Toy Story 3 and dark associations..

I just watched Toy Story 3. I was told my grandchildren just loved it..
I watched it with mixed feelings from laughing to being troubled by the underlying messages.

The main theme was how the toy characters handle 'abandonment'. The Toys are facing being abandoned by their beloved owner as he is cleaning up his room to go to college.. There is a disagreement with the Toys who can't decide if they should be loyal, no matter what.. (Which could have meant risking a ride in a garbage truck) OR moving on to find a new owner and new life making another child happy..

On their journey, they meet toys in a childcare facility where they find out too late that they will be 'abused' (not by intention) by the very young children.. We soon discover that the long time resident (childcare) toys are being manipulated to do unkind things to the new toys, by a deceptive and disturbed (because of abandonment) stuffed toy bear..

I believe my grandchildren loved the movie because they didn't understand the undertones of the movie.. This is because they have nothing to associate these events with.. (until now) The only time they were upset was when the Toys were facing destruction at the end..

What amazed me is that this child's movie showed me how accurate Eckhart Tolle is when he talks about how the human mind works.. We see, hear, touch, smell, taste something and our brain makes an association. (Or creates a meaning for it.) Our brain, in an attempt to make us feel safe, creates a reaction.. And, if acceptable, it will become our auto-reaction next time.. We will automatically react by remembering the association or meaning we have given it..

For me, this meant that when the 'good' toy (Buz Lightyear) was restrained and then attacked by the other toys, and had his 'switch' changed to 'reset', *I thought of torture and brainwashing.. When the toys were put in caged bins and had their freedom denied, *I thought of political injustice. When the friendly stuffed bear showed his 'manipulation' of the childcare toys to do cruel things, *I thought of bullying and some cult stories.
All these associations came up automatically because of the auto-reaction (associations) I have in storage in my brain..

I wonder if this movie will influence the grandchildren if, or when, they are faced with abandonment..

It is a good thing, I guess, WHEN we can recognize what our 'thoughts' do to us.. I am not condoning the movies choices.. The kids mostly enjoyed the funny relationship of Ken and Barbie.. I have to admit I laughed at the torture of Ken when Barbie was ripping his favorite clothes.

I was told that my grandkids laughed, out loud, at the many funny antics of the toys and how they related to each other.. As an adult, I found myself laughing at times, as well.. But I also had issues with the meanings that I created via my own associations.. But also wonder what torturing thoughts the writers must of been going through to think this is appropriate material for a family movie..

Our associations, is one reason that the wise say, "If we have issues with someone/something -we need to look inside ourselves and not at the someone/something that bothers us."

*** To add to this post (it is now Dec) I had discovered something while Holiday Shopping..
The Toy Story bear named 'Lotso', who refused to save the 'good' group of toys by not pushing the 'stop' button (and letting them continue to their possible firery destruction), is being sold as a friendly huggable child's toy this season.. What about children who get it, love it, and then see the movie for the first time afterwards? How will they react when their bear reveals his 'unloving evil' side?? What were the marketers thinking?