British primary school bans students from singing songs from Netflix’s hit animated film KPop Demon Hunter.
reason? The songs introduced in Most streamed movie in Netflix history It could be “very disturbing” to Christians.
Last week, Lilliput Church of England School in Poole, Dorset, wrote to parents asking them to tell their children not to sing chart-topping songs at school, citing the school’s “Christian ethos”.
Lloyd Arrington, headteacher at Church of England Lilliput Infant School, wrote: “While we fully respect children’s right to choose what they engage in at home, we also want to be mindful of the diversity of beliefs within our school community.”
“Some Christians find references to the devil very offensive, because they associate it with spiritual forces that are opposed to God and good.”
He added: “From their perspective, any fictional or even playful use of the word could contradict their faith, which is more about rejecting evil than engaging with it, even if it’s for entertainment.”
Professor Arrington gave a more positive interpretation of the ban, writing: βThis is a valuable opportunity to explore the diversity of faith within our community and consider how we can support people of faith who find these topics difficult, especially as we are a faith school chosen by many parents for our commitment to fostering and sustaining a Christian spirit.β
There’s a lot to unpack here – mainly that Lloyd Arrington could just go past the second word of a movie’s title and trip over the third word instead of actually watching the movie. Because the animated action musical tells the story of a fictional K-pop girl band whose three members secretly protect the world from hell-bound villains rather than promoting the devil. On the contrary, their actions, the example they set, and by extension their songs are a positive influence rather than a cause for concern.
Indeed, the film also features a rival group of five demons whose song lyrics are about temptation. Still, some may argue that “impure” impulses like temptation, although not included in the Seven Deadly Sins of the Book of Good, are worth exposing to in order to fight better. Like KPop’s Demon Hunter.
In response to Ms Arrington’s letter, one parent said: BBC: “I thought it was ridiculous. My daughter is very interested in K-Pop, and she and her little friends all love K-Pop.”
In the face of negative feedback from parents, Ms Arrington updated her letter to add: “I completely agree that values such as teamwork, courage and kindness are important for children, and I know that many of you feel that songs like ‘Golden’ help children learn about these themes. But we want you to be reassured that we are not asking parents to tell their children that there is nothing wrong with enjoying a movie or its songs if it aligns with their own opinions and beliefs. Nor is this a message we share in schools either. β
He added: “Our role is simply to help children understand that some of their peers may have different opinions, and to explore how they can support them in respecting their peers and defending their beliefs.”
KPop Demon Hunterwas released in June and became the surprise hit of the summer, becoming the most-watched movie in Netflix history, with 236 million views online in the first three months.
songs from KPop Demon Hunter It’s also one of the most streamed online. spotifyand signboard He said the soundtrack set a record for having four songs in the top 10 at the same time: “Golden,” “Your Idol,” “Soda Pop” and “How It’s Done.”
The song “Golden” was also performed by the Royal Air Force Band. during the changing of the guard At Buckingham Palace. They didn’t seem “very uncomfortable” about it.