Plugged in Reviews Avatar: The Last Airbender

[ChristianKitsune]

Well, Plugged in decided to review a very popular cartoon among kids and anime fans...

Check it out:
http://www.pluggedinonline.com/thisweekonly/a0003131.cfm

I am not sure what to say on this topic. On one hand, they have a point, on the other... I think they may have been a little too critical.

What do you guys think?

(This thread wasn't created to Bash Pluggedin or Focus on the Family... please refrain from doing so).

I guess after thinking a moment on the matter, I ahve come to this conclusion: What is the big deal about avatar? It may teach eastern culture such as reincarnation and some other religious elements. But isn't it up to the parents to teach their kids what's right and what's wrong? I could understand if Avatar had mature content such as nudity or cusing..because that's kinda something you can't help...but when my little sister watches this kind of stuff, I make it a point to tell her, "It's not real, only God is real." she usually rolls her eyes at me and says, "DO you THINK I am an idiot? I know!" XD

Soo yeah..that's my take.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Non-Christian philosophy isn't exactly new to kid's tv! Remember He-Man, Captain Planet, Gumby, Twins of Destiny etc? All of them had some.
Burn it all, burn it! Ha, ha, ha. j/k

[Aileen Kailum]

I won't lie; I've seen pretty much every episode of Avatar. I like the show and think that the characters, for the most part, are well done.

However, the reincarnation and past lives stuff does bother me a little. What balances it out is that some characters (*cough*Sokka*cough) believe it's nonsense. Now, the whole "spirit-world" thing really hasn't bothered me. I see it as part of the Avatar fantasy world. I do make sure that my little sister--who is an avid fan--knows that what she's watching isn't the truth.

As for teenage rebellion and violence... I'm sure some of the first is there--although I haven't really paid attention to it--and the second hasn't seemed all that bad to me. I am older than the intended audience, though, so that may be why.

[Fish and Chips]

[Quote=Plugged In]I don't blame her for seeking outside help. We're far removed from the days of not-so-hidden messages found in a village full of tiny blue singsongy folk[/quote]
Hey now, leave the smurfs out of your evil designs!

I've seen some snippits of Avatar here and there, and I honestly think it's an innocent enough show. Some Eastern mysticism sprinkled copiously, supernatural abilities left in right, sure, I can see how that might bother some parents, except that the show clearly presents itself as a work of fantasy, and within its own internal universe these elements are stylistic and common. That's their world, and this is Earth. Now certainly, if your kids starts playing with fire or drowning each other, trying to unlock their dormant powers, then you have cause for concern; for the rest of us, it's just a show, and for some of us a good one.

Actually, this review wasn't all the bad, but it serves as a good example of why I'm glad review sites and communities like CAA exist. I shudder to think what conclusions these people might jump to if they read through my Anime and Manga lists. We need to examine context as well as content before we say anything hasty.

[Nate]

Judging from that line you quoted, F&C, I wonder...does Plugged In seriously think The Smurfs promote Communism?

Because if they do, I will just...shake my head...and bite my lip.

[Fish and Chips]

Judging from that line you quoted, F&C, I wonder...does Plugged In seriously think The Smurfs promote Communism?

Because if they do, I will just...shake my head...and bite my lip.

A spectre is haunting TV Land...

[Joshua Christopher]

I think everyone should stop looking at Plugged-In because it is horrible.

It's mythology, people. Next thing you know they'll be proclaiming the evils of Homer's Illiad.

[Animus Seed]

The problem with this review is that it starts out with the assumption that all anime is sinful to begin with:

Add to this the common misconception among parents such as this mother that anime (a genre to which Avatar loosely belongs) is just another form of cartoons that's only harmful when consumed in excess.

With that thought already firmly in mind before even watching Avatar, it seems more like a witch-hunt:

"I know this cartoon is demonic. I just need to watch it and find out how."

[Fish and Chips]

The problem with this review is that it starts out with the assumption that all anime is sinful to begin with:



With that thought already firmly in mind before even watching Avatar, it seems more like a witch-hunt:

"I know this cartoon is demonic. I just need to watch it and find out how."

"They transmit water with their minds! Devious."

I know what you mean, I caught that too.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Josh, I wish Plugged-In were mythological! lol

[bigsleepj]

I think everyone should stop looking at Plugged-In because it is horrible.

Indeed, agreed. Plugged-In has already made sure that everyone knows it thinks little of anime, so US anime-lookalikes should be no exception.

That said, to my knowledge, Avatar: The Last Airbender (or Avatar: The Legend of Aang as it is known outside of the US) has never shown here. I only caught glimpses on it during a gratuitously-mentioned trip abroad last year.

Edit:

Josh, I wish Plugged-In were mythological! lol

That made my day.

[beau99]

The problem with this review is that it starts out with the assumption that all anime is sinful to begin with:



With that thought already firmly in mind before even watching Avatar, it seems more like a witch-hunt:

"I know this cartoon is demonic. I just need to watch it and find out how."

What's strange is that they gave Pokemon a glowing review when it was a new thing.

[Chosen Raven]

Though it ticks me off sometimes(like now), I like PluggedIn. Well, when it comes to movie reviews at least(videogames and anime...not so much). Their attention to detail helps me to know what I'm getting myself into before checking out a movie. Yeah, sure, I disagree with them sometimes, but I think they're pretty helpful overall. My thoughts on the article after I get back from work.

[Raiden no Kishi]

[W]hen my little sister watches this kind of stuff, I make it a point to tell her, "It's not real, only God is real." she usually rolls her eyes at me and says, "DO you THINK I am an idiot? I know!" XD

Soo yeah..that's my take.

Quoted for a heaping helping of the truth.

People underestimate children's abilities to distinguish fantasy from reality.

.rai//

[ChristianKitsune]

of course...my little sister is ten XDD... >_>

I guess it kinda boils down to tast really... like.. the whole Harry Potter thing.

ODD thing though: I emailed Pluggedin one time when I was trying to see if seeing auras and stuff was like were wrong...and they couldn't help me! They told me that this was out of their service area and directed me to a whole new company.. I gave up...XD I don't want to jump through hoops when for crying out loud this is FOCUS ON THE FAMILY. It's like the Disney of the Christian Entertainment world...

I like Plugged in as well...but really only find their movie reviews helpful.

[Sozo Bakura]

With that thought already firmly in mind before even watching Avatar, it seems more like a witch-hunt:

"I know this cartoon is demonic. I just need to watch it and find out how."

Like some people here, I find PluggedIn's movie reviews useful, and for a long time, I've skimmed them before going to the theaters. However, they do have a tendency to nitpick. You know, they had a whole seperate article about anime/manga, which was none too flattering.

http://www.pluggedinonline.com/thisweekonly/a0002277.cfm

[ChristianKitsune]

ahh yes.. THAT article. XD Actually that article led me to CAA ROFL.

[Radical Dreamer]

ODD thing though: I emailed Pluggedin one time when I was trying to see if seeing auras and stuff was like were wrong...and they couldn't help me! They told me that this was out of their service area and directed me to a whole new company.. I gave up...XD I don't want to jump through hoops when for crying out loud this is FOCUS ON THE FAMILY. It's like the Disney of the Christian Entertainment world...

Yeah, I emailed them once too, when that whole misquote of Anime Angels came about. They basically sent me an automated response and never responded again after that. XD

As for the article, it doesn't surprise me. I agree with Joshua Christopher, though. No one has a problem with their children reading Homer's Odyssey (which includes a sorceress, a trip to the underworld to consult the dead, consulting numerous Greek gods, violence, etc.), but when it comes to anime, if it has fantasy elements or violence; it'll corrupt the children! XD Really, the responsibility lies with the parents--they should monitor what their kids watch and make sure that their kids know the truth. *nodnod*

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Plugged in is a site I always take with a grain of salt. They are just way too critical and conservative.

[Animus Seed]

No one has a problem with their children reading Homer's Odyssey...

I wouldn't. Well, I suppose maybe I would. Depends on the child's temperament. Still, with Homer, I'd tread carefully.

[Fish and Chips]

http://www.pluggedinonline.com/thisweekonly/a0002277.cfm

Well gee, why don't we just round it all up, charge it with witchcraft, communist infiltration, and burn it at the stake?

[Joshua Christopher]

Actually, I really dislike Plugged-In's reviews of films, because they exaggerate things and make them sound much worse than they were.

Close to 20 f-words and 10 s-words. Men and women are referred to by the cruelest, most obscene words possible, words so taboo this review cannot even hint at them. God's name is combined with profanities a half-dozen times.

Actually Kill Bill volume 1 has about eight f-words. Men and women are hardly referred to as anything amazingly obscene, and even if they are, it's very brief. God's name being combined with with profanities a half-dozen times equals once or twice.

Plugged-In's reviews are extremely misleading and hyperbolas, and should not be trusted. I remember reading the Sin City review and assuming it was the most depraved film ever created, until I ended up seeing it a day later and somehow not seeing all of this garbage they seemed to view when watching the film.

Point is, Plugged-In is just bad. It's propaganda and even slander at times. They grossly exaggerate and misinterpret things in movies, TV, and music. THEY are the ones who find innuendos that don't exist and make things out to be much worse than they are.

I'll finish it off with some selected quotes from the one of the absolute cleanest and most family-friendly films in YEARS, Napoleon Dynamite:

Napoleon frequently uses exclamations such as "gosh," "jeez," "freakin'," "crap" and "heck." One character talks about being "p---ed off." Napoleon intones, "There's like a butt-load of gangs at this school," calls people "idiots" several times and says, "You guys are retarded."

Napoleon is prone to lying and storytelling. Responding to a classmate's inquiry about what he did over summer break, Napoleon responds, "I spent it with my uncle in Alaska hunting wolverines." Later, Napoleon brags to Pedro, "This one gang kept wanting me to join because I'm pretty good with a bowstaff." And when Deb gives him a picture of a woman she's photographed as an example of the kind of work she does, Napoleon keeps the photo and tells Pedro that it's his girlfriend from Oklahoma.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

With Pluggedin, I wonder if they would find ANY movie acceptable. Even like.. Land Before Time... I'm sure they'd find a problem with that too.

[Fish and Chips]

With Pluggedin, I wonder if they would find ANY movie acceptable. Even like.. Land Before Time... I'm sure they'd find a problem with that too.

People these days are seldom satisfied unless they can find something to complain about.

[ChristianKitsune]

Guys.. I said no flaming plugged in... it's starting to go in that direction please stop it right now or I will just have a mod lock this thread. It's true sometimes PluggedIN does take movie reviews to the extreme..but not everyone is as strong a Christian as some of us are here. Or they really don't want to be exposed to trash.. Be it benign or not. Some people just don't want to take that risk.

Joshua Christopher, about your opinion on Kill Bill and NP Any curse word in a movie can still bother someone. It doesn't matter the amount.
As for the Napoleon Dynamite movie, since some of those words are only alternatives to "real" cusswords, I can understand why they would be mentioned.. some parents are really protective of what their kids see...and there may not be a problem with that. Why corrupt the innocent faster than need be?

Pluggedin has been a very valuable resource for me. So what if they are over cautious...I may not agree with some of their points, but they are doing their best.

[Peanut]

Read the review and I must say that while they had a point...it was propaganda meant to soil the show's name and scare parents away from it (or at least that is how it came across to me). I understand the nick pickyness and actually applaud it but when it's mixed with this much of somebody else's opinion (a person who definitely doesn't know anything about almost all of the children who watch this show) it makes the review useless unless you want an excuse to tell your kid "No you can't watch that." The thing that really got me was his comments on teenage rebellion...I'm no psychologist but from what I learned in my AP Psych class it is completely normal and healthy for Teens to rebel. And I don't think the media has anything to do with this. But, I'm not a psychologist and I'm going off of just a year of psychology...so I guess I really don't know...

[Fish and Chips]

Christian Spotlight is a good site to use for movie reviews (and even some gaming), as they try to present offending elements in a more neutral manner than most other Christian review sites I've come across; more along the lines of pointing them out than deciding for the view whether they should see it or not. Similar to CAA.

[ChristianKitsune]

Read the review and I must say that while they had a point...it was propaganda meant to soil the show's name and scare parents away from it (or at least that is how it came across to me). I understand the nick pickyness and actually applaud it but when it's mixed with this much of somebody else's opinion (a person who definitely doesn't know anything about almost all of the children who watch this show) it makes the review useless unless you want an excuse to tell your kid "No you can't watch that." The thing that really got me was his comments on teenage rebellion...I'm no psychologist but from what I learned in my AP Psych class it is completely normal and healthy for Teens to rebel. And I don't think the media has anything to do with this. But, I'm not a psychologist and I'm going off of just a year of psychology...so I guess I really don't know...

not according to the Bible, my friend...

Matthew 15:4-9
4For God said, 'Honor your father and mother'[a] and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' 5But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' 6he is not to 'honor his father[c]' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8" 'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9They worship me in vain]Ephesians 6: 1-4[/B]

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."[a] 4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

I don't see how rebelling can be healthy.. Not saying that Avatar is as bad as this...but seriously... I feel horrible when I get angry with my parents...it's not a healthy matter it's very unhealthy, spiritually and emotionally. ^^; No offence.

[Tommy]

I think everyone should stop looking at Plugged-In because it is horrible.

What a great way to present an argument.

Anyways, I have no beef with Focus on the Family in itself but I have grown to shake my head at Plugged-In more so than not.

I mean, they claimed the "Hey Arnold!" movie contained numerous sexual references and they sort of say innaccurate things about what they review.

As for Avatar, I will agree 100% that Avatar has a bad influence due to its heavy Buddhist elements.

I mean, obviously most of the members here can easily handle it because we've matured to the stage where we can ask God if this show will have a negative influence in our walk with Him and be able to handle it.

I'm not saying "Ooooh, Avatar's evil! Save the children from this monstrosity of a televised program!"

I'm saying that every aspect of the show is kid-friendly (actually designed specifically FOR them) with the exception of the Buddhist influences, which are pretty huge.

[Radical Dreamer]

As for Avatar, I will agree 100% that Avatar has a bad influence due to its heavy Buddhist elements.

I mean, obviously most of the members here can easily handle it because we've matured to the stage where we can ask God if this show will have a negative influence in our walk with Him and be able to handle it.

I'm not saying "Ooooh, Avatar's evil! Save the children from this monstrosity of a televised program!"

I'm saying that every aspect of the show is kid-friendly (actually designed specifically FOR them) with the exception of the Buddhist influences, which are pretty huge.

And Star Wars doesn't have Buddhist/New Age elements? I mean, I was introduced to Star Wars when I was 5 years old, and I understood that the Force wasn't real. Ultimately, though, it was my parents' responsibility to make sure that I knew the truth when all was said and done, but really, I don't see how this show is any different.