Mill Stones on the Road III: Villain Songs

This is the third of my articles regarding the dangers of modern media for your Catholic Children. I hope this articles will help you take care of the spiritual health of your chlidren. 

To state that the world is in a bad state of affairs is to state the obvious. Children are very easy to influence and a Catholic must take care of their souls- Remember and meditate on what Queen Blanche said to King St. Louis! "My son, I would rather see you dead in my arms than in the state of sin". Your child's soul an even your own depend on how you raise them.

I remember, when I was little, I always took the side from some villains, especially Scar from The Lion King. I disliked Simba; and cheered for the hyenas. Other villains like say, Dart Vader, I did not like, but in Disney movies I tended to like the villain. Later in life I felt the need to be boastful, feared, powerful and respected - just as the villains are - and is something I must check on for the health of my soul. 

None of you wants your children to be power-obsessed, cruel, unhinged sociopaths: Villains show what we don't like of humanity. The big bad wolf is violent, ruthless, and selfish. We don't glorify the big bad wolf, in fact, we kill him at the end because we don't want our children to be like him. None of you wants your children to deceive mermaids or kill their nephews and brothers, and I don't think the producers wanted your children to do any of these things. 

But they gave a space in which the villain can boast about how evil he is. 

They gave them songs. And children sing along to them.

Villain Songs are like Nirvana`s infamous song Polly, about a real case of torture and rape from the point of view of the unhinged monster who committed the act. I know children's villain songs are much less depraved than this song, but this does not detract from the fact that Polly is not much different from Mr. Naughty's Anthem in the sense that someone you are not supposed to look up to is somehow allowed to sing a song about his actions, while he tries to glorify himself as someone "cool", "different", or just boast of about how sick he is. 

I suspect some may argue (or try to argue) that Kurt Cobain wanted to mobilize people against rape by traumatizing them with the song and how evil these acts are. I am seriously not interested on his intentions, whether he thought he was doing something good or wanted to praise degeneracy is something I won't research, for my sanity.

For the lyrics read alone tell a completely different story, since it is not clarified or shown that the author truly opposed these acts. It's ambiguous. How is this different from any Mr. Naughty singing about how he wishes to conquer the world, send the hero to miserable death and so forth? It does not matter if adults and smart children understand that “maybe” the point of the song is to show how evil Mr. Naughty is: those who are weak, confused, stupid or just too young can identify the villain or be more open to his actions. Evil has no rights!

There is something intrinsically existentialist about trying to write a song from the point of view of the villain. Existentialism is the belief that the experiences you have in your life will determine what is good and right for you, and morality is subjective. As a Christian, you just can’t believe this nonsense.

For some people who deal with traumatic events or grew under tough circumstances, it may have the potential to turn them into victimized losers who think their pain is a justification and a cage that makes it impossible for them to sanctify their souls. Others will still try to justify their heinous actions, saying stuff like "I am a human" "I am being myself" "This is my passion", "I look at things this way" etc. These criticisms are directed at existentialism itself and not at the movies, but I believe we need to understand the evil of existentialism to appreciate better what is wrong with villain songs.

Allowing Disney villains to sing their points of view is thus existentialist because it suggests that their experience is just as good as the one of the protagonists. This will turn children in existentialists without even noticing it. It is true that some bad people have a good side on them and vice versa, however, perhaps children (especially young children) may need first to understand the objectivity of good and evil before understanding this characteristic of human beings. That will prevent them from becoming existentialists since even though we are different we all need to sanctify ourselves. 

It is also important to remember that the existentialism in these songs is more subliminal, since not all characters may express the so called “reasons why” they are evil. It is therefore less aggressive that another characteristic I will mention:

Why are children singing the villain songs?

They are glorifying the actions of the villains, aren`t they?

They are singing about the following:

The Lion King`s Be Prepared: Power lust

The Hunchback of Notre Dame`s Hellfire: Despair in God and wishing people in Hell

Beauty and The Beast`s Gaston Song: Narcissism, admiring your friends excessively

The Little Mermaid`s Poor Unfortunate Souls: How cool it is to doom mermaids by deceit 

The Princess and the Frog`s I`ve Got Friends in the Other Side: Occultism, Voodoo, and deceiving Indian princes. 

The Great Mouse Detective`s The  World's Greatest Criminal Mind: Boasting  about your criminal activities, including drowning widows and orphans. 

The Lion King`s 2 My Lullaby: Torturing the King and Princess

Anastasia`s In the Dark of the Night: Killing the Last Survivor of the Romanovs

All Dogs Go To Heaven 2 It Feels So Good to Be Bad: Well Guess 

The Night Befire Christmas's Oogie Boogie Song: Torturing and Cooking Santa Claus (I abhor Santa Claus but you've got to admit this is mean) 

There is a difference on hearing Mr. Naughty worshipping himself in TV and singing about Mr. Naughty worshipping himself. If you sing about Mr. Nauhgty worshiping himself you relate to him, you identify with him, and your words are in according to his ideas. Which kind of message does this send to children? Adults can differentiate what is good and wrong, but children are still learning. This does not mean of course that if your kid sings along to Scar`s violent imaginations he will kill his brother and nephew, but it does affect in your way of looking at morals.

Let's analyze some of the messages in some of these songs. While you read the lyrics, I want you to think if this are the words you want your children to sing, memorize and meditate on.  

Hellfire, from the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

I would like to clarify that the movie is based on a novel by Victor Hugo, which is planned for adults. It was even placed on the Index of Forbidden Books along with Les Misérables for immoral and irreligious content. This song would undoubtedly be forbidden too in a decent society: 

Beata Maria

You know I am a righteous man

Of my virtue I am justly proud

Beata Maria

You know I'm so purer than 

The common, vulgar licentious crowd (this part of the song is almost copied from the Pharisee and the Publican. Your kids would do good not to sing the hypocrite's song) 

Then tell me, Maria

Why I see her dancing there 

Why her smoldering eyes still scorch my soul?

I feel her, I see her, 

The sun caught in her raven hair 

Is blazing in me out of all control 

Like Fire 

Hellfire 

The fire in my skin

This burning desire 

Is turning me to sin (Nothing says innocence like sexualized lyrics for a Disney movie!)

It's not my fault 

I'm not to blame 

It is the gypsy girl 

The witch who sent this flame 

It's not my fault

If in God's plan 

He made the devil so much 

Stronger than a man (This is blasphemy, for if Frollo wasn't such a bad Christian he would understand prayer and penance are enough to help him solve his inner struggle)

Protect me, Maria

Don't let this siren cast her spell

Don't let her fire sear my flesh and bone 

Destroy Esmeralda 

And let her taste the fires of Hell

Or else let her be mine and mine alone (Here, Frollo boldly wishes Esmeralda to go to Hell if God does not allow him to consent to his lust)

Hellfire 

Dark fire 

Now gypsy, it's your turn 

Choose me or

Your pyre 

Be mine or you will burn 

God have mercy on her

God have mercy on me 

But she will be mine

Or she will burn! 

The Princess and the Frog I've Got Friends in the Other Side

This song reminds me of Break into The Other Side, by The Doors, because it's basically about contact with preternatural forces. 

Don't you disrespect me, little man

Don't you derogate or deride

You're in my world know, not your world 

And I’ve got friends in the other side

(He is got friends in the other side)

That's and echo, gentlemen 

Just a little something we have here in Louisiana 

A little parlor trick - don't worry 

Sit down at my table 

Put your minds at ease

If you relax it will enable me to do anything I please

I can read your future 

I can change it round some, too 

I'll look deep into your heart and soul 

Make your wildest dreams come true 

I got voodoo

I got hoodoo 

I got things I ain't even tried 

And I got friends in the other side

The cards, the cards, the cards will tell 

The past, the present, the future as well 

The cards, the cards, just take three 

Take a little trip into your future with me 

Now you, young men, are from across the sea

You come from two long lines of royalty 

(I'm a royal myself on my mother's side)

Your lifestyle's high,

But your funds are low 

You need to marry a little honey whose daddy got dough 

Mom and dad cut you off, huh playboy? (I thought playboy was a vulgar magazine)

No y'all get hitched, but hitchin' ties you down

You just wanna be free, hop from place to place

But freedom takes green 

It's the green, it's the green, it's the green you need

And when I looked into your future it's the green that I see

On you, little man, I don't want to waste much time

You've been pushed 'round all your life 

You've been pushed 'round by your mother and your sister and your brother 

And if you were married

You'd be pushed round by your wife (Naveen is a wimp. Dr. Facilier tells him that if he obeys him, he will be free)

But in your future, the you I see is exactly the man you always wanted to be 

Shake my hand

Come on boys, won't you shake a poor sinners hand? 

Yes.. Are you ready? 

(After various phrases of "reformation central" and few "transmogrification central")

You're Changing, you're changing 

You're changing all right

I hope you're satisfied 

But if you ain't don't blame me

You can blame my friends in the other side 

(You got what you wanted - but you lost what you had - ooh Hush)

The Lion King Two "My Lullaby"

Nobody remembers the Lion King 2, but I chose it because it does not matter how popular the movie is, bad messages can lurk anyway. In here, Zira the villain talks about her sadist, revenge desires, all while she sings a lullaby to her cub, Kovu. 

Hush, my little one; you must be exhausted 

Sleep, my little Kovu 

Let your dreams take wing 

One day when you are big and strong 

You will be a king 

I've been exiled, persecuted

Left alone with no defense 

When I think of what that brute did 

I get a little tense 

But i dream a dream so pretty

That I don't feel so depressed

'Cause it soothes my inner kitty 

And it helps me get some rest 

The sound of Simba's dying gasp

His daughter squealing in my grasp 

His lioness' mournful cry 

That's my lullaby (Let's hope your child never rejoices in such bloody thoughts)

Now the past I've tried forgetting

And my foes I could forgive 

Trouble is I know it's petty 

But I hate to let them live 

So, you found yourself somebody 

Who'll chase Simba up a tree

Oh, the battle may be bloody 

But that kind of works for me 

The melody of angry growls 

A counterpoint of painful howls 

A symphony of death, oh my!

That's my lullaby 

Scar is gone, but Zira's still around

To love this little lad 

Till he learns to be a killer 

With a lust for being bad! (See? It's about the villain boasting about how bad he is)

Sleep, ya little termite!

Uh, I mean, precious little thing!

One day when you're big and strong 

You will be a king!

The pounding of the drums of war 

The thrill of Kovu's mighty roar

The joy of vengeance!

Testify!

I can hear the cheering 

Kovu! What a guy!

Payback time is nearing

And then our flag will fly 

Against a blood red sky 

That's my lullaby! 

Villainous: I Like My Bad Side Too

It's seems most villain songs consist in the villain bragging about how beautiful, how powerful, how amazing, how cool he thinks he is. To be fair, I remember most children still felt contempt or even fear towards the villains. Not so much with adults, who seem to prefer a children movie villain that is funny, sarcastic, has a story behind his back and a profound personality - particularly geeks. That's understandable but children should not be given the opportunity to feel awe and admiration for funny braggarts who worship themselves while killing the queen, being criminal and enjoy cruelty. 

There are some cases when the villain is more entertaining than the hero. Hercules for example, it's an orange guy without a lot of character. The original should be more masculine yet Hercules looks like a grown child soyboy. Yet I have noticed Hades, the villain from this movie enjoys a high amount of popularity from the geeks, including, I suspect, many children. 

Disney even has a franchise exclusively dedicated to its villains. There is a light show in which a character named Shelley Marie learns to be herself from the hand of various Disney villains, including the terrifying Oogie Boogie from The Night Before Christmas, your favorite stop-motion glorification of Halloween. Gee, they even have a board game in which you can play as your favorite scum characters. We do have a general weakening towards evilness. To be fair, most of the merchandise of this franchise seems to be designed for older-aged geeks and nostalgic fans, but I can see some children are drawn into these things. 

The Frightening Oogie Boogie Wants Your Children to Think He Is Cool 

CONCLUSION

I am not saying that Disney necessarily, willfully, and maliciously decided to play villain songs to pervert your children. Maybe they thought that it was a good idea to "make the story more adult" and "copy Hollywood musicals and operas". However, judging from the content from most of the songs, I could not care less about their intentions: The result is toxic and even blasphemous.  I fear many of this cool villain fashions only show that people no longer rejoice in innocence and think opening themselves to their bad side is somehow cool. 

I am no longer a moral relativist who wishes to be feared, but your children may not share the same luck, if you are a hypocrite Catholic, and if you let them sing these songs.