Curious George - Dangerous Symbolism?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/02/10/GEORGE.TMP
from JoeUser Forums

By now, anyone with children under the age of 10 probably knows that there is a new animated movie out, Curious George.  And pretty much everyone knows the story of the monkey, Curious George and his benefactor(?), the man with the Yellow hat (actually, he is dressed in all yellow).  It is a cute story and one that I never felt was bad to share with my children.  Apparently I was wrong, at least according to animal rights activist Robin Roth.

"The books are really irresponsible to me. It's sickening, really,"

Why?

Start with the Caucasian, gun-carrying Man with the Yellow Hat venturing to Africa (imperialism alert!) to harvest wildlife for a zoo (animal repression alert!). Continue with George being unsupervised and allowed to smoke a pipe and huff ether (bad parenting alert!),

To their credit, the reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle, no right wing rag, is very contemptuous of this person's claims.  Indeed, sometimes a children's story is just that.  A children's story.  We would not expect to see elephants wearing clothes just because Babar and family do, than we would expect to see a monkey given free reign within someone's house. 

But children love animals, so many children's books have a high animal content just for that reason.  This does not mean the writers are advocating treating animals like humans, or children themselves, just that the story usually has a point for a child that they can understand.  And indeed, with Curious George it is the trouble that he gets into and then is rescued by the man with the Yellow Hat.

No animals were injured, either physically or psychologically in the production of these books or movie, nor is it likely to start a stampede to pet stores for children looking at acquiring a monkey (Did Bambi produce a run for Deer?  Rabbits?  Skunks?).

It seems that animal rights activists, at least this one in particular, have lost the ability to laugh and play.  And to understand the innocence of a child's mind.  And that says more about them than it does any children's book.

3,392 views 21 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
Oh, there is one thing where Robin really screwed up.  The Chimpanzee has the closest DNA and they are not Monkeys!  I am surprised that an Animal Rights activist is so ignorant on that point.
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
Actually I think that most twits like the ones mentioned think Bambi is a propaganda film for their cause. I don't think they have really lost the ability to think like a child. I think they want to make us all children, living in a perpetual disneyland where no one is ever hurt, all our food grows on trees, and the lions play with the warthogs.

It's the ultimate in irrational messiah complexes, to me. They actually believe that they can change the whole system wherein we evolved. Carnivorism is evil to them. It's no different than radical religious types that chant "this world is not our home" and call everything we do sin.
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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
Dr Seuss got most of his early material I hear from WWII and NAzism.
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
Eh, huh? Got a link about Dr Seuss?
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
Good thoughts, Guy.

In response to BakerStreet—I'm a vegetarian for various reasons, and one of them is animal rights...in the sense that I think it's cruel and unusual to treat any feeling thing the way animals are treated in the big, corporate meat factories. That is not to suggest I believe carnivorism is "evil." We obviously have canines for a reason, and I have less of a problem with hunters than I do with people who won't eat meat on the bone. But conciously choosing to avoid something you find ethically wrong, no matter how natural it may feel to engage in, does not make you a kook.
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
Eh, huh? Got a link about Dr Seuss?


Don't have a link, heard it somewhere on a documentary program somewhere/sometime.
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
No offense intended, of course. It's just when I hear someone say that a meat packing plant is ethically wrong when lions eat their meat while it is still kicking, it reminds me of some Christians that believe sex is a sin if it is for anything but procreation. "Wrong" is becoming more and more based on artificial, esoteric values that have little or nothing to do with the world we come from.

If there were an alternative, it would make more sense, but there's really no difference to me as far as what is humane between a meat packing plant and a hunter. Dead is dead, and according to the animal rights/anti-capital punishment folks, there's no possible way to kill something that isn't inhumane.

Sorry if made you feel like I was calling you a kook, but honestly, don't we kind of judge the sanity of people by how unable they are to deal/comprehend reality? From your post I don't think you are irrational. People who call curious george 'wrong', though, have totally lost touch with reality.
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
People who call curious george 'wrong', though, have totally lost touch with reality.


They have also lost touch with what it is like to be a kid. Do they not remember what pretending is? Kids make believe all sorts of stuff that they know isn't reality. That is a good thing in my book. When I was a kid and read Curious George books I didn't run to my parents asking to go to the jungle and get my own chimp. People don't give kids enough credit. Let them be kids!
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
They have also lost touch with what it is like to be a kid.


I agree with this more than anything else. Most activists have their hearts in the right place. They have faith their cause is a just one but they have moved so far down a path it is hard for them to see any other view point. I can't stand they look for political or religious messages in stories such as 'Curious George'. It is sad, unfortunate and should be completely ignored.
Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top

Actually I think that most twits like the ones mentioned think Bambi is a propaganda film for their cause. I

That gets you an insightful!  I had not thought of that angle!  Very good.

Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top

Dr Seuss got most of his early material I hear from WWII and NAzism.

Really?  Is Horton Goerring?

Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top

Eh, huh? Got a link about Dr Seuss?

I think he is yanking our chain.

Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top

I'm a vegetarian for various reasons, and one of them is animal rights...in the sense that I think it's cruel and unusual to treat any feeling thing the way animals are treated in the big, corporate meat factories.

I can respect that.  As long as you do not mock our children by painting them as evil for eating a hamburger.  IN time, honey will get you more converts than the peta piss.

Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top

Don't have a link, heard it somewhere on a documentary program somewhere/sometime.

Bombs away!

Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top

No offense intended, of course. It's just when I hear someone say that a meat packing plant is ethically wrong when lions eat their meat while it is still kicking,

Actually cats, crush the windpipe of their pray, so they are really humane.  Dogs eat their meat when they are still kicking.

Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top

They have also lost touch with what it is like to be a kid. Do they not remember what pretending is? Kids make believe all sorts of stuff that they know isn't reality. That is a good thing in my book. When I was a kid and read Curious George books I didn't run to my parents asking to go to the jungle and get my own chimp. People don't give kids enough credit. Let them be kids!

Damn!  Now I have to use both my Insightfuls on this thread!  Exactly!  Very good.

Reply #17 from JoeUser Forums Top

I can't stand they look for political or religious messages in stories such as 'Curious George'.

I dont think it is so much they looking for it, as they are assigning it to it.  They place messages where none exist.

Reply #18 from JoeUser Forums Top
"Actually cats, crush the windpipe of their pray, so they are really humane. Dogs eat their meat when they are still kicking."


I wonder if we started crushing people's windpipes as capital punishement or in slaughterhouses, if the folks who oppose it would accept that as humane...
Reply #19 from JoeUser Forums Top
Looking for it or assigning it, either way it is ridiculous...
Reply #20 from JoeUser Forums Top

I wonder if we started crushing people's windpipes as capital punishement or in slaughterhouses, if the folks who oppose it would accept that as humane...

Ok, perhaps not truly humane, but as humanely possible for a cat.

Reply #21 from JoeUser Forums Top

Looking for it or assigning it, either way it is ridiculous...

Agreed.