Toy Story
From one childhood to another
Between July 4th, Supreme Court decisions, and Iran, let’s take a moment to reflect on childhood and what the future is like.
Toy Story is poetry. It captures the metadata of our youth. Not the child in us, but the toys that represent it with humor and charm.
I finished high school when the first movie came out, and now I'm sitting with my children for the 5th one. I have to admit it’s tough to watch, especially since it is more girl-oriented, so I appreciated the fact that my son was able to sit through it with his younger sister, who watched it from beginning to end.
If you were to ask me to summarize the movie:
It’s a remake of Taylor Sheridan’s Dutton Farm for kids.
They both finished their popcorn and M&Ms, and the 1-hour-and-45-minute movie kept them entertained. I am thankful every day that theatres have installed recliners and allow adults to consume something other than sugar.
To get to the theatre, I did need to wrangle my son’s arm, though, because he wanted to watch it from 1-5 to be caught up in the lore. The lore! Toy Story as lore. Unreal. The marketing departments have got people really transfixed on this. And I taught him a lesson that it's entertainment, and they want you in the seats, so don’t worry about catching up.
Enjoy the moment.
The only FUD that I saw was that Tarantino, the famous director of classics like Pulp Fiction, said he won’t see the newer Toy Story films because perfection has been achieved.
But that’s not the point, and he knows it. I am 100% sure he is taking his kids to it. Because each time you see it with a new family member, or an older you, you see it from a different perspective.
This magical movie franchise shows us, and also questions, whether anything has changed fundamentally about who we are.
Technology and life as we know it have changed, but not growing up. And the same feelings and challenges that happened in 1995 are still with us today. The only thing that has changed is how we interact with modern technology.
While it’s pulling teeth to get a movie review from the fam, I’m learning how to ask the questions better to get some kind of response and got
“Potty jokes are funny, cool adventure, but it’s a girl movie, nothing else really”
And I said that’s not correct.
“Did you see how a computer screen can give misleading statements and make you believe something that you are not comfortable with?”
The kids paused and said, “Yeah, I see that now.”
While they just saw old vs. new, the movie showed
that there is something going on behind the scenes whether you realize it or not.
So trust your feelings and intuition.
Now I’m going to go on a slight rant…
On why toys are not as popular to screens. And the wrong argument.
Toy are manufactured poorly but priced to perfection. That’s why they are not popular. Screens and streaming are essentially free. And as I wrote before the time consumed is the big value driver that the kids will reflect on when they are older.
Mattel and Hasbro, our toy overlords, got into their heads that they wouldn't just manufacture in China but also cut quality.
The one proof, the only one I need is Todd McFarlane toys. He wanted to create quality for his fans.
Quality before quantity. And once you hit quantity, critical mass, do not cut corners.
What we are missing, as I see it, are quality memories, quality products, quality entertainment.
That’s why we are such critics of movies, video games, etc. We have outsourced quality to folks we don’t know, and it’s coming back to bite us.
The future is finding quality and meaning in your life and not outsourcing your life and memories to jokers.
So today, as the 250th anniversary of the USA approaches, quality manufacturers are looking to invest.
Have some thoughts? We all look forward to valuing your contribution
Seize the Day
Eric