Gimme the spoonful of sugar...
December 27, 2008
...but hold the medicine.
After yesterday's post, I received the following comment from my former secretary, proof positive that working for the Commissariat of Academic Affairs spoils even the best kids' movies (though I refuse to believe that any movie with the dance sequence `Knees Together, Step in Line!' can be less than a masterpiece). Seriously -- the comment is surely apposite and shows us that worldliness is at its most effective and insidious at precisely those points we least expect it. Of course, if they ever remake Mary Poppins I am sure that, in line with current cultural trends, Angelina Jolie will play Mary, and the ugly, scary, mean, old men will be have been replaced at the bank with attractive, sharp-suited young people called `Chad' and `Dave' and `Liz' and `Susan' who will not try to get the kids to hand over their tuppence but will rather offer to loan them a further tuppence so that they can spend twice as much for twice the pleasure -- with no hope of paying it back. Here's what my former, long-suffering personal assistant had to say:
I just read your latest Ref21 post. Mary Poppins was on TV last nightand Ben and I were struck by one song in particular - it's towards theend of the movie, after Poppins has been encouraging the children toshare their tuppence with the bird lady, and the father has taken thechildren to the bank, where he works. Just before they reach the bank,the kids want to give the lady their tuppence to feed the birds,because that would be the nice, kind thing to do and would make themhappy. Their father forbids them to and instead encourages them toinvest it in the bank. At this point, a number of ugly, old men (thebank managers/board) sing a scary song about safe, sound investment inthe bank and how that will make your tuppence into a pound. Of coursethe children do the "right" thing and snatch their tuppence away fromthe evil bank managers and rush out to feed the birds. The clearmessage of the scene was to encourage children to spend their money tomake themselves happy and to avoid saving. Marry Poppins came out in1964 in the US and has been a hugely popular movie since then (as I'msure you know). No telling how many countless children have grown upwith that song in their heads, wanting to spend, spend, spend to makethemselves happy. Anyway, given the current economic situation, wefound this movie particularly ironic.
After yesterday's post, I received the following comment from my former secretary, proof positive that working for the Commissariat of Academic Affairs spoils even the best kids' movies (though I refuse to believe that any movie with the dance sequence `Knees Together, Step in Line!' can be less than a masterpiece). Seriously -- the comment is surely apposite and shows us that worldliness is at its most effective and insidious at precisely those points we least expect it. Of course, if they ever remake Mary Poppins I am sure that, in line with current cultural trends, Angelina Jolie will play Mary, and the ugly, scary, mean, old men will be have been replaced at the bank with attractive, sharp-suited young people called `Chad' and `Dave' and `Liz' and `Susan' who will not try to get the kids to hand over their tuppence but will rather offer to loan them a further tuppence so that they can spend twice as much for twice the pleasure -- with no hope of paying it back. Here's what my former, long-suffering personal assistant had to say:
I just read your latest Ref21 post. Mary Poppins was on TV last nightand Ben and I were struck by one song in particular - it's towards theend of the movie, after Poppins has been encouraging the children toshare their tuppence with the bird lady, and the father has taken thechildren to the bank, where he works. Just before they reach the bank,the kids want to give the lady their tuppence to feed the birds,because that would be the nice, kind thing to do and would make themhappy. Their father forbids them to and instead encourages them toinvest it in the bank. At this point, a number of ugly, old men (thebank managers/board) sing a scary song about safe, sound investment inthe bank and how that will make your tuppence into a pound. Of coursethe children do the "right" thing and snatch their tuppence away fromthe evil bank managers and rush out to feed the birds. The clearmessage of the scene was to encourage children to spend their money tomake themselves happy and to avoid saving. Marry Poppins came out in1964 in the US and has been a hugely popular movie since then (as I'msure you know). No telling how many countless children have grown upwith that song in their heads, wanting to spend, spend, spend to makethemselves happy. Anyway, given the current economic situation, wefound this movie particularly ironic.
