"Mowgli" USA and USSR: What kind of children does ideology bring up through cartoons?

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

And how different a person they bring up!

SONGS

In the Soviet version (SV), all characters are charismatic and have exactly their own charisma, unique dynamics, image, while in the American version (AB), all characters are the same - they move in the same way, speak the same way, lack any charisma and look like jesters.

Due to this, the idea of realizing precisely its own strengths is well traced in the SV.

SV is generally a very deep and emotionally strong cartoon. It clearly speaks of friendship, mutual assistance, and everyone in the team plays on their strengths: Kaa - does not get involved in battle, but he is wise and offers strategic solutions (find a blade, defeat red dogs); Bagheera is just an ideal of femininity, I would even add - an alpha woman: she is strong and dangerous and at the same time graceful and gentle, playful and spontaneous, but at the same time savvy and wise (it was she who “settled” the topic of saving Mowgli, giving a crowd of a bull at a flock meeting); Baloo is an excellent teacher; Akella is a wise and fair leader; A she-wolf mother is ready to give her life for an adopted child; Sherkhan is strong, ferocious and cunning, he does not play by the rules and in the end gets what he deserves for it; The jackal is full of fear and is perhaps the most vile character in the cartoon. All characters are mature, charismatic and clearly see their place in the jungle.

In AB - there is simply nothing of the kind. All characters are equally wacky and “funny”. Despite the different plasticity, everyone has the same grimaces and emotions. The concept of its path is inverted - the monkey wants to become a man, the elephants walk in formation, and Mowgli himself cannot decide who he should be, who to imitate. And Bagheera, in general, is a man!

ATMOSPHERE AND CONCEPT

In SV, of course, everything is not so colorful … and harmonious. The harsh Soviet realism is, perhaps, a minus. But this is symbolic in its own way, because it makes it easier to mentally distract and see the essence of the cartoon:

Look for your strengths and find your place in society. The strength of friendship, the team, the famous "you and I are of the same blood", cooperation in solving the problem.

Much more can be achieved together than alone. The team is important and useful. Again, respect for individuality. Everyone does what they do best.

Good eventually triumphs over evil. The cartoon teaches you to be honest and strong and play on the bright side. For the darkness will surely be defeated. Often the characters went to their deaths and were ready to fight to the end for what was dear to them, and fate rewarded them for their courage - the situation was resolved either peacefully (as on advice) or in their favor (as at the end of the cartoon).

Courage and honor are rewarded. Disgrace, cunning and cowardice are punished.

Everyone works: porcupines roll pumpkins, wolves hunt and learn (!), A bear teaches, a leader leads, and so on. Conclusion: work hard - and you will get the result.

In the American cartoon, everyone is “banging” and “joking” at each other, and it’s kind of “fun”: the general concept (idea) of the cartoon is just entertaining. The atmosphere of discord, there is no consensus, selfishness, everyone acts in their own interests. Idea: sing, dance, “moderate your needs” - and everything will be fine. At first glance, this is also a good message, this is positive, but it really looks like agitation for entertainment, and not creative work.

The topic of friendship is also in AB. However, there each character wants to get something from Mowgli or impose his point of view. The fight with the tiger at the end is also fun and easy. And Mowgli behaves there in a very peculiar way, but more on that later.

AND NOW THE MOST IMPORTANT: THE CHARACTER AND ITS RELATIONSHIP

In SV Mowgli develops over several episodes. He more and more reveals his strengths, more and more understands who he is. He's getting stronger, smarter, faster. He becomes the leader of the pack, and defeats the invasion of enemies, and receives a dagger, and he himself defeats the tiger with his bare hands.

At first he learns, as befits a child, but soon becomes independent, he makes decisions himself, he is active, initiative and savvy. He behaves bravely and carries himself with dignity.

At AV Mowgli is a consumer. He is moody and lonely. He cannot find his place in life. He tries to be a bear, then an elephant, then a vulture. The moral is, as it were, obvious - be the person you are supposed to be, however, the general emotional background creates precisely the feeling of search and even despair, aggravating the conflict. And how is it solved? In the end, Mowgli does not make the decision to go to people himself, but is “led” to a precocious “sexy girl” …

The whole cartoon is guided, cared for, controlled: the feeling that Mowgli's choice is who to join, who to entrust himself to. Mowgli himself does not decide anything, they always decide for him from the very beginning to the very end. Those. given the image of a driven consumer, not an independent person.

In SV, Mowgli is sincerely friends with the characters, helps them, and together they solve some problems. If they are fooling around, then somehow very kindly. All positive characters get along with each other and work in a team, set specific goals and achieve them.

In AV, the characters quarrel among themselves, divide Mowgli, as if he has no choice (and indeed he simply does not), and everyone wants to satisfy his ego through him. The characters are cowardly, like Mowgli himself. And all the characters are neurotic, hysterical and overly emotional - they have no essence, no core, they often change their decisions, are inconsistent, in a word, rather chaotic and lost.

Mawli himself in the SV respects his brothers, protects them, listens to their wisdom, they support each other and act together.

In AV Mowgli is eternally lonely, repelling other characters; the conflict is based on the fact that no one can be trusted.

FINAL SCENE

In SV Mowgli grew up and turned from a funny full of energy frog boy into a handsome stately man, worthy, strong, experienced. The climax of his maturity is his epic and rather brutal victory over Sher Khan. Mowgli with his brothers comes up with a plan and implements it, fights with Sherkhan one on one, and, even having lost the blade in the battle, still wins - with his bare hands. The victory is final, as evidenced by the skin on the stone. Then Mowgli falls in love and realizes that he cannot live forever in the jungle. Then he himself decides to leave the pack, to leave “his high post” for the sake of a new life. The flock says goodbye to him and accepts his choice, finally saying that if something is needed, we are always with you.

Mowgli's scene with the girl is also noteworthy. First, they are already "adults". The girl, seeing the luxurious Mowgli, drops the jug and runs away, turning around again and again. She is both afraid of him and shows interest. Mowgli himself also runs away and cries on Baloo's chest, because a feeling of love has awakened in him, and he realizes that it is time to go to people.

Those. Having achieved the maximum in the jungle, the leader of the pack, the winner of the main very cunning enemy, sets off for the love of new heights. I am sure he will succeed there too. Such is the story of progress and bold movement forward. The last shot - an adult, strong and strong-willed Mowgli says goodbye to his brothers against the background of the village, moving towards a new life.

Now let's see what happens in AB:

Mowgli, as a thin boy, remained - he did not grow up, did not evolve in any way. He is a child, just a child - moody, confused, distrustful and lonely. He is looking for someone else to join - after all, all "past friends" deceived him …

Then he meets the vultures, and HIM is found by Sherkhan. New friends cowardly run away, but Mowgli is not lost and, as it were, is not afraid of a fight. Sher Khan, as a typical American villain, does not immediately devour the hero, but decides to talk to him and play with him. Typical villain mistake.

At this moment Baloo appears and throws himself into a fight, Mowgli runs away, but then finds a stick and beats the tiger while it is immobilized, however, when the tiger is freed, Mowgli runs away with a shout of "help". Then RANDOMLY lightning strikes a tree while Sherkhan is distracted by the vultures, Mowgli ties a stick to his tail, and Sherkhan runs away cowardly …

Baloo seems to be dying: a crying scene where a bear listens to Bagheera's posthumous speech and gets it in the face from him (!) When everyone finds out that Baloo is alive. Then they go to the jungle. But Mowgli saw the girl and decided to examine her. Baloo notes: “Don't go there - all the problems are from them” (attitude toward the opposite sex). However, Mowgli is not being childish, the girl hypnotizes him with beautiful eyes, and Mowgli ends up following her AS IN TRANS. The girl drops the jug for Mowgli to carry it, and again he leads and carries. Baloo shouts: “Forget it, let's go to the jungle!”, But Mowgli shrugs his shoulders and goes, drugged, after the girl.

The characters sing a song, how cool it is to live in the jungle - the end.

A couple more comments. In SV the main shots are faces, and there is absolutely no “soft point” in the frame. While in AB it is this part of the body that plays an important role, constantly appearing in the foreground. In SV, I did not notice any frankly stupid characters. In AB, all characters are dumb. Scenes with elephants are also noteworthy - one behaves like a zombie and constantly eats; in another scene - "rear view", in the third - a hysterical wife yelling at an arrogant husband.

TOTAL

The Soviet cartoon brings up a strong, courageous, brave, savvy independent person who sets goals and achieves them. Uses the strength of the team. It takes into account the strengths of allies and enemies and acts boldly and effectively. The model of relationship is a strong, confident male leader capable of deep passionate feelings. The boy's role is to become a man.

American cartoon brings up a slave. A capricious distrustful consumer, prone to neuroses and loneliness, distrustful and deceived. Which is always led by someone. Who does not know his strengths, does not make plans, does not make decisions. They always decide for him, they lead him. In the end, it turns out that he is not the main character at all, but the main characters are the carefree bear and Bagheera the man, who rule the ball in the jungle.

And, by the way, with regards to humor. Humor allows you not to take information critically and expand the scope of what is permissible: this is a joke, this is normal. Therefore, it is very good to give attitudes and images precisely through humor.

When a child watches a cartoon, he still has very little experience of his own to decide what is normal and what is not. When he sees that in a cartoon the characters behave in any way, and no one condemns them, the child accepts this behavior model as the norm. And he models what he sees in his life. A child watching a Soviet cartoon will think that courage and honor are okay, setting goals and achieving them is okay, fighting and winning is okay. It's okay to be the creator and author of your own destiny.

A child watching an American cartoon will think that when you are being controlled is normal, betrayal and loneliness is normal, neuroticism and capriciousness is normal. It's okay to be a consumer.

Now think that you yourself and your children (yours, nephews, brothers and sisters) are watching. What images do they see? What behaviors will become normal for them? What will they bring to life? And what do you yourself embody?

This is education, this is EDUCATION. Today they watch Disney cartoons, tomorrow they listen to pop music, and the day after tomorrow their ideals and values acquire the selfish and consumerist color characteristic of Western culture. Everything is more serious than it seems. Ignoring the problem, we do not leave it, but simply transfer power to those who do not refuse it, that's all. Through information - films, cartoons, music, programs, games, and so on - there is an imposition of the desired patterns of behavior. This is especially true for children. Therefore, be vigilant. Create light, strong, brave, honest. Filter information flows for yourself and, above all, for your children.

Danil Shargan