Remember the Wt. Society put out Paradise Lost/Regained in the late 1950s for youths with its very disturbing Big A scenes. Thinking back on all of the religious tracks and films that have come out in the past 50 years most are schlocky at best and some downright disturbing ie the ones on Creationism and the ones with the Nordic 'Jesus'.
The new kids DVD - was it deliberate? What are we missing?
by cedars 57 Replies latest jw friends
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Billy the Ex-Bethelite
Cedars, My guess would be that they initially wanted to have something like 4 animated shorts to go on this, but ran into content or production snags. So they only had two that were ready for this "Special Edition" in time for the DC. I don't recall if Tony Morris mentions that there are only two on the DVD. I think he just said that there were more to come.
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cedars
Billy - yes, that's the only way I can rationalize it all. I can't see them making a deliberate decision to enter a production process that would yield only two brief animated movies. Something happened that changed things, whether it was merely content or production snags as you suggest - or broader financial constraints not previously envisaged. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when they decided to cut production and roll out what they had.
Cedars
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Gayle
The GB just don't have any creativity for writing, no fresh ideas. They don't have much to dare to come up with any new prophetic ideas. Can't seem to write any kind of new 'book' size of anything. They have run themselves 'dry.'
Seems the GB want to test how far they can 'test' the parents to ultra-control their kids, in even small little things like a toy. The GB want to demonize everything so they want to teach fear in the young. Of course, that is already evident by requiring JW parents to even deny blood for their children.
To believe the demons/devil is in just about everything, is superstition. Yes, the JWs are superstitious.
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MrFreeze
My guess is they thought it was gold when they released it and then realized after releasing it that there was a lot of negative feedback about it. Why else would they be so concerned about it ending up on youtube? It isn't like they are charging for it. If they really believed in it 100% and stood behind it in such a manner, they should be happy it is getting publicity.
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ziddina
"...Or are the Society really THAT stupid that they would score such a dramatic own goal, i.e. with Sparlock?..." Cedars OP
I opt for the Gov.Bod being too stupid to see their own stupidity....
"I truly think it is just GB ineptitude at its finest. Yes the characters are fake and stereotyped and yes it is over-dramatized and exaggerated......but that's how these guys roll! The dramas at the DC are fake and exaggerated. ..." OutSmart the System, page 1
"It's not a conspiracy, they are just that out of touch with reality. The men who worked on the DVD and the Governing Body who approved it are almost fully insulated from the outside world. Contact with non-cult members is very rare or even nonexistent for these men. This creates a dangerous system were there are no real checks and balances, no alternative view point is heard...." Resistance is Futile, page 1
Just wait until they start bringing out biblically-themed - er, "Watchtower-Corporation-themed" video games... They could take that idiotic "Door-to-door" game and turn it into an electronic version - extra points for converting the guy with the vicious pit bulls!!
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cedars
Ziddina
I opt for the Gov.Bod being too stupid to see their own stupidity....
Yes, I have come to that conclusion myself. And all this time, I had been considering the Governing Body a "worthy adversary" - no longer!!
Mr Freeze
My guess is they thought it was gold when they released it and then realized after releasing it that there was a lot of negative feedback about it. Why else would they be so concerned about it ending up on youtube? It isn't like they are charging for it. If they really believed in it 100% and stood behind it in such a manner, they should be happy it is getting publicity.
Yes, the copyright debacle is a scandal all on its own in my opinion. Jehovah's Witnesses are supposed to be engaged in a not-for-profit worldwide educational work, the focus of which is on starting bible studies using publications of the "Faithful and Discreet Slave". To that end, having educational movie material produced by the "Slave Class" freely available on YouTube SHOULD have been a "godsend" to them (to coin an Anthony Morris III phrase). Instead, they have done everything in their power to stop its circulation to the public. So is this "educational" DVD only intended for Jehovah's Witnesses, and not members of the public? If so, why so? These questions need to be asked.
Cedars
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Chariklo
Cedars, the thought of a fifth columnist being behind the video is very attractive, but for me, the main thing against it is what sounds like absolute authenticity in its words and approach.
My study conductor, an Elderette par excellence, might have written it herself in partnership with her husband and a few other elders and pioneers I know. They could not have been more hard line, manipulative and ultimately threatening even in their approach to me, an educated adult. That is the way in which, by their own account, this elder and his wife brought up their own three children, two of whim I've met, plus four grandchildren, the 5 year old already giving talks in the KH!
I've seen it in the way JW's talk of their children. Even in the way tyhey lament those who have rebeled and are being shunned.
The only mystery is how I ever got hooked into it in the first place and didn't wake up sooner. But as to the video, to me, with my admittedly very limited experience of the WT in terms of years (but what intense years they've been!) it rang totally true.
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Aussie Oz
I think the only ones bothered by it are us. We are not missing anything.
Most JWs other than a few more liberal ones will use it to contol the kids. They will marvel at how the evil cartoon styles of hollywood can be bent to do 'jehovah's will'. a sort of 'up yours' to satan.
They are deadly serious, i dont think they have slipped up at all. They want parents to be suspicious of worldly school friends, they want kids to feel that satan is handing them toys via these 'friends'. They have always been alarmist and extremist in these matters, this is just a hip new medium that has just enough laughs to keep both the kids and parents attention.
The JWs will not see manipulation, sneered 'satans' or furtive glances, they will see just how to behave. This is aimed at parents as much as kids, just like all the pixar style flicks.
Oz
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JWdaughter
Dropoffyourkeylee,
You are right. To teach real lessons with moral values would be more important to little children and young people than that blather. I think of some of the VeggieTales even-there are lessons taught and values promoted that are about basic decency and honesty which use basic bible stories, themes and characters.
If your kid isn't NICE, then being a REAL witch/bitch is certainly going to be less christian than having an imaginary wizard friend.