'Cause nobody messes with your dad!

This monster is your Father

Mufasa: Simba, I'm very disappointed in you! 
Young Simba: I know. 
Mufasa: You could have been killed! You deliberately disobeyed me! And what's worse: you put Nala in danger! 
Young Simba: I was just trying to be brave like you. 
Mufasa: I'm only brave when I have to be! Simba, being brave doesn't mean you go looking for trouble! 
Young Simba: But you're not scared of anything! 
Mufasa: Well, I was today. 
Young Simba: You were? 
Mufasa: Yes. I thought I might lose you. 
Young Simba: I guess even kings get scared, huh? 
Mufasa: Mmm-hmm. 
Young Simba: But you know what? 
Mufasa: What? 
Young Simba: I think those hyenas were even scareder. 
Mufasa: [laughs] 'Cause nobody messes with your dad! 

Do we talk today a little more about the patriarchy? Who has the power and why?  How does daddy maintain his power? Must he spank? Does one spanked become a spanker? Can this cycle be broken? Does the film Star Wars celebrate terrorists?  You do know that Vader is a phonetic Vater which is Father in German, yes? He is our Dark Father. And he serves the Empire. What do you serve?

-oh yeah Happy $th! (whoops, must have had the shift key down, sorry.) 

I was going to end it there, but as I sit here typing my children watch The Lion King in the other room. The patriarchy of this film has always bothered me, and it is one that many progressives have really responded to, such as more than a few lesbians that I know. It just kind of hit me though, what's going on I mean. 

I went and saw Chekhov's The Seagull last night at the Shakespeare Fest, and it made a couple of references to Hamlet. I also have three versions of Hamlet next to me on my desk, and I've been watching the Ethan Hawke version of Hamlet from 2000 for the past couple of nights. (Maybe I watch Mel and Kenneth, maybe not. . . )

What I'm saying is that I forgot that The Lion King is also a version of Hamlet. What is up with my Hamlet theme? What does that have to do with fathers and the cycle of sons becoming the same father authority? (maybe I should finish Hamlet) 

Here is an interesting association. There were many that likened Bush to Vader. I even did myself when I saw a photo of his on NPR. Perhaps I'll post that interlude?

I saw this image on the NPR web site today [March 20, 2006] and instantly thought of the following image.

When I googled "Darth Vader" to find this image, this third one appeared.

Anyway, if Bush is Vader, then Obama must be a more regal type of patriarchy such as Mufasa. "Meet the new boss. . ."

The son rebels against the father. The father is the authority for the family. The son's challenges are thwarted by the father's authority(the "old" monster paradigm). Am I fomenting revolution? Do I live on Revolutionary Road?