Why villains are not only evil
Photo Canva.com, EPA, C.J. Gunther
Christian Life
What do witches, wolves and bandits have in common in fairy tales? Right, they are all evil. Yet, children often like them. What can we learn from that?
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A recent study looked at how kids perceived anti-social and sometimes horrific acts committed by evil characters. In total, 434 children participated. They watched Disney villains, such as Ursuala from The Little Mermaid and Captain Hook from Peter Pan. In comparison, they were also shown positive characters, such as Woody from Pixar’s Toy Story and Marvel’s Spider-Man.
The researchers, however, draw a surprising conclusion. “Children believed that characters like Ursula had some kind of inner goodness, despite the bad/immoral actions they regularly engaged in,” the authors write.
Kids often like “bad” characters in cartoons and movies because they are bold, exciting, and unpredictable. Villains or mischievous characters tend to have unique designs, cool costumes, and strong personalities that stand out. They often break the rules, say funny things, and get away with actions kids might secretly wish they could try.
More fun
Kids enjoy the thrill of watching someone challenge the hero, adding excitement to the story. Ultimately, these characters make the adventure more fun and engaging for young audiences. Despite their bad deeds, these characters can be likeable.
But why? Both children and adults tend to see the good in bad characters, as it is natural to look for inner contradictions and hope for the best, even in the worst.
Movies are a great instrument for teaching that some issues are not as black-white as they sometimes seem to be. Good people have bad sides, and bad people may have some good traits, too. There is always an inner battle in every person when he needs to make a decision. Even in difficult situations, there is a choice, and it is okay to struggle.
Often, the only difference between a hero and a villain is that the villain chooses to use the power in a way that is selfish and hurts other people. However, we should choose to love others, not hurt them, even if they hurt us.
Teaching children the good instead of the bad
So, how do you make sure that your children learn the good lessons from their movies and don’t take over bad things?
We can discuss those cartoons and movies with kids, highlighting the aspects that kids might miss or pointing to good traits of the character of the movie hero, thus setting up the expectations for the role model. Otherwise, it is no wonder kids tend to prefer bad guys, and they copy bad behaviour like fighting, swear language and rebellious character.
How can we talk about bad characters with kids?
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Analyse the character’s actions. Ask the kid about what is wrong with this character and what could have happened if he had chosen a different path.
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Talk about motives. Why does the character behave the way he does?
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Compare the actions of bad and good characters. How do they differ, and is there anything in common between them?
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Discuss the changes in the characters. How and why can villains change, revealing their best sides?
Hopefully, these questions will help you as you navigate how to help kids have critical thinking and emotional intelligence and make the right decisions. And well, in movies, “you need the villain. If you don’t have a villain, the good guy can stay home” (Christoph Waltz).
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