Quote near the end is from C.S. Lewis' book "On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature". Forgot to include the credit on screen. Like the video and I'll get hired as a gaming journalist to take down the industry from the inside. (For legal reasons I should specify that is a joke).
@@master_samwise "Well when you're writing a children's book, you're writing for a whole lot of people. You're writing for yourself to make sure that you've got it researched right. You're writing for the unfortunate parents who've got to read it aloud, time after time after time after time. You've got to put in little funny bits, subtle bits which they'll enjoy. And then there's the simple slapstick stuff, which the child will enjoy." - Wilbert Awdry. That man was truly a man of his word when writing his stories about Thomas and his railway Friends.
C.S. Lewis. Now there's a man who could write for children and their parents. I will never grow out of Narnia because there are always more layers to find.
People often forget that there are shows out there (ex: MLP) that have a fanbase made up of people who are NOT the target audience. Just because a show is aimed at a specific audience, it doesn't mean that the people who watch it will be part of the target audience. These people have clearly never heard of the MLP G4 phenomenon.
@@victorhernandez8723 Exactly. Adults , kids, and teenagers have the right to watch whatever they want. It doesn't matter whether the show/movie in question is "meant for them" or not (according to the creators).
But they believe they did it well. Their just bitter about someone being negative about their perfect masterpiece and calling them childish for caring about things for children in order to silence them.
@@AwayandAdrift I got threatened for asking that. In a conversation with some people in childrens' media I was talking about how imporant formative media is and how it can shape the lives of the children who watch it, they're smiling and nodding at me seemingly gushing about their profession. But when I continued on to iterate some of the points in this video (less eloquently though I'm sure) and the reaction immediately soured as they realised this wasn't me flattering, but me critiquing a field I care about deeply. I continued on that writers of childrens' stories have a duty to their audience, and creating stories for children should be treated with the same care you would treat reading a bedtime story to your own children (though I've since come to realise how many people put no care into that either). And that if you instead leverage the fact your audience is less experienced and lacks the ability to be discerning that this is just negligent, is that not just preying on childrens' lack of experience? This is the part of the story where I'm threatened and had to leave. After that conversation I was depressed, overcome by this feeling that writing for children had become a field filled with people who see children as tappers to be hammed into their parents' wallets. They are attracted to the job because they see it as an easy role with minimal accountability. I felt sick in the stomach that a job so important was attracting people who seemingly have no values and those people were being given such direct access to and influence over children. So this video and these comments are my everything. Thank you everyone for still caring.
I mean, you can care about kids as fellow human beings who deserve respect. If people only start caring about kids having good things only when they have kids it's kinda not very good.
You can still care because it’s “for the kids”. One does not need to get robbed to care about people who got robbed. One those not need to be stalked to care about people who get stalked… etc… People will tell you you shouldn’t care because it doesn’t directly impact you… those people have no empathy, one of THE most important human qualities to live in a society.
I'm a young adult, and I want to be a parent. So I'm saving and getting classics I grew up with to pass on to them. They deserve to see what their papa grew up on, like Ultraman and Kaman Rider, show that will teach you how to be a stoic hero.
Kids are treated like they're stupid when they aren't. They're ignorant. Kids are way smarter than they're given credit for, and if any demographic deserves good storytelling, it's children.
I mean as a 12 year old kid I did an iq test I got 110-120 so yeah I think we are smarter then given credit for some 4th graders I know are bilingual and while sure may not be my level of smart they sure do enjoy good movie so yeah kids deserve good movies
That is true you do need to keep things more simple for them. But many great stories I’ve experienced as a kid were able to tell complex themes through that simplicity. Hell even Power rangers is usually good at this and it’s why it’s stuck around for so long. Neo saban era being the exception but thankfully that’s over now.
I'd hardly consider myself smart as a kid, but if I remember correctly, I hated being talked down to. Plenty of movies "made for kids" are filled with low effort jokes and I swear even back then I found it annoying. The point I'm trying to make here is that, at least based on my childhood, most kids know when they're being talked down to or belittled and hate it, even if they don't yet know the proper term for it.
Also one thing for me to emphasise. Animation is not an exclusive genre for children, it is a MEDIUM. The Incredibles is by far the best example of this. It's presented in a different visual medium that isn't live action, yet it is easily the ultimate superhero movie ever made.
@@TheLazyFusspot_3428to be fair I feel like there’s a million different animated films that prove they’re not made for children. Since you mentioned a superhero film I feel like adding into/across the spiderverse onto that.
@@BananaWasTaken That's another great example, but I just think that The Incredibles is by far the epitome of what the superhero movie genre should be all about, at least in my personal opinion.
As an adult who loves cartoons for children, I don't have a problem with silly children's shows (to cry out loud, I like Trolls!), but yes, shows for children have the right to be criticized, just like anything else.
"Stories should matter. If they don't, they're not worth your time, and they're certainly not worth that of your children." Wise words. You've got this future dad on board.
This video is GOLD. I work at Warner Brothers and it drives me *insane* when executives allow garbage to be made for kids. It drives me less insane when it's for adults because, theoretically, adults understand what they're looking at. Kids are incredibly smart but they just don't *know* enough, and they deserve the highest quality content we can make. Pixar knew that for a golden decade, DreamWorks occasionally get it right, and now Bluey is mostly carrying the torch.
Honestly I hate the big media companies so much. They blow out creativity like candles, and sadly are pretty much only focused on money and monopolisation nowadays, not quality content. This is the reason why I’m starting an indie film studio.
@imattsonart, @asterleaf, Pixar had Inside Out 2 come out this summer, Ellio is coming next year, and they are also working on another original film. I don't know why people act like the studio is dead in the water. As for Dreamworks, they are carrying the torch with movies like The Wild Robot. And then there's Transformers One, which is getting praise when the trailer made it look like, "It's made for kids". Big studios often have more issues than smaller studios, but to boil it down to a large companies bad, small companies good, is disingenuous.
"It's made for kids!" - People who defend bad movies/TV shows/video games "He's a kid, kids are stupid!" -Marv the Wet Bandit from Home Alone, shortly before he had his face smashed with an iron, had a paint can thrown into his face, a nail shoved into his foot, got electrocuted, etc. by said kid he thought was stupid.
One concept I like is: Children aren't stupid. They just lack context. A child might not realize how painful getting two buttons sown into their eyes but they WILL realize something is deeply wrong when the father and mother turn out to be evil and see how Coraline reacted to their appearance. It's not rocket science. Children love a good story as much as adults. They might not connect Coraline to themes of alienation, loss and fear of the unknown but they WILL feel *something* alongside Coraline. They will watch the movie and feel sad or angry or scared. We are now trying to make an inoffensive environment for children when, in reality, children are much more sensitive to lies than adults. If I tell my kid something, they WILL think about it within their experience. If I say something racist like "black boys are evil" a child might actually stand up and tell me I'm wrong because his friend in class is very sweet. Kids ARE critical thinkers. We are the ones killing their criticism.
Anytime someone says "it's a kids' movie", I always direct them to Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. That movie is amazing as an adult, I can't imagine how hyped a child would be for it. The creativity used to replace violence or brutality in kids movies can elevate them over a movie for everyone. It brings to mind the Batman show where Joker put people into a catatonic state where they have a big creepy smile on their face and sunken eyes. The creators had a limitation because of the target demographic and knocked it out of the park with their decision. Kids need these types of mature stories that bring maturity down to their level and guide their critical thinking. They don't need mindless brain rot.
Yes, they can understand a characters emotions and the interactions just as well they have full sized brains, they just lack facts, and honestly creative alternatives to violence in some forms are interesting, like decintigration weapons or the child finding out through context. that doll left behind in Mulan did more than any amount of corpses.
Remember the Lego Movie? The movie based on a childrens toy, that didn't even have any lore to make a movie about? They made a movie that: -Tells a fun story -Is animated in a way that reflects Lego. -Uses the themes Lego stands for in a meaningfull matter. Heck. It basically popularized a new form of animation. It's just a great movie. The Minecraft movie Trailer doesn't just look like it was made while activley taking a shit on the Game, It's filled with the most generic, unfunny bullcrap you could put in a movie. If the concept of creativity has an opposite, then it is this trailer.
Yes. The Lego Movie animation was SICK. Plus, it had themes of inspiration and embracing what makes us and others unique in a wholesome way. Plus it's for people that need that message, Emmet actually needed to stop being like everyone else. There are kids and teens who's only inspiration is storytelling. Besides the fact that kids can be inspired to take on a hobby because their hero loves Kung Fu or loves Archery, they can depict experiences. The expectations of others or yourself on yourself. Turning a painful experience into a lesson for yourself. Wanting to feel useful. Overcoming mommy/ daddy issues. Leaving an abuser. Embracing emotional struggle and enduring. There are SO MANY things teens struggle with and need to see resolved.
"That didn't even have any lore to make a movie about".... I am gonna be calm here... but, The Informaniac let alone the rest of LEGO Island... Johnny Thunder, Jack Stone, The Rock Raiders, Knights of Morcia (Knights Kingdom II- 2004), The TOA... THE TOA.. The Ninja who are Masters of Spinjiztu, Alpha Team, the Mech Warriors of Sentai-Mountain.... even the girls of Heartlake City.... would like to have a word...they want to speak up now...
@@LDtheBrachio yeah i know about all of these, but they are all their own thing and have their own lore separate from Lego as a whole. A Lego theme. They even made TV shows and movies based on all of these. What i mean is: A Creeper is part of Minecraft lore. The Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu are a part of NINJAGO lore. Not Lego
As a child who turned twelve less than a month ago, this movie looks garbage. I don’t think that Hollywood knows that I’m not just staring at the dancing pixels on the screen. I can actually tell what’s happening, like any other person older than five. Their main goal wasn’t to make a visual appealing movie in a CGI characters type form. Their main goal was to get as much money at the box office as possible. And I don’t think that’s gonna work out for them. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
Nope, it is the responsibility of the parents to teach values and such other things into children. The children have the responsibility to take it or leave it, and to have the consequences of each thing in their lives. Moreover, to censor things that need not be censored is ironically just as bad as the things that the adults protest against in their lives.
Warner Bros started the brain rot in 1993 (Warner Bros Family Entertainment) with their cringe brainrot family friendly movies aside from The Iron Giant or the DCAU (The one that needs to be no longer milked dry for GKids anime films are the new mainline of WB) that aren't masterpieces. And it brought down the entire animation landscape (including Disney, Dreamworks and Pixar) in the US until Spiderverse from 2018 onwards.
@@kjj26k a good movie can still have it's brain rot moments so long as there's substance to hold the whole thing together and not make it a waste of time
Like brain rot is literally proven to be bad for children’s development. They deserve the absolute opposite of brainrot. They need movies and shows that are enriching to their brains
"Who cares, it's for kids" is such an insane idea. Kids are impressionable, vulnerable, and need guidance. If anything, we should care just as much if not more.
@@mlgodzilla4206”With hard work, perseverance and creativity, anything is possible” There, that’s the guidance a Minecraft movie can have. Doubt we’ll see it in this one
@@mlgodzilla4206 Why not? Minecraft itself can teach kids lots of things, main one being creativity. I don't see why we should expect less from an adaptation.
@@lilpenn7516 Exactly, and honestly, thinking there can't be some lesson people, even kids can take away from media means you aren't being creative enough to think of or find one.
@@mlgodzilla4206They have an entire education-based edition of Minecraft for schools. Not to mention the creativity aspect. Children’s media is notorious for its messaging, usually teaching kids moral lessons, while being entertaining. There’s no excuse for feeding children garbage content.
"Who cares? It's for kids." 'I care. Because it's for *my* kids' As a new father: You could have just ended the video there, but if I can watch you talk about GoW for several hours I can watch you talk about kids media for 15 minutes too.
Heard a similar one from a wrestler, don't remember his name though. "That's the problem, you don't *give a damn*, and my problem, is that I *care too much*!"
The people who say this are the same "consoom product" Hollywood defenders who think it's a mic drop to say "Oh, you were expecting things to make sense in a fantasy world with magic and dragons? LOL" why yes, I do hold storytellers to the standard of adhering to the internal logic and rules of the world they have created, as well as the characters they've established.
I care because I have basic empathy and can project myself at least a little. People who say “why do you care since it doesn’t impact you directly”… I’d say I don’t need to be poor myself to care for poor people. I don’t need to be weak to care for the weak. Basic empathy and common sense shouldn’t be THIS hard to grasp
People like these are usually intellectually exhausted. “I’m already overwhelmed just from work, and these monsters won’t let me sleep, stop shoving more jobs on my plate!” Not entirely their fault that corporations are committing rampant wage-theft and price-gouging, but they set themselves/their families up for ruin by giving in to apathetic or even neglectful parenting.
It’s a genuine defense occasionally, like when people complain that a kids show doesn’t have enough sex or didn’t go dark enough, had an unrealistically happy ending or some childish humor in an otherwise good story. But not to defend bad writing
Just because kids will consume junk food or junk movies, does not mean that is all they deserve. We absolutely need meaningful stories for kids. I’m so glad I grew up with stories like pixar movies that I could love as a kid and only appreciate more and more as I became an adult
I know!! It’s an amazing feeling to go back to something you loved as a kid and end up loving it even more! And it’s SO sad that so many kids being raised by Cocomelon will never have that same experience.
Yes. In fact, good stories were a big factor in encouraging my dyslexic husband to learn how to read and write. He had a horrible time learning how to read and write because of dyslexia and just a bad experience with schooling in general, but his mom read to him every night before bed, and this instilled in him a love of good stories from an early age. So even though it was harder for him than most kids, he learned to read so that he could enjoy novels on his own.
I think im quoting bioshock, but someone looked down on the world by saying "this world values children, but not childhood." Kids NEED good stories. I had Avatar the Last Airbender, Ben 10, Danny Phantom, and Dragon Ball Z. Kids need good stuff to love. Shapes their hearts.
Entertainment should be good because there are kids and teens who's only inspiration is storytelling. People that inject the message in their content and productions of course know this, but the people looking to put out low effort stuff because I guess they think 'if this is for kids what can we say" or "if we can't spread The Message, what do we have'. Well, besides the fact that little kids can be inspired to take on a hobby because their hero loves Kung Fu or loves Archery, they can depict experiences. The Expectations of others or yourself on yourself. Turning a painful experience into a lesson for yourself. Wanting to feel useful. Overcoming mommy/ daddy issues. Leaving an abuser. Embracing emotional struggle and enduring. There are SO MANY things teens struggle with and need to see resolved.
@@astroboy6515 A great example of this is by Wilbert Awdry. That man truly took matters into his own hands and delighted and charmed everyone with his Railway Series character stories.
I remember when the first Kung Fu Panda Movie came out and I saw it in theaters. The entire twist at the Climax with the Secret-Ingredient Soup and the DragonScroll BLEW MY MIND! I was all like, "Oh my gosh, Cartoons Can Make You THINK!" And second Kung Fu Panda movie didn't subvert my expections, it SURPASSED them!🤯😭 Movies and shows like that were the reason I wanted to become a Writer when I grew up. Now that I am an adult, I'm still a far cry from writing stories professionally, let alone becoming the next Stan Lee, but I'm still writing and brainstorming as a hobby. Here's hoping the Standards Return to Hollywood someday!
@@HaydenStephens515 I don't know if the standards will return to Hollywood, maybe we can get some new studios, maybe in new geographic areas, that DO have standards, and support them instead.
The target demographic being kids honestly doesn't matter. Avatar the Last Airbender is intended for children, but I first watched it as a 21 year old, and I loved it! Being for kids isn't an excuse for crappy stories.
Minecraft's current PEGI rating is 7. The current ESRB rating is 10+. My younger brother is 12, and Minecraft movie's most probable demographic. I showed him the A Minecraft movie trailer and he said "Why is it so ugly?" He's obsessed with Minecraft. He seemed just as disappointed as I was.
I am a college age adult who does work teaching kids (some that young, some high schoolers, all absolute nerds lol) Not a single kid in that demographic likes the way this movie looks. None of my Minecraft playing peers like it. And safe to say, the look/lore people wanted may vary, but every answer is on YT within those top 100 Minecraft animations lol.
I’m someone who grew up with Minecraft and I think the exact same thing. The worst part is? Many of The trailers for the games are more faithful than this cash grab. Yeah, I’ll pass on this.
To paraphrase Mauler “to those who say ‘it doesn’t have to be good, it’s just for kids’ it’s depressing that you put so little care into what’s ostensibly the future.”
Keep in mind that there's many decades worth of kids content out there to enjoy these days and much of it is available on DVD or bluray. Which means, that if the studios choose not to have more respect, the parents can easily just buy that old stuff and ignore the new.
The perfect example of a modern animated movie that was for kids but was entertaining for everyone was Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. It had wonderful themes, animation, action, comedy, voice acting. It is a 10/10 movie I try to spread around like the plague to everyone I know that hasn't seen it yet.
Sameee, I love talking about good animations to everyone I can! Some people go as far as to think that all of animation is just for children. I wish we could reverse this myth... Animation is so beautifull, and while not every animation will be a masterpiece, we shouldn't set the standart as dirt low...
That movie arguably gave Don Bluth’s classic films a run for their money, and those films are as notorious as they are beloved for how dark they can actually be.
Agreed wholeheartedly. People think kids are stupid. And if you set them in front of a tv their whole childhood, and give them a phone at 2 years old, they will be. But if you give them books and documentaries and decent stories, they'll grow up to be significantly smarter.
Exactly Back to the future for instance got me to grasp something as complex as alternate timelines simply by drawing lines on a chalkboard. Point being a good writer can still deliver fantastic writing with complex themes through more simple storytelling. And to be fair this is something alot more people get these days but clearly not everyone.
@@manuproulx2764I would never play that for kids. I’d never seen it and started watching it on a plane, and then it reached a scene with a naked lady and I immediately covered my screen and turned it off, thinking “there are kids here!” and that it shouldn’t have been allowed as an option in a public area. I don’t want to see that kind of stuff, either.
I like the advice of talking with your children about what they watched. Encouraging your kids to think about the media they consume is very important. It's a lesson I wish I learned earlier.
Something that I feel *needs* to be pointed out more is that just like kids deserve good stories, parents taking their kids to the theaters don't deserve to suffer for ninety minutes. Adults have very valid reasons to complain about kids movies that suck: They might have to watch them *A LOT.*
Bluey's existence is just one perfect counter to the "It's not for you" defense. There's also the fact that grownups enjoy Sesame Street. And atheists enjoy VeggieTales. And grown men enjoy My Little Pony. When media is good, people outside the target demographic will find things to appreciate about it. To say "It's not for you" is to suggest the creators were too lazy to put in more than the minimum effort to amuse their target audience.
@@gavichealsomething2169 the mlp fandom is alive and well :p but if by bronies you mean THOSE kind of adult men then yeah, thankfully there's not that much of them anymore. most of the mlp fandom now are queer adults who watched mlp as kids/teens lol
@@tommymaxey2665And don't be weary around the adults who like Sesame Street? Listen, I know bronies have a stigma because of the amount of weirdos in a fandom, but not every guy who likes MLP is like that. There are MILLIONS and even more in the fandom. You can't gatekeep people from liking something and condemn them for it, and then turn around and enable others. Grown women aren't seen as weirdos for liking Bluey. The truth of the matter is to be weary of EVERYONE online. Pedos are everywhere, not just the brontosaurus fandom. You are perfectly right about being weary, but being rude and accusatory torwards people who simply LIKE something and are into it with no ill intentions.
I feel that the dehumanization of kids has ramped up in recent years. Both online and offline, spaces dedicated to letting children just play and exist have dwindled. Same with media that can actually be enjoyed by kids, not just consumed. Some people act as if kids are babies incapable of forming memories, let alone taste. Also speaking of Pixar, in that pre-2010's era, they were innovating the landscape of 3D animation with each new movie.
Dehuminization across the board is ramping up across the world. Whatever happens to everyone, happens especially to children. They are the next us, so if you want things to be a certain way...
Reminds me of how people are treating kids as lesser than the previous generation. For example, I see many zoomers (I myself am part of that generation) hate on kids for consuming mindless RUclips videos, even though we ourselves watched tons of YTPs and whatnot. I'm not advocating that children should watch mindless garbage; I more so mean to call out the hypocrisy present in some of these arguments.
The constant threats of violence against children I have seen online in tantrum videos is also something we need to look into. It is more dehumanizing and purely dangerous. Sad to say, but kids are tons more hated nowadays than they were some decades ago.
This is one of the reason why parents shouldn't film their children without their consent, because it doesn't make the situation better and it will attract bullies and child haters.
what i love about the mario movie is it is exactly what you are advocating for with this video. it wasn't just "dumb fun" for kids, it had good characters, good animation and a good story of heroism and brotherhood. it's not a masterpiece of storytelling, but it was still a good story at it's core.
Agreed. I loved how they took Mario and Luigi's relationship as brothers seriously. And I've unironically used Mario refusing to give up in his training montage to encourage my kindergartener to keep trying when he wants to quit because he doesn't immediately excel at something he tries. (It worked, too! He likes Mario.) The other thing that I loved about that movie? It was basically just joy on screen, particularly that ending. It didn't laugh at Mario or Luigi for being heroic - it celebrated them and their triumph. The orchestrated super star theme with the drum line kicking in makes me want to jump up from my seat and cheer when I watch it.
And it payed homage to the franchise it was based off of, making it great for Mario films. (Whilst the Minecraft movie seems like it’ll just be a jumanji rip-off)
@@BananaWasTaken yep. It feels like our lead characters are going to be isekai’d into the Minecraft world and Steve will be some crazy human who had been trapped there too long. Mario and Luigi had a similar fate, but at least it isn’t out of the realm of possibility considering the transition from classic donkey kong (New York inspired setting) to the mushroom kingdom.
@@KristopherPrime It's also probably a reference to the original Super Mario Bros. Super Show where they were plumbers from Brooklyn, considering that they even included the Super Show theme song in the film. I don't remember if other media has that backstory, but I know the Super Show does.
Parents that excuse bad content for their children are the same people who don’t want to sit down and watch something with their kids, because even they know the content is cheap. My favorite memories as a kid, was watching things with my parents! Even when it wasn’t content aimed at children. My parents loved watching animated “family” movies, and they still do, we just like the movies of quality to sit down together to. Most families don’t want to sit down to watch cheap movies or shows. Hollywood has forgotten about family movies and pivoted towards kids movies as an excuse to churn out bad content.
Ironically, a good amount of children are interested in a lot of adult shows than shows of their target demographic, or even shows for teens, that alone says a lot, because it means kids definitely deserve things that are simple, yet complex, good stories, and things to inspire and cross their heart. As another comment has said, Kids are not dumb, but they are ignorant, they are much smarter than what people give them credit for, and they can love and learn better when you give them something of their target demographic but its also something that can appeal to adults. As C.S Lewis said “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children isn’t a good children’s story in the slightest”.
I would be lying if I never seen a hint of The Simpsons or King of the Hill as a kid. I have tried getting myself into Family Guy before I ever got into it in my later teen years, and I remember watching two clips where Peter got his fingers blown off and the famous "Who Wants Chowder?" scene with Peter, Brian, Chris, and Stewie throwing up after drinking ipecac and thinking this is gross, but funny as hell, only for me to get told off for being too young to watch Family Guy because I was 10 years old when I saw those clips. But however, my first ever full Family Guy episode I watched was "Airport '07" and I was 11 when I saw that episode reran on [adult swim] back in 2012, and I got off scot-free.
I watched every Friends episode as a kid. Didn’t get the innuendos of course, but it that made it all the funnier. I’d often prefer it over other children’s shows because it’s complex and relatable, even to a kid.
the fact that there are preteens watching hazbin hotel and helluva boss is concerning because the subject matter isn’t appropriate for them, but it IS evidence that they crave complex stories that dont talk down to them
@@asthejayflies It's not concerning imo. When I was a preteen I watched Panty & Stocking and my friends did too. I think it has always been like this...
One of my favorite quotes from creator The Reverend Wilbert Awdry, The creator of Thomas the Tank Engine and friend, is this. “You've got to remember who you’re writing for. You're not merely writing for children. You're writing for the unfortunate people who've got to read the stories over, and over, and over again." Which is why 15 years later I still adore this franchise regardless of where it is now. Because the creator didn’t just make a book series for kids, he made a book series that all ages can enjoy to read and I think that is the mind set EVERYONE should follow when making children’s media.
Glad someone brought up Thomas. The original Railway Series books were enjoyable for all ages. Awdry went the full mile. He and his brother detailed out a fully functioning island with a history. "The Island of Sodor; Its People, Its History and Its Railways".
@@Bagster321I see that book as being the culmination of good writing in children's stories: Awdry clearly loved the world he created and putting this amount of effort into it. An argument can be made that he was doing this out of a love of the craft just as much as entertaining and teaching children. Only someone who puts meaningful effort into children's stories would ever make a book dedicated to the world the stories are set in.
Since the moment my son was born, I knew he would never watch anything I wouldn't sit and watch with him. Stories changed my life and I won't ruin his by depriving him of the good ones
It's true, man, even some parents. It's a sad fact of life, but most parents don't want to raise their kids. They want the tv or iPad to do it for them. They don't want to plan activities for the day to keep them occupied. They want to send them to school to babysit them for free
@@tommymaxey2665 Probably not most, just too many. Most involves about 75-90% of the amount, so I just think it’s probably more like 37.6% at the worst. Still way too many negligent parents.
That's the common mentality sadly, and it truly shouldn't be; give a child a form of honest expression and you'll be surprised for what they are capable of doing
Chili is a TSA dog, she works full time and Bandit is an archaeological assistant so he’s only gone a couple months a year. I love how the dogs have real jobs 😂
It’s also funny that both their jobs are jobs that dogs would really have, there are airport security checking dogs, and bandit digging up bones makes a lot of sense.
I love when the show uses small gags to emphasize their characters are still dogs indeed, like Bingo using her big girl bark or the kids howling for help after being stuck in a shadow palm tree island! 🤣
@@LuznoLindoumm actually dogs can see shades of gray, brown, yellow and blue. This is called dichromatic vision, which is similar to humans who experience red-green color blindness.
@@aniboo8668 I'm not sure that cats would be interested in that. But, there's a bunch of YT channels for cats and it kind of surprised me that my MIL's cat would actually watch when I turned one of them on. I think that cats have less trouble watching modern screens than they did the old CRTs.
I don't have kids now, nor do I plan to, but I wish future generations the same feeling of warmth and excitement of coming back to an old "kids" movie and realizing how much deeper it goes than the surface level bright colors and fun noises. I love rewatching movies and shows I loved as a kid and seeing how much better they get with time, be it simply the jokes I didn't get as a kid or appreciating the craft that went into making the movie.
This is why I pay attention to children's media. Parents do need to monitor and know what their kids are watching/consuming. I want kids to watch things that enrich them. You can have silly stuff but this Minecraft movie just looks bad.
Honestly, the "it's for kids, so you can't complain" argument is stupidly selfish. That generation got All Dogs go to Heaven, Atlantis, Treasure Planet, The Last Unicorn, Cars, Toy Story, and many more. Why should kids of this generation be denied those memories? Why shouldn't they get a good quality movie that they can enjoy for the rest of their lives over and over again?
Yeah I think that's the most hypocritical part of this. The generation that grew up with some of the greatest movies ever, that also happened to be children movies. Are the ones saying the quality of children's movies don't matter
FACTS, ever since the rise of the Minions in 2010s the academy and most of hollywood has been treating animated media as just for kids. When in reality they are just as good if not better than live action classics. The Spiderverse films are better than all the Disney classics fight me
I remember when the first Kung Fu Panda Movie came out and I saw it in theaters. The twist at the Climax with the Secret-Ingredient Soup and the DragonScroll BLEW MY MIND! I was all like, "Oh my gosh, Cartoons Can Make You THINK!" And the second Kung Fu Panda movie didn't subvert my expections, it SURPASSED them!🤯😭 Movies and shows like that were the reason I wanted to become a Writer when I grew up. Now that I am an adult, I'm still a far cry from writing stories professionally, let alone becoming the next Stan Lee, but I'm still writing and brainstorming as a hobby.
@@dry4smash946 Thanks! Right now I have a bunch of ideas for my own original SuperHero world and series, complete with its own Alternate-Earth with its own geography and history, but right now it's still in the earlier stages, mostly just a collection of world-building ideas and characters I made up, and I still haven't quite figured out the main plot. In the meantime, however, I've been writing a fanfiction series that crosses-over my two favorite anime, MyHeroAcademia and OnePunchMan! I'm calling it MyHeroAssociation, and I've already published the first 6 chapters, with the 7th and 8th chapters on the way. If you're interested, you can find my work just by searching "MyHeroAssociation Chapter0", and it should be the first thing that comes up. Although, I would definitely recommend you watch both anime first, since my story takes place after most of the events of MHA Season6, and right after the events of OPM Season1 and during the events of OPM Season2 onwards. I realize that might be a hassle, so no hard feelings if you decide to pass on it. I just wanted to let you know in case you were interested and wanted to read some of my work. 🤓👍
@@dry4smash946 Thanks! Right now, I've been writing a fanfiction series that crosses-over my two favorite anime, MyHeroAcademia and OnePunchMan! I'm calling it MyHeroAssociation, and I've already published the first 6 chapters, with the 7th and 8th chapters on the way. look it up if you're interested! Although, I would definitely recommend you watch both anime first, since my story takes place after most of the events of MHA Season6, and right after the events of OPM Season1 and during the events of OPM Season2 onwards. I realize that might be a hassle, so no hard feelings if you decide on passing. Just wanted to let you know in case you were interested and wanted to read some of my work. 🤓👍
Thanks! Right now I have a bunch of ideas for my own original SuperHero world and series, complete with its own Alternate-Earth with its own geography and history, but right now it's still in the earlier stages, mostly just a collection of world-building ideas and characters I made up, and I still haven't quite figured out the main plot. In the meantime, however, I've been writing a fanfiction series that crosses-over my two favorite anime, MyHeroAcademia and OnePunchMan! I'm calling it MyHeroAssociation, and I've already published the first 6 chapters, with the 7th and 8th chapters on the way. Look it up if you're interested! Although, I would definitely recommend you watch both anime first, since my story takes place after most of the events of MHA Season6, and right after the events of OPM Season1 and during the events of OPM Season2 onwards. I realize that might be a hassle, so no hard feelings if you decide on passing. Just wanted to let you know in case you were interested and wanted to read some of my work. 🤓👍
The whole thing about "kids not being as sophisticated as you want" baffles me. Like, maybe the aim of these movies should be to make them grow into someone More "sophisticated." Shouldn't we want our kids to become smart and emotionally mature adults? And kids can definitely tell when stuff is well written, like, as an 8 year old, I knew ATLA was deeper and more interesting than the majority of shows on Nickelodeon at the time. Sure, kids will watch the dumbed down junk and be entertained by it, but it's the good ones that will still be with us 20 years later, the ones you can still get a new perspective on every time you rewatch it as you get a year older.
I don't even need to watch this video to understand that the "It's for kids!" excuse has always been a stupid justification for children's media that are either uncomfortable, poorly-written or both. Adults watch cartoons, too, and they have the right to want media that are moral, comfortable and perfectly-written. There is NO excuse to make ANYONE who is innocent uncomfortable without their consent AT ALL.
Back when I was a kid, the "kids movie" that we had was Shrek, incredibles, Monsters inc, etc. I remember that I used to watch these movies with my mom and my aunts, and till this day they are the biggest fans of those movies. Real art is not for a specific group of people, but it's something that all people can enjoy. Real art helps kids creativity increase.
There was also bad kids movies back in the day too like Baby geniuses, A Troll In Central Park, Cat in the Hat, Masters of Disguise, list goes on. I remember as a kid watching the bad movies and going walleyed while focusing on something else like chores lool. But the good movies, like the ones you listed, that really stays with you. I still can't believe corpo still tries to depend on statistics rather than passion and the love of storytelling.
@meikamsdi5978, And like someone said below is in the comments below, A Troll In Central Park, Cat in the Hat, Masters of Disguise also existed back in the day. Good and bad has always existed.
A great film that was mine growing up as kid, and emotionally scarred me, and many years later as an adult, Don Bluth's The Land Before Time. Almost 40 years later and that animation still holds up, and such a powerful story of learning to cope with loss and handle depression at a young age, and banding with other dinosaurs that is not of your kind in search of The Great Valley. Don Bluth once sad, 'You can put mature messages in the films, and kids will understand them a lot better and handle the emotions as long as you give them a happy ending in the end.' Still one of the greatest animated films of the late 80s and still holds up almost 40 years later.
I remember watching behind the scenes on Adventure Time and they basically said that when making something you have to make it something you enjoy, and then people who enjoy the same things as you will also enjoy that, this lesson stuck with me and I think it is one of the most important things when it comes to writing the big movie companies share no care for their stories claiming "it's for kids" as an excuse, so it becomes overwhelmingly obvious why everyone is hating on their movies, they don't care about what they make, so rarely anyone else will
Also, kids understand far more than those critics and movie writers give them credit for. When a kid sits down to watch Toy Story, The Incredibles, Mulan (the good one), or Sleeping Beauty, they can sense the depth there, even if they don't understand it, and especially if their parents watch it with them.
Thank you for making this statement. I am a father of three, and my wife and I share your sentiment: if we watch a bad movie, it's a wasted night, but not the end of the world; but whatever we let the kids watch must meet the highest standards.
Would the “who cares” crowd suddenly care if we replaced the stupidity with gore? Of course they would, because even ‘they’ know that kids are impressionable. They don’t want their kids to become violent as they grow up but they’re cool with them becoming… dumb? Sure- stupidity is preferable compared to violence, but you’re setting them up for failure either way. (To be clear: this is not a ‘violent video games and movies cause violence’ stance. I’m just saying that the reckless consumption of almost ANY media can have lasting consequences- especially for kids.)
very well said, people will nitpick every little detail in a kids animation if it contains something they don't like. I guess this is the result, they want movies that have *nothing*
Seeing how little present-day Hollywood understands stories is utterly disheartening. Stories aren't just a little something to pass the time or to cast away boredom; they're far more precious than that. When we read, listen, or watch a story, we live it and we form the memory of that story as if it was about us. We learn a lesson about a character as if we would learn a lesson about ourselves. We feel inspired when the characters overcome an obstacle, because we empathise with them. Even if they're not as "sophisticated" as grownups, kids experience the same thing when they read, listen, or watch a story; maybe even more so, considering how they bring the stories they like into their play, and they assume the role of the character they like the most (it's almost like a ritualistic reenactment, where they become the avatars of their favourite character, and they behave the way that character would). If a story is nonsensical, paper thin, or plain stupid, kids won't preoccupy themselves with it for long, regardless of how many funny actors it stars, or how maddeningly colourful it is. People who say things like 'it's for kids, so it's okay if it's dumb' must be either forgetting their own childhood and the stuff they liked, or they must be simply arguing a point that they don't truly believe in. The best stories out there are universal; they don't fall too well into the 'for kids' or 'for grownups' category. There must be a reason for that…
@Madeline, I mean, if we are talking about present day Hollywood not understanding kids stories, stuff like Inside Out 2, Transformers One, and The Wild Robot, definitely show that someone is cooking and understands that you can tell stories that appeal to both kids and adults.
Things like HTTYD are so good that even as an adult I watch and enjoy them. Heck, those movies are so good for me they're almost my favorite movies ever (LOTR on top of course). Media needs to be good enough that they survive for a long time, and those dumb kids stuff definitely won't
It’s like the world in Fahrenheit 451 rn, the world is moving so fast and people are just letting everything pass away, never remembering it or appreciating the moment
Knocked it out of the park on this. My initial thought when I saw the trailer was the same as Kotaku's, but thinking back, the movies that have inspired me the most are the ones I saw as a child.
I grew up on Bruce Timm's Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. All they did was adapt comic book stories. And you know what? I loved it. It taught me to understand and appreciate real storytelling from childhood
I think the funniest part about telling adults expecting more from kids media that "it's just for kids" is that in a heart beat people say "watch what your kids watch! No one is responsible for them!" so then when parents are loud about failed content for kids it's suddenly not a big deal because it's for kids. The spiraling cycle. And I know not everyone complaining about this movie has kids but it's a valid point in the argument in general. I also think it's asinine to make poor media for kids. No one wins in that regard.
Before even watching this I think a good example would be Avatar the Last Airbender. It has amazing storytelling and character development but can also be a fun kids show
Anytime a journalist says "x is not for YOU" it basically means "We're coping and playing defense" The mindset around kid's media is the same as it is around kid's food. They throw a bunch of blended up processed meat that was rejected from the butchery into a frier and serve it saying "the kid's like it, so what?" instead of saying "Hey, it's really important what a child intakes since these are the formative years of their lives. So let's give them something of value to nourish them"
Real bro. I grew up watching shows like Star Wars The Clone Wars. That show is rated for like 7 year olds but you can tell the creators put a lot of love into it because the show still holds up more than a decade later. Not to mention it has some of the best writing in Star Wars AND IT’S A KID’S SHOW
Clone Wars has its "kiddie" episodes which I maintain it would be better without, but arcs like Umbara and Order 66/The Tragedy of Fives are absolute masterpieces.
That show is one that I still enjoy watching today. I also loved that show because not only did it introduce characters with complex arcs and gave you the chance to watch that character grow, develop and overcome obstacles, but it also was versatile in the sense that if I didn’t particularly liked a story arc, I just skipped it. You weren’t punished for watching stuff that you simply found no interest in (unlike modern day Star Wars). It saddens me to see the fall Star Wars has taken, but we still have that show and other past treasures to remember and continue enjoying
I would like to add that kids absolutely can see the craft. I remember being 7-8, and just eating up movies such as The Last Unicorn and Coraline. The art of the movies really inspired me and changed my life in the way that it made me interested in art. Maybe kids nowadays are different, but I think that kids can still judge a movie for how it is, adults just ignore them as is often when it comes to kids.
"It's for kids it doesn't have to be good" is the biggest red flag imaginable. Not only are they admitting they don't respect their target audience, and not only are they admitting they don't care what gets given to children, but they are ALSO admitting they're making a bad product.
The people who assume that something doesn’t have to be good because it’s “for kids” are the same type of people who think we need live action movie because animation is “for kids”.
As a kid, I am not satisfied with the Minecraft movie and disgusted and hurt that so many people are willing to feed us trash. We deserve to be taken seriously and given thought provoking, poignant media. Thank you for lending your voice
When I was younger, I watched a lot of content that is bad by adult standards, but I still remember that I felt like it was uninspired and lazy, deep down, I knew that adults don’t care about how good the content I’m watching is, but then I remember shows like Arthur, that actually carried good messages without talking down to me, I felt like I could be treated like an adult in a way that’s relatable.
@@Mister_Sun. when I was younger my parents never sheltered me as much so I went outside alot We used to catch spiders and bet on them fighting each other like pokemon So we kids invented gambling and animal cruelty on our own without adult supervision The only tv we had was hogged by my father so bayverse transformers and fast and furious for me The only way I knew Pixar and Disney was from my cultured sister who watches family guy and 50 shades and a lot of game of thrones
It's the same phrase you hear when someone sees you playing with Lego: 'Isn't that for kids?' or 'Please grow up.' It's that sad behavior from people who don't want you to enjoy the things you love
People really do forget that children's media is made for children and their families who have to watch/read everything with them. Adults also deserve a pleasant time with their children so they have a right to critique the mindless rubbish people try and pass off on them. (Plus, Minecraft is for 7-13+ year olds which is old enough to care about whether a film is more than random stimuli, and most of the kids I know who play minecraft also know and care way too much about it to not get mad at all the strange differences and weird cgi)
Also these people forget that one day these kids grow up and become adults who might want to rewatch the movies they enjoyed as kids and they shouldn't be robbed of having a blast of experiencing a really good movie they watched as kids and looking at it from an adult lense and realizing how deep it actually went and getting to laugh at all the adult jokes that previously flew over your head as a child because good art including things meant for children is stuff that's meant to stick with you and that's how it lasts forever that's how we get adults eager to share media they grew up with their own kids no one's going to do that with a pile of slop
AGAIN, my dude, Sam, spitting straight facts! I am not a parent, but I have to say, I do thoroughly agree with you here. There's no need to fill our future generations head's with garbage, especially not of the caliber 75% of all kids cinema seems to be becoming, we ought to make sure we're filling their heads with "The stories that really matter", the stories "Of brave knights and heroic courage", because these things DO matter. They're kids, they'll remember so much of the stuff they watch now when they're older, so we ought to make sure that what they remember isn't senseless fluff but something that has morals, a good lesson, something to say that genuinely matters, all of the above. It DOES matter, kids DO deserve good stories. So let them watch Bluey! Seriously though, that show is the kids show G.O.A.T.
It’s about time that someone spoke up against the whole “it’s just for kids” argument. “Journalists” these days are a joke. They just parrot controversial opinions hoping to gain a shred of profit instead of speaking the truth and spreading messages that actually matter. This video was very well done. I’m definitely subscribing to see more.
Let's all repeat our manthra, peeps: "ANIMATION IS NOT A GENRE, IT'S A MEDIUM” and "ANIMATION IS FOR EVERYONE”, executives should crave that phrase into their skulls… KIDS DO HAVE THEIR OWN CRITERIA, Hollywood, don't act as they were stupid, far from it, give a child a chance to express and they'll surprise you for what they are capable of. (Also Bluey is a masterpiece, 100% agreed).
As parents, we (well, not me - not a parent, and probably wouldn't make a good one anyway) should be very careful to curate our children's entertainment. Luckily, we have decades upon decades of stories in movies and TV alone that children can love and that teach things that we want our children to learn. I love Studio Ghibli films for this reason: Their films are designed for children, but have characters and stories about learning how to grow up and function as adults. Heck, I remember a Letterboxd review of the anime Princess Arete (not Ghibli, but the director had previously worked for them) that talked about how his 7 year old nephew sat down and watched the whole movie, enthralled, even though he couldn't read all of the subtitles... this about a movie that many complained about being "too slow" for kids. I'm not saying that we can't have "fun" movies for kids - you mentioned The LEGO Movie, and there are many other great comedies I could point to, such as The Court Jester (1955) or 101 Dalmatians (1961) - but your final point of "don't let your kids watch/play/read anything that you wouldn't" is a very good rule of thumb. If you are old enough to be a parent, I guarantee that you have enough experience with stories that you can curate long lists of things that you would be happy to have your children watch and be proud of what they're getting out of it. And if you can - I know it isn't always possible, but if you can - be there with them to share the experience, talk about the book or movie or game and be interested in what your children say about it. Invest in the time with your kids, instead of letting someone else raise them.
The Court Jester is high art. "The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon." "You know the Italian Court, sire. What better place to... court Italians?" "The Fox, there's only one of me Til suddenly there's two of me When two of me is what you see, Gadzooks! Three of me! That's the proper score of me Three of us is the core of me And we can tell you, whoops! Sorry. Four of me!" "Get it? Got it. Good."
My parents did a good job getting me properly cultured with old movies like The Court Jester. I have always loved that movie. It's a pity most people only seem to care about movies made in the last 15-20 years. Go back to the 40s, 50s, 60s and there are LOADS of really great movies.
@@jlhill17 I consider The Court Jester to be one of the "Big 4" comedies - the four funniest movies ever made, based on pure laugh count: 1. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) - Pure manic genius, with Cary Grant delivering a performance for the ages as someone losing his mind in real time. 2. The Trouble with Harry (1955) - Not a common choice, but I laugh myself silly at lines like "You're not supposed to bury bodies whenever you find them... it makes people suspicious." Very dry, but it has given me some of the hardest laughs of my life: "It can't be... Harry!... Thank Providence, the last of Harry!" "Who's Providence, Mama?" "A very good friend!" [Motioning at the corpse] "What's wrong with him?" "He's... asleep. He's in a deep sleep. A deep, *wonderful* sleep." "Will he ever wake up?" "Not if we're lucky." 3. The Court Jester (1955) - As mentioned above. 4. What's Up, Doc? (1972) - Complete screwball silliness, that gets increasingly more wild as it goes and I love it.
@@eeeoffical I gave up on that in the first season - I can't remember why, I think I found it too simplistic at first. I'm told that it is a very good show, maybe I should try rewatching it.
Another movie that I absolutely loved as a kid that had me sat everytime was Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. There weren’t any talking animals. If anything, the music did the talking for them. The score is beautiful and the animation is incredible. A story about perseverance, and never letting the world break you. It’s a perfect movie. And if kids don’t get that message, it’ll be a fun little horse movie. You can get the best of both worlds if parents just cared more about the media their kids are consuming.
Kids need good stories even more than adults, because they are still in their development. Earlier this year something triggered this conversation with my family, and half them fell on the "who cares, it's for kids" argument. It's so dismissive, when I see as a larger problem with all this and I'm instantly met with, "who cares?" I suppose I do, and I'm not automatically invalid. It's nice that I'm truly not alone in this mindset.
As a kid, I found I gravitated towards movies and shows that hit harder, had more emotion and impact. I watched Ninjago, Adventure Time, Amazing World of Gumball, My Little Pony, and the HTTYD series on cartoon network and Netflix. Something these shows all have in common is a growing sense of maturity as it goes on. It starts kinda episodic, but then the overarching story finds its footing. I love shows that grow up with their audience.
Thank you! My wife's whole focus for her IG is literary standards. While hers is a Christian focus, you points echo each other marvelously. Who parents want their children to be relies on the intellectual quality they are fed.
Thank YOU! Very generous. As a Christian myself, I care most that my kids learn how to be good and Godly people, and stories absolutely help with that, but even more so if they are actually well told.
Thank YOU! Very generous. As a Christian myself, I care most that my kids learn how to be good and Godly people, and stories absolutely help with that, but even more so if they are actually well told.
There is another CS Lewis quote that come to mind: “A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children isn't a good children's story in the slightest.”
Ironically, when I was a kid, that grew up on movies from Golden Age Disney, Pixar, and some other fun comedies based off of the popular cartoons; they were written quite well, and respected the AUDIENCE time. They seem to forget, these movies/shows/games/etc may be created for children in mind, but parents/guardians/adult figures still watch these as well. It should be a fun, and enjoyable experience for EVERYONE, even if it's meant for kids; why do you think we can watch old cartoons and still enjoy them, as well as notice the adult themes/humor that we missed as a kid? I always believed movies "made for kids" were movies made for families in mind. It's why most of the movies Pixar made were hits: Toy Story, The Incredibles, Cars, UP, etc. Hell, even Dreamworks made some bangers too. Illumination...they're really kind of the bottom of the barrel of kid's entertainment, a lot more misses than hits, and they don't care, because Minion merch. Regardless, if a movie is targeted for a younger audience, doesn't mean it needs to be straight up slop, that's boring and lazy humor, poor and predictable writing, etc. Kids are FAR more involved in the media, than I was at their age, because computers and the internet was still a new thing, only booming within the past decade. They see far better creations by talented individuals on the daily, thanks to RUclips; so to see something like this, that looks incredibly amatuerish isn't "for the kids", it's for greedy, out of touch, corporate hacks that want to use a popular gaming IP to rake in easy bags of money. I hope it fails, to prove a point, that quality is what matters, not...whatever this is.
I went to a redbox one evening a couple years ago, and the couple in front of me spent several minutes discussing what movies to rent. Their choices revolved around what the kids would watch and "leave them alone", so that they could do adult things in the meantime. They eventually settled on "Treasure Buddies 2", even though their kids had already seen it. And yes, I DID judge the parents for bad taste AND bad parenting.
@@hede_the_call “treasure buddies 2”? No such thing. It must’ve just been Treasure Buddies? Anyways that movie actually rocks, I bought it used last weekend. Most of the Buddies movies are actually decent, with Treasure Buddies and Space Buddies being some standouts from the rest. They’re not peak cinema, but they’re _far_ from the mindless slop being discussed in this video. Either that or me and my entire family are just nostalgic.
When judging the quality of a film or other visual media, the demographics do not matter. When people ask "How is this for kids", they are really questioning the tone.
"Stories are not merely products." Say it louder for the people in the back! I'm so sick of people just accepting bad storytelling because they're going to consume a movie as a product to be used, discarded and move onto the next. Good stories shed light on the meaning in our lives. We need good/great stories, especially for children who are forming their vision of the world. Stories widen their viewpoints, their imagination, and their empathy for others, transporting them beyond the screen in front of their face. They deserve better.
I am forever grateful that my mom was careful about what we watched, and picked out things of quality. Thanks to that, I've never been ashamed of watching stuff "for kids", because I do NOT associate the concept with lazy writing. I associate children's stories with imagination, wonder, and a clear love of storytelling - because those are the kinds of stories I grew up with. I'm so glad that wasn't traded in for the sake of keeping me entertained for a few hours a day. Being careful and critical of "kid's movies" can absolutely make a lasting difference, and can help you find some brilliant diamonds in the rough.
Well killing Batman Beyond for a Minecraft movie could have been an equal trade IF the Minecraft movie was more like Lego Movie and less “bad video game movie number x”
Thanks for saying what needs to be said. Our children deserve the very best, but most of the time they receive society’s worst in every category- food, education, attention, media.
I really wish kids were actually treated like people in today's world. So many adults will just nod and "uh huh" their way through a kid trying to play games with them or talk with them, when actually engaging with them can be so much more rewarding as well as help that kid be able to make meaningful connections and grow up happy.
Quote near the end is from C.S. Lewis' book "On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature". Forgot to include the credit on screen.
Like the video and I'll get hired as a gaming journalist to take down the industry from the inside.
(For legal reasons I should specify that is a joke).
@@master_samwise "Well when you're writing a children's book, you're writing for a whole lot of people. You're writing for yourself to make sure that you've got it researched right. You're writing for the unfortunate parents who've got to read it aloud, time after time after time after time. You've got to put in little funny bits, subtle bits which they'll enjoy. And then there's the simple slapstick stuff, which the child will enjoy."
- Wilbert Awdry.
That man was truly a man of his word when writing his stories about Thomas and his railway Friends.
I wholeheartedly agree and am curious if you would like a list of “Kids” movies and shows that I would recommend?
I was actually about to start quoting from that essay.
C.S. Lewis. Now there's a man who could write for children and their parents. I will never grow out of Narnia because there are always more layers to find.
For legal reasons, most gaming journalists are _also_ jokes.
Hear: “It’s not for you; it for children!”
Understand: “I think children are stupid money-makers to be exploited, not respected.”
People often forget that there are shows out there (ex: MLP) that have a fanbase made up of people who are NOT the target audience. Just because a show is aimed at a specific audience, it doesn't mean that the people who watch it will be part of the target audience.
These people have clearly never heard of the MLP G4 phenomenon.
@@manuproulx2764I think they rather forget about it since it plagued the early to middle/late 2010s
corporate greed strikes again.
@@manuproulx2764An audience is an audience! Target or not! End of discussion!
@@victorhernandez8723 Exactly. Adults , kids, and teenagers have the right to watch whatever they want. It doesn't matter whether the show/movie in question is "meant for them" or not (according to the creators).
The "who cares, it's a kids' movie" crowd should ingrain the phrase "if it's worth doing, it's worth doing well" into their brains.
Kids do, they care. And if movie is shit their target demographic won't watch it
I’d ask if they care about kids at all because if they do they’d want to give them a good story instead of trash.
But they believe they did it well. Their just bitter about someone being negative about their perfect masterpiece and calling them childish for caring about things for children in order to silence them.
@@AwayandAdrift I got threatened for asking that.
In a conversation with some people in childrens' media I was talking about how imporant formative media is and how it can shape the lives of the children who watch it, they're smiling and nodding at me seemingly gushing about their profession.
But when I continued on to iterate some of the points in this video (less eloquently though I'm sure) and the reaction immediately soured as they realised this wasn't me flattering, but me critiquing a field I care about deeply.
I continued on that writers of childrens' stories have a duty to their audience, and creating stories for children should be treated with the same care you would treat reading a bedtime story to your own children (though I've since come to realise how many people put no care into that either). And that if you instead leverage the fact your audience is less experienced and lacks the ability to be discerning that this is just negligent, is that not just preying on childrens' lack of experience? This is the part of the story where I'm threatened and had to leave.
After that conversation I was depressed, overcome by this feeling that writing for children had become a field filled with people who see children as tappers to be hammed into their parents' wallets. They are attracted to the job because they see it as an easy role with minimal accountability. I felt sick in the stomach that a job so important was attracting people who seemingly have no values and those people were being given such direct access to and influence over children.
So this video and these comments are my everything. Thank you everyone for still caring.
It’s as if Kid’s movies don’t have a history of being some of the best cinema of all time.
“I care, because it’s for my kids, and my kids deserve good stories”
🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥
The whole FAMILY deserves a good story.
Agreed fellow men
Hear me out. Those kids that waiting for minecraft movie already grow up. We are those kids.. Why they do that to us?
Never trust a company that's run by David Zaslav!
That camera effect too - 4:05 in - chefs kiss
"I care, because it's for my kids!" This. This is the mentality every parent should have. (I don't have kids so I can't use this myself)
I mean, you can care about kids as fellow human beings who deserve respect. If people only start caring about kids having good things only when they have kids it's kinda not very good.
You can still care because it’s “for the kids”.
One does not need to get robbed to care about people who got robbed. One those not need to be stalked to care about people who get stalked… etc…
People will tell you you shouldn’t care because it doesn’t directly impact you… those people have no empathy, one of THE most important human qualities to live in a society.
I'm a young adult, and I want to be a parent. So I'm saving and getting classics I grew up with to pass on to them. They deserve to see what their papa grew up on, like Ultraman and Kaman Rider, show that will teach you how to be a stoic hero.
@@ofekma12345people don't realize how actually horrible and damning that phrase is.
Basically "i don't care about anything unless it includes mine"
@mintyflores7378 I don't have kids either, but my family and friends do, and nothing says I can't look out for them.
"When writing a kids product, you're essentially writing for two demographics. The child, and the adult that child wil, turn into"
-Dumbsville
Yes! And the adult who has to take them to the theater or be aware of the movie streaming in their home.
Kids are treated like they're stupid when they aren't. They're ignorant. Kids are way smarter than they're given credit for, and if any demographic deserves good storytelling, it's children.
I mean as a 12 year old kid I did an iq test I got 110-120 so yeah I think we are smarter then given credit for some 4th graders I know are bilingual and while sure may not be my level of smart they sure do enjoy good movie so yeah kids deserve good movies
That is true you do need to keep things more simple for them. But many great stories I’ve experienced as a kid were able to tell complex themes through that simplicity. Hell even Power rangers is usually good at this and it’s why it’s stuck around for so long. Neo saban era being the exception but thankfully that’s over now.
@@Cloud-dt6xb read my comment
I'd hardly consider myself smart as a kid, but if I remember correctly, I hated being talked down to. Plenty of movies "made for kids" are filled with low effort jokes and I swear even back then I found it annoying. The point I'm trying to make here is that, at least based on my childhood, most kids know when they're being talked down to or belittled and hate it, even if they don't yet know the proper term for it.
@@Damon_Blue legit
Do people forget that kids movies are made by adults? I feel like it's fair game for other adults to criticize their work regardless of who it is for.
EXACTLY.
Also one thing for me to emphasise. Animation is not an exclusive genre for children, it is a MEDIUM.
The Incredibles is by far the best example of this. It's presented in a different visual medium that isn't live action, yet it is easily the ultimate superhero movie ever made.
@@TheLazyFusspot_3428to be fair I feel like there’s a million different animated films that prove they’re not made for children. Since you mentioned a superhero film I feel like adding into/across the spiderverse onto that.
@@BananaWasTaken That's another great example, but I just think that The Incredibles is by far the epitome of what the superhero movie genre should be all about, at least in my personal opinion.
As an adult who loves cartoons for children, I don't have a problem with silly children's shows (to cry out loud, I like Trolls!), but yes, shows for children have the right to be criticized, just like anything else.
Kids will watch anything. Kids will also eat anything. That doesn't make it ok to feed them dirt.
Well said.
Goated comment
Ur lucky if the worst thing they eat is dirt.
Very good way to put it
Perfect comparison.
"Stories should matter. If they don't, they're not worth your time, and they're certainly not worth that of your children."
Wise words. You've got this future dad on board.
This video is GOLD. I work at Warner Brothers and it drives me *insane* when executives allow garbage to be made for kids. It drives me less insane when it's for adults because, theoretically, adults understand what they're looking at. Kids are incredibly smart but they just don't *know* enough, and they deserve the highest quality content we can make. Pixar knew that for a golden decade, DreamWorks occasionally get it right, and now Bluey is mostly carrying the torch.
Honestly I hate the big media companies so much. They blow out creativity like candles, and sadly are pretty much only focused on money and monopolisation nowadays, not quality content. This is the reason why I’m starting an indie film studio.
@imattsonart, @asterleaf, Pixar had Inside Out 2 come out this summer, Ellio is coming next year, and they are also working on another original film. I don't know why people act like the studio is dead in the water. As for Dreamworks, they are carrying the torch with movies like The Wild Robot. And then there's Transformers One, which is getting praise when the trailer made it look like, "It's made for kids". Big studios often have more issues than smaller studios, but to boil it down to a large companies bad, small companies good, is disingenuous.
It should be a no brainer that a young age is EXACTLY the time when you need to make fresh minds fall in love with your art
"It's made for kids!" - People who defend bad movies/TV shows/video games
"He's a kid, kids are stupid!" -Marv the Wet Bandit from Home Alone, shortly before he had his face smashed with an iron, had a paint can thrown into his face, a nail shoved into his foot, got electrocuted, etc. by said kid he thought was stupid.
Uninformed and ignorant is a better than calling them illiterate
Literally could not sum it up any better!
That movie is so good
Home Alone was therefor a great movie aimed at people of all ages.
@@kayleighdriessen yes
One concept I like is: Children aren't stupid. They just lack context.
A child might not realize how painful getting two buttons sown into their eyes but they WILL realize something is deeply wrong when the father and mother turn out to be evil and see how Coraline reacted to their appearance.
It's not rocket science. Children love a good story as much as adults. They might not connect Coraline to themes of alienation, loss and fear of the unknown but they WILL feel *something* alongside Coraline. They will watch the movie and feel sad or angry or scared. We are now trying to make an inoffensive environment for children when, in reality, children are much more sensitive to lies than adults. If I tell my kid something, they WILL think about it within their experience. If I say something racist like "black boys are evil" a child might actually stand up and tell me I'm wrong because his friend in class is very sweet. Kids ARE critical thinkers. We are the ones killing their criticism.
Anytime someone says "it's a kids' movie", I always direct them to Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. That movie is amazing as an adult, I can't imagine how hyped a child would be for it. The creativity used to replace violence or brutality in kids movies can elevate them over a movie for everyone. It brings to mind the Batman show where Joker put people into a catatonic state where they have a big creepy smile on their face and sunken eyes. The creators had a limitation because of the target demographic and knocked it out of the park with their decision.
Kids need these types of mature stories that bring maturity down to their level and guide their critical thinking. They don't need mindless brain rot.
@@sargeantschnutz5767fr, not to mention HTTYD...
Yes, they can understand a characters emotions and the interactions just as well they have full sized brains, they just lack facts, and honestly creative alternatives to violence in some forms are interesting, like decintigration weapons or the child finding out through context.
that doll left behind in Mulan did more than any amount of corpses.
@@stm7810
EXACTLY!
Agree 100%% to all of this!!
Remember the Lego Movie? The movie based on a childrens toy, that didn't even have any lore to make a movie about?
They made a movie that:
-Tells a fun story
-Is animated in a way that reflects Lego.
-Uses the themes Lego stands for in a meaningfull matter.
Heck. It basically popularized a new form of animation. It's just a great movie.
The Minecraft movie Trailer doesn't just look like it was made while activley taking a shit on the Game,
It's filled with the most generic, unfunny bullcrap you could put in a movie.
If the concept of creativity has an opposite, then it is this trailer.
One of the most pleasant surprises I've ever experienced in a theater. Had absolutely no expectations but the LEGO Movies absolutely blew me away.
Yes. The Lego Movie animation was SICK. Plus, it had themes of inspiration and embracing what makes us and others unique in a wholesome way. Plus it's for people that need that message, Emmet actually needed to stop being like everyone else.
There are kids and teens who's only inspiration is storytelling. Besides the fact that kids can be inspired to take on a hobby because their hero loves Kung Fu or loves Archery, they can depict experiences.
The expectations of others or yourself on yourself. Turning a painful experience into a lesson for yourself. Wanting to feel useful. Overcoming mommy/ daddy issues. Leaving an abuser. Embracing emotional struggle and enduring. There are SO MANY things teens struggle with and need to see resolved.
Also, aren't they being made by the same company?? (Warner bros)
"That didn't even have any lore to make a movie about".... I am gonna be calm here... but, The Informaniac let alone the rest of LEGO Island... Johnny Thunder, Jack Stone, The Rock Raiders, Knights of Morcia (Knights Kingdom II- 2004), The TOA... THE TOA.. The Ninja who are Masters of Spinjiztu, Alpha Team, the Mech Warriors of Sentai-Mountain.... even the girls of Heartlake City.... would like to have a word...they want to speak up now...
@@LDtheBrachio yeah i know about all of these, but they are all their own thing and have their own lore separate from Lego as a whole. A Lego theme.
They even made TV shows and movies based on all of these.
What i mean is: A Creeper is part of Minecraft lore.
The Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu are a part of NINJAGO lore. Not Lego
As a child who turned twelve less than a month ago, this movie looks garbage. I don’t think that Hollywood knows that I’m not just staring at the dancing pixels on the screen. I can actually tell what’s happening, like any other person older than five. Their main goal wasn’t to make a visual appealing movie in a CGI characters type form. Their main goal was to get as much money at the box office as possible. And I don’t think that’s gonna work out for them. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
Well worded
Children can’t be true critics of a show, they absorb what they see and hear. It is definitely the responsibility of adults to filter entertainment
Nope, it is the responsibility of the parents to teach values and such other things into children. The children have the responsibility to take it or leave it, and to have the consequences of each thing in their lives. Moreover, to censor things that need not be censored is ironically just as bad as the things that the adults protest against in their lives.
Entertainment for kids shouldn’t be pure brain rot
Brainrot is like candy...or drugs (duh)
A pleasure to be taken in small doses or else.
Warner Bros started the brain rot in 1993 (Warner Bros Family Entertainment) with their cringe brainrot family friendly movies aside from The Iron Giant or the DCAU (The one that needs to be no longer milked dry for GKids anime films are the new mainline of WB) that aren't masterpieces. And it brought down the entire animation landscape (including Disney, Dreamworks and Pixar) in the US until Spiderverse from 2018 onwards.
@@kjj26k a good movie can still have it's brain rot moments so long as there's substance to hold the whole thing together and not make it a waste of time
Yes, there's plenty of time for that later.
Like brain rot is literally proven to be bad for children’s development. They deserve the absolute opposite of brainrot. They need movies and shows that are enriching to their brains
"Who cares, it's for kids" is such an insane idea. Kids are impressionable, vulnerable, and need guidance. If anything, we should care just as much if not more.
I don’t think there’s gonna be guidance in a Minecraft movie of all things
@@mlgodzilla4206”With hard work, perseverance and creativity, anything is possible” There, that’s the guidance a Minecraft movie can have. Doubt we’ll see it in this one
@@mlgodzilla4206 Why not? Minecraft itself can teach kids lots of things, main one being creativity. I don't see why we should expect less from an adaptation.
@@lilpenn7516 Exactly, and honestly, thinking there can't be some lesson people, even kids can take away from media means you aren't being creative enough to think of or find one.
@@mlgodzilla4206They have an entire education-based edition of Minecraft for schools.
Not to mention the creativity aspect.
Children’s media is notorious for its messaging, usually teaching kids moral lessons, while being entertaining. There’s no excuse for feeding children garbage content.
"Who cares? It's for kids."
'I care. Because it's for *my* kids'
As a new father: You could have just ended the video there, but if I can watch you talk about GoW for several hours I can watch you talk about kids media for 15 minutes too.
Heard a similar one from a wrestler, don't remember his name though.
"That's the problem, you don't *give a damn*, and my problem, is that I *care too much*!"
The people who say this are the same "consoom product" Hollywood defenders who think it's a mic drop to say "Oh, you were expecting things to make sense in a fantasy world with magic and dragons? LOL" why yes, I do hold storytellers to the standard of adhering to the internal logic and rules of the world they have created, as well as the characters they've established.
I care because I have basic empathy and can project myself at least a little.
People who say “why do you care since it doesn’t impact you directly”… I’d say I don’t need to be poor myself to care for poor people. I don’t need to be weak to care for the weak.
Basic empathy and common sense shouldn’t be THIS hard to grasp
People who say "it's for kids (so it dosen't have to be good)" are also the people who say "what happened to the younger generation"
Gee i wonder
People like these are usually intellectually exhausted. “I’m already overwhelmed just from work, and these monsters won’t let me sleep, stop shoving more jobs on my plate!” Not entirely their fault that corporations are committing rampant wage-theft and price-gouging, but they set themselves/their families up for ruin by giving in to apathetic or even neglectful parenting.
It’s a genuine defense occasionally, like when people complain that a kids show doesn’t have enough sex or didn’t go dark enough, had an unrealistically happy ending or some childish humor in an otherwise good story. But not to defend bad writing
@@mggardiner4066 That's a defense against an argument that doesn't get made.
I always found "it's for the kids" to be a pinnacle of anti-intellectualism in media
Just because kids will consume junk food or junk movies, does not mean that is all they deserve. We absolutely need meaningful stories for kids. I’m so glad I grew up with stories like pixar movies that I could love as a kid and only appreciate more and more as I became an adult
@@Eilonwy95 that is an excellent analogy
I know!! It’s an amazing feeling to go back to something you loved as a kid and end up loving it even more! And it’s SO sad that so many kids being raised by Cocomelon will never have that same experience.
yeah. Junk food is a good analogy. A kid will eat junk food, but if you're feeding the kid nothing but junk food, then you should be ashamed
Yes. In fact, good stories were a big factor in encouraging my dyslexic husband to learn how to read and write. He had a horrible time learning how to read and write because of dyslexia and just a bad experience with schooling in general, but his mom read to him every night before bed, and this instilled in him a love of good stories from an early age. So even though it was harder for him than most kids, he learned to read so that he could enjoy novels on his own.
It’s a good thing I managed to grew up with things that aren’t made for kids. My childhood was edgy
I think im quoting bioshock, but someone looked down on the world by saying "this world values children, but not childhood."
Kids NEED good stories.
I had Avatar the Last Airbender, Ben 10, Danny Phantom, and Dragon Ball Z.
Kids need good stuff to love. Shapes their hearts.
Bioshock burial at sea. That quote lives rent free in my head
It is impressive how many adult topics ATLA can mention and make it respectable and understandable to kids
Heck, this world don't even value children. They value future workers. 😔
Entertainment should be good because there are kids and teens who's only inspiration is storytelling. People that inject the message in their content and productions of course know this, but the people looking to put out low effort stuff because I guess they think 'if this is for kids what can we say" or "if we can't spread The Message, what do we have'. Well, besides the fact that little kids can be inspired to take on a hobby because their hero loves Kung Fu or loves Archery, they can depict experiences.
The Expectations of others or yourself on yourself. Turning a painful experience into a lesson for yourself. Wanting to feel useful. Overcoming mommy/ daddy issues. Leaving an abuser. Embracing emotional struggle and enduring. There are SO MANY things teens struggle with and need to see resolved.
@@astroboy6515 A great example of this is by Wilbert Awdry. That man truly took matters into his own hands and delighted and charmed everyone with his Railway Series character stories.
children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest
-CSLewis
@albusvoltavern4500 I Had to look up this quote because it's so good.
Thank you for sharing
C.S. Lewis's whole essay on this subject is some of the best writing he did. though, I believe this is a paraphrase of that essay, not a direct quote
yeah my theater teacher showed that quote in class when we were working on our playwright assignment
I remember when the first Kung Fu Panda Movie came out and I saw it in theaters. The entire twist at the Climax with the Secret-Ingredient Soup and the DragonScroll BLEW MY MIND! I was all like, "Oh my gosh, Cartoons Can Make You THINK!" And second Kung Fu Panda movie didn't subvert my expections, it SURPASSED them!🤯😭
Movies and shows like that were the reason I wanted to become a Writer when I grew up.
Now that I am an adult, I'm still a far cry from writing stories professionally, let alone becoming the next Stan Lee, but I'm still writing and brainstorming as a hobby.
Here's hoping the Standards Return to Hollywood someday!
@@HaydenStephens515 I don't know if the standards will return to Hollywood, maybe we can get some new studios, maybe in new geographic areas, that DO have standards, and support them instead.
The target demographic being kids honestly doesn't matter. Avatar the Last Airbender is intended for children, but I first watched it as a 21 year old, and I loved it!
Being for kids isn't an excuse for crappy stories.
If only cartoon stans would understand that.
@@AutZentus and cartoon haters
Minecraft's current PEGI rating is 7. The current ESRB rating is 10+.
My younger brother is 12, and Minecraft movie's most probable demographic. I showed him the A Minecraft movie trailer and he said "Why is it so ugly?"
He's obsessed with Minecraft. He seemed just as disappointed as I was.
The entire Minecraft community was disappointed.
I am a college age adult who does work teaching kids (some that young, some high schoolers, all absolute nerds lol) Not a single kid in that demographic likes the way this movie looks. None of my Minecraft playing peers like it. And safe to say, the look/lore people wanted may vary, but every answer is on YT within those top 100 Minecraft animations lol.
I’m someone who grew up with Minecraft and I think the exact same thing.
The worst part is? Many of The trailers for the games are more faithful than this cash grab.
Yeah, I’ll pass on this.
To paraphrase Mauler “to those who say ‘it doesn’t have to be good, it’s just for kids’ it’s depressing that you put so little care into what’s ostensibly the future.”
Fact
Wise words of the Longman himself, God bless Tonald, all praise The Don
if only Mauler could parapharse Mauler
Keep in mind that there's many decades worth of kids content out there to enjoy these days and much of it is available on DVD or bluray. Which means, that if the studios choose not to have more respect, the parents can easily just buy that old stuff and ignore the new.
Its becsuse they see humanity as a plague
The perfect example of a modern animated movie that was for kids but was entertaining for everyone was Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. It had wonderful themes, animation, action, comedy, voice acting. It is a 10/10 movie I try to spread around like the plague to everyone I know that hasn't seen it yet.
Sameee, I love talking about good animations to everyone I can! Some people go as far as to think that all of animation is just for children. I wish we could reverse this myth... Animation is so beautifull, and while not every animation will be a masterpiece, we shouldn't set the standart as dirt low...
That movie arguably gave Don Bluth’s classic films a run for their money, and those films are as notorious as they are beloved for how dark they can actually be.
The Last Wish isn't a kids movie, it's outright kino
@@Slateproc Th Seventh Seal (but it’s About a Cat)
I tried to get a friend to go watch after I was blown away with how amazing it was, but they refused because they "won't watch a kid's movie."
Agreed wholeheartedly.
People think kids are stupid. And if you set them in front of a tv their whole childhood, and give them a phone at 2 years old, they will be.
But if you give them books and documentaries and decent stories, they'll grow up to be significantly smarter.
Exactly Back to the future for instance got me to grasp something as complex as alternate timelines simply by drawing lines on a chalkboard. Point being a good writer can still deliver fantastic writing with complex themes through more simple storytelling. And to be fair this is something alot more people get these days but clearly not everyone.
@@Cloud-dt6xb Another good movie is Forrest Gump. Every time I watch it, I get tears in my eyes.
@@manuproulx2764 Have'nt seen that hehe but if it's what we're talking about then good.
Which is why I grew up watching VSauce 😌
@@manuproulx2764I would never play that for kids. I’d never seen it and started watching it on a plane, and then it reached a scene with a naked lady and I immediately covered my screen and turned it off, thinking “there are kids here!” and that it shouldn’t have been allowed as an option in a public area. I don’t want to see that kind of stuff, either.
I like the advice of talking with your children about what they watched. Encouraging your kids to think about the media they consume is very important. It's a lesson I wish I learned earlier.
Something that I feel *needs* to be pointed out more is that just like kids deserve good stories, parents taking their kids to the theaters don't deserve to suffer for ninety minutes. Adults have very valid reasons to complain about kids movies that suck: They might have to watch them *A LOT.*
Bluey's existence is just one perfect counter to the "It's not for you" defense. There's also the fact that grownups enjoy Sesame Street. And atheists enjoy VeggieTales. And grown men enjoy My Little Pony. When media is good, people outside the target demographic will find things to appreciate about it. To say "It's not for you" is to suggest the creators were too lazy to put in more than the minimum effort to amuse their target audience.
Eh be careful about the grown men who like my little pony. But yeah when stories are good anyone will listen in on them
But they demonized the Bronies because few are just perverts.
@tommymaxey2665 bronies are barely around anymore you know
Not to mention the fact that people ought to becareful online to begin with
@@gavichealsomething2169 the mlp fandom is alive and well :p but if by bronies you mean THOSE kind of adult men then yeah, thankfully there's not that much of them anymore. most of the mlp fandom now are queer adults who watched mlp as kids/teens lol
@@tommymaxey2665And don't be weary around the adults who like Sesame Street? Listen, I know bronies have a stigma because of the amount of weirdos in a fandom, but not every guy who likes MLP is like that. There are MILLIONS and even more in the fandom. You can't gatekeep people from liking something and condemn them for it, and then turn around and enable others. Grown women aren't seen as weirdos for liking Bluey. The truth of the matter is to be weary of EVERYONE online. Pedos are everywhere, not just the brontosaurus fandom. You are perfectly right about being weary, but being rude and accusatory torwards people who simply LIKE something and are into it with no ill intentions.
I feel that the dehumanization of kids has ramped up in recent years. Both online and offline, spaces dedicated to letting children just play and exist have dwindled. Same with media that can actually be enjoyed by kids, not just consumed. Some people act as if kids are babies incapable of forming memories, let alone taste.
Also speaking of Pixar, in that pre-2010's era, they were innovating the landscape of 3D animation with each new movie.
Dehuminization across the board is ramping up across the world.
Whatever happens to everyone, happens especially to children.
They are the next us, so if you want things to be a certain way...
Yeah, too many people prioritise the unborn and adults over kids, like they act that the time between being born and adulthood doesn’t matter
Reminds me of how people are treating kids as lesser than the previous generation. For example, I see many zoomers (I myself am part of that generation) hate on kids for consuming mindless RUclips videos, even though we ourselves watched tons of YTPs and whatnot. I'm not advocating that children should watch mindless garbage; I more so mean to call out the hypocrisy present in some of these arguments.
The constant threats of violence against children I have seen online in tantrum videos is also something we need to look into. It is more dehumanizing and purely dangerous. Sad to say, but kids are tons more hated nowadays than they were some decades ago.
This is one of the reason why parents shouldn't film their children without their consent, because it doesn't make the situation better and it will attract bullies and child haters.
what i love about the mario movie is it is exactly what you are advocating for with this video. it wasn't just "dumb fun" for kids, it had good characters, good animation and a good story of heroism and brotherhood. it's not a masterpiece of storytelling, but it was still a good story at it's core.
Agreed. I loved how they took Mario and Luigi's relationship as brothers seriously. And I've unironically used Mario refusing to give up in his training montage to encourage my kindergartener to keep trying when he wants to quit because he doesn't immediately excel at something he tries. (It worked, too! He likes Mario.)
The other thing that I loved about that movie? It was basically just joy on screen, particularly that ending. It didn't laugh at Mario or Luigi for being heroic - it celebrated them and their triumph. The orchestrated super star theme with the drum line kicking in makes me want to jump up from my seat and cheer when I watch it.
And it payed homage to the franchise it was based off of, making it great for Mario films.
(Whilst the Minecraft movie seems like it’ll just be a jumanji rip-off)
@@BananaWasTaken yep. It feels like our lead characters are going to be isekai’d into the Minecraft world and Steve will be some crazy human who had been trapped there too long. Mario and Luigi had a similar fate, but at least it isn’t out of the realm of possibility considering the transition from classic donkey kong (New York inspired setting) to the mushroom kingdom.
You are *correct.* A lot of people tend to avoid talking about how well it portrays heroism and brotherhood.
@@KristopherPrime It's also probably a reference to the original Super Mario Bros. Super Show where they were plumbers from Brooklyn, considering that they even included the Super Show theme song in the film. I don't remember if other media has that backstory, but I know the Super Show does.
as a 45 year old man, I sometimes find myself watching Bluey with my nephew, discussing about action with him.
Parents that excuse bad content for their children are the same people who don’t want to sit down and watch something with their kids, because even they know the content is cheap. My favorite memories as a kid, was watching things with my parents! Even when it wasn’t content aimed at children. My parents loved watching animated “family” movies, and they still do, we just like the movies of quality to sit down together to. Most families don’t want to sit down to watch cheap movies or shows. Hollywood has forgotten about family movies and pivoted towards kids movies as an excuse to churn out bad content.
Ironically, a good amount of children are interested in a lot of adult shows than shows of their target demographic, or even shows for teens, that alone says a lot, because it means kids definitely deserve things that are simple, yet complex, good stories, and things to inspire and cross their heart.
As another comment has said, Kids are not dumb, but they are ignorant, they are much smarter than what people give them credit for, and they can love and learn better when you give them something of their target demographic but its also something that can appeal to adults. As C.S Lewis said “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children isn’t a good children’s story in the slightest”.
I would be lying if I never seen a hint of The Simpsons or King of the Hill as a kid. I have tried getting myself into Family Guy before I ever got into it in my later teen years, and I remember watching two clips where Peter got his fingers blown off and the famous "Who Wants Chowder?" scene with Peter, Brian, Chris, and Stewie throwing up after drinking ipecac and thinking this is gross, but funny as hell, only for me to get told off for being too young to watch Family Guy because I was 10 years old when I saw those clips. But however, my first ever full Family Guy episode I watched was "Airport '07" and I was 11 when I saw that episode reran on [adult swim] back in 2012, and I got off scot-free.
I watched every Friends episode as a kid. Didn’t get the innuendos of course, but it that made it all the funnier. I’d often prefer it over other children’s shows because it’s complex and relatable, even to a kid.
the fact that there are preteens watching hazbin hotel and helluva boss is concerning because the subject matter isn’t appropriate for them, but it IS evidence that they crave complex stories that dont talk down to them
@@asthejayflies It's not concerning imo. When I was a preteen I watched Panty & Stocking and my friends did too. I think it has always been like this...
@@asthejayfliesNobody should be watching Hazbin Hotel or Helluva Boss tbh.
One of my favorite quotes from creator The Reverend Wilbert Awdry, The creator of Thomas the Tank Engine and friend, is this.
“You've got to remember who you’re writing for. You're not merely writing for children. You're writing for the unfortunate people who've got to read the stories over, and over, and over again."
Which is why 15 years later I still adore this franchise regardless of where it is now. Because the creator didn’t just make a book series for kids, he made a book series that all ages can enjoy to read and I think that is the mind set EVERYONE should follow when making children’s media.
Glad someone brought up Thomas. The original Railway Series books were enjoyable for all ages.
Awdry went the full mile. He and his brother detailed out a fully functioning island with a history. "The Island of Sodor; Its People, Its History and Its Railways".
@@Bagster321I see that book as being the culmination of good writing in children's stories: Awdry clearly loved the world he created and putting this amount of effort into it. An argument can be made that he was doing this out of a love of the craft just as much as entertaining and teaching children.
Only someone who puts meaningful effort into children's stories would ever make a book dedicated to the world the stories are set in.
Awdry is awesome, he's like the children's media version of Tolkien.
History is, at its core, the stories of our ancestors and the ancestors of those around us. We need good stories no matter the age.
Since the moment my son was born, I knew he would never watch anything I wouldn't sit and watch with him. Stories changed my life and I won't ruin his by depriving him of the good ones
YESSS! It saddens me so much when people dismiss critiques on children’s media just because “it’s just for kids”
"Who cares if it's mindless and dumb, it's for kids" - pretty much sums this up. People don't care about children?
Ppl settle for their kids watching brainrot and then are shocked when they start turning into insufferable little shits 💀
Too many people are like “protect the unborn” only to turn around and go “you’re born? Grow up already then”
It's true, man, even some parents. It's a sad fact of life, but most parents don't want to raise their kids. They want the tv or iPad to do it for them. They don't want to plan activities for the day to keep them occupied. They want to send them to school to babysit them for free
@@tommymaxey2665 Probably not most, just too many. Most involves about 75-90% of the amount, so I just think it’s probably more like 37.6% at the worst. Still way too many negligent parents.
That's the common mentality sadly, and it truly shouldn't be; give a child a form of honest expression and you'll be surprised for what they are capable of doing
Chili is a TSA dog, she works full time and Bandit is an archaeological assistant so he’s only gone a couple months a year.
I love how the dogs have real jobs 😂
It’s also funny that both their jobs are jobs that dogs would really have, there are airport security checking dogs, and bandit digging up bones makes a lot of sense.
@@HatsAlEsman EXACTLY hababababsb
I love when the show uses small gags to emphasize their characters are still dogs indeed, like Bingo using her big girl bark or the kids howling for help after being stuck in a shadow palm tree island! 🤣
@@andocoolxd5158 i like how they get dog diseases too
@@andocoolxd5158 yeah its funny as hell
Bluey is quite literally made for everyone, even dogs can watch it because of its color palette
Are you serious about that part regarding dogs? Don't they see in nothing but monochrome?
@@LuznoLindoumm actually dogs can see shades of gray, brown, yellow and blue. This is called dichromatic vision, which is similar to humans who experience red-green color blindness.
That’s amazing
can cats watch it
@@aniboo8668 I'm not sure that cats would be interested in that. But, there's a bunch of YT channels for cats and it kind of surprised me that my MIL's cat would actually watch when I turned one of them on. I think that cats have less trouble watching modern screens than they did the old CRTs.
"A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children, is not a good kids story at all!"
- C.S Lewis
I don't have kids now, nor do I plan to, but I wish future generations the same feeling of warmth and excitement of coming back to an old "kids" movie and realizing how much deeper it goes than the surface level bright colors and fun noises. I love rewatching movies and shows I loved as a kid and seeing how much better they get with time, be it simply the jokes I didn't get as a kid or appreciating the craft that went into making the movie.
I had this experience with "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"
This is why I pay attention to children's media. Parents do need to monitor and know what their kids are watching/consuming. I want kids to watch things that enrich them. You can have silly stuff but this Minecraft movie just looks bad.
You can find a balance.
People MY AGE are excited for the Minecraft movie. My best friend is and I am not to shame him but by God I would NEVER 😭.
Honestly, the "it's for kids, so you can't complain" argument is stupidly selfish. That generation got All Dogs go to Heaven, Atlantis, Treasure Planet, The Last Unicorn, Cars, Toy Story, and many more.
Why should kids of this generation be denied those memories? Why shouldn't they get a good quality movie that they can enjoy for the rest of their lives over and over again?
Yeah I think that's the most hypocritical part of this. The generation that grew up with some of the greatest movies ever, that also happened to be children movies.
Are the ones saying the quality of children's movies don't matter
TREASURE PLANET MENTIONED
FACTS, ever since the rise of the Minions in 2010s the academy and most of hollywood has been treating animated media as just for kids. When in reality they are just as good if not better than live action classics.
The Spiderverse films are better than all the Disney classics fight me
@@dinoblacklane1640 because the folks making these bad movies likely didn't watch those movies. In fact they probably hate them.
So true!
I remember when the first Kung Fu Panda Movie came out and I saw it in theaters. The twist at the Climax with the Secret-Ingredient Soup and the DragonScroll BLEW MY MIND! I was all like, "Oh my gosh, Cartoons Can Make You THINK!" And the second Kung Fu Panda movie didn't subvert my expections, it SURPASSED them!🤯😭
Movies and shows like that were the reason I wanted to become a Writer when I grew up.
Now that I am an adult, I'm still a far cry from writing stories professionally, let alone becoming the next Stan Lee, but I'm still writing and brainstorming as a hobby.
ggood luck on your writing journey!!
@@dry4smash946 Thanks! Right now I have a bunch of ideas for my own original SuperHero world and series, complete with its own Alternate-Earth with its own geography and history, but right now it's still in the earlier stages, mostly just a collection of world-building ideas and characters I made up, and I still haven't quite figured out the main plot. In the meantime, however, I've been writing a fanfiction series that crosses-over my two favorite anime, MyHeroAcademia and OnePunchMan! I'm calling it MyHeroAssociation, and I've already published the first 6 chapters, with the 7th and 8th chapters on the way. If you're interested, you can find my work just by searching "MyHeroAssociation Chapter0", and it should be the first thing that comes up. Although, I would definitely recommend you watch both anime first, since my story takes place after most of the events of MHA Season6, and right after the events of OPM Season1 and during the events of OPM Season2 onwards. I realize that might be a hassle, so no hard feelings if you decide to pass on it. I just wanted to let you know in case you were interested and wanted to read some of my work. 🤓👍
@@dry4smash946 Thanks! Right now, I've been writing a fanfiction series that crosses-over my two favorite anime, MyHeroAcademia and OnePunchMan! I'm calling it MyHeroAssociation, and I've already published the first 6 chapters, with the 7th and 8th chapters on the way. look it up if you're interested!
Although, I would definitely recommend you watch both anime first, since my story takes place after most of the events of MHA Season6, and right after the events of OPM Season1 and during the events of OPM Season2 onwards. I realize that might be a hassle, so no hard feelings if you decide on passing. Just wanted to let you know in case you were interested and wanted to read some of my work. 🤓👍
Thanks! Right now I have a bunch of ideas for my own original SuperHero world and series, complete with its own Alternate-Earth with its own geography and history, but right now it's still in the earlier stages, mostly just a collection of world-building ideas and characters I made up, and I still haven't quite figured out the main plot. In the meantime, however, I've been writing a fanfiction series that crosses-over my two favorite anime, MyHeroAcademia and OnePunchMan! I'm calling it MyHeroAssociation, and I've already published the first 6 chapters, with the 7th and 8th chapters on the way. Look it up if you're interested!
Although, I would definitely recommend you watch both anime first, since my story takes place after most of the events of MHA Season6, and right after the events of OPM Season1 and during the events of OPM Season2 onwards. I realize that might be a hassle, so no hard feelings if you decide on passing. Just wanted to let you know in case you were interested and wanted to read some of my work. 🤓👍
The whole thing about "kids not being as sophisticated as you want" baffles me. Like, maybe the aim of these movies should be to make them grow into someone More "sophisticated." Shouldn't we want our kids to become smart and emotionally mature adults? And kids can definitely tell when stuff is well written, like, as an 8 year old, I knew ATLA was deeper and more interesting than the majority of shows on Nickelodeon at the time. Sure, kids will watch the dumbed down junk and be entertained by it, but it's the good ones that will still be with us 20 years later, the ones you can still get a new perspective on every time you rewatch it as you get a year older.
"If you want to make a good show for kids, make something you'd want to watch."
~Robin Williams
I think telling audiences to have standards is a great message in general, not just for kids movies.
I don't even need to watch this video to understand that the "It's for kids!" excuse has always been a stupid justification for children's media that are either uncomfortable, poorly-written or both. Adults watch cartoons, too, and they have the right to want media that are moral, comfortable and perfectly-written.
There is NO excuse to make ANYONE who is innocent uncomfortable without their consent AT ALL.
Back when I was a kid, the "kids movie" that we had was Shrek, incredibles, Monsters inc, etc. I remember that I used to watch these movies with my mom and my aunts, and till this day they are the biggest fans of those movies. Real art is not for a specific group of people, but it's something that all people can enjoy. Real art helps kids creativity increase.
Back in the day kids movies used to be real cinema 😭
There was also bad kids movies back in the day too like Baby geniuses, A Troll In Central Park, Cat in the Hat, Masters of Disguise, list goes on. I remember as a kid watching the bad movies and going walleyed while focusing on something else like chores lool. But the good movies, like the ones you listed, that really stays with you. I still can't believe corpo still tries to depend on statistics rather than passion and the love of storytelling.
@meikamsdi5978, And like someone said below is in the comments below, A Troll In Central Park, Cat in the Hat, Masters of Disguise also existed back in the day. Good and bad has always existed.
A great film that was mine growing up as kid, and emotionally scarred me, and many years later as an adult, Don Bluth's The Land Before Time. Almost 40 years later and that animation still holds up, and such a powerful story of learning to cope with loss and handle depression at a young age, and banding with other dinosaurs that is not of your kind in search of The Great Valley. Don Bluth once sad, 'You can put mature messages in the films, and kids will understand them a lot better and handle the emotions as long as you give them a happy ending in the end.' Still one of the greatest animated films of the late 80s and still holds up almost 40 years later.
I remember watching behind the scenes on Adventure Time and they basically said that when making something you have to make it something you enjoy, and then people who enjoy the same things as you will also enjoy that, this lesson stuck with me and I think it is one of the most important things when it comes to writing
the big movie companies share no care for their stories claiming "it's for kids" as an excuse, so it becomes overwhelmingly obvious why everyone is hating on their movies, they don't care about what they make, so rarely anyone else will
Damn Right kids deserve good stories as well!!!!! They deserve to be emerged into legitimate storytelling and compelling character journeys❤️
If children don't have good stories, how can anyone hope to.
Good stories inspire great artists. How can we expect great art from kids who are growing up being fed corporate slop?
Also, kids understand far more than those critics and movie writers give them credit for. When a kid sits down to watch Toy Story, The Incredibles, Mulan (the good one), or Sleeping Beauty, they can sense the depth there, even if they don't understand it, and especially if their parents watch it with them.
Thank you for making this statement. I am a father of three, and my wife and I share your sentiment: if we watch a bad movie, it's a wasted night, but not the end of the world; but whatever we let the kids watch must meet the highest standards.
Would the “who cares” crowd suddenly care if we replaced the stupidity with gore? Of course they would, because even ‘they’ know that kids are impressionable. They don’t want their kids to become violent as they grow up but they’re cool with them becoming… dumb? Sure- stupidity is preferable compared to violence, but you’re setting them up for failure either way.
(To be clear: this is not a ‘violent video games and movies cause violence’ stance. I’m just saying that the reckless consumption of almost ANY media can have lasting consequences- especially for kids.)
Nono, it's proven that school shootings happens because video games
very well said, people will nitpick every little detail in a kids animation if it contains something they don't like.
I guess this is the result, they want movies that have *nothing*
They want to kill the imagination and individual thinking of the next generation 😭
Seeing how little present-day Hollywood understands stories is utterly disheartening. Stories aren't just a little something to pass the time or to cast away boredom; they're far more precious than that. When we read, listen, or watch a story, we live it and we form the memory of that story as if it was about us. We learn a lesson about a character as if we would learn a lesson about ourselves. We feel inspired when the characters overcome an obstacle, because we empathise with them.
Even if they're not as "sophisticated" as grownups, kids experience the same thing when they read, listen, or watch a story; maybe even more so, considering how they bring the stories they like into their play, and they assume the role of the character they like the most (it's almost like a ritualistic reenactment, where they become the avatars of their favourite character, and they behave the way that character would). If a story is nonsensical, paper thin, or plain stupid, kids won't preoccupy themselves with it for long, regardless of how many funny actors it stars, or how maddeningly colourful it is.
People who say things like 'it's for kids, so it's okay if it's dumb' must be either forgetting their own childhood and the stuff they liked, or they must be simply arguing a point that they don't truly believe in.
The best stories out there are universal; they don't fall too well into the 'for kids' or 'for grownups' category. There must be a reason for that…
Well said! And even though they're not real, they can still leave quote an impact!
OMG SOO WELL SAID!!!!
Stories contribute to and build culture as well as entertain, hollywood does not value these things at all, as can be seen in the last 10 or so years
Definitely!!
@Madeline, I mean, if we are talking about present day Hollywood not understanding kids stories, stuff like Inside Out 2, Transformers One, and The Wild Robot, definitely show that someone is cooking and understands that you can tell stories that appeal to both kids and adults.
Things like HTTYD are so good that even as an adult I watch and enjoy them. Heck, those movies are so good for me they're almost my favorite movies ever (LOTR on top of course). Media needs to be good enough that they survive for a long time, and those dumb kids stuff definitely won't
It’s like the world in Fahrenheit 451 rn, the world is moving so fast and people are just letting everything pass away, never remembering it or appreciating the moment
Knocked it out of the park on this. My initial thought when I saw the trailer was the same as Kotaku's, but thinking back, the movies that have inspired me the most are the ones I saw as a child.
I grew up on Bruce Timm's Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. All they did was adapt comic book stories. And you know what? I loved it. It taught me to understand and appreciate real storytelling from childhood
I think the funniest part about telling adults expecting more from kids media that "it's just for kids" is that in a heart beat people say "watch what your kids watch! No one is responsible for them!" so then when parents are loud about failed content for kids it's suddenly not a big deal because it's for kids. The spiraling cycle. And I know not everyone complaining about this movie has kids but it's a valid point in the argument in general. I also think it's asinine to make poor media for kids. No one wins in that regard.
Before even watching this I think a good example would be Avatar the Last Airbender. It has amazing storytelling and character development but can also be a fun kids show
I think Gravity Falls is another example for the same reasons you gave.
The only reason I didn't mention it here is because I talk about it so much already.
@@master_samwise “morrrre” - Kylo Ren
@@TheGalacticNerd19 don’t even mention the clone wars 🤫
A Goofy Movie is legendary for a reason.
Anytime a journalist says "x is not for YOU" it basically means "We're coping and playing defense"
The mindset around kid's media is the same as it is around kid's food. They throw a bunch of blended up processed meat that was rejected from the butchery into a frier and serve it saying "the kid's like it, so what?" instead of saying "Hey, it's really important what a child intakes since these are the formative years of their lives. So let's give them something of value to nourish them"
Real bro. I grew up watching shows like Star Wars The Clone Wars. That show is rated for like 7 year olds but you can tell the creators put a lot of love into it because the show still holds up more than a decade later. Not to mention it has some of the best writing in Star Wars AND IT’S A KID’S SHOW
And is darker than Mariana's trench. LOL
Clone Wars has its "kiddie" episodes which I maintain it would be better without, but arcs like Umbara and Order 66/The Tragedy of Fives are absolute masterpieces.
That show is one that I still enjoy watching today. I also loved that show because not only did it introduce characters with complex arcs and gave you the chance to watch that character grow, develop and overcome obstacles, but it also was versatile in the sense that if I didn’t particularly liked a story arc, I just skipped it. You weren’t punished for watching stuff that you simply found no interest in (unlike modern day Star Wars). It saddens me to see the fall Star Wars has taken, but we still have that show and other past treasures to remember and continue enjoying
@@master_samwise honestly, even the "kiddie" episodes are wonderful in their own way.
I finally finished it a year ago. By far one of the best shows ive seen recently. Seriously, new stuff is worse than old stuff
I would like to add that kids absolutely can see the craft. I remember being 7-8, and just eating up movies such as The Last Unicorn and Coraline. The art of the movies really inspired me and changed my life in the way that it made me interested in art.
Maybe kids nowadays are different, but I think that kids can still judge a movie for how it is, adults just ignore them as is often when it comes to kids.
"It's for kids it doesn't have to be good" is the biggest red flag imaginable. Not only are they admitting they don't respect their target audience, and not only are they admitting they don't care what gets given to children, but they are ALSO admitting they're making a bad product.
The people who assume that something doesn’t have to be good because it’s “for kids” are the same type of people who think we need live action movie because animation is “for kids”.
And yet animation can be for adults just look at manga in Japan, or anime.
"Animation is for kids"
Okay little bobby, today we're going to watch berserk
@@dinoblacklane1640 TRUE
@@dinoblacklane1640oh god
Anyone says that to me, I tell them to watch Grave of the Fireflies - a good story about a brother and sister trying to find a new home.... :p :p :p
As a kid, I am not satisfied with the Minecraft movie and disgusted and hurt that so many people are willing to feed us trash. We deserve to be taken seriously and given thought provoking, poignant media. Thank you for lending your voice
Damn I'm 18 and a legit uncle(my sister has a kid)
And my vocabulary is not that good
When I was younger, I watched a lot of content that is bad by adult standards, but I still remember that I felt like it was uninspired and lazy, deep down, I knew that adults don’t care about how good the content I’m watching is, but then I remember shows like Arthur, that actually carried good messages without talking down to me, I felt like I could be treated like an adult in a way that’s relatable.
@@Mister_Sun. when I was younger my parents never sheltered me as much so I went outside alot We used to catch spiders and bet on them fighting each other like pokemon So we kids invented gambling and animal cruelty on our own without adult supervision
The only tv we had was hogged by my father so bayverse transformers and fast and furious for me
The only way I knew Pixar and Disney was from my cultured sister who watches family guy and 50 shades and a lot of game of thrones
great vernacular son, you're gonna go far in life :)
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, is the best recent example of a good movie for kids.
I’d say an even more recent example would be The Wild Robot.
To quote that one famous phrase, ''a children's story that only appeals kids is a bad children's story.''
It's the same phrase you hear when someone sees you playing with Lego: 'Isn't that for kids?' or 'Please grow up.' It's that sad behavior from people who don't want you to enjoy the things you love
People really do forget that children's media is made for children and their families who have to watch/read everything with them. Adults also deserve a pleasant time with their children so they have a right to critique the mindless rubbish people try and pass off on them.
(Plus, Minecraft is for 7-13+ year olds which is old enough to care about whether a film is more than random stimuli, and most of the kids I know who play minecraft also know and care way too much about it to not get mad at all the strange differences and weird cgi)
Also these people forget that one day these kids grow up and become adults who might want to rewatch the movies they enjoyed as kids and they shouldn't be robbed of having a blast of experiencing a really good movie they watched as kids and looking at it from an adult lense and realizing how deep it actually went and getting to laugh at all the adult jokes that previously flew over your head as a child because good art including things meant for children is stuff that's meant to stick with you and that's how it lasts forever that's how we get adults eager to share media they grew up with their own kids no one's going to do that with a pile of slop
"You were supposed to be a hero Bryan..."
"Hmm, I'm thinkin I like that name."
“Say that again”
I would forgive this movie for all its flaws (including the sheep) if that happened and they played it completely straight.
@@thatonepossum5766 I would cry in the theater
AGAIN, my dude, Sam, spitting straight facts! I am not a parent, but I have to say, I do thoroughly agree with you here. There's no need to fill our future generations head's with garbage, especially not of the caliber 75% of all kids cinema seems to be becoming, we ought to make sure we're filling their heads with "The stories that really matter", the stories "Of brave knights and heroic courage", because these things DO matter. They're kids, they'll remember so much of the stuff they watch now when they're older, so we ought to make sure that what they remember isn't senseless fluff but something that has morals, a good lesson, something to say that genuinely matters, all of the above. It DOES matter, kids DO deserve good stories. So let them watch Bluey! Seriously though, that show is the kids show G.O.A.T.
"it's for the kids" idk but I don't want to rewatch my childhood's movie and ended up disappointed
My experience with SharkBoy and Lavagirl
It’s about time that someone spoke up against the whole “it’s just for kids” argument. “Journalists” these days are a joke. They just parrot controversial opinions hoping to gain a shred of profit instead of speaking the truth and spreading messages that actually matter. This video was very well done. I’m definitely subscribing to see more.
Let's all repeat our manthra, peeps:
"ANIMATION IS NOT A GENRE, IT'S A MEDIUM” and "ANIMATION IS FOR EVERYONE”, executives should crave that phrase into their skulls… KIDS DO HAVE THEIR OWN CRITERIA, Hollywood, don't act as they were stupid, far from it, give a child a chance to express and they'll surprise you for what they are capable of.
(Also Bluey is a masterpiece, 100% agreed).
I don't know how people say Bluey is fugly. And called it woke garbage.
@@spiderfrider64If I remember correctly the Daliy Wire made a knockoff version staring chinchillas
@@courier6402 yeah
I love how the journalist call his kid dumb
As parents, we (well, not me - not a parent, and probably wouldn't make a good one anyway) should be very careful to curate our children's entertainment. Luckily, we have decades upon decades of stories in movies and TV alone that children can love and that teach things that we want our children to learn. I love Studio Ghibli films for this reason: Their films are designed for children, but have characters and stories about learning how to grow up and function as adults. Heck, I remember a Letterboxd review of the anime Princess Arete (not Ghibli, but the director had previously worked for them) that talked about how his 7 year old nephew sat down and watched the whole movie, enthralled, even though he couldn't read all of the subtitles... this about a movie that many complained about being "too slow" for kids.
I'm not saying that we can't have "fun" movies for kids - you mentioned The LEGO Movie, and there are many other great comedies I could point to, such as The Court Jester (1955) or 101 Dalmatians (1961) - but your final point of "don't let your kids watch/play/read anything that you wouldn't" is a very good rule of thumb. If you are old enough to be a parent, I guarantee that you have enough experience with stories that you can curate long lists of things that you would be happy to have your children watch and be proud of what they're getting out of it. And if you can - I know it isn't always possible, but if you can - be there with them to share the experience, talk about the book or movie or game and be interested in what your children say about it. Invest in the time with your kids, instead of letting someone else raise them.
The Court Jester is high art.
"The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon."
"You know the Italian Court, sire. What better place to... court Italians?"
"The Fox, there's only one of me
Til suddenly there's two of me
When two of me is what you see,
Gadzooks! Three of me!
That's the proper score of me
Three of us is the core of me
And we can tell you, whoops! Sorry. Four of me!"
"Get it?
Got it.
Good."
My parents did a good job getting me properly cultured with old movies like The Court Jester. I have always loved that movie. It's a pity most people only seem to care about movies made in the last 15-20 years. Go back to the 40s, 50s, 60s and there are LOADS of really great movies.
@@jlhill17 I consider The Court Jester to be one of the "Big 4" comedies - the four funniest movies ever made, based on pure laugh count:
1. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) - Pure manic genius, with Cary Grant delivering a performance for the ages as someone losing his mind in real time.
2. The Trouble with Harry (1955) - Not a common choice, but I laugh myself silly at lines like "You're not supposed to bury bodies whenever you find them... it makes people suspicious." Very dry, but it has given me some of the hardest laughs of my life:
"It can't be... Harry!... Thank Providence, the last of Harry!"
"Who's Providence, Mama?"
"A very good friend!"
[Motioning at the corpse] "What's wrong with him?"
"He's... asleep. He's in a deep sleep. A deep, *wonderful* sleep."
"Will he ever wake up?"
"Not if we're lucky."
3. The Court Jester (1955) - As mentioned above.
4. What's Up, Doc? (1972) - Complete screwball silliness, that gets increasingly more wild as it goes and I love it.
also make them watch atla
@@eeeoffical I gave up on that in the first season - I can't remember why, I think I found it too simplistic at first. I'm told that it is a very good show, maybe I should try rewatching it.
Bro the amount if parents that shouldn't be parents 🤦🏽♂️ imagine not caring what your kid watches as long as they're entertained.
"A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest."
-CS Lewis
Another movie that I absolutely loved as a kid that had me sat everytime was Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. There weren’t any talking animals. If anything, the music did the talking for them. The score is beautiful and the animation is incredible. A story about perseverance, and never letting the world break you. It’s a perfect movie. And if kids don’t get that message, it’ll be a fun little horse movie.
You can get the best of both worlds if parents just cared more about the media their kids are consuming.
It's my favorite movie and my favorite score.
Kids need good stories even more than adults, because they are still in their development.
Earlier this year something triggered this conversation with my family, and half them fell on the "who cares, it's for kids" argument. It's so dismissive, when I see as a larger problem with all this and I'm instantly met with, "who cares?"
I suppose I do, and I'm not automatically invalid. It's nice that I'm truly not alone in this mindset.
As a kid, I found I gravitated towards movies and shows that hit harder, had more emotion and impact.
I watched Ninjago, Adventure Time, Amazing World of Gumball, My Little Pony, and the HTTYD series on cartoon network and Netflix. Something these shows all have in common is a growing sense of maturity as it goes on. It starts kinda episodic, but then the overarching story finds its footing. I love shows that grow up with their audience.
those sort of shows have a really special place in my heart.
Thank you! My wife's whole focus for her IG is literary standards. While hers is a Christian focus, you points echo each other marvelously. Who parents want their children to be relies on the intellectual quality they are fed.
Thank YOU! Very generous. As a Christian myself, I care most that my kids learn how to be good and Godly people, and stories absolutely help with that, but even more so if they are actually well told.
Thank YOU! Very generous. As a Christian myself, I care most that my kids learn how to be good and Godly people, and stories absolutely help with that, but even more so if they are actually well told.
There is another CS Lewis quote that come to mind:
“A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children isn't a good children's story in the slightest.”
Ironically, when I was a kid, that grew up on movies from Golden Age Disney, Pixar, and some other fun comedies based off of the popular cartoons; they were written quite well, and respected the AUDIENCE time. They seem to forget, these movies/shows/games/etc may be created for children in mind, but parents/guardians/adult figures still watch these as well. It should be a fun, and enjoyable experience for EVERYONE, even if it's meant for kids; why do you think we can watch old cartoons and still enjoy them, as well as notice the adult themes/humor that we missed as a kid?
I always believed movies "made for kids" were movies made for families in mind. It's why most of the movies Pixar made were hits: Toy Story, The Incredibles, Cars, UP, etc. Hell, even Dreamworks made some bangers too. Illumination...they're really kind of the bottom of the barrel of kid's entertainment, a lot more misses than hits, and they don't care, because Minion merch. Regardless, if a movie is targeted for a younger audience, doesn't mean it needs to be straight up slop, that's boring and lazy humor, poor and predictable writing, etc. Kids are FAR more involved in the media, than I was at their age, because computers and the internet was still a new thing, only booming within the past decade. They see far better creations by talented individuals on the daily, thanks to RUclips; so to see something like this, that looks incredibly amatuerish isn't "for the kids", it's for greedy, out of touch, corporate hacks that want to use a popular gaming IP to rake in easy bags of money. I hope it fails, to prove a point, that quality is what matters, not...whatever this is.
I went to a redbox one evening a couple years ago, and the couple in front of me spent several minutes discussing what movies to rent.
Their choices revolved around what the kids would watch and "leave them alone", so that they could do adult things in the meantime.
They eventually settled on "Treasure Buddies 2", even though their kids had already seen it.
And yes, I DID judge the parents for bad taste AND bad parenting.
@@hede_the_call “treasure buddies 2”? No such thing. It must’ve just been Treasure Buddies?
Anyways that movie actually rocks, I bought it used last weekend. Most of the Buddies movies are actually decent, with Treasure Buddies and Space Buddies being some standouts from the rest. They’re not peak cinema, but they’re _far_ from the mindless slop being discussed in this video.
Either that or me and my entire family are just nostalgic.
@@thatonepossum5766suepr buddies is a classic
I forget who said it, but someone from back in the day in the TV industry said “Children deserve our best, not our leftovers.”
When judging the quality of a film or other visual media, the demographics do not matter.
When people ask "How is this for kids", they are really questioning the tone.
“It doesn’t matter, it’s for kids”
“It DOES matter, it’s for MY kids”
A bit of profundity right there
"Stories are not merely products." Say it louder for the people in the back! I'm so sick of people just accepting bad storytelling because they're going to consume a movie as a product to be used, discarded and move onto the next. Good stories shed light on the meaning in our lives. We need good/great stories, especially for children who are forming their vision of the world. Stories widen their viewpoints, their imagination, and their empathy for others, transporting them beyond the screen in front of their face. They deserve better.
I am forever grateful that my mom was careful about what we watched, and picked out things of quality. Thanks to that, I've never been ashamed of watching stuff "for kids", because I do NOT associate the concept with lazy writing. I associate children's stories with imagination, wonder, and a clear love of storytelling - because those are the kinds of stories I grew up with.
I'm so glad that wasn't traded in for the sake of keeping me entertained for a few hours a day. Being careful and critical of "kid's movies" can absolutely make a lasting difference, and can help you find some brilliant diamonds in the rough.
WB killed a Batman Beyond animated movie, that would have rivaled Spider-Verse..
For *MINECRAFT*
Is that what this is?
Well killing Batman Beyond for a Minecraft movie could have been an equal trade IF the Minecraft movie was more like Lego Movie and less “bad video game movie number x”
@@typemasters2871No man, it's obviously "Bad Video Game Movie ∞"!
@@AwesomeYena I mean it’s another addition to the “Bad Video Game Movie” franchise but because there are so many that we have lost count
Thanks for saying what needs to be said. Our children deserve the very best, but most of the time they receive society’s worst in every category- food, education, attention, media.
Children receive society's worst often because parents accept and pay for it. That's the part that really pisses me off.
I really wish kids were actually treated like people in today's world. So many adults will just nod and "uh huh" their way through a kid trying to play games with them or talk with them, when actually engaging with them can be so much more rewarding as well as help that kid be able to make meaningful connections and grow up happy.