We just returned from a frosty trip up to NY State. Ah, home to warm weather. I’m sure I’ll thaw in a week or two.
En route, we listened to a big bag full of books on tape. One of them was The Wizard of Oz. Naturally, we’ve seen the movie. But I can’t believe I’ve never actually read the book. (Have you?) Gotta say…a bit on the violent side. In the movie, I can’t remember how the Tin Man (“Tin Woodsman” in the book) turned into a man of metal, but I feel like it was pretty benign. In the book? First his enchanted axe lopped off one of his limbs, then another and another, then finally his head before it sliced his body in two. Ouch.
Throughout the book, animals’ heads were chopped off and there was plenty of death. All I could think was, “And we think today’s kids are exposed to too much violence?” Sure, it’s a “classic.” But still…in 1900, kids who read this book were getting an earful.
Along the kids-then-and-now vein (very loosely), on the way home, we were talking about how the kids were going to have their friends over. I suggested they play a board game. Mister said, “Dude! That’s so sixties!” So I suggested they all play a rated-M video game instead. Kids gotta get their daily dose of violence, right? Just ask your great-grandparents.
