The blog post below seems to make connections between the series and Catholic sensibilities. I had not made that connection but I do see it. You can read their take by pressing their title:
Overlaps Between Stranger Things and the Catholic Thing
But what I like about the series is that it brings me back to my early 1960’s love of Walt Disney’s Sunday night show, “The Wonderful World of Color”. We didn’t have a color TV but Walt Disney, who hosted the show each Sunday night, brought us a variety of entertainment. Sometimes there might be a series that focused on kids getting involved with danger, crime and solving problems. I loved those shows in particular and the child actors Disney made famous who went on to become famous adult actors, Kurt Russell.
Stranger Things is like these Walt Disney shows. They have casted children in various parts who aren’t plastic, like the current crop of child actors Disney now produces along with their horrible shows on their cable network.
The kids are normal, kind of like kids from my generation. They are also independent and free to be “cage free” kids as was my generation.
And yes, they take risks, relate well to each other and adults, and are interesting. They show each other friendship and love as well as the conflict that happens.
Stranger Things is set in the 1980’s. That was a wise move, as kids today, completely made into zombies by all their connected gadgets and video games, and made to live in fear of the outside world where they cannot go where they want to go as they please, would not make a science fiction/horror show like Stranger Things seem plausible.
It remind me too of the “Goonies” which I think was a 1980’s movie and also of ET, from the 80’s too.
It has created a cult following, especially among the young, like Dark Shadows did for my generation of kids, who rushed home from school in time to watch that soap opera which came on at 4 pm each day. It had a couple of child actors too in it.
The language is somewhat decent, no horrible, sacrilegious profanity like “Ozark”. There is mild sexuality but nothing truly offensive even for young people watching today. I do think parents should watch this with younger children and teenagers to offer guidance.
It isn’t blood and gore either, although some might be expected.
I love the show, children acting like children, but cage free like my generation of kids, and adults involved, not made to look stupid, but working with their kids in a strange land of things!
AND BEST OF ALL, STRANGER THINGS, LIKE THE WALKING DEAD AND OZARK, IS FILMED IN GEORGIA AND IN PLACES WHERE I GREW UP, LIKE EAST POIINT, GEORGIA. COOL, NO?
2 comments:
There are several websites with articles exploring the themes of this show that resonate with the Catholic faith, and I won't bother to parrot any of that stuff here. It's not my favorite show, and I never would have seen it had not my 14 year old daughter asked me to watch it with her. It is very entertaining, and, for the most part, "safe" (by today's degenerate standards).
I gave up tv and most movies over 20yrs ago, not wanting to support the thrill machine and what it was starting to stand for, as well as the ever louder and more grotesque advertising playing on jaded viewer dying feelings.
Went back to happy youthful activities such as listening to music and reading. The internet is as bad or worse, my time on it limited to news, weather, and a few sites such as this one.
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