Kidulthood

[poliphilo]

On one channel they were showing a jolly little documentary about how we all became kidults in the Noughties. On another, as if to reinforce the point, they were showing The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe- a kiddies movie in primetime.

I think the Lion, the Witch and the wardrobe is a really ugly film. The combination of live actors and CGI animations makes for a blotchy effect. The eye moves from textures that are rough and sensuous to textures that are oily and unreal.  Oh look, a real wolf holding down a computer generated beaver! Any fool can see the difference between real fur and CGI fur- and it's visually offensive, it hurts the brain. It's as if you were looking at a picture painted by two artists with quite different styles- one of whom is God and the other Walt Disney. Do you get my drift?

That was a digression. To get back to the whole kidult thing: I like it that adults are allowed to be daft these days- that we're acknowledging that- however venerable we may be- we are also "still children in some sort". On the other hand, there's a reason why the word "childish" is used as a put-down.  Children are silly and ignorant. Adults should be reading and watching things other than C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling.

And here's an odd thing. As adults turn themselves inside out to display the inner child, so we clamp down more and more on real children. You know what I'm talking about- school exams beginning earlier and earlier, with all the stress that entails, the clampdown on childhood freedoms in the name of health and safety and keeping them safe from paedos, the sexualisation of little girls by bloody commerce- all that sort of horror.

We're not allowed to be childish when we're of an age to be childish,  so we seize the opportunity later.  Makes a sort of sense, I suppose. Welcome to a world in which the kids are all Midwich cuckoos- dead-eyed and dutiful- and their parents are chasing balloons.

Comments

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

Adults should be reading and watching things other than C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling.

See, I disagree. But that may be because I see a marked difference between being childish and child-like. I agree that adults should not be childish and that somehow, Western society adults have become moreso over the last decade or so. But I think it a terrible shame that so many adults lose that child-like sense of wonder in the world (and the ability to believe in things they cannot see) as well as the child-like ability to be more open-minded.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't think we're really at odds with one another.

I'm not saying adults should never read childrens's books- or watch children's films; I'm saying they should also be reading and watching more adult fare. There are, of course, plenty of adult books and movies that convey a sense of wonder.

I've read all the Harry Potter books and enjoyed them. As for Lewis, I have issues with him that have nothing to do with him being a writer for children.

[algabal.livejournal.com]

"Children are silly and ignorant. Adults should be reading and watching things other than C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling."

People always say there is something mystical and wisdom-filled about childhood, but I mainly associate it with feelings of personal helplessness, fear, anger and boredom. Why would people want to live there forever?

[oakmouse]

For kids, this world has become Kamazotz.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Some people have wonderful, magical childhoods- Wordsworth for instance- and some don't.

I didn't have a terrible childhood, but I understand what you're saying.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[silveredmane.livejournal.com]

Personally, I have an extreme preference for people who have an inner adult.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

What an excelklent way of putting it!