As some of you know, I have been suckered into leading a discussion of a couple episodes of Veggie Tales with a group of adults. As a former English major I realize I really shouldn’t get into things like symbolism (“Sometimes a cucumber is just a cucumber”) but I realize I am at a loss as to the things Normals talk about. I have a few leading conversation movers (the most important being: “What movie would you like to see next month?” and “Who would like to lead the discussion?”) but before I am able to pass the buck to the next lucky player I need more questions. Any Big Ideas? heh heh
I will post this then go out to get some wine to lubricate those people’s tongues.
Hmmm, can you say more about your audience? Why are you all getting together to talk about Veggie Tales…for example, is this a church or parenting group? (or is there another thread I should be reading to find all this out, if it’s already been covered…)
hill (who is so glad her Veggie Tales knowledge might be put to good use finally )
A point worth debating is why the good christian producers of these videos made the most irritating and dislikable character a turbin-wearing worm named Khalil (a common Muslim name).
Interesting point, Inky-. I didn’t know that, but of course, I really only pay attention to the “Silly Songs With Larry”, which is kind of like “Weird Al for Little Kids”. My niece and I love the songs.
(Which is why we also love Brak, but that’s another story entirely.)
Really? When you described him as “the most irritating and dislikable character” I thought you meant LarryBoy. (Pointedly not in any of tomorrow’s selections.) That’d be a great jumping-off point if Khalil is in one of the ones we show, particularly because of my church’s good relationship with the local mosque. And since Big Idea gave up on their big idea to turn our town’s old movie theater into a combined animation studio and theater and we don’t know what to do with the building since they gave it to the village. (There are mixed feelings about those guys around these parts.)
You mean you haven’t memorized my life?
Really, it is first night of what is scheduled to be a monthly Friday Night at the Movies at my Evangelical Lutheran (my current favorite oxymoron) church. I made the mistake of suggesting a year ago that it might be fun to have an evening when adults could watch Veggie Tales. A lady suggested snacks including veggies and, of course, wine. Sounded nice to me but there was no way I was going to put any effort into it so I let the matter drop. Well, about a month ago she said the idea was revived, she had scheduled us for the next three months, and since she had done the organizing I get to lead the discussion. Apparently she has been talking to my wife and my dentist and figured out that the only way to get me to do something I don’t want to do is to schedule me but not tell me until it’s too late and too big a surprise for me to back out of it.
So, the audience that I know of for sure is me, her, my wife, and maybe the head of our theater troupe and her boyfriend, but I’ve been warned that there will be more. Many more. So I went to Trader Joe’s and got a couple bottles of Three Buck Chuck (I doubt if this crowd would recognize good wine if it bit them in the ass) for anybody who forgets to bring their own and maybe I’ll get some pop and maybe brew a pot of coffee, they being Lutherans.
Snoop, as I was raised Catholic I find it hard to imagine a church function WITHOUT liquor. However, this crowd isn’t the drinkingest bunch and I pretty much quit years ago so it didn’t occur to me to serve alcohol at this thing. It was my partner’s idea, thinking that since there won’t be kids at it Mom and Dad (or Grandma and Grandpa) can have a little snort. Maybe it’ll loosen up their laconic Norskie personalities. Whatever, I expect to pour most of it down the drain at the end of the evening.
The “coffee as a Lutheran thing” crack was in reference to our repute for placing coffee at the center of our faith and the suspicion that we’d substitute it for communion wine if we could find a theological justification.
I think you should investigate the bankrupt preachers aspect and examine what it says about the debauched community in which such an organization could flourish.
Say, where did you happen to say you were from, drop?
The whole concept of Christian vegetables intruigues me. Is it a sin to eat them before they’ve confessed? Are they baptised in drawn butter? If they go to hell, do they deep-fry?
I may be a little behind on my proselytizing current events, but isn’t Veggie Tales a Big Idea production?
And isn’t Big Idea HQ in in a suburb approximately 20 miles west of Chicago? I seem to recall they were in negotiations to buy the Dupe theater.
And didn’t BI recently file for bankruptcy - due, I believe, to high costs and low receipts for the Jonah movie?
And don’t you live somewhere west of Chicago?
Financial bankruptcy in a morally bankkrupt community…?
Or have I run circles around you logically?
Correction - I doubt I am a little behind about this or anyting else. Much more likely I’m just a big ass!
Hmmm, have you decided yet which tapes you’re going to watch?
Some ideas off the top of my head:
–If you are watching one of the shorter biblical stories (Joshua and the Big Wall), you could talk about whether this is really a true representation of the story. I saw an interview with them that says they try to take the most important elements of the story as told in the Bible and preserve those, but that everything else is OK to be changed/played with. Whip out your Bible and read the original story. Do you think they kept the important elements? Were the things they changed or added (i.e. “slushies” thrown over the wall) distract from the story or help keep your interest?
–If you’re watching one of the “morality” stories (Madame Blueberry), talk about whether you think this is an important Christian value for kids (is this really what we as parents/teachers need to be focusing on) and whether you think kids really understand the moral of the story. Or is it even too preachy?
–Jonah is the movie with Khalil in it. It’s a full length feature film, retelling the Bible story with some morality stuff thrown in, so you could use both questions.
–It would be interesting to talk about the massive commercialization of VeggieTales products (“available at your favorite toy store!” as my three year old is fond of repeating from the videos). This would be especially relevant if you watch Madame Blueberry, which is about not needing a lot of stuff to be happy. What do people think about a company that preaches these kinds of messages offering VeggieTales plush toys, underwear, birthday party products, etc etc etc.
–You could also probably pull some stuff off their web site. I haven’t visited anything other than their coloring pages, but I would bet they have some information from parents…you could look at that and see if it would be helpful to parents, does it really cover what’s important, etc.
It can also be fun to play ‘spot- the- reference.’ There are all sorts of Monty Python nods in Veggie Tales, and assorted other references, allusions, and inspirations.
All covered (to the extent appropriate to this discussion) in my second post.**
I hadn’t heard that, though I had noticed they had been pretty quiet lately.**
No, they moved to West Chicago, about which I have no opinion as to its morality though it seems a fine community, and are now about THIRTY miles west of Chicago. As for your attempt to paint my town as “morally bankrupt,” may I point out that no public official has been publicly implicated in anything sleazy for SEVERAL months and it is over twenty years since the entire police force was fired for being crooked.**
I’m leaning toward the latter. Don’t mess with me, boy. I run circles around you logically.
Yes, FisherQueen, they are full of Monty Python references. While I love the French Peas they, especially in “Josh and the Big Wall,” are a direct steal from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”
Hill O Beans, please keep those ideas coming! “Josh and the Big Wall” is on the agenda and I value any suggestions for others to show. “Madame Blueberry” is a good choice because of your “preachiness” question and also because it will force my daughter to finally return it to the church library.
)
