Everything is not amazing. We are tempted to believe everything is awesome by the LEGO movie’s merry theme song. This is until the plastic protagonists realize they are just pawns in “Lord Business”.
They decide to work together to realize their potential and overcome the corporate titan’s attempts to bind them down. The characters find their independence back, discover new meanings in life and make friends with Lord Business. This was The LEGO Movie’s take-home message.
Some critics were more subversive than I was able to see as I watched The LEGO Movie with my six-year old son and nine year-old daughter. It is not a laughing matter to suggest that I took my children to see this movie and exposed them to a “practically comunist” agenda.
BBC Culture reported recently that the Pixar-inspired movie is making people complain about Hollywood trying to force liberalism on their children. Corporations Politicians forcing consumerism down the throats of citizens. The LEGO Movie, despite its anti-capitalist connotations, has earned more than $360 million worldwide.
We might be grateful to Hollywood for challenging Washington’s establishment, considering how audible Washington citizens are. These films, even though we might disagree with some messages, are proof that we live in a free society.
Brainwashed is Not Brain Less
This is not a problem. For a commercial that lasted two hours, it was entertaining. Like a good consumer, I bought lord business several toys and books based on the movie.
Pixar films are uncomfortable because of the hard truths that they force us to face. When I took my children to WALL-E, I can still recall squirming in the seat. The majority of parents and children around us were drinking a week’s worth sugar from large Styrofoam cups, which bore a strange resemblance with the obese characters on screen.
In fact, 69% of Americans lord business are Overweight or Obese
However, this does not mean that obesity can be directly attributed to excessive consumption. This conclusion would be a lord business gross simplification and oversimplification of a complex systemic problem. However, to say that consumerism is not responsible for the environmental and obesity crises would be false.
Americans aren’t brainless. But some of us allow ourselves to be brainwashed. Companies are wired to make us consume. We are exposed to approximately 5,000 messages from brands each day, according to conservative estimates.
Subliminal advertising’s ability to influence behavior is still a matter of debate. Companies are often compelled by law to encourage consumption, sometimes beyond our financial and physical limits.
Citizenship is supposed to be about having a voice and a vote. However, according to The Center for Media and Democracy (a non-profit organisation), corporations have greater influence over legislators than we do.