I recently came across this talk by Colin Stokes at the TED conference.
He references one of my favorite children's movies of all time - The Wizard of Oz. Having played the Lion in our High School's version of the Wizard of Oz, I grew to love the characters and the books by Frank L. Baum.
About a year ago, I saw the Wizard of Oz was on sale and so I excitedly bought the DVD version for my children. I sat down with them with anticipation that they would enjoy excitement and the story as much as I did. They were bored out of their minds. It wasn't until I saw Mr. Stokes talk, however, that I figured out what it was.
As I listened to Mr. Stokes, I was reminded of another speaker, Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers is another media personality that my children have no idea about. In this video, Mr. Rogers spoke with some of the representatives of Congress.
Nowadays, movies and television don't contain these elements anymore. We have added CG battles, blowing up buildings, and increase the sexual appeal. But does it really teach us who we are? Does it teach us who we were born to be?
Think of the last movie or television you watched. Consider what it taught you about who you are. Did it resonate inside of you and make you feel things you hadn't felt in a long time? Or did it simply entertain you for a few moments, but had no lasting effect? I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.
