yukitora wrote:I just wanted to say that its funny how one of the most in-depth (or emotional?) arguments in the forum happens to be in the Beverly Hills Chihuahua thread
I haven't been thoroughly following the posts, but it's really quite amazing how such a forum can bring people of so different backgrounds and experience together. It's really cool to contribute to an online society dealing with a common interest, alongside mothers and grandfathers, where I myself will soon enter into adulthood.
Bah, what we really are is really bored people who have nothing better to do than discuss a dumb Chihuahua movie using "college education", "real world experiences" and "well thought out theories" to try and analyze why the film is successful in a forum filled with equally bored people.
In short, don't give the interwebs too much credit
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dvdjunkie wrote:pap64 wrote:
I have bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, I have tutored children from 4th to 6th grade, both as part of my practical and outside of school, I studied Children's psychology, have experience teaching 4th grade kids, have prepared classes, daily lesson plans and activities according to the topic and skills of the student, I've researched Kindergarten and Elementary School Classes, analyzed the behavior of a child for class, read stories to children and prepared activities such as field trips, trips to the library and school plays.
Not to mention I had to research children's entertainment, including educational shows and cartoons. I see a lot of children's media and Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon are my most watched channels. I've put up with everything from iCarly to Hannah Montana, just to keep up to date with what is popular among kids.
So its safe to say that I have experience with children. Not long enough to understand them completely but enough to defend myself when someone questions it Wink .
From someone who is more than twice your age, I will have to first say that I truly believe you are over-educated to the point that you don't know how to relate to a child. Just my opinion, but I have read all of your posts and you are totally slanted against what a child would want to see and believe in.
You seem to me to have no practical knowledge of what it is to be a child, and don't give me that Child Psychology stuff, because I have raised six children and have 13 grandchildren that I am helping raise, and they all seem pretty normal to me. The girls all went through their 'barbie-doll' stages growing up, and the boys all went through their 'blowing things up' stage growing up. And all of them have turned out pretty normal to me.
I have a BS Degree in Business Education, and I don't go throwing that around to make people think I know why their businesses are sinking. I might offer opinions when asked, but I have never placed myself above them in any way because of my education.
There are times when 'over' education can be a great thing, and help one person get along towards his personal goals in life, and yours seems to probably be heading toward the PhD side of education. Good for you. But leave all the analyzing to the professionals who know what a movie trailer is trying to do. Using the the retail vernacular of "bait and switch" is way off base in this thread.
We are talking about a Walt Disney live-action movie that was first introduced to theater-going public as a teaser trailer in front of "The
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian". I saw that trailer, and my first impression was not good. But, my 7, 8 and 9 year old grandchildren all laughed and said, "Grandpa, will you take us to see that when it comes out?" I didn't say yes, and I didn't say no, I just sort of shrugged it off, and told them "we will see".
Excuse the rant here, but what I am really trying to say here, is we are talking Walt Disney, not Albert Einstein. Leave your educated brain on the shelf and become a child when things like this come along. Your education is getting in the way of your having a good time while you are growing up. It is good to enjoy a silly movie now and then. Not all movies have to have the "Parents Magazine Seal of Approval", which, by the way, this one does.
Geez, people force me out of retirement so easily. Whatever, let's get this train wreck a rolling!
*Cracks knuckles
Bill: I think I need to explain my "bait and switch" since it now turned into an impromptu "child psychology" class.
While I did say that some kids didn't like the teaser trailer either I am first to admit that NOT ALL kids thought the same way. I am basically stating that the trailer had a surprisingly negative reaction and I wouldn't be surprised if some kids thought the same way, either because that's the reaction they felt or because their parents and older siblings/friends thought the same way.
That's ALL I'm saying here, folks. I was merely stating a theory saying that Disney pulled a "bait and switch" tactic in which people expected one thing and saw another, and the other part was really good, which means that more people will come and see it. I'll be the first to admit that I might be severely wrong in this statement and that the reason the movie was a hit was because it was hyped among its target audience; children and families.
Now regarding your questioning of my beliefs. I definitely won't argue the fact that you have far more experience raising children. I've always believed that people above 50 know their stuff so I shut up and listen and give them credit where credit is due (not saying that you are old, but that you have life experience that no one else can match).
But I have to clear up one thing; despite what I said in my "resume" the first thing we are told in school is that knowledge and paperwork are nothing compared to the actual experience, and even then it might be work and thus you have to figure out what works.
I don't believe in it 100%, I mainly posted it saying that I did have experience working with children, along with the education that required it.
Now, I have to be very clear on this, so bear with me...
Its true that I've yet to experience fatherhood and can't hold a candle to your experiences along with Siren. But believe me when I say that I UNDERSTAND what it is being a kid, living like one and to an extend thinking line one. Why? Because not only do I act like one I pretty much lived my life among them.
I am an uncle of two pre-teens. My older sister was a teen mother. She gave birth to my nephew when she was about to finish high school. I was around 11 when this happen. So by sixth grade I was already an uncle already learning about parenthood and its responsibilities. Since my sister was still too young to care for my nephew, and she was struggling to maintain a house and job, my mother and father pretty much raised him. I had gained a "little brother" so to speak.
My niece was born two years later. By then my sister was more stable so she was mainly raised by her. My nephew, however, had grown attached to my mother and father, so we pretty much had him around all the time. I saw him grow from the tiny baby moving in the cradle to the teenager he is today and I've lived the high and lows of their childhood, including the stuff they liked.
My nephew first began by LOVING all things cars (and I mean cars in general, not the Pixar Movie). He loved the design, the colors, the toys everything. So we pretty much gave in and bought him stuff about cars.
When he was around 7 or 8, he began playing videogames. I taught him how to play the N64 and made sure he played child friendly games, like Mario and such. As he grew older he became more interested in more older and sophisticated games. Unfortunately, his sister allowed him to play GTA. I disagreed heavily with it and even banned him from playing. But then, I decided to let him play it, as long as I was there with him. I explained to him that the things that happen in the game are wrong and that he should never try to imitate it or even embrace it.
From then on till he gained some judgement I watched him play all sorts of games, and never did I ban any of them simply because he was having too much fun. I've always believed that you should never ban anything unless there REAL harm involved and that instead you should teach them or it works, what's wrong with it and let the kid come up with his own ideas.
I pretty much see a lot of cartoons together with my nephew. We saw all of Spongebob back when it was really popular, then Digimon, then Nickelodeon and finally, Ben 10 and Total Drama Island on Cartoon Network. We see these shows together, discuss them and enjoy them. I never try to dissect anything that is aimed at kids, no matter how ridiculous they might seem. Instead I try to enjoy them as much as possible.
Now my nephew is a videogame fanatic that loves the Wii and my niece loves Hannah Montana. I've included myself in those activities because that's one of the basics in raising a kid; showing interest in what they enjoy.
Once again, I've yet to live the experiences of parenthood like you and Siren have. However, please TRY to understand that I know what you guys are talking about and try not to crucify me as being ignorant and below you simply because I said that some kids didn't like the teaser trailer.
