This post idea also came to me as a result of watching that
YouTube video on “Disney’s Top Scariest Scenes.” I don’t recall which number
this film was, but I definitely agreed with him on the film for being on the
list—the scene was “Hellfire” in the movie “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”.
I remember the day that my mom pitched that movie. I was
probably four or five—I just remember seeing it sitting in the trash and not
knowing why. I didn’t broach the topic however because around the same time my
parents decided that Hercules was not something we were going to watch due to
the emphasis on gods that take the place of the Holy God. But that’s neither
here nor there.The point is, I didn’t see The Hunchback of Notre Dame again until I was probably fifteen. I remember being a little surprised at some of the creepy or cruelty scenes, like when Quasimodo is humiliated in front of the entire city.
But I was especially confused at one scene in particular.
Let me lay it out for you.
The influential leader Frollo, who claims to be a soldier of
God by exterminating all the Gypsies, is trying to have a gypsy woman named Esmeralda
arrested, but she is hiding in the church. The arch deacon sends him away,
telling him that the church is a sanctuary and while she stands inside, he
cannot lay a finger on her. Before Frollo leaves, he has a small talk with Esmeralda,
taking a big whiff of her hair.
She asks in disgust, “What are you doing?”
He replies, placing a hand on her neck, “I was just
imagining a rope around that beautiful neck.”
She yanks away and snarls, “I know what you were imagining.”
He then proceeds to call her a clever witch and threatens
that if she steps one foot outside that church door, she will be immediately
arrested and hanged for witchcraft.
When I saw that scene I didn’t quite catch the implications
of their words, but now that I’m older and have seen it another time or two
since, I understand the innuendo.
And it disgusts me.
And it disgusts me.
But let’s get back to the “Hellfire” scene. This takes place
not long after the previous dialogue above. Basically Frollo is alone in his
home that night and is having a conversation with God. In this quite freaky,
vivid scene, Frollo establishes that one of two things will happen: he will
have Esmeralda all to himself as a sexual partner or she will burn as a witch
and be sent to Hell.
This is a kid’s
movie, right?
As the creator of the YouTube video mentioned (Sean Pultz is
his name by the way; kudos to you, good sir), this movie brings up three of
society’s most touchy topics: religion, sex and murder. This movie takes place
in Renaissance France and to some extent you have to stick to a particular time
period’s culture in order for the story to be legitimate, but in a kid’s movie?
Of course most little kids are not going to see Esmeralda
pole dancing and think of it as a promotion towards disgusting club activity so
common in today’s society. I certainly didn’t think of it as something bad, I
just thought it was dancing; but it’s not.
This type of content is not appropriate for anyone to be
watching because it is not God-glorifying, but least of all children. Rather it
is a glorification of the filth of mankind that happens on a regular basis and
is a promotion that it is acceptable and beautiful.
God does not agree. Christians should not agree. I
understand now why my parents decided to get rid of that movie. There were
plenty of other things that were okay for me to watch that didn’t promote the
sinfulness of this world.
Keep your eyes and ears open for the suggestive content that
is portrayed in media today, especially in children’s films. Whether kids
understand the innuendos or not, that is not something that they need to be
watching.
Disney may have created a good movie promoting the idea that
we should “help the outcasts”, be friend to the friendless; but they could have
just as easily done that without the inappropriate content.
Philippians 4:8 (KJV) “Finally brethren,… whatsoever things
are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue,… think on these things.”
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After reading both of the Disney post, I have to say you are right. I have noticed inappropriate themes in other "cartoons". Especially in Looney Tunes Pepe La Pew. As you know he is always chasing some poor female cat and in one scene he asks the camera, "do you think she will let me?" As a kid I thought nothing of it, but now…well in a kids cartoon????? Yes, we really need to be careful what we let our kids and grandkids watch.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comment! I totally agree with you; my mom has mentioned before that in Looney Tunes, Daffy and Bugs are often seen dressed in drag or putting up a little sign with a curse name directed at someone. Extremely inappropriate for kids. And even better, when were those Looney Tunes episodes first played? Certainly when my parents were in elementary, so that's a big deal for those days I'm sure.
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