What kid doesn't like "Dora the Explorer"? I know that my little ones do. Heck, when she starts speaking spanish I have to admit that I perk up. I can't say that I always pay attention, so there may be more of what I am about to explain embedded in every episode.
She has this one titled Dora and the Crystal Kingdom. I think that is what it is called. She has to go around performing tasks and earning crystals of different colors. Early in the show she has to help a knight.
She finds a knight on the pinnacle of a mound of boulders. There is a dragon that is hovering over the knight, and the two are fighting.
Dora, "The knight is waving his sword at the dragon. The dragon is afraid. We have to stop them from fighting."
Sounds like that is an admirable goal. Help them get along. At first you might think that the knight might have done something to the dragon, and he wants revenge. Stolen an egg or something.
Dora, "Dragons only fight when they are afraid."
So the only reason the dragon is fighting with the knight is because the knight frightens it. Hum. So Dora gives the knight instruction.
Dora, "Put down your sword and the dragon will stop fighting."
I kind of have a problem with what this segment is teaching. You see this dragon, flying, doing so in order to facilitate a fight with this knight. The dragon is able, at any time, to fly away from the knight. Just turn and fly away. No More Conflict. The knight doesn't have a chain around the neck of the dragon. He has no magic force that keeps the dragon close. I have yet to figure out why the huge, fire breathing flying green dragon is afraid of a puny, land bound, horseless, knight with a very short sword. Who has the upper hand here? Who is instigating this fight?
For some reason it is necessary for Dora to take the side of the dragon. Heck, if the dragon is so scared, why doesn't it just fly away. If it doesn't want to fight, leave. I think that this dragon likes harassing knights , or is hungry. But that would mean that the human, that man, is not the reason for the problem, and we can't have that. Maybe Dora doesn't see a family crouched down on the other side of the rocks. Perhaps the knight is protecting the family, his family, from this blood thirsty beast.
Ok, Ok. I know it is subtle. But why not tell the dragon to fly away. "Hey dragon, if you don't want to fight, fly away." Over and done. And yes, I suppose that the knight could walk (or run, doesn't matter) away, but he is not assured that the dragon won't follow, swooping at him the whole way.
PLAIN AND SIMPLE, IT IS THE DRAGON'S FAULT, (or at least it is his to solve).
Stop blaming humans. We are not always the problem!!!
El Toro Negro
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