CHICAGO — Characters in children’s movies are wising up about personal safety, increasingly using seat belts, bike helmets and crosswalks, but many still aren’t ideal role models, a government study found.
The trend may reflect efforts by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other groups to get Hollywood to convey positive public health messages. But the study also shows these efforts haven’t been universally endorsed.
For example, actor Will Ferrell in the 2003 Christmas movie “Elf” gets knocked down by a New York City taxi while crossing the street. He bounces back up without a scratch — but at least he was walking in a crosswalk.
Still, the study’s lead author, CDC researcher Jon Eric Tongren, said the scene minimizes the accident’s dangers and may give young children a false sense of safety.
And in the 2005 comedy “Yours, Mine and Ours,” about a family with 18 kids, the children are wearing life jackets during a boat trip — but not the parents.
The two films were among 67 popular movies from 2003 to 2007 examined in the study. The movies were rated G for general audiences or PG — parental guidance suggested. Results were compared with two previous CDC studies, and were published today in Pediatrics.
Among the findings, compared with the studies from 1998-2002 and 1995-97:
Joan Graves, ratings chief at the Motion Picture Association of America, said movies tend to reflect what’s going in real life. She cited widespread seat belt laws, helmet use, and awareness about dangers of drunken driving as cultural trends that have affected movie plot lines.
The CDC and other public health groups have urged film and TV producers to convey accurate and safe health messages because mass media has such a powerful influence on behavior — especially children’s, Tongren said. He encourages parents to make sure their kids understand what’s safe and unsafe in TV and movie action.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
