Re:The Repressive, Authoritarian Soul of “Thomas the Tank En...
by glenstein on Thursday September 28, 2017 @10:50PM
(#15362405)
I'm sorry to hear that, and I share your hope that I can avoid any such nightmare by being sure to talk about those dangers to kids (in my case that would be my teenage siblings just starting to drive cars).
But at the same time, I like to think there's a reasonable amount of breathing space between noting the show's excessively haunting atmosphere and indulging in a fantasy of a world completely free from consequences, and that with sufficient good faith I can do the former without having to disavow the latter.
But I definitely share your observation about the show's tone, and it's interesting to note that different people can see value in the show for opposite reasons. Some see it as wholesome, others as delivering needed lessons on the severity of life.
Just had a good friend’s nephew drown in a pool. He had snuck in a backyard pool, skirting past or under the fence. As a parent the whole thing was a nightmare for me to imagine, but I did think about how or if to communicate to my kids that there are things they can do that will have permanent consequences or effects. I do my absolute best to shield and protect them, but I also hope and pray they make the right choice if (when) I fail in that.
I’m not saying that the punishment in that episode was appropriate, but simply that the concept of permanent consequences is a life lesson we all must learn at some point. And it’s incredibly difficult to teach kids.