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Comment: I just recently stumbled across the following tale after something like twelve years: in the early 90's, as you may know, the "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" (their first incarnation in most of the Western world) were quite popular among kids. The show was a bit violent, however, which stirred up a degree of controversy among concerned parents.
It was from a concerned parent (my own) that I heard about a little girl (aged five, by most accounts) who was beaten up by male classmates role-playing as Power Rangers, and who died of her injuries shortly after the fact. When I originally heard the story, it was made to sound like it took place recently and in the United States. More recently, I've heard Norway and Denmark. Neither of the only two retellings I've found online have cited sources (and for the record, both are Christian fundamentalist sites, highly critical of the media in general [which, to me, points in the direction of contrivance by similar minds]).
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I've never heard this, but it could be true. Like they say kids learn by example and die by example.
-------------------- If you think "Silence Of The Lambs" is what happens when Larry goes out to the barn, you might be a redneck.--- Jeff Foxworthy. Posts: 12 | From: Bristol, Virginia | Registered: Aug 2006
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posted
I find it highly doubtful. It plays directly into the "the tv is killing our youth" groups who believe television should be nothing but sunshine and Sweet Jesus (TM). I could see it being a highly hyperbolized story, though. Like, perhaps, a group of kids were playing power rangers, one of the boys got a little too rough with the girl, and she went home with a black eye. Put that through enough people, with the right (or wrong) motivations, and it becomes a tragic tale of death by Power Rangers.
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Searching though Newsbank for "power rangers" and death I found: `POWER RANGERS' BANNED IN NORWAY AFTER TRAGEDY Chicago Tribune October 19, 1994 Author: Associated Press. No one knows for sure whether the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" played a role in the death of a 5-year-old girl who was stoned and kicked by playmates and left to freeze in the snow.
But the networks aren't taking any chances
The Scandinavian network TV-3 moved quickly Tuesday to drop the wildly popular U.S. children's show from its broadcasts in Norway, Sweden and Denmark in response to debate over violence in children's shows.
The show hasn't been directly linked to the death of 5-year-old Silje Marie Redergard, who froze to death Saturday on a playground in the western city of Trondheim after a game with three boys her age turned ugly. ... At first, the boys - two 6-year-olds and a 5-year-old - blamed three older youths seen near the area. According to the Oslo newspaper Verdens Gang, one boy claimed he chased away the teenagers after he "kicked one of them in the leg until he bled, just like the Ninja Turtles."
(There's more but I didn't want to paste the whole thing)
Posts: 1168 | From: Missouri | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
I remember that story. I can't recall the details of the tragedy, but I remember that Power Rangers was only off the air for a few weeks, enought for the media frenzy to die.
Scandinavia don't have the extreme lawsuits that USA has, so they would probably never get in legal trouble, just get some bad PR.
The big differences in the lawsuits is that here, the compensation should be suitable for the damage suffered, adjusted for how big part each part had in the incident, while in the US, the compensation should hurt the person/organization paying it to a suitable degree. This means that if you get burned on hot coffee at McDonalds here, you pretty much get a "How could you be so stupid", while in the US, you could get enough to quit your day job.
I've heard Americans who was amazed that there are no fences to prevent people from falling into the water in Stockholm, wondering how the city could afford the lawsuits. It just doesn't work that way here, you are expected to look where you are going and don't fall over the edge of the wharf.
This bashing of childrens shows is quite common here. I can, off the top of my head, remember at least Power Rangers, Ninja Turtles and Darkwing Duck. However, it's usually some parent who feels the need for an excuse for their child ninjaing another child and choose to fight it out in the media, and it quickly blows over.
-------------------- /Troberg Posts: 4360 | From: Borlänge, Sweden | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
I read through the first article, and all I can say is wow...
quote: The main god-like person, Zordon, is an all-seeing master-mind shaped by human imagination.
No, actually it's mentioned that he's not "all-seeing", and for that matter he ends up dying in a later season. I don't believe that a "god" can die, real or made-up.
quote: The Rangers manipulate power through mind control, magic symbols and fetishes: crystals, swords, rings...
I actually laughed when I read this. Never, in the whole series (and now more then 10 years of it) have they used mind control as far as I've seen. As for magic symbols, I can get the reference, but it's very misleading. And fetishes? What, are they stripping and doing NFBSK stuff now? Crystals and Swords, yes, but not rings...
quote: Rangers are initiated into their new identity and powers through an occult ritual using the "Sword of Life"
This is where they really stretch the truth. They did this one time in the whole 12 years, and never referenced it again. Why is it so important?
quote: "I dedicated my whole life to the study of martial arts," says the White Ranger.
Because it's the only thing that will fill my time, no really, I can't do anything else with my time because it takes up so much...
quote: The Rangers overcome evil by manipulating occult powers.
You just gotta love how they add on occult powers rather than something like "sacred powers", or "special powers"
quote: Zordon promises that "the power will always be with you and protect you."
Exactly how is this supposed to be bad or wrong?
I know the date of the article would make it obsollete, but it felt better to get my two cents in. Seriously though, I wonder if any organization like this are going to try and attack something like Beyblade next, after all they went after Yu-Gi-Oh!.
-------------------- You can dream all you want, but when you wake up, you'll find that nothing has changed. The only way to make those dreams come true is to dedicate your entire life to your sport. Posts: 28 | From: Kenosha, Wisconsin | Registered: Aug 2006
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