Updated Thoughts

[tealin]

I have had a grand total of two conversations today. They have covered:

• The American reluctance to tell sad stories to children (or indeed, anyone) and how this might engender a detached attitude to 'terrible things'
• Who would be damaged first by a Trump presidency, the US or the rest of the world
• Using cocaine as a topical anaesthetic for corneal sunburn during the Heroic Age of polar exploration
• Correlation (or not) of crankiness with miniaturism
• The atomic weights of carbon and oxygen and whether it's more humane to kill lab mice with CO or CO₂

I think I'll stay.

Comments

[out_there]

And yet I'm now thinking of Bambi and Lion King. I can understand not having sad endings, but surely sad moments are acceptable as a part of life/ the story?

[tealin]

Oh, yes, sad moments are fine (just not too sad, for too long!) – but you never get a story that ends on a down note. A symphony's key signature is determined by what chord it ends on, and all American kids' films (that I can think of) are major key, in that regard. The Snowman doesn't get much play in the US. Even grownups will brush off a minor key story with 'OMG, so depressing!' But sad stories prepare us for the reality that things don't always turn out OK in the end, and give us practice dealing with that emotionally before it happens to us. Important skills!

[out_there]

You know, the only kids movie I can think that's sadder at the end is "My Girl". Which pretty much proves that you're right about them all ending on happy notes. Huh.