Lou Dobbs Bashes The Lorax

[debrand]

Lou Dobbs on Fox is accusing The Lorax of trying to brain wash children. What is wrong with taking care fo the enviroment? There is nothing either right or left about not polluting. The bible even says that humankind should be stewards of the world. Doesn't being a steward mean that you are taking care of property for the owner?

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... -1.1026738

Dobbs lambasted Disney's "The Secret World of Arrietty," a Japanese film that opened last Friday, for its story about a 4-inch-tall family of "borrowers" who take items from humans without paying for them. Universal's "The Lorax," opening March 2, "is about a woodland creature who speaks for the trees and fights rampant industrialism," Dobbs said, emphasizing the last two words.

To be honest, I don't know as much about the science that proves climate change/global warming as I should. I am not even certain if the correct term is global warming or climate change. However, there have been films about caring for the enviroment since I was a child. Commercials used to show a weeping Native American who was saddened at the trash surronding him. There wasn't an outcry over the brainwashing of children because it was accepted that pollution was bad. What changed?

edited to add-if you are too young to remember the weeping man commercials, they used an Italian actor wearing stereotypical clothing. Now that I am older, I realize that they were racist. At the time, they made a powerful impression on my young mind to take care of my enviroment.

[deelaem]

While I obviously disagree with Lou Dobbs and everything he's saying, I gotta bash on the new version of The Lorax, too. The original story had innocent charm, yet a quietly powerful message. This new version looks (from the trailer) to be loud, sarcastic, mean-spirited and steers far from the book. There's even a "joke" about hitting a woman.

I read this book to my sons when they were little, and we all enjoyed the original TV special based on the book. It brought up a great opportunity to talk to them about the importance of caring for our planet. I find this new one to be a travesty.

[debrand]

I have to admit, I no longer pay much attention to trailers for kids movies. The only thing that I noticed about the movie was Danny Devito is in it.

[MonkeyMomma]

While I obviously disagree with Lou Dobbs and everything he's saying, I gotta bash on the new version of The Lorax, too. The original story had innocent charm, yet a quietly powerful message. This new version looks (from the trailer) to be loud, sarcastic, mean-spirited and steers far from the book. There's even a "joke" about hitting a woman.

I read this book to my sons when they were little, and we all enjoyed the original TV special based on the book. It brought up a great opportunity to talk to them about the importance of caring for our planet. I find this new one to be a travesty.

I, too, am worried about the new film version ... I have a deep abiding love for the Dr. Seuss text. I played the Lorax in a sixth grade play (I speak for the trees!). The trailers don't look a thing like the story I know and love. I hadn't heard about joking about violence against women ... which is disturbing.

[MonkeyMomma]

From the article:

"What we're doing is creating Occu-toddlers," right-wing talk-show host Matt Patrick said.

Hopefully, yeah, if I'm doing it right.

[Guest Anonymous]

From the article:

Hopefully, yeah, if I'm doing it right.

And since when is that a bad thing?

[debrand]

"

The Secret of Arrietty" actually did have a not-so-secret message — at least in Japan, where the movie was created by Studio Ghibli for that country's audiences, director Hiromasa Yonebayashi recently told the Daily News.

"The first thing [studio head Hayao] Miyazaki told me is that nowadays [Japanese] people are into buying things and a very materialistic way of living," Yonebayashi said. "And in this particular [economic] time it might be very important to create this kind of story where little people borrow a bit from other people

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... z1nDahN4AL

I had never heard of The Secret of Arrietty but I'm going to watch it now.

[PBrooke]

When I was in college, somehow the book The Lorax came up (it's by far my favorite Seuss). Some guy in class said it was environmentalist propaganda. I thought he was joking at first - and then I was like, "What's wrong with the message that if we chop everything down without replanting, there will be nothing left? It's true!" Then again, I apparently lived in a golden age of environmental awareness. When I was in elementary school we had Fern Gully. :P

[Alecto]

"

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... z1nDahN4AL

I had never heard of The Secret of Arrietty but I'm going to watch it now.

It's a remake of the Borrowers from the 80's which was one of the best movies ever.

[keeperrox]

edited to add-if you are too young to remember the weeping man commercials, they used an Italian actor wearing stereotypical clothing. Now that I am older, I realize that they were racist. At the time, they made a powerful impression on my young mind to take care of my enviroment.

Yes, but Iron Eyes Cody also lived his life as a Native American, claimed to be one until his death, married a Native Amerian woman, and fought for Native American causes. I don't know if I consider that racist.

/off topic

[debrand]

Yes, but Iron Eyes Cody also lived his life as a Native American, claimed to be one until his death, married a Native Amerian woman, and fought for Native American causes. I don't know if I consider that racist.

/off topic

I didn't say that the actor was racist. However, the commercial was based on a sterotype.

[emmiedahl]

So sad, I love the Lorax and read Dr. Seuss to my kids almost every day. :(

I never saw the Borrowers movie, but the book was my favorite in 1st grade. The Japanese movie sounds lovely, maybe we will see that instead of the Lorax.

[Conuly]

There's even a "joke" about hitting a woman.

A joke that revolves around insulting people who aren't conventionally beautiful. Yeah, I saw that as well.

[Avalondaughter]

As soon as I saw the movie was coming out I knew the right would bash it for being some kind of anti-capitalist brainwashing propaganda piece. Yeah, I'm sure that's what Dr. Suess intended. :roll:

I remember when I was in college there was some cartoon on called Captain Planet and the Planeteers that was about a group of young environmentalists trying to save the planet. That was bashed by the right too for politicizing children and making them anti-American.

I suppose we should all just watch Veggie Tales, especially that one where two SUVs meet up at the gas station and drive off together in SUV happiness!

[Hane]

I just wish they'd leave Dr. Seuss's stories out of movies altogether. They're simple, elegant, clever, and intelligent tales that may do fairly well as half-hour animated pieces (cf. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"), but their souls are utterly destroyed when they're inflated for the big screen. What little I saw of Jim Carrey's Grinch and Mike Myers' Cat in the Hat made me want to make a pilgrimage to Theodore Seuss Geisel's grave and apologize on behalf of Hollywood.

[Conuly]

I remember when I was in college there was some cartoon on called Captain Planet and the Planeteers that was about a group of young environmentalists trying to save the planet. That was bashed by the right too for politicizing children and making them anti-American.

Well, yeah, because 4 out of 5 of the kids were from *gasp* other countries! Like people in other countries ever could have anything to teach us! And that last kid was from Brooklyn, and we all know New York isn't *really* part of the US.

[link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo0D6bzxLLw]*hums the theme song*[/link]

Now that's going to be stuck in my head ALL DAY. Thank you!

I just wish they'd leave Dr. Seuss's stories out of movies altogether. They're simple, elegant, clever, and intelligent tales that may do fairly well as half-hour animated pieces (cf. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"), but their souls are utterly destroyed when they're inflated for the big screen. What little I saw of Jim Carrey's Grinch and Mike Myers' Cat in the Hat made me want to make a pilgrimage to Theodore Seuss Geisel's grave and apologize on behalf of Hollywood.

Yes.

[GolightlyGrrl]

I just wish they'd leave Dr. Seuss's stories out of movies altogether. They're simple, elegant, clever, and intelligent tales that may do fairly well as half-hour animated pieces (cf. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"), but their souls are utterly destroyed when they're inflated for the big screen. What little I saw of Jim Carrey's Grinch and Mike Myers' Cat in the Hat made me want to make a pilgrimage to Theodore Seuss Geisel's grave and apologize on behalf of Hollywood.

This!

What the fuckity-fuck is wrong with caring about the environment? Several months ago I saw a PBS documentary on the environmental movement in the wake of Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" and the first Earth Day in 1970. What struck me was how the environmental movement was very bi-partisan. Both the Republicans and the Democrats joined forces on this important issue. WTF happened in 40 years? Now the Republicans (well, the extreme right wing Republicans) totally denouce environmental issues. It's maddening.

Dobbs can suck it.

But I think it's so cool Dr. Seuss and I share a b-day, March 2nd. Yay!

[BravaAmica]

It's a remake of the Borrowers from the 80's which was one of the best movies ever.

Um, it's actually based on a book called The Borrowers.

[lilwriter85]

As soon as I saw the movie was coming out I knew the right would bash it for being some kind of anti-capitalist brainwashing propaganda piece. Yeah, I'm sure that's what Dr. Suess intended. :roll:

I remember when I was in college there was some cartoon on called Captain Planet and the Planeteers that was about a group of young environmentalists trying to save the planet. That was bashed by the right too for politicizing children and making them anti-American.

I suppose we should all just watch Veggie Tales, especially that one where two SUVs meet up at the gas station and drive off together in SUV happiness!

I was in elementary school when Captain Planet came out. At my school, some of teachers should videos of the cartoon and we did recycling drives. Back then I didn't know about it being bashed. When I was in college, I was writing a research paper for a Environmental Sociology class. My paper was about "green education" in schools and I found several articles written in the 90's that discussed the controversies that resulted from Captain Planet and Ted Turner was the co-creator of the cartoon and he was bashed quite a bit.

[MyNameIsJonas]

Side note, I can't wait to see The Secret World of Arriety. I've been watching Hayao Miyazaki films since I was seven years old and I've never been disappointed. The animation and artwork are beautiful and the movies usually feature a strong, independent female lead. I highly reccomend seeing at least one of his films

[Conuly]

Um, it's actually based on a book called The Borrowers.

IS it based directly on the book, or is it a remake of the movie based off of the book?

[Knight of Ni]

This!

What the fuckity-fuck is wrong with caring about the environment? Several months ago I saw a PBS documentary on the environmental movement in the wake of Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" and the first Earth Day in 1970. What struck me was how the environmental movement was very bi-partisan. Both the Republicans and the Democrats joined forces on this important issue. WTF happened in 40 years? Now the Republicans (well, the extreme right wing Republicans) totally denouce environmental issues. It's maddening.

Dobbs can suck it.

But I think it's so cool Dr. Seuss and I share a b-day, March 2nd. Yay!

The extreme Republicans don't want to care about the environment because that would interfere with their ability to make money.

[Mais Pourquoi]

In response to the bolded, since when the fuck is "rampant industrialism" considered a good thing by ANYBODY? Good things are never described as "rampant" (consider 'rampant happiness'... doesn't work. 'Abundant happiness' does).

:angry-cussing: I'm going to go off on a rant here. I'm fucking sick of ultra-conservatives thinking anything that is not about Big Business is a bad thing. I want to take MY country BACK from megalomaniac morons who would see me and my future children living in a society where hardly anyone receives a good education, dies from basic illnesses, with pollution everywhere in the name of de-regulation, and many serving as serfs to corporate overlords. I look forward to having kids one day and I want to make sure they grow up in an America that does not spit in the faces of anyone who is not wealthy. I want them to be able to enjoy the same beautiful natural sites I have enjoyed, to be able to breathe clean air and have access to food and medicines they know are safe. Why is that dream such a problem for these people?

[FloraDoraDolly]

I just wish they'd leave Dr. Seuss's stories out of movies altogether. They're simple, elegant, clever, and intelligent tales that may do fairly well as half-hour animated pieces (cf. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"), but their souls are utterly destroyed when they're inflated for the big screen. What little I saw of Jim Carrey's Grinch and Mike Myers' Cat in the Hat made me want to make a pilgrimage to Theodore Seuss Geisel's grave and apologize on behalf of Hollywood.

This.

I've only seen trailers of the Grinch movie, but my nieces made me suffer through Cat in the Hat. That was one of the worst movies I ever saw. So far, I don't like the looks of the new Lorax movie. It doesn't seem to have much to do with the book. The previews make it out to be some dopey romance between two teenage characters.

[valsa]

Well, yeah, because 4 out of 5 of the kids were from *gasp* other countries! Like people in other countries ever could have anything to teach us! And that last kid was from Brooklyn, and we all know New York isn't *really* part of the US.

[link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo0D6bzxLLw]*hums the theme song*[/link]

Now that's going to be stuck in my head ALL DAY. Thank you!

I find it amusing that, despite having not heard that song in over a decade, I can still perfectly sing along with it. That's deeply ingrained.