Skipping down the street on Saturday night singing “We’re off to see the wizard” made my night. Then my other friends said that they never were a fan of the wonderful Wizard of Oz. This surprised me because I was convinced I was Dorothy throughout my entire childhood.
This got me thinking of how two people who grew up in the same time, in the same town, with the same popular culture surrounding them could have such different views on something from that childhood. Then I was reminded of what Howard Becker said about learning to love an object in culture. What I found so strange about my friend and I’s difference in opinion is all of the similarities that we shared around this object in culture.
Wizard of Oz has everything going for it when it comes to appealing to a child, bright colors, music, and an adventure story. Why two little girls had such different reactions to this film that has so much going for it can be explained by what Becker was explaining about pot. When I watched that movie as a child, I became immersed in everything about it. I was a brunette, I loved music, and I had a little dog that looked like Toto, so it was only fitting that I adopted the Dorothy alias. I learned to love this film as a child, so I enjoy it as an adult now. My friend did not enjoy the film as a child. She was blonde, was not too much into music (having 4 brothers will do that to you), and she was afraid of the monkeys to top it all off.
I learned to love Wizard of Oz while my friend didn’t even though culture at the time of our growing up pushed it upon us. This just shows how differently people can read the culture around them without even knowing it.
I love how you notice that the movie was "you" but not your friend. It really shows the personal level of how an object can be desired. She was everything alike you, so the desire to attach yourself to her persona became a joy, while your friend was detached from the world that you enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting point! I think you did a great job presenting how two different people growing up in the same community could have such a different opinion on this seemingly universal movie. It's very interesting how each person interprets certain things differently. Just goes to show how many options we have as a person and how many of the options will shape how we think and act.
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