Don’t you love it when Hollywood makes a bunch of violent movies with guns and fighting, makes billions of dollars off it, and then wants to tell us not to like fighting or guns? Jessica Alba is the latest Hollywood starlet to go public with her disdain of “violence,” claiming that her daughters, ages 8 and 5, aren’t allowed to watch her violent movies. Well, duh. Why would anyone let their little ones watch R-rated movies? That’s common sense.
But then Alba went over the edge by also sanctimoniously claiming that she doesn’t even allow her children to see her train Krav Maga, the Israeli Defense Forces training used by their military and also by self-defense instructors world wide. Women especially benefit from this kind of training so they are less likely to be victims of assault. You would think Alba would see the benefit of teaching girls self defense. Alba told USA Today, “I don’t even do fight training at home. I go to the gym for that.”
Not only is it necessary for all women to have self-defense training, but it’s great exercise which keeps you healthy, strong, and young. What’s bad about modeling that to children? My children have been in Brazilian jiu-jitsu since they were toddlers. If any kid on the playground should make the mistake of trying to beat down my ten-year-old, she could end that attack and get an apology in under 20 seconds with an arm bar. We have not only seen to her training by professionals but she has competed, witnessed professional MMA fights, and watched UFC fighting with her dad, paying close attention to identify the moves she knows. Like it or not, fighting is a reality of life, an entertaining sport, great exercise, and sometimes will save your life.
Alba even admits that she can protect herself because of her training. “I could hurt you….But I’m not lethal. I’d probably just stun you.” And that might be all it takes for her to get away from an attacker. Why wouldn’t she want her daughters to have the same fighting chance?
Alba seems to think children should be discouraged from taking karate or Taekwondo or any martial art because it’s “fighting.” She’s free to do whatever she wants with her own kids and put them in basket weaving or safe-space construction or whatever peaceful activities she deems appropriate, but does she realize how condescending she sounds to parents whose kids aren’t surrounded by highly paid armed guards? We’re on our own out here and we are going to make sure our kids can survive. Most of us don’t have the luxury of living behind gates with security guards and drivers, separated from all the violent psychopaths in the real world. One day, what Alba calls “violence” might save my child’s life.
If Jessica Alba feels that strongly about violent movies and fictional fight scenes, maybe she should stop making them.
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