Using children as a cop-out from actual plot or character development.

My husband and I decided to spend the afternoon watching a movie, popcorn and all (we have a whirley-pop and use the Real Theater popping kits -Amazing, btw). We on-demand the Godzilla remake because I'd heard it was better than the 90s remake (which, personally, I enjoyed - don't really understand the antipathy toward it, it was never meant to be academy award material in the first place...). Well, to make a long movie short, the new Godzilla (IMHO) blew ass. The plot sucked, the characters were cliched, and I couldn't even appreciate the special effects because all the action sequences happened at night and the screen was too dark to actually see anything! But the worst thing about it was the use of random kids plopped throughout the plot as shortcuts to developing actual suspense or empathy toward the main characters. If the writers wanted a suspenseful scene, they simply stuck a bus full of kids in the scene. When Godzilla and the whatever-they-are things are ransacking Hawaii, they actually assigned some random Asian kid for the main character to watch over (who magically found his parents exactly when he wasn't needed anymore), and the movie kept cutting to a blond girl who's parents were trying to get her out of the destruction. The hidden message being that if there is a damn kid involved, we all immediately have to start caring about what happens ten times more!!!!!111

Of course, the main character had a kid of his own, whose only purpose was to make scenes with the main character in trouble more angst-y because waaa! he has a KYD!!!!! The kid was useless to the plot, I think he said two sentences throughout the movie, and just sat there like a lump throughout the whole thing - even when the bus he was on was about to be tossed in the ocean.

Sick of movies' gratuitous use of kids in an attempt to automatically give plots feeling and suspense. Good forbid somebody write something actually meaningful or full of suspense without simply sticking a kid in there and expecting us all to melt into kid-slavering goo.

The ORIGINAL Godzilla is the ONLY Godzilla as far as I'm concerned!

And cheesy as it was - there's actually a disturbing and distressing angle to it - I'm going to try to paraphrase what I read once about it ~

It's the manifestation of fears the Japanese people had over the nukes dropped on them. And if you meditate on that angle - it's depressing. That *is* what Godzilla is supposed to be - a monster created from radiation.

One thing that made me feel better - when Japan had the Tsunami and resultant nuke plant failures - the US stepped right up and said we will help. Gave lots of money. Who says President Obama is no good? That was one good thing - right there. The US stepped right up to help and offer aid and money.

This made me feel better. The past is the past and we will help.

Most people think Godzilla is just a Monster Movie. But it stemmed from Japanese fears of radiation.

How about someone make a 'serious film' from this angle?

Yeah, that wouldn't fly because it's too disturbing, children being saved is much more palatable to the Lumpen Idiot.

I think misogynistic movie execs think that women won't go to see a monster movie unless there are little kids and a famblee angle.

You're probably right, bop. And it looks like I need to see the original Godzilla. Classic flicks in general should be left alone, IMHO.smile

It takes a child to raze a village.

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Zzelda
The ORIGINAL Godzilla is the ONLY Godzilla as far as I'm concerned!

And cheesy as it was - there's actually a disturbing and distressing angle to it - I'm going to try to paraphrase what I read once about it ~

It's the manifestation of fears the Japanese people had over the nukes dropped on them. And if you meditate on that angle - it's depressing. That *is* what Godzilla is supposed to be - a monster created from radiation.

One thing that made me feel better - when Japan had the Tsunami and resultant nuke plant failures - the US stepped right up and said we will help. Gave lots of money. Who says President Obama is no good? That was one good thing - right there. The US stepped right up to help and offer aid and money.

This made me feel better. The past is the past and we will help.

Most people think Godzilla is just a Monster Movie. But it stemmed from Japanese fears of radiation.

How about someone make a 'serious film' from this angle?

Yeah, that wouldn't fly because it's too disturbing, children being saved is much more palatable to the Lumpen Idiot.

Not only would it be disturbing (even though the most thought-prokoking things are), it would also cast the blessed Amurricka in a not-so-Jesus-filled light and thus would piss off all the dumb people. If there was a movie about the fear concept I would totally watch it.

I never understand directors' need to shove children into movies and TV shows for absolutely no reason. The parent-and-child thing is not a substitute for character development or plot, and in a lot of cases it actually kills a good film or show....think of all those TV shows that are torpedoed by adding kids (Mad About You, for example). If they have to add a kiddie appeal angle, then they're showing that they don't trust the actual material they've written, and it's time to go back and beef up the script.

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Zzelda
The ORIGINAL Godzilla is the ONLY Godzilla as far as I'm concerned!

And cheesy as it was - there's actually a disturbing and distressing angle to it - I'm going to try to paraphrase what I read once about it ~

It's the manifestation of fears the Japanese people had over the nukes dropped on them. And if you meditate on that angle - it's depressing. That *is* what Godzilla is supposed to be - a monster created from radiation.

One thing that made me feel better - when Japan had the Tsunami and resultant nuke plant failures - the US stepped right up and said we will help. Gave lots of money. Who says President Obama is no good? That was one good thing - right there. The US stepped right up to help and offer aid and money.

This made me feel better. The past is the past and we will help.

Most people think Godzilla is just a Monster Movie. But it stemmed from Japanese fears of radiation.

How about someone make a 'serious film' from this angle?

Yeah, that wouldn't fly because it's too disturbing, children being saved is much more palatable to the Lumpen Idiot.

History shows again and again
How nature points out the folly of men

Blue Oyster Cult - Godzilla

_______________________________________________
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”

I wasn't aware that there was an even NEWER version of Godzilla. Now I know why a friend contacted us to ask if he could bring it over to watch with us. Well. Now I know.

On the topic of children/babies/zygotes blowing plotlines, I wanted to let anyone here who caught the first season of SyFy's "Defiance" that they did in fact NOT jump the shark and make it all about the alien/human hybrid germinating in one of the character's wombs. In fact, they hardly brought up the pregnancy at all of Christie "Tarr" (human), wife of Alak Tarr(Castian). Maybe it will be a plot mover in the third season, but for season two, practically nada.

Oh, and, for the record, I want to say that Grant Bowler is freakin' hawt and I call him as the next up-and-coming Harrison Ford type actor. Duly noted here.

I rolled my eyes hard at those "feel something!! Kid in danger!!" moments too. I was all "OH NO!" with the dog though

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Zzelda
The ORIGINAL Godzilla is the ONLY Godzilla as far as I'm concerned!.

Oh hell yes! I was really surprised to see how serious it was, having grown up on all the cheesy monster-fighting G-zilla movies. Love it. And it's in the Criterion Collection, so that means it's culturally significant.

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"[GFG's pregnancy is] kind of like at the stables where that one dumb, ugly-ass mare broke out of her corral one day and got herself screwed by the equally fugly colt that was due to be gelded the same afternoon."- Shiny

This is why I always liked shows like Seinfeld or Will and Grace or just about any show, really, that didn't involve kids. You can feel the actual life force or oxygen get sucked out of a show the minute a kid is involved. And I really hate it when they make the kid like an adult who sasses the adults with bad language and being oh so very knowing and smartass; defeats the purpose of having a child character, anyway. Just make it a little person/dwarf/midget or something.

And then there are those long-running sitcoms - maybe not as prominent in the age of reality TV - that started out with a child character that was popular with the audience. Then as the child actor grew older the show would scramble to find another younger child to awkwardly squeeze into the cast to try to keep the supposed cute going and keep the show alive longer.

I actually did like this newest Godzilla just for the fight scenes between the creatures - what you could see of it - but yes there was a lot of kid in danger! kid in danger! I'm so used to that trope that I barely noticed it TBH.

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tiredchicken
And then there are those long-running sitcoms - maybe not as prominent in the age of reality TV - that started out with a child character that was popular with the audience. Then as the child actor grew older the show would scramble to find another younger child to awkwardly squeeze into the cast to try to keep the supposed cute going and keep the show alive longer.

Hellooooooooo, "The Cosby Show" !

The Brady Bunch, too. In fact, "Cousin Oliver" has become the term to describe this trope.

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"Why children take so long to grow? They eat and drink like pig and give nothing back. Must find way to accelerate process..."
- Dr. Yi Suchong, Bioshock

"Society does not need more children; but it does need more loved children. Quite literally, we cannot afford unloved children - but we pay heavily for them every day. There should not be the slightest communal concern when a woman elects to destroy the life of her thousandth-of-an-ounce embryo. But all society should rise up in alarm when it hears that a baby that is not wanted is about to be born."
- Garrett Hardin

"I feel like there's a message involved here somehow, but then I couldn't stop laughing at all the plotholes, like the part when North Korea has food."
- Youtube commentor referring to a North Korean cartoon.

"Reality is a bitch when it slowly crawls out of your vagina and shits in your lap."
- Reddit comment

"Bitch wants a baby, so we're gonna fuck now. #bareback"
- Cambion

Oh whatever. Abortion doctors are crimestoppers."
- Miss Hannigan

The only horror movie with a child in distress that worked for me was Aliens. Just because she survived on her own for weeks so the kid is tough and had some sense. Other than that, no thanks.

I feel the same way about that baby in Walking Dead. It's nothing but dead weight - does anyone actually even care about what happens to it? In a pinch, it'd be perfect for tossing to the zombie horde, but that's about it as far as it goes now. I doubt the show will survive long enough to see it grow up and do anything useful. smile

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cats_instead
I feel the same way about that baby in Walking Dead. It's nothing but dead weight - does anyone actually even care about what happens to it? In a pinch, it'd be perfect for tossing to the zombie horde, but that's about it as far as it goes now. I doubt the show will survive long enough to see it grow up and do anything useful. smile

Oh my god! That whole anti-choice stint pissed me right the hell off! THIS IS THE MUTHA FUKKIN ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE! I laughed when the moo died and the dad went crazy. It was the PERFECT pro-abortion argument. There wasn't even a silver lining! It was like "well here's that baby you wanted so fucking bad that you killed your wife over it.. Dick". I literally thought that was the best thing ever. I'm probably going to hell in a toasty little toto-box.

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loavesstillsuck
This is why I always liked shows like Seinfeld or Will and Grace or just about any show, really, that didn't involve kids. You can feel the actual life force or oxygen get sucked out of a show the minute a kid is involved. And I really hate it when they make the kid like an adult who sasses the adults with bad language and being oh so very knowing and smartass; defeats the purpose of having a child character, anyway. Just make it a little person/dwarf/midget or something.

I began watching Seinfeld once it went to re runs - I liked these characters because they seemed 'like me'. Thought they knew what they were doing but often got screwed by others. Got knocked down. It seemed realistic to me. Friends was pitched to my 'age group' but I HATED that show! I watched a few episodes of that and I could not relate at all. The Seinfeld characters were more relatable. Plus it was just way more funny.

And - the best one I saw was where Elaine broke up with the guy who was Anti Abortion! Yeeee Esssss!!!! They talked about abortion and Elaine *broke up with the guy*! because he was Anti! YES YES YES!!! I was SO HAPPY! to see that!

And the one where her 'friends' are trying to convince her to move to Lawn Guy Land and have a Bay Bee! She resists. Does not cave! YES! LI NY is just like Suburbia here and I was literally *cheering her on*! I just loved her, the Elaine character, and I did like them all! George was kind of irritating but he wasn't really a bad guy. Even "Newman" wasn't that bad of a guy and he was so crazy funny too!

What a GREAT show! I'm glad I decided to give it a shot when I saw it in re runs. Actually - I only watched it because there was nothing else on - and I quickly became a fan. When it was on originally - I don't remember why I didn't watch it then. Glad to have seen the re runs though, what a great show! It's still in re runs here - and I will still watch it. Just too funny and characters that I can relate to. And - NO KIDS!

Oh and how about the one where George shoves all his GF's birthday party kids aside to get out of the house on fire? And before that his GF's bratty kid is causing him all manner of grief - at the coffee shop the kid is *crawling around under the table* FFS! And then at the brat's B- Day party - George shoves all the kids aside to get away from the fire. That was just FUCKING SPECTACULAR! OMFG - and then the clown lectures him? GAWD. I was dying!

What a GREAT show!!! TOO FUNNY!!! And you could relate to the characters too. I could, anyway. I guess that makes me a "Hipster Dufus" LOL