Chicken or the Egg?
In my rantings last week, I sentenced "Kingdom Under the Sea" to the knock-off pile. I was quickly reprimanded by an observant reader, and I need to make a correction.
The Christian Christmas catalog where I saw this children's video had put me in a foulish mood, not unlike the mood I get in when observing any kind of faux product: kitchen floor laminates, "pleather," Forever Lawns (see pic), and most of the home decorating items at Wal-Mart.
Without doing the necessary homework, I hastily accused the makers of "Kingdom Under the Sea" of stealing ideas from "Finding Nemo." While I don't really know which came first, I do know the following:
Kingdom's release date: 2000
Nemo's release date: 2003
Kingdom's conception date: ?
Nemo's conception date: 1994
Which came first? Did one pull ideas from the other or are the similarities coincidental? Probably coincidental. Regardless, the brain-children behind these two projects are innocent until proven guilty - and they are creative, too!
Check out David Mulhern's creative work on "Kingdom" here, and read an interview with Andrew Stanton, creator of "Finding Nemo," here. (Stanton's interview is about "WALL-E," but the "Nemo" date is there and the Q&A reveals how Stanton's Christian faith shapes his work.)
Can you blame me for making this assumption after pages of look-a-likes in the Christmas catalog? Well..., probably. My frustration should have raised a caution flag before publishing the post. Having said this, I still hope you will work hard to market products and shop for products that reflect God's infinite creativity and originality. And tell your friends:
"Say NO to faux!"
2 comments:
Perhaps Kingdom has first rights but that does not negate your premise: There is no shortage of Christianized secular products. (I think if it like the vegetarian's tofu bacon strips . . . you want the flavor w/o the guilt.)
I once heard a radio message about this (the source escapes me); the speaker stressed that the world is not impressed with our obsession to provide a sanitized version of itself; they've already got that and don't want ours. What the world appreciates is a believer who follows Christ with abandon and doesn't have need or care for the worldly fix. Interesting, huh?
Both were great posts! And I could sense your incredulity and amusement. Quite funny! :)
Yes, it is interesting, Erin, and I believe I've heard something similar.
Anyone know who said it?
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