The Plugged In Show, Episode 72: Bigfoot vs. Big Oil: A Movie Worldview Case Study

LISTEN TO THE PLUGGED IN SHOW, EPISODE 72

You wouldn’t think that a fairly innocuous kids’ movie on Netflix would trigger a lot of controversy. But clearly you’re not familiar with Bigfoot Family.

The Bigfoots didn’t just star in their own animated film. They brought an environmental message with them—and one that some in the Canadian oil industry took offense at. “Folks who drill for oil aren’t inherently bad!” they said. And while our team did debate whether the movie really did make the oil industry a blanket bad guy, there’s a broader thought worth discussing, too.

Movies and other forms of entertainment are powerful, persuasive message machines. Every film we watch wants to influence us in some way. Sometimes, it’s simply to make us laugh or cry. But often it’s to make us think about a particular issue—and think about it in a particular way. That can be good, of course. But when a movie’s message runs counter to the truth we understand as Christians, it can be deeply problematic, too.

In this episode of The Plugged In Show, we bat around the influence of Bigfoot Family and discuss the messages in movies more broadly. And we give what I think are some pretty concrete takeaways on how parents can help their kids think through those messages. So stick your bigfoot toe in these podcast waters, if you would, and listen in. Think about the following questions and take a look at everything we talked about through the links below.

• Gift of Any Amount Offer: Burning Bush 2.0: How Pop Culture Replaced the Prophethttps://donate.focusonthefamily.com/don-plugged-in-2020-12-31?refcd=1080511 by Paul Asay

• Biblical Worldview Discussion Questions for Kids:
  • What does this movie suggest is true and praiseworthy?
  • How does it try to engage us emotionally to agree with its point of view? 
  • How does the film strive to equate those strong emotions with truth?
  • Finally, how do the values and messages we see here compare with the truths that we find in Scripture?

• Plugged In Review: Bigfoot Family
• Plugged In Review: The Hate U Give
• Plugged In Review: Selma
• Plugged In Review: Me Before You
• Internet Article: “A Netflix Movie Is ‘Brainwashing’ Kids Says Canadian Energy Centre”
• Internet Article: “Canadian Lobbyists Attack Netflix Children’s Film for ‘anti-oil propaganda’”
• Focus on the Family: Setting Media Standards
• Focus on the Family: Making Wise Entertainment Choices
• Plugged In: Tech Guide
• Focus on the Family: How to Develop Media Intelligence in Your Home
• Focus@Home