Saturday, October 25, 2008

High School Musical Parents Beware!

Today we treated our children and surprised them by taking them to see the long awaited High School Musical 3. As you can see by my previous blog, I've even placed them into the characters and we made fun of it. We told the kids we were going to a store in our nearby mall because but it was a ploy to surprise them into the front of the movie theater ticket window (which is by the food court). They were trilled to say the least and thanked Dad multiple times!

HSM3 was just as we would expect with clean friendships, overly talented kids, catching tunes and lots of dancing - and of course - a clean love relationship growing between Troy and Gabriella. Sharpay was up to her old tricks again, but at the end met herself face-to-face which put her in her place. And unlike the other movies, I found they directors took more artistic liberties with this one making it seem more like a fantasy rather than a possible reality. I was enjoying every minute of with it with the kids.

All was well - until the end.
Though Sharpey was trying to take center stage again, she didn't seem like the over minding conflict in this movie. Rather, it was Senior Year giving the problems. Where would the graduates go afterward and how can they stay together yet follow where they need to be? It seems the choices of universities and what they were going to become were different and pulling them apart. There was a great scene when Troy sang a song in agony and anger over his upcoming decision.
WARNING - SPOILER WARNING IN NEXT PARAGRAPH!
Gabriella was accepted into Stanford University and Troy was going to be 1000 miles away from her for basketball. Then, he was accepted into a performing arts college so he was being pulled in three ways. Gabrella was 1000 miles away and he had choices from various colleges. In the end, he made Berkeley University his choice because it offered both basketball and theater and was only 32 miles away from Stanford - and his true love. In the end everybody cheered and all seemed well in the world again.
I left the theater with warm fuzzies like everybody else until my husband said, "The movie was just fine until Troy said he was going to Berkeley and he blew it for me!" Here, I found out that Berkeley is among one of the most liberal colleges in the United States. I wasn't aware of this. He went on to explain certain things Berkeley teaches and allows that even earns students credits. Since this is a rated "G" blog, I won't go into detail, but I agree that Troy's final decision was actually the worst choice he could have made.
Disney knew this when it was written in. Walt is most likely rolling in his grave - again. So what else is new? Seeing the cartoon above, perhaps its because Disney is one of the sponsors for Berkeley among many other corporations which we know are prone to liberal views? Most definitely!
What happened Troy? Why do you let circumstance dictate your better sense? One would think that the "boy next door" character Disney writers made Troy - one who doesn't push a girl, seem brash in any way, disrespect his elders and seem at all liberal would not let circumstance dictate his choice of schools. He's too careful to select a school without first finding its values, is he?
But then again, he's just a fictional character and it was the writers who wrote the script.
Let me just say, High School Musical Moms beware! Berkley is not a good choice of schools if you desire your children to keep their conservative views. Like I said in my last blog, don't take my word for it - check it out for yourselves on the web and see. So let's just see how Troy changes in the next few years with is new Berkeley friends and their liberal thinking. Will Gabriella still love him or will he change? Let's see the effects of Berkley in HSM4, shall we?
Though I still loved HSM3, and so did my children, I just thought it odd that they failed in this one point. Sadly, even without any drugs, sex, and edgy teenage/adult themes, HSM3 still came up short in the end (and I do mean in the end!) Regardless, I still enjoyed it and it is clean fun for the family.

4 comments:

Ask A Life Coach! said...

Hi esther! I just want to point out that even at hippie liberal enclaves like where I went to school, there are people who go there because it's a GOOD school, but still hold to conservative values and even form conservative student groups. I know that there were even a Mormon and a couple of evangelical Christian girls and possibly a religious Jew or two at my college, and you know what? they said it was good for them because it taught them to deal with people outside of their faith and communicate with them.

I mean, was it good for you to hang out with us largely liberal weirdoes in high school?

-Robin

EstherLindsey said...

Yes, I loved you guys and still do Robin! Though I'm right winged, I know almost all in the group were left. Yes, it can help someone be able to better deal with people in different faiths, but I've seen it go the opposite way too. I've seen people turn from God and I wouldn't wish that chance on anyone. Since I had known God since childhood, it was difficult to sway me no manner what. But not all are as strong.
I'm not saying it's a bad school, it is just how much do I want my children to be exposed to now these days when things to me are worse. I'm sure you disagree, but that is just fine with me! We can agree to disagree.

EstherLindsey said...

Oh and BTW, THANK YOU for reading my blog. It gives me warm fuzzies all over.

Ask A Life Coach! said...

I like your blog. it does me good to be exposed to variant points of view, as it always has. Understand that I think the best thing you can do is teach your kids to have their faith, but how to truly listen to and understand and deal with people of other faiths, in respect... just like you always did with us. I've really had it up to here with people of both right and left wing ilk who don't know how to listen to one another and reason and have respect for people.

and if you teach your kids to be resilient and cope well, their faith will be stronger, rather than brittle from not being exposed to all sorts of stuff and CHOOSING faith because it's right for them.

if that makes any sense.