Johnny Lingo

[Bini]

★☆

Anyone remember Johnny Lingo?

Is this an LDS movie? I was thinking about the story (the 8 cow wife) and I'm confused as to what the message is. I haven't watched the movie in many many years, so my memory is a bit foggy but from what I recall, the message doesn't seem very Christlike. Sooo Johnny Lingo finds Mahana beautiful, and everyone else thinks she's ugly - great for him! But I think he could have professed his love in a less in-your-face way. I mean, why parade 8 cows through the village, and rub it into everyone's faces?

[volgadon]

It has to do with that society's modes of expression.

[pam]

It wasn't so much that Johnny Lingo thought she was more beautiful. He wanted HER to feel beautiful. To feel loved, to feel wanted, to feel she was of worth. So bringing 8 cows made her feel all of those things. The movie is all about self esteem

[Vort]

★☆

Anyone remember Johnny Lingo?

Is this an LDS movie? I was thinking about the story (the 8 cow wife) and I'm confused as to what the message is. I haven't watched the movie in many many years, so my memory is a bit foggy but from what I recall, the message doesn't seem very Christlike. Sooo Johnny Lingo finds Mahana beautiful, and everyone else thinks she's ugly - great for him! But I think he could have professed his love in a less in-your-face way. I mean, why parade 8 cows through the village, and rub it into everyone's faces?

Johnny Lingo was one of the formative movies of my childhood. Through that movie, I learned the idea that how you think of a woman, how you act toward her, and how you treat her can influence the way she thinks of herself. Sure, as a 21st century adult, I can look at it and see how cheesy it is. Doesn't matter. There may not be a movie I saw in my entire life that had such a profound impact on my life.

Silly, cheesy morality tale, but a life-influencing movie for some of us.

[pam]

It is cheesy but the story and the message behind is it great.

[Drpepper]

It has a lot more meaning than The Avengers but less special effects..

LDS classic

[dahlia]

Apparently there are two versions, one seemingly supported by the noni juice people. Someone from the ward lent both versions to me. Aside from the noni juice product placement, the more recent one wasn't bad. I found the earlier one very offensive racially and culturally.

[pam]

Of course the first time I heard the story was when I was a child in Primary. It was on a film strip and we argued over who got to move to the next picture on the beeps.

[NeuroTypical]

Heh. Lots of people love to hate Johnny Lingo, and criticize it by identifying messages some folk might get from it, that are not the intended messages.

Like "you are worthless unless a man likes you". Or "you can trick ugly people into thinking they are beautiful by lying to them about their worth". Or "Your sense of self-worth should always be dependent on what others think about you".

These people are the Keepers of the Sarcastic Teenage Mindset. I, at 42 years of age, am one of their revered elders. I hold the rank of Grand Poobah - because although I have not actually seen Johnny Lingo, I can quote from the script like a master. I also specialize at yelling stuff at random tv shows. My kids are learning to tolerate me.

[volgadon]

I found the earlier one very offensive racially and culturally.

What precisely?

[Bini]

★☆

I was a little kid when I first and last watched it, and then, out of the blue it popped into my head. Like I said, the message was confusing to me, and because of that, it doesn't seem like something that Christ would do. If we were to make another movie about building self-esteem, I think we could come up with a more clearly defined message, than what Johny Lingo offers.

[pam]

I think in the version of the link I posted, it was pretty clearly defined at the end.

[Bini]

★☆

I'm more or less talking about "first impressions" of the movie. I have no doubt that after discussion and consideration, the core of the story is easily understood but merely through watching it - it's confuzzling. I also wanted to mention that my line of thinking wasn't on a feminist level, at all, though I can certainly see how it may be offensive in this regards. From recollection in a nutshell, I thought it was un-Christlike for Johnny Lingo to parade 8 cows through the village, ultimately trumping all the other women. I am also not fond of the emphasis on physical beauty defining one's worth, versus other characteristics. Anyway, after all these years, this is the impression that was left.

[Vort]

Since the other women had taken great pride in bragging how their husband had paid two or three cows and mocked Mahana because they doubted she would even merit a single cow, it seemed to be a way of saying, "Here is Mahana's worth in a form you can all understand."

Not to "defend" Johnny Lingo. You are free to feel however you want about it, and it won't offend me. I happen to love the movie, being as it was a great influence in my life. But I understand not everyone was touched by the movie in the same way.

[RMGuy]

It wasn't so much that Johnny Lingo thought she was more beautiful. He wanted HER to feel beautiful. To feel loved, to feel wanted, to feel she was of worth. So bringing 8 cows made her feel all of those things. The movie is all about self esteem

And all this time I was thinking it was about how women were property and you were supposed to buy them....silly me.

-RM

[Bini]

★☆

I do need to watch it again.

Vort made a point that got me thinking. Johnny Lingo used the 8 cows to demonstrate Mahana's worth in a language that the villagers would understand. My question is, and anyone can respond, why was that important? Johnny Lingo could have shown his feelings for Mahana in a less in-your-face way, and Mahana would still know that she is desirable. The feel-good is Johnny Lingo reaching out to Mahana, and Mahana discovering her self-worth. Ultimately, the villagers opinions of Johnny Lingo and Mahana don't matter. So I'm wondering why the exaggeration of 8 cows, as opposed to 3 or 4, which would have been a higher dowry than most.

[beefche]

He did it to get the old biddies in the village to stop pridefully boasting about their worth and tearing down others.

[NeuroTypical]

And all this time I was thinking it was about how women were property and you were supposed to buy them....silly me.

Oh yeah - I forgot that one. Thanks for reminding me.

And I'll add beefche's reason to my list too.

"You should marry the person best-suited to help you force undesirable elements in your community to shut up".

Bini - you want I should mail you our registration packet? We have t-shirts, ya know...

[Bini]

He did it to get the old biddies in the village to stop pridefully boasting about their worth and tearing down others.

★☆

I understand that. I'm just wondering WHY that is so important. It doesn't feel Christlike to me. Is it right to trump others just to prove a point? It would seem prideful to upgrade to a bigger and more extravagant house, just to size-up the others in the neighbourhood, and put a damper on their boasting. That's the part that I'm struggling to grasp with this story.

[Bini]

Oh yeah - I forgot that one. Thanks for reminding me.

And I'll add beefche's reason to my list too.

"You should marry the person best-suited to help you force undesirable elements in your community to shut up".

Bini - you want I should mail you our registration packet? We have t-shirts, ya know...

★☆

Sorry, LM. I missed the humour.

[skippy740]

He did it to get the old biddies in the village to stop pridefully boasting about their worth and tearing down others.

But I only see one cow in your avatar! Doesn't Dravin love you more than that?

[i'm now running, ducking and hiding from the dishes about to be thrown at my head]

[Maureen]

Originally Posted by beefche

He did it to get the old biddies in the village to stop pridefully boasting about their worth and tearing down others.

★☆

I understand that. I'm just wondering WHY that is so important. It doesn't feel Christlike to me. Is it right to trump others just to prove a point? It would seem prideful to upgrade to a bigger and more extravagant house, just to size-up the others in the neighbourhood, and put a damper on their boasting. That's the part that I'm struggling to grasp with this story.

I was never a fan of the Johnny Lingo story either, but I do get the message. You could look at this situation with the other women in the village as bullies tearing down the self-esteem of one member. Johnny Lingo wanted to stick up for Mahana, and I suppose this was the cultural and traditional way to do it.

M.

[beefche]

★☆

I understand that. I'm just wondering WHY that is so important. It doesn't feel Christlike to me. Is it right to trump others just to prove a point? It would seem prideful to upgrade to a bigger and more extravagant house, just to size-up the others in the neighbourhood, and put a damper on their boasting. That's the part that I'm struggling to grasp with this story.

Why isn't that Christlike? I think we sometimes forget that Jesus could be very direct when necessary. He called people hypocrits and gave examples that were very pointed to help them understand.

Johnny spoke in a language that these women could understand--including Mohana. He wanted to show Mohana her worth. I inferred he also wanted to show these women that their worth is not superior to Mohana's (granted by paying the 8 cows, it looks like Mohana's worth is now superior to theirs). I can't remember the end of the movie that well, but I don't remember Mohana now bragging about her 8 cow status. Maybe the other women spoke of the Mohana's 8 cow payment, but if I remember correctly, their prideful boasting was eliminated and they treated others more respectfully.

[RMGuy]

I think that one of the best things perhaps about the movie, all kidding aside (and I don't believe this was the original intent of the authors or producers) is that we can all look at the same thing and yet see many different angles, and extract many different meanings.

Perhaps, just perhaps the real lesson of Lingo is to be able to look at our own beliefs and insights with a critical eye, and attempt to view them through the eye of the other...only then can we say we truly understand.

-RM

[Bini]

Sizing up others is not Christlike, in my opinion. Also, I have a hard time relating Johnny Lingo's actions to that of Christ. I believe Christ would have reached Mahana in a more tactful but just as powerful way.