IB 5 The Lorax and Joana!

      The Child-like perspective re-imangination of our Beautiful home: Earth!!!

 

When deciding to write on the Lorax, I chose to focus the topic of the essay surrounding this modern cultural artifact upon how this film appeals to children (the main audience) and in what ways does it achieve this through effects in the film. With this in mind, the conclusions I would want my audience to reach are: children are reached primarily to change future generations to instill that there is still hope for the future of the Earth; a serious topic such as the future of the world and environmentalism is conveyed through colorful and bright sceneries, multitude of songs, cute characters etc.; perhaps by attracting smaller audiences the children can change their parent’s minds on the issue.

Examples:

Premise: The Lorax quote “Unless someone like YOU cares an awful lot its not going to get better it’s not”.

Unstated Premise: Unless children (audience) does something the Earth will become that awful gray, smelly, dirty, place that the OnceLer lives in.

Conclusion:  Children have to take a stand and believe that the Earth is something worth preserving and want to “talk for the trees” as the Lorax does.

 

Premise: Colorful backgrounds, cute characters, catchy songs sense of wanting a happy ending.

Unstated Premise: Colorful truffula trees have to be saved, the Lorax is a cute little character that stands up for the GOOD side, we don’t want the bears to starve!  the songs are easy to remember find yourself humming the tunes and singing along to remember.

Conclusion: Serious topic is conveyed in a kid-friendly form that makes it easier to understand and easier to remember.

 

Premise:  Children watch the Lorax talk to their parents about it asking to plant a tree or bring them to the movie theaters.

Unstated Premise: Convince their parent, by hearing it in a different form rather than from documentaries or textbooks. Give the last little (both figuratively and literally)

Conclusion: My child is right how can we let trees disappear? How can the Earth disintegrate into a wasteland? This movie is much deeper than I previously thought by watching the previews.

                I feel like the premises that will be most need of defense are those of children processing the thoughtful topic of environmentalism and that this movie had a larger purpose to begin with rather than just a purpose for their pocketbooks.  The questions that will arise in the reader’s minds are how is this to be taken seriously by children?  And what if the film was simply made for entertainment/revenue purposes?  I think evidence that will be needed to convince the audiences of these hard to grasp questions are research studies and children testimonies of the movie, as well as finding stasis with the popularity of the growing “green” theme for children even such as Friends with change on Disney Channel and the eat healthy campaign and growing a garden by Michelle Obama, creating a new market generation for green-themed films such as the Lorax.

P.S. AWH Its Zac Efron Promoting the Lorax!!!!!!!! <3 He loves the trees and Earth too!