My Friend Just Started Watching Atla (fucking Finally) And He Was Like “how The Fuck Is This Show Apparently

my friend just started watching atla (fucking finally) and he was like “how the fuck is this show apparently appropriate for seven year olds it’s about genocide???!!!?!!?!?!” and like..... the thing is, it’s animated and they don’t swear. there are no explicit depictions of blood or sexual violence. those are the standards by which [american] censors deem something to be a kids’ show. of course, what is and isn’t “appropriate for kids” is extremely arbitrary, because every kid is different, and will react differently to content, but if we are to rate certain media for certain demographics, we need specific guidelines.

we also discussed the fact that the matter of genocide is something that will either go over a young viewer’s head entirely, since they have yet to truly grasp the enormity of that grief & trauma, or, by the time they have reached the age of seven, they are so familiar with genocide and its effects that they would not consider a tv show that centers genocides in its narrative to be out of the ordinary.

(not always, of course, but) typically, you either grow up knowing that you come from genocide survivors (as well as many who did not survive) and that is second nature to you, something you carry with you in your guts and bones and heart, or, by the time you are seven (still a young child), the concept of such brutal atrocities has not yet entered your worldview, and thus you do not grasp what has actually happened to aang, katara, etc. you recognize that aang is “the last,” but you don’t actually understand what that means.

similarly, some children will see depictions of imperialist/colonial violence and immediately understand and relate, because again, it is something they grew up carrying with them; whereas others will simply understand the fire nation to be “the bad guys,” without fully understanding the human effects of their violence.

atla depicts imperialism, colonialism, genocide, poverty, labor camps, ptsd, abuse, etc. but unlike utena (which i just watched, so it’s on my mind) it does not depict sibling incest, it does not depict sexual violence period. sure, atla contains commentary on patriarchal violence, but not in the same way utena does. it’s that britta meme: “I can excuse colonial violence and paternal abuse, but I draw the line at incest!”

and I mean yeah. that makes sense. I read lolita at a very young age (upon my mother’s insistence that it’s time I learn how the world works), but I recognize that sexual violence is considered far more taboo than state/imperial violence, which is, frankly, considered commonplace (especially during bush-era america).

and then there’s a show like adventure time, which does depict taboos such as sexual violence, but is able to get past censors due to the more abstract nature of its storytelling, making it “kid friendly” by virtue of the fact that kids simply wouldn’t pick up on the less “appropriate” elements of the story.

I’m not sure I really have a singular point to make here. I just think the question “how is this [piece of media] apparently ‘for kids’?” can lead to interesting conversations about what forms of violence we deem age-appropriate in our society, why, as well as the ways in which various stories are told, and how audiences react to them. so these are just some scattered thoughts on the matter, based on some conversations I’ve had with friends recently. I think it’s a valuable question to ask, as long as you try to approach the subject from a place of understanding. shrug.