Disney Is a Treacherous Bitch

I kind of think of Disney movies as the pinnacle of family entertainment so I was really excited that Monster got into the first Cars movie (mostly b/c it meant less Caillou. See ya later sucka!) I love how, even though we’ve seen it a gazillion times, he is still surprised at the wrecks in the beginning. And he still throws his arms up in celebration when Lightning McQueen stops right before winning the Piston Cup to go get The King who has just wrecked (oops, SPOILER ALERT!) So, there are good lessons.

However, the other night, when the Ex was returning him, Monster started yelling at him to “go away.” I was trying to be civilized and offer the Ex a drink and a seat but Monster was having no part of it. He does like for the parent dropping off to then continue on his/her merry way and often says, “bye bye!” like a not-so-subtle hint to get the F out but hearing him say “go away” was more than a little disturbing to me.

First, I felt bad for the Ex because no parent wants to hear that from their child, especially their 2-year-old. Second, Monster doesn’t get to decide when people come and go at the house. Third, where the hell did he learn that? I’ve never said that to him, near him, about him. I can’t imagine the Ex saying it or even the Step Twins. And I know it wouldn’t fly at the babysitter’s.

So, I thought and thought and thought about it and it finally hit me that Doc Hudson says it in Cars. Yeah, that’s right. He says it to Lightning when he follows him home after watching him race.

Damn it Disney! I know you’re creating drama but can’t you do it more politely? And while we’re at it, do you have to use the words “moron” and “idiot” too? It’s only a matter of time before he picks those up.

I emailed the Ex and told him the source had been found and he asked if I was going to ban Cars. I started shaking a bit. I don’t think I can ban it. It’s like crack to Monster. He loves it. He wants to watch it every day. I did some early Christmas shopping this past weekend and it’s all Cars-related merchandise. I can’t go back to Caillou. Don’t make me go back!

This morning, as we were getting ready to go into the babysitter's, Monster told me to "go away." I looked at him and said, "we don't say that." He responded, "Ok, mama." Then, remembering that you're supposed to give them an example of what to do rather than just tell them not to do something, I told him, "we say 'I love you mama.'" To which he responded, "I yuv oo, mama."

Problem solved? I hope so. Should I ban Cars? Am interested to hear what others think.