Mom blogs and national advocates are arguing that the new children’s movie “Show Dogs” has a plot point throughout that teaches children it’s OK for strangers to touch their private parts.
One blog called For Every Mom is urging parents to keep their kids away from the PG-rated flick that hit theaters Friday. After the film's release, some parents took to the Internet to voice their concerns about the plot.
The blog states that “The ‘Show Dogs’ movie contains a dark theme that can send kids a very very harmful message about who is allowed to touch their private parts and when.”
The writer explains that this is called “grooming,” or facilitating activity that could lead people to be sexually abused. Grooming is something sexual predators do to take advantage of their victims, the blog argues.
The mom blog also linked to a post from a Mesa blogger Terina Maldonado. On her blog Macaroni Kid, Maldonado shared her review of the film after taking her family to see it, including her children.
The premise is explained by Maldonado as follows:
“The premise is great for a kids movie. Max is a talking police dog (voiced by Ludacris) who is paired up with a human partner, Frank (Will Arnett) to infiltrate a prestigious dog show and rescue a kidnapped baby panda. Being a tough dog from New York, Max has no business competing in a dog show but uses his street smarts to outperform the competition to get closer to the inner circle of kidnappers. Along the way, Max learns lessons about trust and the need to accept help from others. The usual hilarity ensues with dog farts, bites on the rear-end, and slap-stick bonks to the head which elicit giggles from the audience."
The film later reveals that in order for Max to pursue his mission to the best of his abilities, he must allow for people to inspect and touch his private parts.
The scene
Max is not comfortable with this and his partner Frank, a former champion, tried to get him to accept that having your private parts inspected and touched is normal.
The blog explains that this is a dark, dangerous theme for kids to be exposed to at the movies.
But then it gets even more uncomfortable, according to Macaroni Kid.
“Since the inspection of the private parts will happen in the finals, Frank touches Max’s private parts to get him use to it. Of course, Max doesn’t like it and snaps at Frank for him to stop. Max is then told by the former champion, who has been through the process before, that he needs to go to his “zen place” while it happens so he can get through it. More attempts are made by Frank to touch Max’s private parts, but Max is still having trouble letting it happen and keeps snapping at him.”
Eventually, in the film’s finale, Max ultimately lets a judge touch his private parts and he goes to his “zen place,” and the movie seems to imply that the film is making the experience appear to be a good thing with fireworks, flowers and more.
The response
Maldonado said she saw the movie with her kids, her husband and her mother. All the adults picked up on the uncomfortable “private parts” plot line and said they would not recommend parents take their children to see the film because of it.
Even the National Center on Sexual Exploitation got behind her message and released a statement saying the movie grooms Children for sexual abuse.
“Show Dogs,” rated PG, stars Will Arnett, Alan Cumming, Natasha Lyonne, Stanley Tucci, and many more. The film hit theaters on Friday and currently has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 26 percent.
The Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus states that “Show Dogs may entertain very young viewers, but for anyone else, it threatens the cinematic equivalent of a rolled-up newspaper on the snout.”
The filmmakers responded to the backlash Tuesday by releasing a statement to Entertainment Weekly:
“It has come to our attention that there have been online discussion and concern about a particular scene in Show Dogs, a family comedy that is rated PG. The dog show judging in this film is depicted completely accurately as done at shows around the world; and was performed by professional and highly respected dog show judges. Global Road Entertainment and the filmmakers are saddened and apologize to any parent who feels the scene sends a message other than a comedic moment in the film, with no hidden or ulterior meaning, but respect their right to react to any piece of content.”
You can watch the "Show Dogs" trailer below.
