Last weekend, Arizona mom Terina Maldonado published a blog post calling attention to questionable sexual content depicted in the PG-rated children’s movie, “Show Dogs,” released May 18. The post, published on the community parenting website Macaroni Kid, gained viral traction, prompting a massive outcry that led Global Road Entertainment to issue and apology and retroactively edit the inappropriate scenes out of the film.
In an interview with Faithwire, Maldonado discussed her post’s tremendous success, and the empowering message she hopes all parents will glean from it.
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When she took her three young children (ages 2, 5 and 8) to see “Show Dogs” in theaters during opening weekend, Maldonado was stunned to find that the film included a troubling message about sexual abuse. She told Faithwire that after her family’s experience, she felt compelled to “inform families of the content so they could make an educated decision about seeing the movie.”
“Never could I have imagined the response it would get,” she explained in an email.
A few days after her post was published, Maldonado learned of the filmmakers’ unprecedented decision to edit the film while it is still in theaters.
“Responding to concerns raised by moviegoers and some specific organizations, Global Road Entertainment has decided to remove two scenes from the film SHOW DOGS that some have deemed not appropriate for children,” a spokesperson told CBN News.
“I’m glad that Global Road takes these matters seriously and that they have taken action,” Maldonado told Faithwire. “As I said from the beginning without these scenes I thought it was a good, fun family movie.”
Paul Bois at the Daily Wire hailed the film company’s decision as “a grassroots victory for parents everywhere.”
In our modern, hyper-sexualized culture, too many parents fall into the trap of simply accepting cultural norms, even very bad ones, as just “the way things are.” But as Maldanado’s story reveals, parents have an important role to play in the modern culture wars — they have the power to shape society for the moral and spiritual benefit of innocent and impressionable children.
“You never know the power your voice can have when you speak from a place of love and honesty,” Maldanado told Faithwire. “Your voice will likely never travel the world like mine did this week, but you never know the impact you can have on a friend, family member or even stranger. The impact we have on our children is by far the greatest and one we should be mindful of.”
Mother, author and editor Danielle Bean coined the phrase “Momnipotent” in her 2013 book by the same name. She defines it as “possessing a special array of gifts, given by God and lived out in particular through the vocation of motherhood, that blesses the family and the world.” Maldanado, who exudes “momnipotence,” explained how parents can reclaim their role as culture-shapers in a society that is often hostile to absolute moral truths.
“When mothers realize their irreplaceable value, see the work they are doing on a daily basis as their greatest contribution to society, then they become empowered with confidence and self worth,” Maldanado explained. “As we walk with God to fill the role of motherhood, which he has entrusted us with, miracles can and will occur in our individual lives, families, communities and the world.”
The mother of three acknowledged that while it is impractical and often undesirable to shield children from all of the objectionable content out there, parents can play an invaluable role in equipping them with the tools to handle whatever moral obstacles they encounter.
“We cannot control everything our children are exposed to,” she said. “What we do have control over is what we teach them and how we empower them with truth.”