It’s hard to imagine where a movie about talking dogs could go wrong, but, well, woof. Deadline is reporting that two scenes will be cut from the film Show Dogs after advocacy groups and parents expressed concern that they could make children more susceptible to molestation. The PG-rated movie opened last weekend, and the scenes in question depict a dog being advised to go to his “zen place” to get through a dog show’s genital examination. After tolerating the unwelcome fondling, the dog is rewarded by progressing to the next round. As the National Center on Sexual Exploitation pointed out in a statement, “Disturbingly, these are similar tactics child abusers use when grooming children — telling them to pretend they are somewhere else, and that they will get a reward for withstanding their discomfort. Children’s movies must be held to a higher standard, and must teach children bodily autonomy, the ability to say ‘no’ and safety.”
Global Road Entertainment issued an apology along with the newly edited version of the film. But on the bright side, this is a great reminder for all of us that depicting molestation in a children’s movie is often a bad choice.
