Is Anime a bad influence?
出典: くみこみックス
The Oregon Everyday Emerald posted an intriguing editorial by Elon Glucklich, the paper's resident Opinion Editor. I say "intriguing" due to the fact in the article, Glucklich raises the issue of the effects that anime shows have on our youth and makes some alarming allegations as to the future of our society.
Citing shows such as Dragon Ball Z, Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, Glucklich suggests that the mass recognition of these and other anime series are "chipping away at our collective moral fiber".
The reasoning behind such a statement is the content of the shows themselves, complaining that they lack any solid life lesson to be passed on to the kiddos. "Unless some thing is carried naruto shippudden information out to reverse this trend, we're going to the best be seeking at millions of high school dropouts who don't see the point in going to college unless it teaches them to capture magic crystals," he says.
But if we're going to go to that extreme with anime shows, then let's also take a trip back to the days of Tom & Jerry. Was there a life lesson there? Nope, not a one. What about Popeye and Brutus? Yogi Bear? The Flintstones, Woody Woodpecker or my all-time fav, The Wacky Racers? Hmm... entertainment and comedy, yes. Moral life lessons? No.
The truth is, tv has constantly been for the most portion, an entertainment tool and not a babysitter, as Glucklich suggests. Positive, there are exceptions - Sesame Street, The Discovery Channel and Animal Planet are surely excellent educational programs that come to mind, but once again, they're the exception not the rule. Even today's prime time shows are prepared to sacrifice education for entertainment and our own news media will concentrate on Brittney's most current scandal prior to they'll speak about Darfur. Not to say that I necessarily agree with all of it but I do have a choice: if I want to learn a lot more about Brad and Angelina, I'll stay tuned to the major media stations. Looking for a thing with a bit far more substance? Properly, then I know exactly where to find that info as well.
Now, I know Mr. Glucklich is not alone in his assessment, just as there were those who thought all rock music was satanic and Elvis' swinging pelvis was a threat decent young girls around the globe. But they had been wrong and, sorry Mr. Glucklich, so worth reading are you. To stick to this line of thinking is to assume that the American public (or any "public" for that matter) is devoid of any independent thinking and to put it nicely, as stupid as clams. This theory calls for society to be painfully dumb and even far more naive, so significantly so that we'll believe anything at all that is put in front of us, no matter how ridiculous, outstanding or imaginary it might be.
And I will admit, I know a handful of people that would fit that bill but I don't consider its a fair stereotype to paint broadly across the board. We have always had imaginary friends, pretend play and a excellent dose of daydreaming. Its named "creativity" and to be truthful, I tend to encourage it in my children. From our classic superheroes with other-worldly superpowers to Harry Potter, Star Wars and yes, even Dragon Ball Z, imagination is a fantastic, effective thing that (like Goku's Spirit Bomb) can be utilized for very good or for evil.
The point is that anime, like any and each other television show is not responsible for the "fiber" of our society, moral or otherwise. That responsibility falls to us, as parents, as individuals and as portion of the human race and personally, if we weren't often so prepared to play the victim so that we could blame our shortcomings on a person else, we may truly have to stand up and be a far better "people" collectively - cartoons, anime and all.
As the anime guide, you can bet that my youngsters see a ton of anime. In reality, we watch it together and just like any other television show, video games and other outdoors stimuli, I limit and supervise almost everything that goes into their tiny brains. That is how its supposed to be and I can assure you, my children are performing just fine. Since in spite of the fact that they might do it with magic crystals or hidden powers, characters in these shows remind us that its okay to be different and your strength comes from becoming accurate to yourself. The good guys constantly win in the finish and evil is ultimately sent packing. They show us that you can't always judge a book by its cover, no matter how distinct that cover may well be from your own and that it does not matter how little you feel you are - you ought to usually stand up for what is right, no matter how mean or corrupt the bully may possibly be.
Come to think of it, these are some fairly very good lessons to learn... even if they are from an anime show.
