My main issue with the film Please Vote for Me, rests in the fact that while the film is set up to be a portrayal of what happens when you give children a chance at democracy and whether or not we can draw parallels to adults in democratic government, the children\u2019s actions within this democratic framework are heavily influenced by their parents. Throughout the film there are countless instances of the parents of our three candidates influencing both their thoughts and their actions. For example, the debate between Luo Lei and Cheng Cheng was so rehearsed with the parents that the viewer essentially could have told you what each candidate was going to say before the debate began, including Luo Lei setting Cheng Cheng up to be a liar, and Cheng Cheng\u2019s use of the term \u201cdictator\u201d to define his opponent. There\u2019s also the issue of Luo Lei attempting to buy his classmates\u2019 votes by bringing them on the train ride and giving out prizes at the end of his final speech\u2014both of which show the influence of his parents more than himself. So, in my opinion, the arguments, tactics, and rhetoric we saw in the film were not an accurate depiction of what would happen if we handed democracy to a group that was unfamiliar with it, since there was unquantifiable influence from parents.<\/p>\n
However, I still believe that we can gain some insights about democracy from the film. Things like the intimidation\/bullying of Xiaofei, bribery by Luo Lei, and deceit, manipulation, and caustic rhetoric by Cheng Cheng all seem to fit our contemporary expectations of democracy. This is because the parents, whose preconceptions about democracy are influencing their children, see these traits as being characteristic of democracy and necessary in order to win. So, it\u2019s not that this classroom is \u201cdemocracy in action\u201d so much as it is adult preconceptions about democracy being projected onto these children.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My main issue with the film Please Vote for Me, rests in the fact that while the film is set up to be a portrayal of what happens when you give children a chance at democracy and whether or not … Continue reading