|
By Duncan Matheson
as published in The New Brunswick Telegraph Journal
August 27, 1998
I went to see the Zorro movie the other night. It was one of those rare occasions when I didn't wait for it to come to the cheap theatre, because, well, it was Zorro. You see, when I was a kid, I didn't only like Zorro. I was Zorro. With a cape that my mother made me from one of her old black slips (it was good to get the slip wearing thing out of my system early), and a sword my father fashioned from wood, I was off in a rich imaginary world only a kid can appreciate. No leaves on low hanging branches were safe, as I wielded my weapon as I did that hop skip thing that kids do to gallop when they pretend they are on a horse. The point is it was rich, and innocent, and wonderful, and I couldn't wait to get to the movie to relive it.
I wasn't disappointed. The movie started with a wonderful action-packed swashbuckling scene where Zorro rode into town just in the nick of time to save innocent peasants from death at the hands of the corrupt dictator. Zorro sword fought and swung Tarzan like from building to building on ropes, then sword fought some more, then jumped down about two stories onto his horse, and off he went over the horizon. Just like I remembered it. I remember leaning over to my wife Janet at this break in the action, and saying to her, "Is he cool or what?"
Pure nostalgic escapism. Excellent entertainment.
So it was with no small measure of enthusiasm that I recommended the show to our teenage son. In a review bordering on the sacrilegious, he declared it boring. Boring? What's the matter kid, no appreciation for a good sword fight? Not enough bombs and destruction? Didn't you see where they blew up the gold mine with all that dynamite?
We're dangerously close to a generation gap thing here, and I promised myself many years ago I never wanted to be on the older side of that road, but I do have to say it. What is it with kids today? I'm not saying, like the song, that we were perfect in every way, but we sure knew a good sword fight when we saw one.
Before anyone jumps to false assumptions, I don't spend my life living in the past. While I might not possess the walking encyclopedic knowledge of Simpsons trivia that Richard has devoted far too many hours to acquiring, I can relate to the humor. Heck, I even like South Park so why can't this kid, who in all other respects appears normal, appreciate Zorro for what it is?
Have kids become so jaded that their entertainment has to push the envelope on sexual innuendo, violence, and language to be even worthy of consideration? Not to be prudish about it, I think today's TV and movies are in many ways healthier than what we had, in that at least those once taboo subjects are being treated openly, if not honestly. Better I guess, than keeping them in the closet, so to speak.
But this isn't the point. The point is, why does this have to be at the total exclusion of the exceptions? Just because Zorro doesn't have nudity, swearing, excessive sex, or graphic violence, does it not even rate with the Fox generation? Can it not be appreciated as a great couple of hours of healthy escapism? In these days when the media bombards us with everything from gays wanting to flaunt their lifestyles on the streets of Fredericton, to the Commander in Heat's map room activities, couldn't we all benefit from just a little less of this, and a little more Zorro?
Richard is off to St. Thomas University this fall. In their marketing materials they refer to this being an opportunity for him to "grow his mind", with a Liberal Arts education. I'm all for that, and since we will be paying a fair amount of the shot, we're hoping he does emerge as some sort of Renaissance man (and preferably a Renaissance man with a job). I didn't see any Zorro appreciation courses in their materials, but I would think that if his mind really is expanded, there would be a place for it. One can only hope.
|
