On consumerism,
childhood, and contradiction. [Some SPOILERS for the film follow.]
I’m sure there
was some golden age when children’s cartoons weren’t directly tied into toys
and other consumer products—but not so by my childhood, when I could play with
my He-Man or G.I. Joe or Transformers figures
while watching their TV shows and movies, when my younger sister could do the
same with her My Little
Ponies or Care Bears,
and when one of my favorite
Saturday morning cartoons featured the exploits of a line of candy bears. Indeed,
in all of those cases (I believe) the toys preceded the animated shows and
films, making the cultural works entirely inseparable from (if not simply a
merchandising arm of) the consumer products. Which is to say, such synergies
have been central to the experiences of American childhood for at least a few
decades (and didn’t turn me into some sort of capitalist automaton, at least
not to my knowledge).
On the other
hand, even within that long history The Lego Movie
(2014) could be seen as representing a new level of consumer culture. I refuse
either to capitalize Lego or to put the trademark symbol after it, but both are
part of the film’s title, revealing just how fully the movie is a product of,
well, a product. I was in a Lego Store with my boys before the film’s release,
and even then a substantial percentage of the products for sale were direct
movie tie-ins; I know from experience (what can I say, I spend a lot of time in
toy stores) that the
merchandising has only ramped up in the weeks since. Given that the film’s
ultimate themes include both an emphasis on imaginative play that refuses to “follow
directions” and a direct critique of corporate culture and conformity (in the
form of the film’s villain, Lord Business), such consumer connections seem
hugely ironic and even hypocritical, a position at the heart of Anthony
Lane’s pointed review of the film in The
New Yorker.
I take that
point, but would push back on it to a degree as well. After all, a great deal
of childhood, now as ever, is defined precisely by contradictions: between dependence
and independence, safety and adventure, rules and fun, and, yes, consumerist conformity
and imaginative inspiration. Which is to say, the presence of such
contradictions in a film, as in any area of life, does not necessarily reflect
hypocrisy so much as simply inevitable reality. The Lego Movie is a two-hour sales pitch; it’s also an imaginative,
engaging, and effective story. My boys saw it and wanted to own some of the
Lego products it includes; they also came out talking about its themes, about
why it was important for the protagonists (both Lego and human, although I won’t
spoil it further than that) to break from the tyranny of conformity and
Business and find their own path. I can’t say for sure which end of those
spectrums was or is more influential, no more than I can say if my boys’ video
game playing is more meaningful to their young lives or future development than
our nightly chapter book reading. It’s all part of the childhood and cultural
mix, and The Lego Movie is both a troubling and a thoughtful contribution to
that mix as well.
That special
Guest Post this weekend,
Ben
PS. What do you
think? Thoughts on this film, or other animated histories and stories you’d
highlight?
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