Frozen and no media

I'm always writing about how we go to a Waldorf School and there is a no media policy there.  The policy is there for a number of reasons, mainly because media affects children at a deeper level.  If put in front of a television or iPad, iPod, iPhone for too long, children forget how to entertain themselves.  They get uncomfortable
with boredom and lose the ability for creative thought.  Here is a good article on media

Lately, there's been non-stop talk about Frozen, Disney's latest animated film.  I am hearing that kids love it.  Many have seen it more than once...I get snippets like, "Oh, it's such a sweet film."  "Not the old 'princess meets a prince' and they live happily ever after story."  "It's about princesses and overcoming evil."

I don't know what it's about.  I've never seen it.  About a month ago, our neighbor nearly begged to bring our daughter with her daughter to see it.  I almost caved.  Here was the conversation:  Mother of friend: "Oh, S loves the movie Frozen. She's seen it twice already.  She has a big request." Mother looks sort of apologetically at me and continues, "She'd really like it if we could bring D to see it this afternoon?"  I wince a little because everyone knows we are a no media family.  I think about it and say, "Well, let me check with her dad......."  I did go home and ask G.  His first response was No, no media.  Then he continued that he really would like her first movie going experience to be with us.  Good point.  I finally got back to the mom and just said we would rather not because it was a school night and I didn't know what the overstimulation would do to D for the next day.

Mind you, I really don't even like how LOUD Dolby surround sound is these days.  Too loud even for me so I'm glad we still have not taken D to the theater.  It's offensive in my opinion.  Add on top of that how "in your face" the images are...too much for a five year old for sure.

And to confirm my decision, just yesterday, I was reading an article about the writer and co-producer of Frozen and in the article were video snippets from the movie. The trailer and then another portion of the movie.  Boy am I glad we never took D!  I felt that the content, the language was just too mature for a five-year-old.  The humor and romance was also too mature.  The "cartoons" these days are really written for an adult audience or at least teenagers. Where are the simple cartoons of yesteryear?

I now stand firmer regarding movies.  I don't feel bad if she doesn't get to see it.  I really want to protect my daughter's childhood and given that G and I both work from home, we have a lot of adult conversations around her.  She is already too mature for her age.