Sitting with the 3 yr old grand kid watching something called Handy Manny which is a cartoon about a handyman with a whole house full of talking tools. Like a lot a cartoons these days and I suppose some from the old days, they are very heavy into trying to use various means and methods to suggest proper behaviors and attitudes that are more socially acceptable. I conclude these messages never seem to get fully ingrained judging by the amount of cartoons against the reality of attitudes and behaviors of those kids who grew up with them. But that is not the point of this post.
Do you think that this tremendous amount of animism in cartoons can be directly tied to a desire to believe in superstition? Are talking animals and hats and tools working against developing rational and logical thinking? Or just mindless fun?
It really depends, if the cartoon contains magic or spirits then be vigil.
Then again, some kids know better and some believe in magic their whole life.
I don't think so really. Honestly I think religion in itself comes down to the person and if they are just rational or irrational.
I was raised on fairy tales and stories my mum read to me, on comic books and cartoons from the 80s, ones that lay those messages you mentioned on thick. But my parents were not religious, and I never brought up god or anything with them, and all my fairy tale beliefs just faded away as I grew up and took a greater interest in things like history, science and understanding the universe.
I do think it does though also have a lot to do with the parents in what they enforce on a child, mixed with that what I said earlier on if the child is easily lead and has no Analytical mind to question it later. My 4 year old nephew who does watch cartoons and movies and read a lot of fantasy kids books, is also a kid who is even now questioning stuff about father christmas, like he's wrapping his head around the stuff we tell him and if it make sense to him.