"Happy Feet"

[Eric]

When this movie first came out, I thought this was referring to Joey Harrington when he was with the Lions

I haven't seen this movie or anything, but I just felt I had to share this with you. This stuff is really starting to irritate me.

I'm sure if you've seen the trailers and such that you would think this is a cute, family-oriented, fuzzy penguin movie. Well, it isn't.

Before I get too much into it, here's what I've seen from the movie reviews and from people who have seen this movie.

So the main character, Happy Feet, can't make the "love song" which is essential for penguins to mate so he tap-dances. So, eventually, the "elders" (who are portrayed as strict, fundamentalist leaders) see that Happy Feet is a bit of a non-conformist, they don't want him to be part of their clan. So, the compassionate mother accepts him, and the father rejects him. So then he's banished when he meets a group of accepting Latino penguins who tell him, "hey man, you're okay, if you want to dance, knock yourself out." Also, the fish population is declining which harms the poor little penguin community. There's all kinds of sexual induendos to go with it too since that's what the penguins are supposed to do in life. Back to the elders, they are portrayed as evil, mean-spirited, and supposedly blame the population for being blasphemous critters against the penguin God and that's why the fish shortage is occuring. Then, don't you know, the good ol' U.N. comes in to save the day.

Now, tell me, what does this sound like? None of this crap was portrayed in the movie trailers, it was depicted to be a child-friendly movie and didn't mention any of this liberal agenda stuff.

And just to be on the record, I don't have as much a problem with the humans "causing the problem". Even movies like Bambi and Finding Nemo have those undertones. My issue is with the portraying of the religious elders as the bad guys. Again, this is just what I've heard and Glenn Beck brought this up on his TV show.

Looks like Hollywood is at it again . But, hey, I should just probably lighten up, I'm just being a cranky, hypersensitive conservative who blows this stuff out of proportion. It's no big deal

[Eric]

Well, you know, Rudolph and stuff brings this stuff to the table too. That I don't necessarily have a problem with either because it isn't smacking the religious institution....

[Derek]

I'd say your absolutely correct. And pointing out the culture war that is going on, does not make you cranky.

Heather has two mommy's being handed out in school was not a myth. There is a "cultural" war going on in the world today.

[Eric]

There was also a story about a school saying a book was okay with 2 male penguins who found an abandoned egg and decided to take care of it themselves. Stuff like this does influence kids, even if they maybe too young to realize what is even going on.

[donovan]

Go see the movie. It is a cute story that has absolutely not other agenda other than to entertain if you look at it like that Certainly there is an overtone that we have environmentally not taken care of the earth and they may be a little too Goresque for some....but lighten up. There is not a story in the world that does not have an antogonist. This story is delightful and frankly kids loved it. I think before you get too carried away, you should see it.

There is plenty of junk out there that demands criticism and rebuke...this just not happen to be one of them.

[Eric]

Okay, well, maybe I am a little bent out of shape. I don't know. I just wanted to see if others felt the way I did about it. You don't have a problem with painting the religious elders as the evil bad guys do you? I read something about a church being included in some industrial place or something. Why did they just have to throw that in there? I don't even know, I haven't seen it, it's just from what I've read.

And I don't have a problem with protecting the environment. I don't give a rip about ANWR or anything, but I'm not for dirty air and dirty water.

[Derek]

I dont think you are Eric, and here's why.

Im eating dinner with some friends last night, and we are talking about all kinds of stuff. And one of my friends ask if we have seen it, we all say no (we are guys ). He then says the EXACT same things you did without any knowledge of our thread here. He basically said, DONT go see it. And that it was NOT what they advertise it to be.

I believe all of Hollywood has an agenda, and it's not to entertain.

[bama_girl]

when i was little, our science book said that california was supposed to fall off into the ocean by now dern lyin a*s science book!

[Dossenator]

Eric....I know I am late getting in on this conversation. Anyway, I am as conservative as they come. I can not stand the liberal agenda that Hollywood trys to shove down our throats and what I hate even more is that more and more Americans are believing these Hollywood bafoons.

I did not realize how conservative I was until I moved to California. Most people in California think I am freak I guess. So many people in California have such a warped belief system. An example is a group of high school girls in my wifes English class....at the end of a class about 8 girls (all vegetarians) were talking about how inhuman it was to kill innocent cows, chickens, etc and then it was even worse if you ate that nasty meat. They went on and on about how you should never kill an animal for any reason. My wife began to look at the girls and noticed all of them had leather shoes and belts on and several had leather purses. She casually asked them what are your shoes made out of girls. That shut them up quickly. My wife is also appauled at what they want her to teach to 9th and 10th grade students in her English classes. This same material would get you fired in an Arkansas classroom if you even thought about teaching it. They wanted her to teach a one page poem that used the "F" word 25 times. And the sexual explicit novels....you would not believe what they are having 9th graders read here in California. Most of the teachers at the school she teaches at do not care if the students curse in the classroom. My wife does not allow it and the kids don't understand why she is the only teacher that punishes them for it. I could go on and on but I will stop for now.

However, back to the main subject, I have seen "Happy Feet" twice and see little of or no part of the agenda that you mention above. The movie is very funny and the music is good. They do imply that Human pollution is causing a fish shortage for the Penguins. Other then that I did not see anything else but a kids cartoon.

[Eric]

Okay, so you didn't think that the religious elders were supposed to represent somebody like Jerry Fallwell or Pat Robertson?

First of all, I haven't even seen the movie. So I shouldn't exactly be spending my time talking about how slanted it is . I'm just not going to talk about it further, but from what I've heard, it seems like this could a possibility. I don't want to watch it, but this whole thing has intrigued me somewhat.

California is really bad. I had some relatives who lived there. They were around the Bay Area I've been to California once around the Los Angeles area. Well, it was more Anaheim, Southern California, whatever.

Yeah, it doesn't make that much sense to me. I agree with liberals sometimes (like twice so far ), but it's the far-left that I take issue with. Just like it would be with the far-right. The problem is, the "far-left" is now the "middle-left" if you know what I'm talking about. It's a misnomer.

One book that discusses that stuff is Bernie Goldberg's new book called "Crazies to the Left of me, Whimps to the Right". Sounds like an intriguing read.

[Spence]

[quote"Eric"]One book that discusses that stuff is Bernie Goldberg's new book called "Crazies to the Left of me, Whimps to the Right". Sounds like an intriguing read.[/quote]

It is a great book. Goldberg considered himself liberal at one time. Then he discovered that they had moved very far to the left of him.

I am not a member of any party. I have never missed an election and I try to be informed about all issues that I need to vote on. I have my belief system and although I tend to be more in tune with conservative thought, I don't believe in the whole platform. I vote according to my belief system and I don't care much about the letter after the name.

I do tend to believe that Pat Robertson is as nutty as Michael Kinsley. I think that the world would be a worse place if either of them were in charge.

[Eric]

I'm not nearly as far-right as some ministers are like Fallwell or Robertson or John Hagee or people like that.

My point above is that it was a cheap shot at conservatism in general, not just far-right religious leaders. Or at least from what I've heard about it. From certain people, other people seem not to think so either. Like I said earlier, I probably shouldn't have been so quick to attack the movie without even seeing it in the first place.

I read his 100 People Who are Screwing Up America. That's a good book. I could read that one a couple times.

[Spence]

Anything by Bernie Goldberg is good. He is very funny and makes astute arguments.

I think anytime people take a shot at conservatives that they bring up Pat Robertson. He gives conservatives a bad name. I think the conservative movement would be lots better off if he crawled into a hole.

[Eric]

I like Bernie Goldberg. When reading his books, it makes me think, "oh....good point."

Pat Robertson can be kind of kooky. I wouldn't say that I'm a regular 700 Club viewer, but I do see it every now and then and they do a lot of good work in a lot of places with people who don't even know who Jesus is. Still, he is often outlandish.