3 Sadistic Betrayals...From Children's Movies
1. Toy Story
At first glance this is a happy move about the question of one's place in the world, acceptance, and forgiveness, even misunderstandings. But in reality, this story paints a picture of humanity so terrible it puts Quintin Terrentino movies on the same shelf as My Little Ponies. Honestly, I think most people miss it and writers want you to miss it, because everyone is focused on the end. But its not how it ends that so terrible but how it begins.
Remember Woody? He's Andy's favorite toy and he's also the guy in charge. As a humble organizer he spends his time attending to the anxieties and needs of others. It seems that Woody is set up to be a character that is a little proud, but honestly, if a regular person got that kind of preferrential treatment from a godlike master they'd be so high on themselves they'd be detached from the rest, constantly glaring down on them with distain at their peseantry. Always using their position to manipulate others for whatever whimsical purpose they wish. Much like celebrities do. But instead Woody responds to his fellow toys with concern.
In the first few moments of free time he jokes with another toy, an etch-a-sketch. You know that guys been forgotten since first grade, the very fact he associates with him is humble enough. In their "staff meeting" we see he has ensured the rest are aware of the dangers of plastic corrosion, by having another toy host a class. Then he responds to their anxiety about getting replaced by taking action. He organizes the troops (toy soldiers) to go downstairs and plant a radio so they will know what Andy is getting for his birthday. In the end it appears that he has satiated their fears as no replacement toys are given. Everyone's greatest fear, the one they are all unilaterally terrified of, being replaced by their godlike figure, passes.
Actually no, one character does get replaced, and forgotten...Woody. Andy gets a Buzz Lightyear and suddenly Woody is at the bottom of the totem pole. It seems like a lighthearted reminder that the last shall be first and the first shall be last, but that's the only part of this scene that is remotely Chrisitian in nature. The rest is good old fashion original sin and selfishness.
Woody gets replaced and sent from top to bottom, a move that typically psychologically cripples celebrities...and no one cares. Seriously, everyone falls in love with Buzz a guy who seems cool, but just like all the cool people, is only consumed with himself. So Woody's reward for looking after everyone else with his position of leadership is being demoted to the bottom and being forgotten and ignored by everyone he helped. Also, the guy on top's a real jerk. So how does Woody react?
He pretty much should go insane. Maybe rob a convenience store or something, do PCP, and wind up in rehab after burning his last favor with anyone who might care about him. Only he doesn't even have that. Under that kind of distress he miraculously refrains from going on a shooting spree.
Reach for the skies! It's about to get real.
Instead he hatches a plan to get rid of Buzz. Not kill Buzz mind you, just get rid of him. Make him leave. But in doing so he gets caught. Now really only one person actually saw what Woody did, the rest simply go on conjecture. And how do they judge this man who'd been their leader, companion, and counselor for so long? They immediately assumed he was a rotten tomato and in a riot throw him out of a two story window for doing what he did to their beloved Buzz.
In hindsight it was due process. Mr. Potato Head was the Judge,
Bo Peep the Jury, and Strongman the Executioner.
Later on, while looking across at them from the sadistic Sid's house as a captive suspicion is aroused about him, because...you know its Woody, the guy who was always bad. They literally refuse to save him unless he can produce Buzz. By the way, Buzz won't help Woody because he's depressed that he isn't a real Space Ranger, but a toy, just like a Jerk he sits their while Woody tries to wave Buzz' arm that was thrown at him to prove Buzz is there. Once they see the arm detached from Buzz their suspicion wins over and they release the rope/christmas-lights to safety, thus sentencing Woody to death by Sid.
What's sick is this happens again, in fact (actually the above picture is the second time a mob, I mean posse, tossed him), when Woody is on the back of a speeding truck trying to wheel Buzz to safety, they all rally to him to throw him overboard again just to make sure the pavement finishes what Sid failed to do, also sacrificing the race car that Woody pushed over to save Buzz by releasing Woody and the car's remote control together. Guess you got to scramble a few eggs to make an omelette.
In the end they see Buzz and Woody together and there's a "Oh we were wrong about him" moment. Really? Perhaps you could have talked this out beforehand, you know, before you tried to execute him twice. What it teaches kids is that your closest friends that you sacrifice for and share your life with will turn on you in an instant if you ever have a problem with being replaced or shunned. Oh dang, this sound like my childhood! Heaven forbid me to move on with the scars this film has left!
2. Over the Hedge
So this movie is basically about wasteful greedy and inconsiderate middle class Americans stepping all over defenseless and helpless woodlands creatures. Why it had to be middle class, who knows, but our film's conflict begins when a new suburban neighborhood has popped up right where a group of innocent and happy woodland creatures used to rummage for food.
Where there was hunting ground there's now a tall hedge. Thus,
the name of the movie Over the Hedge. Get it? Ha, ha. They're going to go...never mind.
Unbeknownst to the group, however, the new guy RJ is actually a con artist of sorts and is helping them gather tons of food from the humans' houses to fill a grocery list of items for an angry bear that is going to eat him if he doesn't get it all for him come spring. He has no intention of sharing it at all. Being a charismatic and likable fellow though, he quickly replaced the cautious and thoughtful Verne (the Turtle) as their leader and wins their hearts. Where the sadistic betrayal comes in is when the group turns on Verne and attaches to RJ.
Full of promises, hansom, likable, relatable, and knows how to use a crisis to his advantage.
Obviously a career politician and likely our next president.
RJ has introduced them to some pretty neat stuff, but in the process of using them for his nefarious purpose he's A) filled them all with junkfook, B) turned all of them, even the kids, into little thieves and cons, C) put them in immanent danger (even the kids), and D) turned them on each other to position himself securely. Take that in contrast to Verne who has A) Been nothing but absurdly (often to his detriment) honest, B) reflective and inclusive in his leadership, allowing for the ideas and thoughts of others to be expressed, C) always steered them away from danger, D) been concerned for their health, livelihood, and character, and E) sacrificed his own happiness and popularity to ensure everyone is taken care of.
Now there are two very strong betrayals in this story. Toward the end RJ lets them all get captured by the exterminator while he makes off with the food. That' pretty cutthroat for a kids movie and it would be my focus if it were not for the other betrayal trumping it.
Et Tu, RJ?
RJ's betrayal is like a sudden bullet turned on someone shot by a suspicious new acquaintance. It was merciless and lethal but in the end, you kinda saw it coming. You never could trust his sort to begin with and given RJs character and history (and debts to the Bear - Vincent), its not surprising or stunning. What is more cold and nonsensical is the groups turn on Verne and a lot of it has to do with the film's focus on the word "family". This betrayal is more like a close family member, like a son, daughter, brother/sister, or mom/dad, all of a sudden deciding to plot against you and then jabbing a dagger in your back, twist it and turn it until it wrenches the victim with pain. Yeah, that was gruesome, but not as emotionally gruesome as this.
To put it into context, imagine a family with Dad, Mom, four kids, and maybe grandma, grandpa, and an uncle all living together in a big house. For as long as anyone can remember they've all gotten along really well and are a very loving and caring family. They watch out for each other and never has Dad ever steered them wrong with his leadership. Well, lets say a crazy salesman steps into the door one day and offers to show them how they can "get rich quick". He moves in, befriends them and begins recruiting them into a some great scam he's formulated. It probably involves telesales and identity theft. This is all to Dad's reluctance and frustration. But no one listens to Dad, he's suddenly been replaced.
Eventually the family gets very rich but Dad knows what going to happen. The feds are on to them and he can feel it. He can't bare to see his family taken to jail or at worst, get mixed up into something and get hurt. He decides to finally say enough is enough and return all the stolen money. When the family finds out Dad sent the money away, they all hate him and an outcast in his own home Dad goes away, leaving the charismatic salesman to take over his family.
Let's not get into specifics here buddy, but believe me
you do not want to pass up this deal. It's gonna change everything.
Now, in context, how much sense did that make? How ludicrous and infuriating is that story? There's a good chance someone reading this never had a Dad or a strong family structure and that's fine, you can still get the idea. You don't spend your whole life with someone, trusting their wisdom and leadership only to fall pray to a con artist and kick them out. Families just don't do that unless they already have some serious issues and in the context of the story, this family really didn't have any big issues. That is made abundantly clear.
What Verne goes through is heart-wrenchingly tragic and depressing. No amount of funny faced animals on an animated screen can hide the anguish Verne must feel. Being a father myself I cannot even fathom the agony that would ensue. It would hollow a man and bring him to destitution. For a family to turn on someone like that, someone who has sacrificed and labored his whole life to provide for them; over wealth, not survival mind you, just cool stuff...that's pretty sadistic. Perhaps if the movie were about Hitler starving kittens to death while walking over the graves of widows who looked after orphans it would come close to equaling this. But then again, its a lot easier to get a cute raccoon into a kids film than Hitler. Thank God for that too, of course the point is that when you really think about it, they did just fine with RJ and various woodland creatures.
3. The Lion King
The previous two movies made the list because they betrayed incredible bonds of trust and long developed friendships and/or family ties. But this one doesn't quite have that. From the beginning it is apparent that Scar does not like his brother Mufasa and could care less for his nephew Simba. Betrayal within a family where the pretense of trust is there is still harsh, but something else pushes this one over the top. Where this one get's its Sadism is not from the trust betrayed, but from the sheer emotional pain inflicted. It is how Scar betrays both Simba and Mufasa that shows a level of sadism that should be reserved for adults.
If you are one of the few people who has not seen The Lion King, I am sorry for you. To this day people say it was the most epic film made by Disney ever. Now, some will disagree, but going back and watching Disney movies with my kids, I can safely say that this film so captures its audience emotionally that it produced a whole new level of fantasy experience for kids. Which is in part what makes this betrayal so dastardly.
His name is Scar because he's about to scar his
whole family...(I'm sorry for that).
Scar goes to Mufasa's young son, his prince, Simba and tells him that his father is going to meet him in a gorge and has a surprise for him. The excited young cub, fully trusting his uncle, goes with him and happily waits for his dad. Having just been disciplined by his father, he's overjoyed and light-hearted. He can't wait to see his dad.
But instead of Mufasa coming, Scar's hyena henchmen start a stampede of buffalo into the gorge. Simba races to high ground, barely surviving for the moment. Meanwhile Scar runs to his brother Mufasa and tells him his poor son is in the middle of a stampede in the middle of the gorge. Mufasa runs off with his brother and seeing Simba there races to save him. But things don't go well.
Mufasa finds himself hanging over a cliff for dear life as death waits below. He calls out to Scar, calling his brother to help him. And what does Scar do? Lashing out he pierces Mufasa's paws with his long claws and staring him in the eye delivers a most classic line.
Long live the king.
Releasing him to his death Mufasa's last moments are filled with bewilderment. In the aftermath of the horror, after the buffalo herd has finally moved on, Simba comes down to see his lifeless father. The very one he'd been so excited to see and was expecting so much love from just moments earlier.
This is seriously some messed up stuff.
As the young boy who is just realizing his father is dead, becomes overwhelmed with grief, Scar comes down and dispatches him quickly!
Actually he doesn't. He takes the time to act sorrowful, then twisting his words to strike at the cub's heart turns the blame for his death on Simba. His tiny heart crushed the innocent young boy is befuddled, confused, and torn to pieces inside. Scar tells Simba to run away and with no alternative, Simba runs. Scar then tells the hyenas to run him down and kill him.
If I have to explain it, your not paying attention. But seriously, Scar didn't have to do any of that. He could have just killed Simba instead of tormenting him. He was going to have the hyenas kill him anyway, what was the point other than to torture the child. Not only that, but Scar uses Simba's love for his dad and trust in his family to lure him there, then turns that on him and uses the same love Mufasa has for Simba and the trust he has for his brother to get him there and lure him to his death. Ensuring his brother has time to look him in the eye as he falls to his death, he makes sure his soul has as little chances as possible to be at peace. Then seems to do the same to Simba, blaming him for the tragedy only to send him to the afterlife as well.
I threw this picture in just because it makes me even sadder.
Now remember, this is a kid's film. In that context, Scar's sadism is pretty outrageous. As parents I think we all just hope our kids don't understand everything going on in the movie. But if they get even some of it, this scene has enough in it to seriously scar a kid's heart. Trust is a fragile thing and this movie was emotionally riveting. I'm beginning to wonder if they should have just named it "Scar" for the scar it left on many hearts. In any case, the movie got rave reviews and I myself liked it when I saw it as a teenager, so I suppose no one noticed. That is, until you see the state of American families and relationships today of those who were raised on the Lion King...and we'll leave it there. How sadistic.
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