As I recall, in what amounted to an animated Shakespearian “comedy of errors”, the short film had to do with Pooh and company experiencing a windy day which was somehow interpreted as Wednesday. It must have been good, as it won an Academy Award for the best animated short film of the year.
At the time, however, I paid little attention, either to the film or to its plot, as we sat through the flickering projection. Why? Because my mind was elsewhere. And just where was that? I’m glad you asked.
It was filled with thoughts swirling around all of the intriguing possibilities arising from my brief perusal of the abundance of movie posters filling the foyer while my mother purchased our tickets. Those posters all lauded the recent release of “Planet of the Apes”.
That film, too, would go on to be nominated for multiple Academy Awards, even winning one. For my part, however, I would not be able to see the film for another few years, when it was finally broadcast on network television.
Fast forward some fifty-six years, and you come to today. I am no longer a seven-year-old boy captivated by the notion of an entire planet run by monkeys who lord it over humans. But oh, how my grandsons are!
Thus it was that, while local schools were recently closed for sickness, they all came over for a mid-winter “spend-the-night” party. Rather than watch King Kong whip up on Godzilla for the umpteenth time, as they originally desired, I recommended that we all take a trip instead to the “Planet of the Apes”. Suffice it to say that they were all enthralled from the very opening scene.
Soon enough, we had moved all the way through and beyond the “Planet of the Apes”, going “Beneath” it, “Escaping” it, “Conquesting” it, and eventually even “Battling” for it. That’s right, over a twenty-four hour period, we pop-corned and Kool-aided our way through all five films of the original franchise!
My mother (God rest her soul!) may not have approved. But all these years later, my wife and I did. As did my children (themselves the parents of my grandsons). Why?
Because you simply cannot change the nature of boys! They are what they are! They love all things monkey and any and every movie about monkeys! Be it “King Kong”, “Son of Kong”, “Kong Versus Godzilla”, “Mighty Joe Young”, “Tarzan”, or more recently, “Rampage”, they are passionate about the subject matter. And little wonder, for they are clearly made of different stuff than girls.
As the English Romantic poet, Robert Southey, once put it…
What are little boys made of?
What are little boys made of?
Ships, snails
And puppy-dogs' tails
That's what little boys are made of!
What are little girls made of?
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice
And everything nice
That's what little girls are made of!
Now, I realize that we live in a day and age of gender confusion. But as a believer, I choose to embrace the clear teaching of Holy Scripture that tells us (in the Old Testament book of Genesis, chapter 1, verse 27)… “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
That concept is firmly repeated (in the Old Testament Book of Genesis, chapter 5, verses 1-2): “This is the written account of Adam’s family line. When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them ‘Mankind’ when they were created.”
What is more, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Himself, underscored this when He said (in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, chapter 19, verse 4) “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female?”
Given all this, I am convinced that God intentionally gave my seven grandsons life. He also made them boys with the intention that they would one day grow up and be strong, brave, and godly men.
Therefore, part of my God-given responsibility as their grandfather is to help each of them to become all that God intended them to be. My role is to encourage, teach, and discipline them as they grow and develop. It is also to protect them.
For the same Jesus quoted above also issued (in the New Testament Gospel of Mathew, chapter 18, verse 6, and Mark, chapter 9, verse 42) a woe unto anyone who caused any of His little ones to stumble!
In light of all this, I’m extremely thankful for every single one of my God-given seven grandsons. And I plan to do my part to help them be all God intends.
Right now, that might involve watching movies about men and women being brave and overcoming marauding apes. But as they grow and mature, it will likely involve far bigger, far greater, and far more significant lessons. God willing, I plan to be right there in the mix, helping them become men!
And that, my friend, is anything but monkey business!
Meanwhile... In one particular scene where Charlton Heston was struggling to overcome a powerful gorilla that was attempting to restrain him, one of my grandsons asked: “Granddaddy, would you let a monkey do that to you?” I replied: “Not at all! I would make a monkey out of that ape!” (Sorry, I couldn't help myself!)
SOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie_the_Pooh_and_the_Blustery_Day;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_of_the_Apes_(1968_film);
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_of_the_Apes;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Are_Little_Boys_Made_Of%3F.
SCRIPTURE:
https://biblehub.com/genesis/1-27.htm;
https://biblehub.com/genesis/5-2.htm;
https://biblehub.com/matthew/19-4.htm;
https://biblehub.com/matthew/18-6.htm;
https://biblehub.com/mark/9-42.htm.
SEE ALSO:
https://www.foxtheatre.org/about.