Welcome to Monster Part 2: They Can Be Cute Too

I remember seeing Monsters Inc in theaters. I loved it, especially since I was definitely one of those kids who thought there was a monster in their closet or under the bed, which made the movie seem all the more plausible at the time. It also may have helped me get over this particular irrational fear. I mean, as long as Sully or Mike Wazowski was the monster coming to scar me.

Isn't this just the face of an angle?

Occasionally, monsters go through a child friendly retelling. Most of these stories, if I remember correctly, revolved around the cliche "don't judge a book by it's cover" narrative. It's a good story for kids to learn and understand, especially since monsters are often thought of as monsters because of what they look like.

Then again, Sully from Monsters Inc looked like an adorable cross between a teddy bear and furry alligator. He doesn't look that scary in the movie. But I bet if I ran across a real life combination of these two creatures I'd scream my freaking head off and run for the hills.

 Ah Real Monsters was a similar show from the 90s. It featured three young monsters learning how to be scary. It was a more gross version of Monsters Inc (I think they lived in a dumpster). On a day to day basis the monsters in the show were friendly and just trying to pass their classes. It was when they came across a human, that they would scare them. It was a fun, goofy show for young me to watch (and the monster designs were amazing).

Kids do need to learn that they shouldn't judge a person by their appearance alone. One of my favorite stories as a kid was The House that Drac Built. It was supposed to be a spooky house that was filled with ferocious and scary monsters.

I loved this story and made my parents read it to me all the time (along with Mickey Mouse in The Phantom Blot). The first part of the book included a great build up of how scary and angry the monsters trapped in the house were. The second part of the book had the kids showing up. At first it seemed like the kids would be terrified and run away, but when the kids saw that the monsters needed help or love, they instead spent time with them.

I remember a lot of these stories from the late 90s and early 2000s. Though I might have blocked some of them out of my memory. One day while I was meandering through the nostalgic side of YouTube I stumbled across the opening for a show called Seven Little Monsters. I don't recall actually watching this show (I was a little too old for it), but I do remember seeing it occasionally pop up on PBS while my younger sibling was waiting for a different show (or while I was babysitting).

Seven Little Monsters was about a family of monsters growing up in the human world (or at least that's what I remember). Each monster had their own quirk, which made them different from their siblings. It was a cute show and heavily featured several lessons about using the talents you've been given and not to judge people who look different from you.

In this case, monsters weren't supposed to be scary. They were nice and sweet or held day jobs. It was a way to teach kids to accept those who are different from them. Monsters are convenient to use in these stories, since most kids are already scared of monsters.

What better way to help someone conquer their fears than by making that fear seem more relatable?

Monsters will always be a part of our popular culture. They represent the unknown and inhuman parts of our lives. Monsters can be blood sucking forces of evil and they can be the cuddly 9 to 5 business man who just wants to keep his city supplied with power.

Personally I like both kinds of monsters. Much like people, you never know which monsters are good and which are evil. It's their actions that determine that.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Until next week.