scary monsters

[bitterfig]

I just finished reading a really interesting book, Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence by Gerard Jones.  It looks at the positive role fantasies of violence, conflict and destruction can play in children’s development.  While many critics of violent television, comic books and video games say they

Comments

[lookfar]

I think you are very right here about the intrusive level of control over your interests that your mother tried to exercise, and I'd like to add something to it; the fear of Bad Material or Bad Thoughts getting in and contaminating her or her children suggests that her sense of boundaries was shaky. Most healthy people feel less frightened of those things because they know they can expel them if they are discomfiting. It sounds as if your mom had a real fear of being invaded and not being able to right herself. Her shaky boundaries could have made it hard for you to feel secure about your own ability to keep yourself safe

[readingthedark]

1. I remember the burning.
2. I love you.
3. I still have a T-shirt that you painted that is somehow germane to his somewhere.
4. So much of what you said applies to me that I am still writing about monsters for at least several hours a week.
5. I will eventually track down Killing Monsters.

[bitterfig]

Thanks so much

[sabethea]

Sounds like a very interesting book. I am really really hesitant about letting the Mouselet watch Dr Who because of the monsters and such like - but he likes it, I explain it to him and it doesn't give him nightmares (only me!). So I do let him watch.

And I am vaguely appalled about your upbringing and feeling guilty because of what you read/liked. *hugs younger bitterfig*

[bitterfig]

Younger Bitterfig thanks you.

It's a really interesting book and would probably be pretty valuable for someone with children to read though it sounds like you're doing everything right with Mouse, letting him find his own limits of what he can tolerate and not imposing your own on him. If he can handle stuff like Darleks and Cybermen (which scare the hell out of me) more power to him

[rosehiptea]

I really enjoyed this post, though I suppose I have nothing much to add.

Except to say that as an adult, playing survival horror games gives me a way to be brave, even a silly fictional trivial one.

[steve98052]

Blue Velvet is such a great movie!

As for vampire movies, the best I've seen in a long time was Let the Right One In, about a boy on the verge of adolescence and a girl who moves in next door, and has her windows blacked out.

[bitterfig]

I've read about Let The Right One In, it's showing here in Chicago and it's on my list of "movies I'd go and see if I had the $$$". If I don't get a chance to see it in the theater I'm definately going to watch it on DVD.