I haven’t written in English for a while. Let’s try. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

I am proud of our kids, especially because they are so clever. Last Friday we were watching TV, an old nostalgic story of Midwinter in Mominland. A Japanese animated version. I don’t remember how Mörkö is called in English. She is a frightening character who spreads coldness and fear where ever she arrives. In the animation she has her own music theme. She came to see Tooticki’s snow horse, and the music was playing. Suddenly our eldest son started to sing “Confutatis maledictus”. It was true! The theme sounded very much like this particular part of Mozart’s Requim. A very suitable theme for Mörkö, indeed.

 

I must say that the most of the TV-series and movies based on Astrid Lindgren’s or Tove Jansson’s books are only a weak shadow of the original stories. It seems that all the strong feelings are censored. At least all the emotions which are considered as negative experiences, like fear or sorrow. I myself have cried every time when I have read for example the story of the small, pretty and stupid squirrel, which got frozen in Midwinter. I have cried with Pippi when she finds a small dead bird. I have cried with Emil who tries to save his friend Alfred’s life fighting against a snowstorm. I have cried with Little brother, when his dream of having his own puppy is crushed on his birthday (in Carlson on the roof/ Karlson på taket/ Katto-Kassinen). So, it has been quite hard for me to read aloud these great books to our own children as bedtime stories, trying to hide my own tears. But these touching episodes are very valuable parts of these books. They shouldn’t have been removed. Well, I think that Little brother’s sorrow is not censored… Because he will get his puppy only a little later.

It is stupid to try to save children from strong emotions in TV-series but allow them to watch cartoons with fighting characters and all sorts of monsters. This is my opinion.