Bratty Kids and the Authoritarian Voice

This 2008/9 commercial for Van de Kamp’s fish is another indicator of a cultural shift.  Yes, the kid is a mouthy, disrespectful brat–kids are kids, and they have always been kids*.  So that’s not the point.  Point is that in this commercial we’re saying, “The kid is right!”

No longer is there an authoritarian voice, the over-riding voice of reason (i.e., the parent).  In this day of democratization, everybody is an authority.  Everybody has a say.  Everybody is right.

* Though they may be kids, hopefully we guide them toward better behavior.

By Lee Wallender

Deception, influence, fakes, illusions, themed environments, simulations, secret places, secret infrastructure, imagined places, dreamscapes, movie sets and props, evasions, camouflage, studio backlots, miniatures.

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