I have a soft spot for animated movies. Unfortunately, most of the ones in mainstream consumption are aimed at kids, and called "cartoons." This means usually they don't give much fodder for thought. Or the thoughts are pretty routine and obvious. Monsters University, however, dealt a bit of a different dish.
Not an entirely different dish, mind you. Pixar does make their films for a younger audience, though I think they are also catering to us older folks in a way that many other animated films do not. Yet, since they know kids are a major portion, there still tends to be a similar formula:
Main Character is some kind of outcast
Main Character rises against all odds
Main Character succeeds, no longer being outcast.
The general theme of many kids movies seems to be this: you don't have to fit in to be cool, everyone will love you anyways. And whatever it is you want to do, you will be great at it! Especially if you don't fit the mold of what we think great is!
And the Harry Potter books/movies highlighted another somewhat common element: it's ok for the Hero to break the rules. So since you are your own hero, and everyone is a hero, go ahead and break them! Dumbledore will make your team win by default, because after all, no one likes those snake guys. They are jerks, and jerks always lose!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
Monsters University deals up a nice change to that. Mike is clearly not a scary guy. And at the end of the movie, instead of turning out to be scary, he turns out to be, well, not scary. A total geek. In that brief moment where he digs deep, finds his inner monster.... Sully cheats. Mike doesn't actually scare anyone. And this is true to life: no matter how much you want to, there are some things you just can't do. Digging deep and believing in yourself just isn't always enough.
And Sully cheats, getting kicked out of the school. It doesn't matter that he meant well. It doesn't matter that he confessed, rules are rules. And when Mike breaks into the door lab, same thing: expulsion. Doesn't matter that he discovered a new way to do energy, he risked his own life, and that of everyone else (or at least that's what they believed since they thought kids were toxic). No Dumbledore to save them.
The last lines from the Dean are great: You both taught me something, and I will be open to new things in the future. My eyes have been opened! But that doesn't change your situation.
In the last words, however, is encouragement. Sully tells Mike, you might be a horrendous scarer, but you are far from ordinary. And Dean is telling them something as well: you might have failed here, but that doesn't mean you don't have greatness ahead.
Consider all the famous successful people who never completed major degrees. Consider the people who rose out of nothingness. While being a genius, or a stud, or filthy rich, or having a master's degree, sure does help most of us get by, it isn't the only way to do things. But rather than digging deep and believing you can do something you can't, and then judging yourself by the failure, find what you ARE good at. Mike was no good at scaring, and Sully was no good at making connections with normal folks, but with the two working together, they made an unstoppable team.
Don't rely on Dumbledore to come bail you out. Don't rely on everyone hating the jerks, and siding with you instead at the last second. Instead, find your own strength, and use it.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Kickstart 2013 Year Review
This year, I discovered Kickstarter! They recently made a page that shows the year in review. Some interesting stats!
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Baby Journal: Day 175
Dear Diary,
My Caretakers seem to have lost their minds. Again.
I started noticing some time back that they would ask me the same questions, over and over. I would be letting them know that my diaper needed changing, and they would say, "Baby hungry? Are you hungry? Do you need to eat? Is the baby hungry? Hungry?"
Alright, first of all, no, I'm not hungry, I'm dirty! Pay attention. Secondly, I heard you the first time! Asking me a dozen different ways doesn't change the answer!
This has gone on for some time. They seem totally unable to grasp the concept that repeating the same thing to me ten ways doesn't change reality. If I don't want the elephant toy, I don't want it! That's why I keep throwing it to the side, you know?
Recently a new madness has unveiled itself. They have started making odd hand gestures with many of the words they say. I have noticed repetition here. Perhaps they have decided that verbal communication with me is something beyond their ability, and are trying a new form? Not sure yet. I will attempt repeating some of these silly motions back to them, and see what happens.
My Caretakers seem to have lost their minds. Again.
I started noticing some time back that they would ask me the same questions, over and over. I would be letting them know that my diaper needed changing, and they would say, "Baby hungry? Are you hungry? Do you need to eat? Is the baby hungry? Hungry?"
Alright, first of all, no, I'm not hungry, I'm dirty! Pay attention. Secondly, I heard you the first time! Asking me a dozen different ways doesn't change the answer!
This has gone on for some time. They seem totally unable to grasp the concept that repeating the same thing to me ten ways doesn't change reality. If I don't want the elephant toy, I don't want it! That's why I keep throwing it to the side, you know?
Recently a new madness has unveiled itself. They have started making odd hand gestures with many of the words they say. I have noticed repetition here. Perhaps they have decided that verbal communication with me is something beyond their ability, and are trying a new form? Not sure yet. I will attempt repeating some of these silly motions back to them, and see what happens.
Baby Journal: Day 45
Dear Diary,
The Ceiling Fan continues to perplex me. It moves, and yet never moves! I can stare at it for hours, and it never leaves that spot on the ceiling. And yet, the blades never stop spinning! I want to look away, but they are just so mesmerizing, I cannot.
And then at other times, it is completely still. No matter how much I stare, it does nothing! It seems to function completely randomly.
I hope further study will reveal its secrets.
The Ceiling Fan continues to perplex me. It moves, and yet never moves! I can stare at it for hours, and it never leaves that spot on the ceiling. And yet, the blades never stop spinning! I want to look away, but they are just so mesmerizing, I cannot.
And then at other times, it is completely still. No matter how much I stare, it does nothing! It seems to function completely randomly.
I hope further study will reveal its secrets.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Baby Journal: Day 31
Dear Diary,
I am a month old! Hard to believe it's been that long already. Quite an exciting milestone.
To celebrate, my Caretakers finally brought me out of the house, and I made quite the amazing discovery. Whereas when they take me out of one room to another in the house, and I can still see the walls, outside the house I cannot see the walls! It's almost as if there are no walls!
In the same way, I cannot see the ceiling! I love staring at the fan and the lights on the ceiling. Outside, I can see the big light up on the big blue ceiling, or what my Caretakers are calling the sky, but I cannot see what it attaches to! It's as if it is just hanging there, far out of reach.
And it is sooo big outside, that people get in cars to drive around! I wish we had those inside the house. But the Caretakers don't have a big enough house, unfortunately.
It is a wondrous place outside the house, dear diary. I can't wait to explore it more, and hope very much that my Caretakers make our outings more frequently.
I am a month old! Hard to believe it's been that long already. Quite an exciting milestone.
To celebrate, my Caretakers finally brought me out of the house, and I made quite the amazing discovery. Whereas when they take me out of one room to another in the house, and I can still see the walls, outside the house I cannot see the walls! It's almost as if there are no walls!
In the same way, I cannot see the ceiling! I love staring at the fan and the lights on the ceiling. Outside, I can see the big light up on the big blue ceiling, or what my Caretakers are calling the sky, but I cannot see what it attaches to! It's as if it is just hanging there, far out of reach.
And it is sooo big outside, that people get in cars to drive around! I wish we had those inside the house. But the Caretakers don't have a big enough house, unfortunately.
It is a wondrous place outside the house, dear diary. I can't wait to explore it more, and hope very much that my Caretakers make our outings more frequently.
Baby Journal: Day 25
Dear Diary,
Today I had the most disturbing experience. I woke up in the afternoon, apparently I had fallen asleep for a nap. My Caretakers must have moved me into the bedroom, because I found myself in the crib. I let them know I was awake, but heard no response.
That is right, dear Diary, the worst had happened: While I slept, my Caretakers had ceased to exist! As I listened to the silence, I knew it was my fault. I had failed to watch them for too long. Since I was asleep, they were not needed, and because they were not needed, they ceased to exist.
Distraught, I raised my voice in lament, crying out against the cruelty of the universe, that would take my Caretakers from me on a whim. Suddenly, they reappeared! Just like that, called back into existence by my own voice, they were gathering me up and assuring me everything was OK. It was as if for them nothing had happened. To this day they seem unaware of their temporary non-existence.
But I will not make the same mistake again. From now on, I vow to not nap, or sleep at all. I will do my best to stay awake. And I will be sure to call out to them, whenever they are out of sight, so that they will never be unneeded for too long. I know they may not understand, but it is for their own good.
Today I had the most disturbing experience. I woke up in the afternoon, apparently I had fallen asleep for a nap. My Caretakers must have moved me into the bedroom, because I found myself in the crib. I let them know I was awake, but heard no response.
That is right, dear Diary, the worst had happened: While I slept, my Caretakers had ceased to exist! As I listened to the silence, I knew it was my fault. I had failed to watch them for too long. Since I was asleep, they were not needed, and because they were not needed, they ceased to exist.
Distraught, I raised my voice in lament, crying out against the cruelty of the universe, that would take my Caretakers from me on a whim. Suddenly, they reappeared! Just like that, called back into existence by my own voice, they were gathering me up and assuring me everything was OK. It was as if for them nothing had happened. To this day they seem unaware of their temporary non-existence.
But I will not make the same mistake again. From now on, I vow to not nap, or sleep at all. I will do my best to stay awake. And I will be sure to call out to them, whenever they are out of sight, so that they will never be unneeded for too long. I know they may not understand, but it is for their own good.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Baby Journal: Day 23
Dear Diary,
I am beginning to have some serious doubts about my Caretakers. For the most part, they are still very helpful and do what I want. But there is one area in particular where they are failing miserably to pick up on a very simple concept, and I am worried it may be a sign of a bigger problem.
I'm talking about bottle feeding, of course. Thankfully, this is not a regular occurrence. That plastic device is really not my preferred way of eating, but sometimes it just has to be done. I understand this. What I do not understand is why they have such a hard time giving me the proper amount of food.
When I'm hungry, I tell them, and I let them know how hungry I am. For example, let's say I want 4.2 ounces. I tell them this. They get the bottle, they feed me, but inevitably there's not 4.2 ounces, there's only 4.1! Unacceptable! I let them know this, every time, but they always seem confused.
"What's wrong?" "Is it your diaper?" "Do you not like the food?"
No I like it, but I'm hungry! I said 4.2 ounces, not 4.1! You don't see me serving you 4/5th's of a hamburger, do you??
If they just did it every time with no reaction, I would chalk it up to sick humor or something. But their confusion each time, I wonder if I have been saddled with Caretakers who have failed their basic training courses. Hopefully this is the worst of their flaws.
I am beginning to have some serious doubts about my Caretakers. For the most part, they are still very helpful and do what I want. But there is one area in particular where they are failing miserably to pick up on a very simple concept, and I am worried it may be a sign of a bigger problem.
I'm talking about bottle feeding, of course. Thankfully, this is not a regular occurrence. That plastic device is really not my preferred way of eating, but sometimes it just has to be done. I understand this. What I do not understand is why they have such a hard time giving me the proper amount of food.
When I'm hungry, I tell them, and I let them know how hungry I am. For example, let's say I want 4.2 ounces. I tell them this. They get the bottle, they feed me, but inevitably there's not 4.2 ounces, there's only 4.1! Unacceptable! I let them know this, every time, but they always seem confused.
"What's wrong?" "Is it your diaper?" "Do you not like the food?"
No I like it, but I'm hungry! I said 4.2 ounces, not 4.1! You don't see me serving you 4/5th's of a hamburger, do you??
If they just did it every time with no reaction, I would chalk it up to sick humor or something. But their confusion each time, I wonder if I have been saddled with Caretakers who have failed their basic training courses. Hopefully this is the worst of their flaws.
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