The following Feature is Rated DC. Darn Cynical. Viewer Discretion is Advised.
Compassion should be the way of all things. But. Sometimes. It is difficult. And to be quite honest, I simply cannot find it in me to be sensitive to this next one.
The Peter Rabbit Controversy.
It appears that one of my favorite bunnies — “Peter Rabbit” — has found his way into the midst of some more life turmoil. This time, regarding his movie career.
Yep. That little rabbit did a picture for Sony, and now there is a group of parents who are after his tail. Like he needed any more adversaries. Parents are boycotting the movie, saying that it is insensitive to their children’s serious allergy problems.
Here’s how it started. Blueberries. I guess, in the movie, Peter and his other rabbit friends are trying to win the war again their arch nemesis, Mr. McGregor. In the garden. You know how it goes. Anyway, they decide to shell the guy with a bunch of blackberries, because he is allergic to the blackberry. Well, Mr. McGregor has a reaction, and starts gasping and wheezing, and such. And he has to save himself with an epinephrine injector.
A group of parents, of those kids with allergies, are infuriated. Boycott. Protest. Sony issued a statement in response, which went exactly like this.
“Food allergies are a serious issue. Our film should not have made light of Peter Rabbit’s arch nemesis, Mr. McGregor, being allergic to blackberries, even in a cartoonish, slapstick way. We sincerely regret not being more aware and sensitive to this issue, and we truly apologize,” the statement said.
I understand they love their kids. We all love our kids. But they are mainstreaming this protest against the bunny. There is even a hashtag now on Twitter. Gawd I hate hashtags. I cannot begin to tell you how much I despise them. Hashtags infuriate me. They ruin my day. They make me sad and depressed. Hashtags disrupt my life as I know it. Hashtags make be taking years from my life. So yes, the Boycotters have come up with a hashtag, and here it is. #boycottpeterrabbit
Do you want to know the story behind my liability? Well. When I was a child, we used to have horrible food fights in the cafeteria. It left me traumatized. People would throw all sorts of food. But the worst, the one that stuck to your face, was the Corned Beef Medley. Better known as Hash. And when the food would fly, it was called Corned Beef Hash Tag.
So I am boycotting those Boycotting parents who have created a hashtag, which reminds me of my childhood trauma, the dreaded Hash Tag.
You know people. Seriously. I know allergies can be dangerous. But. At some point, we have got to let our kids find out that life is not always easy. There are challenges. Our kids can’t always be number one, the best, the shining star. We all can’t be at the very, very top. I don’t think kids should get trophies just for showing up. Winners get the trophies. And the losers go home, and work harder next year. Grab an orange on your way out the door, kid.
Coddling can be dangerous too. We are driving our kids into this vast and perilous vacuum of the “Self-Entitled.” We are raising generations and generations of little humans that think the world owes them everything. Our culture has shifted into this attitude of “Give it to me!” instead of “How can I help?”
In my opinion, those parents should utilize the time they have spent on this boycotting mission, to educate their own children with allergies. To make sure that they do not eat the foods that they are not supposed to eat. To ensure that they pack their EPI Pens every day in their backpacks. To report bullies to teachers. And to help other kids who they see might be having trouble.
As for the bunny? Well, Peter Rabbit’s father had been killed by Mr. McGregor years before. Sure, he didn’t have any business being in the same, perilous garden, but he found out. Thankfully, Peter made it home, unlike his Dad. He learned his lesson, and he, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail, got on with their ordinary lives. That’s what we do. We get on with our ordinary lives. Our allergies, and all.
=============
“Our task must be to free ourselves… by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and it’s beauty.”
― Albert Einstein
===========
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
― Aesop
=============
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, The Art of Happiness
=============