Where was Cindy Lou Who’s Dad? Did y’all ask the same question? No?!
Really?
You didn’t? Well, I guess I am becoming the “minority” of folks who are sensitive to “treat men as if they are not needed and stupid.”
Now, I know the new movie about MR. GRINCH is just a “simple” adaptation of the classic 1966 TV show. ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TV SHOWS. I was born in 1966. My favorite all-time Christmas TV show is CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS. Hands down. My favorite. Followed in a close second is THE GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS and if I had to choose a third… RUDOLPH.
Our daughter’s favorite Christmas TV show is THE GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS. So, we “had” to go see the movie, THE GRINCH.
Overall … it is a good film. I am glad we went. There were scenes that made me laugh out loud. SPOILER ALERT: I love the Christmas Carolers. HILARIOUS. Even as high school music teacher, the way they portray the Christmas Carolers in THE GRINCH movie is how I feel when I am “confronted” by Christmas Carolers. The reference to “I have waited fifty-three years for this moment” was a nice “homage” to the original cartoon. The movie is GOOD! Go see it.
My problem with the movie is an overall problem I have with the “entertainment” industry. Now, I purposely put the word entertainment in quotes because the “entertainment industry” is doing more than entertaining. The “entertainment industry” is doing some “social construction.” I know … my tinfoil hat is firmly placed on my had at 4:51AM on November 24, 2018. But WHERE IS CINDY LOU WHO’S FATHER IN “THE GRINCH?”
This generation’s THE GRINCH has a fatherless Cindy Lou Who and by “you” asking, “Where is Cindy Lou Who’s dad” is actually a GOOD THING. You recognized the MISSING father! However, there will be others who don’t ask the question because he / she doesn’t recognize the father is MISSING and yes … not recognizing the father is missing is a “bad” thing. “Bad” DOES NOT MEAN … DOES NOT MEAN… you are “bad.” No. It doesn’t.
Single-mothers are a reality. I was raised in a single-mother home. I do believe it is an unfortunate reality and the movie has embraced this unfortunate reality.
“Unfortunate reality?” Isn’t that a bit harsh?
Well, is a home with no dad a “fortunate reality?” NO! It is not.
Yes. I am bothered there was no positive dad figure in the movie. SPOILER ALERT. Mr. Grinch comes in at the end of the movie with his tie on (which is another interesting social part of the movie: a “man” wearing a tie to Christmas dinner?! Days gone by) and he cuts the turkey. Seems a bit patriarchal (sarcasm). A shout out to the “old-fashioned days.”
But, why? Why make Cindy Lou Who’s family now a single-mother family? Not even a mention of Cindy Lou Who’s missing father. Died in the button factory? Passed away due to a Whoville illness? NOTHING! Not even a picture of him on the family home’s wall. NOTHING!
We do hear that Cindy Lou Who’s gift (SPOILER ALERT) isn’t material. No. The gift: she doesn’t want her mom to be alone / lonely. A very noble gift. We also hear
other gifts: “love” and “kindness.” Good. Those are also noble gifts. Love the idea that material items are not “the” gifts.
But, why not have the gift be: I want a dad? That is a good gift. Or … It was a good gift. I would have loved to have had Cindy Lou Who say, “I want a dad.” I am sure someone reading this (one of the ten of you (smile) will have an answer that MR. GRINCH is the dad.
My goodness… not being funny … if Mr. Grinch is the dad, isn’t that a little negative? Why does MR. GRINCH have to be male? I mean if we are going to go all-in changing our society, let’s make the 21st century grinch MS. GRINCH? (that last part was sarcasm… I would be PISSED-OFF if the “social-constructionists” / “post-modernists” made MR. GRINCH a female character… PISSED OFF… when a cause goes too far … PISSED OFF).
Sure. Part of being male is MR. GRINCH…well, damn it … have Cindy Lou Who’s dad be another part of being male!
When I sat down to write this blog entry, I did go on GOOGLE and searched, “Cindy Lou Who’s dad.” I came up with the YEAR 2000 live action / Jim Carrey movie and there he was… and I think I remember him being again the quirky / dorky dad figure we are seeing more and more. You know… FATHER KNOWS LESS, oppose to the old TV show: FATHER KNOWS BEST.
And, I found a picture of a mother / father holding and swinging Cindy Lou by her arms.
Other than that … can’t really see the father in the story.
So, I go back to WHERE IS CINDY LOU WHO’S FATHER? An unfortunate question we seem to be asking more and more.
DADS!
Wake-up. I am not a perfect dad, but I worked my ass off to be a good dad. YOU NEED TOO, AS WELL.
When you (adult men or adult women) see movies such as THE GRINCH or this new stupid commercial that features an adult male acting like a stupid boy (the adult male is seen sitting in a grocery cart playing with the groceries and at the end of the STUPID commercial, the same adult male is in overalls that are too small for him, sitting on the floor at a daycare facility drinking from a sippy-cup… YOU WOULD NEVER see an adult woman in ponytails in a little dress too small for her, wearing patent leather shoes, drinking from a sippy cup… NEVER) tell your children, “dad is important” / “men are important” / “men are as smart as women.” We need to speak-up. It is getting ridiculous to see these weak portrayals of men. SERIOUSLY. It is.
How do these portrayals help? We don’t like it when we see females portrayed in disrespectable roles; yet, it is okay for men?! Of course, it is not okay, but revenge or vengeance or people with power who have “daddy-issues” seem to be getting a pass.
Nope. As a father of a daughter and son … no pass from me. I will bring up the topic: MEN ARE BEING ATTACKED! You are doing a great disservice to our society by treating men this way… as you do when you treat women in a similar way.
It’s just a cartoon… Yep. What a better way to promote a message – any message. It’s simple and … we can take our entire family to see the cartoon. Hmmm…
Again, go see MR. GRINCH and then accept the responsibility to say something positive about dads and men-in-general. Fill the void that the makers of this movie created.
I just thought that it was bad continuity from the creator of this movie. Previous movies and tv shows include the dad of Cindy lou
Sure there are changes in the plot, but at least include the dad(working overtime at the post office) at least my father does in his job at that time
I agree with you. Thank you very much for taking the time to read the blog article and responding. Very kind of you.
I’m just seeing this movie and the first thing I noticed when they introduced the Lou Who family was where is the dad. I thought he would come in later or be a stay at home dad or some other nonsense like that. But to see that they removed him entirely left me flabbergasted. Of all things to change, you remove the dad? For what? To give the Grinch a family? The whole point of the original was that all of Whoville became his family. Why was that noble message and it’s connotations removed simply to insinuate that Cindy Lou’s mom and the Grinch are going to get busy. I’d prefer for Cindy to have a dad. He couldn’t be too far removed from the family since Cindy has infant twin siblings. Removing the dad serves zero purpose.
Hello:
The last sentence of your comment hits home with me: Removing the dad serves zero purpose. That needs to be the clarion call for our country! My cynical / nefarious side … removing the dad serves an EVIL purpose and our country is experiencing that EVIL purpose EVERY DAY. What we see in our nation today is the lack of ACTIVE FATHERS! Positive FATHERING!
Great to hear from you. I appreciate your continued support. Please share my blog with others. Means a lot to me.
Many Blessings / Agape,
Paul
I don’t think of the movie that way at all. The idea of them even getting together never crossed my mind. I saw her mom being happy because her daughter was happy, because there was just someone else in her life helping her daughter, or even seeing something positive outside of work and kids.
Not everything has to be taken the route of “getting together” I saw it as chosen family. Which can mean as friends. Outsiders who just help each other and find each other so they’re not alone.
Hello Lauren:
Thank you very much for your comment. Means a lot to me for a person to spend time reading my blog and then take the time and courage to share a comment. My point is the role of the father has been decreased. Having been raised by a single mother, I know (now being a dad for 26 years) I would have been a different man if I had had a father. To see the father nowhere to be seen was another example of “decreasing” the importance of a father.
Again, many thanks. I appreciate the support.
Many Blessings / Agape,
Paul