creative pollination
Monday, November 1, 2010
Young pliable minds at the movies
For one of my birthdays, I got to pick ten of my friends (it wasn't easy, I was really popular back then) to accompany me to the local movie theater to see Harriet the Spy. Nickelodeon was a pivotal medum in our lives-- anything the station did was remarkable and our involvement was always necessary. Growing up in a social environment without the internet was still the norm. We planned our weekends around the TV schedule accordingly and saw Nickelodeon as a relatable outlet for our lives. When Nickelodeon debuted their first movie, an pre-pubescent enthusiasm burst through the halls of our elementary school in pitchy squeaks. My summer birthday would not stop me from seeing Harriet the Spy with my friends. I wanted everyone to remember the epic day Nick released their first and seeing that film at Christine Costello's 9th birthday party. It had to happen.
Of course the movie ruled. Any 9 year old who wanted to argue that point would've definitely gotten cooties. I fumbled though the plethora of notebooks I'd received as gifts and picked one to be my spy notebook. In that notebook, my 'career' as a writer began. I talked about the neighbor girl who was mad about her coat being ripped by my childhood dog (She was stupid and ugly for being mad, anyway). I talked about how much I didn't like the 4th of July and how Abbey's parents were weird. I criticized my mother for never buying soda and tricking my brother into eating fish by saying it was chicken. Was this spying by Harriet's terms? No. I was, however, slowly being hoisted into a world of literary documentation. Does this mean I owe Nickelodeon for the motivation? Absolutely.
The influence of Harriet's innate desire to wrote truly spoke to me. Because of its highly personal influence, I felt a part of the film industry. The way I started understanding acting was highly influential as well. The movie was also interpreted from books, which made me reconsider the snarls I'd make at the sight of a book report. Not only did I begin writing, but I also starting acting in church and school gigs. Eventually I joined chorus and sang for about 5 years. Another crucial aspect of Harriet the Spy was how similar we were in age and imagination. It was like Nickelodeon made the movie just for me, and I couldn't be happier.
This argues an interesting case in new media: how much do kids really take out of what they watch in movies? I think that really depends on how relatable the subject matter is. For me, on my 9th birthday, I related to Harriet, and it was absolutely a positive endeavor.
1 Comments:
Unknown said...
Nice reflections. I wish we had them earlier in the course.
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