Our Daughters, their Dads, Our Sons, Ourselves

A Briefish Treatise on Movie Role Models

Margaret the Blogger is back (one month later!) with yet another #StreamTeam review.  

Sheesh. You’d think I’d pop in more often than this.

It’s almost like I’m in college again, with this #StreamTeam gig my monthly term paper. I’m writing this hastily…my March review…on the last day of March because—gasp!—it’s due.

Not really.

Netflix is every bit the “chill” kind of sponsor.

They didn’t even complain about my bashing Drew last month. On the contrary! They’ve invited me to Chicago for a meet-up next week! I do not know, as of this writing, what Netflix content they’ll be promoting, and frankly I’m just a wee bit nervous. What if, I don’t know, it’s something gory or obscene? What if it’s (please, no) Season Three of Beat Bugs?

Well, they know me.  At least—at the very least—I hope they do.

Except…

My blogging has changed over the past year or so. I’ve become more reticent because, well, I have teens…and life gets complicated when one has teens, because they mind very much when you disclose their secrets. Do you blame them? I don’t. I respect their space.

And yet…

They remain entirely unique and interesting creatures. I enjoy my teens (and preteens) very much, and learn a lot about the world from hanging with them.

This is very good for 50-year-old me.

And which is why, when Netflix sent out their March ’17 newsletter—and included a  “girl power” prompt for watching their shows—I thought, “This is good—nay, perfect—for writing about my teens.”

To the extent that they let me write me about them.

***

It’s now Sunday, April 2nd and I am officially late in publishing my March review. Now I really feel like I’m back in college, and all those guilt-ridden, extension-seeking, excuse-making feelings are coming back!

Gulp.

 

Here I go.

First off, I wanted to highlight a brand new kids’ show called Julie’s Greenroom.

Yes, I know this is a post about my teens’ viewing habits, but come on! Julie Andrews! Idina Menzel! Going backstage of Broadway’s Wicked!

I’ve only previewed the first episode and already I’ve used four exclamation marks.

Though I do think this is a show geared toward artsy types like myself.

Moving on…

Here is the March 2017 prompt that Netflix sent me:

Studies have shown that girls as young as six are influenced by gender stereotypes, and that role models from the entertainment they choose can have a lasting effect. Rest assured, Netflix is home to girls who mean business and that’s something all kids can get behind. Whether it’s Violet’s quick wit, (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Elena’s activist mentality, (One Day at a Time),  or Deidra & Laney’s unorthodox thinking, (Deidra and Laney Rob a Train), there’s something for every girl to relate to. And strong female characters aren’t just important for girls. Boys are growing up with Eleven saving the crew (Stranger Things) and Tip showing that true friendship knows no bounds (Home:Adventures with Tip and Oh).

Angela  made me laugh out loud when, reading the prompt over my shoulder, she remarked, “Poor men!”

Yes, poor men! The girls get all the love this month!

The point being, though, that our kids need strong role models in their life. I agree—of course I agree—although apart from the A Series of Unfortunate Events, we don’t (or haven’t) watched any of the shows listed above.

Wait, I take that back.

My husband watched Stranger Things (without me!) and enjoyed it.

How about you? Have you watched Stranger Things with your teens? I can see myself watching with Cate & Felicity this summer...maybe Angela, too, because she’s growing up fast and is just reading The Hunger Games for the first time.  Now there’s a strong female role model for you! Unfortunately it’s not available to stream at this time and what’s more…

My daughter Cate would disagree.

“Katniss is a poor heroine that needs to be saved all the time,” she told me. “She has no idea what she’s doing at any point in any of the books. No offense to J-law, I’m just going off the books and script.”

I was highly interested in such a nontraditional opinion! I mean, everyone loves Katniss, right? Apparently not my 16-year-old, who went on to elaborate:

“Katniss has no resolution except that she knows the government is wrong. Even though she knows this, she has no interest in stopping it, and doesn’t even think she can. She wants to be left alone so she can settle her own personal crisis of deciding which boy to marry, which she works out by avoiding both.

“Personally, I could never see why Snow had a problem with her. She was the epitome of what he wanted all his people to be like; weak-willed and accepting of the fate she thinks she can’t change.”

Cate concluded by saying, “I had no idea I had such strong feelings about a movie character. Sorry for being a cynical teenager, Mom.”

Are you kidding me, Cate? The stronger the convictions, the better!

***

So perhaps I don’t have to worry about raising strong daughters. They are, after all, a product of me and him:

…who is hands-down one of the strongest role models these girls could have.

(Incidentally, in the photo above? He’s talking to them about their Lenten penances and proposing ways to “beef them up”. )

(Woops. Shouldn’t use a meat reference when it comes to Lent. )

***

Here’s what I think—and you are more than welcome to disagree—about building up the girl power while (perhaps) neglecting the guys. I think it’s risky, is what I think, because statistically our girls are doing better than our guys. I’m more about “people power”, you know? Even better, how about the lives of the saints?

St. Teresa of Kolcata in The Letters, perhaps?

Now there’s some girl power I can get behind.

***

So there you go and there you have it—my March review and it’s only two days late. Frankly I loved the Netflix prompt this month because it made me think long and hard about movie role models and how differently that might look for you.

Share your thoughts in the com-box! 

Disclaimer: I’m a member of the Netflix StreamTeam, which means I receive their streaming service for free, along with lots of other goodies.  All opinions are my own, however, especially the far-right ones. 😉