending the war. And she repeated what Steve said to Ares as she turned from taking revenge.

You see, what Steve meant was not that you believe in the good of humanity. That would be flimsy and the movie proves it false.

What he meant was, you save people because you believe that is the right thing to do. You believe that somehow, someway, it’s important. It means something. You believe that there’s a different solution than just eliminating them.

If that’s what you believe, and that’s who you are, then you won’t change that just because they don’t deserve it.

And wow, was that a powerful message for me.

Maybe defeating Ares isn’t about stopping war. Maybe it’s aobut winning the war inside yourself. Maybe it means throwing off your own lust for revenge, for power, for the ultimate solution.

Because you don’t have it. But you can be part of it.

Isn’t throwing off all that what truly ends a war anyway?

In that sense, I think Diana killing Ares was symbolic. That was her personal battle. But she recognized that is was not so for all of humanity. The battle is different for everyone.

Diana starts off the movie proud but unaware of her own power; she ends it knowing what she is capable of, but humbled.

And darn it, if that’s not an amazing character arc, then there is just no pleasing some people.

So, I recommend the movie.

–Natasha.

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Wonder Woman–1

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At last! I finally saw it.

Good luck convincing my family to go see a superhero flick in theaters. The only reason I saw Ragnarok was because they were going to see a different film at the same time. (Save for one sibling who went with me.)

So I had to buy this movie before I could see it.

Now, what did I think?

Well, some of you probably know that this movie has been widely approved by fans and I think also critics, but I’ve seen some negative stuff about it too. So I’ll start with that.

The worst thing aobut this film…it’s too short.

I’m serious, the whole opening part moves really fast, and unfortunately without a whole lot of detail besides setting up the story. I wouldn’t care, (I didn’t with Captain America) if it wasn’t for the fact that the mythological side of it is interesting, and you can’t help but wish you got to know the Amazons better and see more of Diana’s childhood there.

Still, if you want more, that’s a good sign right?

I was sure I’d like them if I had more time in which to do so. But I will say the attire and the scenery were awesome and gave me the correct idea of the island being a paradise. Heck, I’d want to train there.

People’s main problem with the film is that it’s just like Captain America, and its’ just like every other DC (or even Marvel) film to date. It did nothing new.

Well, considering Marvel is using the same plotline in every single one of its films and getting away with it more often than not, does that seem like a fair complaint?

But I’m not here to take sides in this stupid fan base war.

Was it like Captain America? Yes. More so than some people have been willing to admit. There’s a wired evil genius making dangerous weapons and getting help from a god (instead of just a thing belonging to the gods). There’s a ragtag team of unlikely heroes gathered by the main characters to do a mission the authorities think is insane. Wonder Woman goes off alone to do something she was strongly advised against doing in order to save people. She loses someone close to her. And there’s other similarities too.

But. Wonder Woman was already like Captain America in a lot of ways. And perhaps we shouldn’t blame DC for taking a page from the book of more successful writers.

It worked out well for them.

Anyway, originality is not what makes or breaks a superhero film. All superheros are somewhat unoriginal now, if only because there was so many of them back in the early days of their conception. You will never get complete originality for all of them if you have dozens to wade through.

I personally don’t care.

That said, should this movie have tried something new?

Well, I think it did, but I’ll probably put that into part two.

For now I’ll address the plot.

Was it new? No.

Sorry, making it about a woman isn’t enough to make it new. That’s a dead horse to keep beating if you ask me.

But my question is, why does it need to be new?

How exactly do you make an origin story new? They changed enough as it was.

Making the War WWI instead of WWII was an interesting step. But I liked it after thinking it over. One major point of the film is whether mankind is naturally evil or not. Wonder Woman seeing multiple wars gives her a lot more time and a lot more stakes to reckon with when she makes her choices. And that she keeps choosing to be a protector every time gives her the mark of consistency and faithfulness that, honestly, I have yet to see with another of these rebooted heroes.

Think about it, Wonder Woman has seen more terrors, more of man’s own evil, in her life time, than even Captain America, or the Avengers. And yet she has more resolve to do the right thing than the Avengers even have about their own role in the world.

I’ll get more into that later, suffice it to say, I like it.

And making Professor Poison a woman ought to be a progressive enough leap for the feminists out there, since it’s highly unlikely. And not historically accurate.

But I thought it was a good choice because in the past Wonder Woman has fallen into the cliche “blame the men and their pig pigheadedness for everything” attitude. When she came face to face with Professor Poison, there was no way to say that evil and malice and stubbornness are only male problems. They are human problems.

Also, Ares is not a respecter of sexes. he uses either to accomplish his purpose. So apparently, does Zeus.

One of the best things about his movie is how little it even brought feminism up. Or sexism. It was there. But the main focus is on humanity and its failings as a whole. Not what gender you are.

Again, one wishes there was more time to develop everyone’s character. By the end Diana and Steve are the ones we know best. But I felt like there was so much more to know aobut Steve before he was gone.

And yes, Diana and Steve’s relationship was way too fast, but they didn’t have much choice about that. And they did build up to it fairly well. With Steve’s fascination with her being apparent without being creepy. And hers in turn, though hers was more innocent.

I will say I could have done without the whole sexual implications, or discussions. I felt the latter was poor taste when they’d only just met that day. IT seemed forced in for laughs. And later on when another man mentioned being “aroused” by her, I didn’t like it. The fact is, nice guys in the early 1900s didn’t say things like that. To a woman’s face anyway.

But I suppose nice wasn’t exactly what Steve was looking for in his friends at that particular time. SO maybe we can let it slide.

(but it wasn’t necessary, movie, it really wasn’t.)

Other than that I have no complaints. I’ll dive deeper into the meaning in part 2

Until next time–Natasha.

Adulting?

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Did I mention yet that I got laid off? No? Maybe?

Well now I have.

It’s not the first time, so I guess this isn’t a new experience for me entirely. At least I’m not as hopping mad as I was when it happened before. That was a whole other story.

I won’t really reflect too much on it here, since you’ve all probably had that happen to you.

Anyway, you know that new term going around the internet? “Adulting.” ?

At the store I worked at we actually had plaques and notebooks that said “Coffee then adulting.”

I wouldn’t have a clue what that meant (Other than the adult part) if I hadn’t seen a helpful YouTube video titled “No you are not adulting.” (Check it out, it’s on a cool channel.)

So, because I’m trying to enroll in college; waiting for my first tax return; wondering what new job I’m going to find; and hoping to get my driver’s license next week (if you pray, please throw one in for me;) I seem to be adulting.

I mean, I don’t like that term.

But I think I know why it was invented.

There’s a lot of people my age who don’t feel adequately prepared for adulthood, one minute you’re 17 and haven’t a responsibility in the world beyond school, which isn’t your choice anyway; and then boom! You turn 18 and you start wondering what the heck to do after you graduate. Or you might have just graduated, depending on when your birthday is. And suddenly careers or college is staring you right in the face.

If you don’t live in America, Canada, or some parts of Europe, and I know some of you who read this don’t, then I imagine it’s a little different. Maybe 17-18 isn’t the year everything changes for you. Which is fine and all, not every country has to have the same system. But in American especially, you can’t legally do most things till you’re 18. So it is a big deal.

 

However, just because I can do stuff now, doesn’t mean I want to.

I don’t want to pay taxes, but I won’t get much of a choice there. I don’t want to have more expenses than before.

And I think that’s where my generation is finding itself. When we were teens and kids we were told we could become anything. But we didn’t hear the people adding under their breath “but it will cost you a fortune.”

I’m speaking to someone right now.

For example, if I wanted to get certified to be a ASL interpreter, it will take me at least two years, maybe more, doing multiple classes. And classes other than Sign are required to finish.

And that’s an easy one. And cheap–er.

I think the truth is, we millennials missed the part in every story where the person has to hazard all they have, like Bassanio in Shakespeare, in order to win the prize.

The fact is, you never get time back. Money can be refunded, time never is. And older adults tend to think that millennials don’t take that into consideration.

Well, my theory is, they do and they’re scared to death.

Personally, for all of my eighteenth year, I was feeling almost paralyzed from wondering what to do with my time. Looking back, I hope I didn’t waste it.

Well, I know I didn’t, because if I had had the chance to do more, I would have. When opportunity isn’t there, I don’t think it’s a waste to occupy yourself at home while you wait.

But now, it’s crunch time. I have to make some major changes in a couple months of time.

And I am not qualified to give all people, millennials or otherwise, my five tips for dealing with this period.

But I do have a little piece of advice.

One thing I do think I did right in the last year was choosing not to obsess over my lack of direction. I thought about it a lot. But in between times, I chose to keep reading, writing, and studying language. And pursuing activities outside myself. And learning to drive.

I believe that was a smart choice.

Another thing I believe I did right was committing my time into God’s hands. I may not see why I was in limbo for so long, but there was a reason, and there were moments of understanding. Like getting to go on another mission trip. I might not be able to do that again this year. (Here’s hoping.)

And don’t discount the little things. Getting to spend more time with my cousins, we have a bond now because of that, that I might have missed otherwise, and that’s a precious thing that time can’t wear away. Though it may take a back seat during some seasons.

And being there for my family. I hated being stuck at home so much, but the fact is, my family did need me. I may not feel like I do a lot, but even what I did was more than if I hadn’t been here. And I bring things to the family circle that nobody else does.

I don’t just say that to be cliche, it is true. I’ve observed it over time.

So it was a tough year, but I don’t believe any year spent seeking God is a bad one. No matter what bad things happened during it.

Heck, the Friday before my birthday I spent going to the second funeral of the year. IF that’s not symbolic of what I’ve been saying, I don’t know what is.

And all you 50+ folks have my sympathy for how much more frequent funerals must get as you and the people you know age.

But I don’t mean to be depressing.

Anyway, making the most of your time will make you feel better when you don’t have a clue where you are going next. I’ve still spent too many days sitting around doing nothing, even though I despise that attitude.

Adulting is not something you start to do when you’re 18, it’s something you learn to do over life. In fact, adulting is the wrong word for it.

It’s called growth.

That’s all for now, until next time–Natasha.

Thor Ragnarok

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Woohoo, I finally saw a Marvel movie in theaters!

Literally, for the first time.

I can see now why people like seeing them on the big screen, it’s just better for that kind of flick. I felt I could see more of what was happening.

Do I recommend it? You bet.

I thought it was a lot better than I was led to believe by the reviews.

The constant joking around didn’t take away from the story, though it did seem a break from Thor’s character, but considering how much solitude and stress he was under, I think anyone would have to adapt, so I could let it go.

And, unlike what I was told via the internet, the movie did take some moments to pause and pull back. Even though funny things still happened in those scenes, the character’s themselves were quite serious and I bought it.

Now, spoiler alert for the rest of what I liked:

The first two Thor films were some of the best MCU films in the franchise, to my mind. And this one delivers a satisfying ending to Thor’s private story. The character arc he’s being going through ended way better than I expected.

You see, in the same fashion as The Lion king, the first movie was about being the true king, and what that means. It means not power, but character; peace loving, but not stupid.

The second film tackles the theme of being willing to give up power and prestige for someone you love. And also being humble and willing to not have the spotlight. It also covers loss, and delves deeper into Thor and Loki’s bother-brother relationship.

After Thor declined the throne in the second movie and we saw Loki sitting upon it, I was fully prepared for a plot revolving around getting him taken care of, and more tricks and more of the same old same old.

I like Loki, but only because I always thought he was struggling with doing the terrible things he did, and I hoped he would turn around. Thor felt the same.

Oddly enough, the very thing fans were mad at Thor for doing in the Avengers (constantly believing Loki would change) we actually miss as he seems ready in this film to finally give up on him. But it was nice to see Thor finally not duped. He arrives on Asgard and immediately figures out Loki is masquerading as Odin. He exposes him in a refreshingly straightforward and speedy way, and then they go to Earth to find Odin and bring him back.

I can’t detail all the things that happen in a very short amount of movie time, so I’ll just say we get some more insights into Loki’s beef with Thor, and the whole world, apparently.

Then we meet Odin, and it doesn’t take the audience long to realize he is dying. (I mean, they’ve been leading up to it since the first film.) When he dies, Thor realizes this means he is king. But there’s no time for that to even sink in, since immediately afterward, Hella, the goddess of death and Odin’s firstborn, shows up. Odin’s life was all that was keeping her back.

Not only that, she destroys Thor’s Hammer. Making Loki freak and Thor speechless. Loki at once summons Heimdall’s portal, but in so doing unwittingly allows Hella to get to Asgard, and she throws both of t hem out of the tunnel and they land on some random planet just between the known and the unknown reality.

That planet was my least favorite part. It was frustrating to see Hella taking over Asgard, and then Thor stuck being tortured and having his hair cut and fighting the Hulk.

But, boy was that part satisfying. Thor finally gets to kick some rear without his magic hammer, and it was awesome. And that’s coming from someone who usually is bored by those fight scenes.

Also, Loki had some of the funniest moments in that part. And more character building ones too. Like how he was actually sad that Odin died, even if he had been angry at him for years.

Thor also comes to understand in part why Loki is angry. After he finds he’s been lied to by his father too, never being told about Hella’s existence till it was too late to stop her. And having so much history hidden from him.

But Thor never hesitates to do the right thing, and even to defend his father, though he admits he wasn’t perfect.

Thor is pretty beat upon in this movie, but his determination to go back to Asgard and save it or die trying never wavers. Even when Loki says it is no use.

And finally, finally, we get to see some of Thor’s well aimed speeches at Loki pay off.

In the epic show down, which was way better than I had expected from the trailer, (And by the way, the Led Zepplin song worked far better than you’d think) Thor finally learns to harness his power without the hammer. Which makes sense, because not even Loki needed a scepter to use all of his powers, so why would Thor? And he starts beating Hella back.

Hella is not a sympathetic villain, but we at least see why she would be bitter at Odin after what he did to her. Albeit she didn’t really give him a choice. I didn’t like her at first, but by the end I decided she did well at being inhuman, but not so much we couldn’t feel a moment of pity for her.

And Loki finally comes back and does the right thing. Without turning it into a trick at the end. (Yay!)

Also there’s Valkyrie, but I don’t have a lot to say about her. If you see it, you’ll have to decide.

Also,  Bruce Banner’s choice at the end struck me as very noble, since he is not even from Asgard, and it was one of the his best moments.

The theme of this movie is change.

Does a change in circumstances change your identity? Or are you a king with or without your hammer, and your title, and your respect?

Do circumstances dictate who you become? Is being the god of mischief all you can ever be, or can you be more?

Can you change?

Can you change you mind after years and years of trying to forget the past?

Can you change from a monster to a hero by your own free will?

Can you?

This movie says you can. And I love that message.

I loved it and I hope those of you who see it will too and forgive the few flaws with it.

–Natasha.

Wins vs Sins–2

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So continuing from part one…

You all know the last thing I would be telling anyone to do is not question their entertainment. So, when I mentioned being receptive, that’s not what I mean.

Let’s look at the hard facts.

The love of money is the root of all evil…in the movie industry. Every time you see a bad movie, just remember, they made it to make money.

I really hope there are some screenwriters left who are in it for the good of mankind. But I wonder if there are any studios left of that sort.

Even assuming there are, it can’t be denied most of them just want to compete with blockbuster successes, and movies are only grossing more and more millions or even billions of dollars as time and inflation take effect.

That being said, it’s not a stretch to think that a lot of bad messages in entertainment are being shoved down our throats because they sell. Because dumb or immoral people will care a lot less about content. Making it easier to make movies and shows that are successes for no apparent reason, therefore making more money. So the cycle goes.

It’s not really paranoid to think this, it’s getting all too blatant.

And often the whole diversity and culture representation thing is thrown in just to get cheap points from certain demographics. (And I don’t mean the ethnicity themselves, but movie watcher demographics.)

Like Disney is criticized for having predominantly white protagonists.

The people who make those criticisms are ignoring the fact that Disney started off as a vehicle for retelling and bringing to life all the old fairy tales and stories people already loved. Which were, like it or not, mostly from European cultures. Because that’s what America started as, a land with European settlers. Complain all you like about the poor Native American representation in Peter Pan. But it is based off a book that literally has Indians in it just because kids liked imagining them. It’s not supposed to be accurate. (Also Walt Disney started making films at a time when certain ethnicity weren’t in movie entertainment all that much, so it’s not like he had much talent of that sort to choose from.)

This is one example of nitpicking that is harmful. What child really cares all that much about their culture being accurately represented?

I mean, let’s explore that: I am of mostly European descent. Should I get mad that my people are represented as singing with birds, living in the woods with no apparent contact with the outside world, and falling for the tricks of wicked witches every single time? (Come to think of it, two out of three of those sounds a lot like homeschooling.)

It’s not like old Disney films really make Europeans look smart, or even brave. A lot of them make us look silly for comic relief.

It would be like taking the court scene in Alice in Wonderland as meant to seriously represent the Law in the real world. No one would do that.

Or the tea party as meant to be actual tea etiquette.

Where’s the outrage here?

Another good reason black or Hispanic characters don’t appear in these movies is because they do not appear in the stories. The reason is, these stories, like Peter Pan or Alice’s, were written by Englishmen for English children. Children who would relate to English culture.

It’s not the story’s fault that its been brought to America with its melting pot of ethnicity.

And as far as more recent films go, the same rule applies to Tangled (German) and Frozen (Danish/Norwegian.) To realistically put black characters in there would be to make them servants. Who wants that message?

Okay, okay, so I’m over-defending Disney. But I could say the same about other franchises too. The poor writers who want to stick to the comic book, or historical, accuracy have a hard time because history is what it is; and comics were, again, written to promote American ideals.

(It would be a whole other discussion to wonder if that’s why people are coming down on them so much.)

To sum all that up, including a black or Latino character is not a virtue and omitting them is not a sin, unless it is ignoring a historical reality.

Before I end this, let’s talk about plots.

Even if you make it through the larbrithn of political correctness and good editing, people will be brutal to your plot.

There are three types of people where plot is concerned.

  1. Those who miss the point of it entirely.
  2.  Those who hate the point completely.
  3.  Those who try to make the point fit whatever their worldview is and ignore the goal of the story.

Most of us are one of these three at any given time. Even I fall into the third category a lot.

Missing the point can just be a fluke, people can just not comprehend the artistic style.

Often though it’s because they weren’t looking for a point at all. And I question if some popular franchise are even trying that hard to make one anymore.

But the second category is probably the most rare, but it’s also important.

When folks hate what you are doing, you are either right, or you are very wrong. There’s not really a middle ground.

The trouble is, when we are picking apart a plot because it wasn’t well paced, or it wasn’t progressive enough, or it was too cliche, we are missing the real point of storytelling.

Which is to show us stuff we can’t normally see.

Yes, an old tale retold is monotonous after awhile. But it is still important.

There are only so many good messages out there. That’s why in the effort to be new and different, books and movies have gone off into the dark, gritty, and uncertain territory.

Because picking a moral right or a moral wrong leaves you with only a few options.

The purpose of new stories is to reiterate the truth in a different way that will make sense to different people.

Truth however, doesn’t change.

Lies change, that is, they morph over time to disguise themselves so that we will keep being taken in.

Truth doesn’t need to do that. It stands on its own.

That’s why a movie like Frozen will break the glass ceiling, even though it falls into a lot of what we would call cliches. It has truth.

And it’s why a movie like Age of Ultron will never be that kind of success, though it had good actors, amazing special effects, and a new-ish plot. There’s no truth in it.

As much as people will argue now that truth is irrelevant to movies; the statistics will speak for themselves. The human mind is attracted to truth, to absolutes, to real meaning.

That’s all for now, until next time–Natasha.