The Book.The Wimpy Kid phenomenon had a friend very worried."What kind of a role model does the Wimpy Kid provide? Is this what our kids aspire to be?" With sales of over 32 million in over 30 countries, it is a question worth pursuing.What the numbers reveal is the popularity of the book, not the fascination the central character (Greg) inspires among children.He evokes the kind of passion and devotion usually reserved for rock stars.And that is probably what worries parents.About The Book.A little background for those who haven't read any of the six books in the series.The Wimpy kid unfolds as a series of diary entries (peppered with playful sketches) by a middle-school boy called Greg.The dictionary defines "a wimpy person" as being "unadventurous and colorless "and that is exactly what Greg is.He spends all his time trying to weasel out of anything remotely "productive" or difficult.Constantly in search of quick popularity and instant gratification, he remains footloose and fancy-free at all times.The Wimpy Kid as a Role Model.So, does the popularity of the book mean that children aspire to be wimpy, timid and ineffectual? Not really.All the children I know, including wimpy kid fans, have the same ambition - to be a superhero and to save the day.What probably gets the children all goggle-eyed is his footloose and fancy-free status.He strives for nothing, manages to steer clear of parental ambitions and revels in being a couch potato.He has complete physical and emotional freedom - a lifestyle many children today can only aspire to.An average adult with a mundane daily routine can't get enough of scandal-ridden celebrities.Similarly, a child with an overscheduled life and little leisure is fascinated by the unrestrained lifestyle of Greg a.K.A.Wimpy Kid.Home Alone and Superheroes.When the immensely popular "Home Alone" movie was screened, a viewer called it "a sadistic adult-bashing fest" which it was not.With its tom-and-jerry style villain-bashing, the physical violence meted out to the intruders was laughable and hard to take seriously.But children, who effectively have little control over their lives, got a kick out of watching the kid in the movie wield power over three adults.Similarly, in superhero movies fight sequences are exaggerated almost to the point of becoming a parody but they do provide a sense of empowerment to those in the audience who feel ineffectual before the system.In both cases, the audience gets vicarious pleasure out of watching the hero act in a manner that they are powerless to.The Wimpy kid provides a similar outlet for children under constant scrutiny and pressure to perform.The Backlash.As parental aspirations rise and children are sought to be remolded according to expectations, the attractions of characters like the wimpy kid become obvious.Pushed into agenda-driven activities that pressurize them and leave them with little time to just chill out, the children can only give vent by cheering for social outcasts like the Wimpy Kid who refuse to conform any which way.Rather than an inspirational figure, the Wimpy Kid is a backlash against the social overreach into the lives of children.
Monday, August 27, 2012
The Wimpy Kid Backlash
The Book.The Wimpy Kid phenomenon had a friend very worried."What kind of a role model does the Wimpy Kid provide? Is this what our kids aspire to be?" With sales of over 32 million in over 30 countries, it is a question worth pursuing.What the numbers reveal is the popularity of the book, not the fascination the central character (Greg) inspires among children.He evokes the kind of passion and devotion usually reserved for rock stars.And that is probably what worries parents.About The Book.A little background for those who haven't read any of the six books in the series.The Wimpy kid unfolds as a series of diary entries (peppered with playful sketches) by a middle-school boy called Greg.The dictionary defines "a wimpy person" as being "unadventurous and colorless "and that is exactly what Greg is.He spends all his time trying to weasel out of anything remotely "productive" or difficult.Constantly in search of quick popularity and instant gratification, he remains footloose and fancy-free at all times.The Wimpy Kid as a Role Model.So, does the popularity of the book mean that children aspire to be wimpy, timid and ineffectual? Not really.All the children I know, including wimpy kid fans, have the same ambition - to be a superhero and to save the day.What probably gets the children all goggle-eyed is his footloose and fancy-free status.He strives for nothing, manages to steer clear of parental ambitions and revels in being a couch potato.He has complete physical and emotional freedom - a lifestyle many children today can only aspire to.An average adult with a mundane daily routine can't get enough of scandal-ridden celebrities.Similarly, a child with an overscheduled life and little leisure is fascinated by the unrestrained lifestyle of Greg a.K.A.Wimpy Kid.Home Alone and Superheroes.When the immensely popular "Home Alone" movie was screened, a viewer called it "a sadistic adult-bashing fest" which it was not.With its tom-and-jerry style villain-bashing, the physical violence meted out to the intruders was laughable and hard to take seriously.But children, who effectively have little control over their lives, got a kick out of watching the kid in the movie wield power over three adults.Similarly, in superhero movies fight sequences are exaggerated almost to the point of becoming a parody but they do provide a sense of empowerment to those in the audience who feel ineffectual before the system.In both cases, the audience gets vicarious pleasure out of watching the hero act in a manner that they are powerless to.The Wimpy kid provides a similar outlet for children under constant scrutiny and pressure to perform.The Backlash.As parental aspirations rise and children are sought to be remolded according to expectations, the attractions of characters like the wimpy kid become obvious.Pushed into agenda-driven activities that pressurize them and leave them with little time to just chill out, the children can only give vent by cheering for social outcasts like the Wimpy Kid who refuse to conform any which way.Rather than an inspirational figure, the Wimpy Kid is a backlash against the social overreach into the lives of children.
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