Flattening the Cars Curve

May 1, 2020 1:01 PM

Review of time spent with our toddler on his nightly screen time sessions with Cars (2006)

During week 1, we estimated that we were getting through roughly 20% of the movie Cars (2006) every night, leaving us five days to get through completion of the 117 minute movie (roughly 109 minutes if you don’t include all of the credits and accompanying John Mayer song/gag). As the quarantine continued into week seven, we estimate that the Toddler has now cumulatively seen Cars (2006) a total of 19 times.

posted by jenkinsEar (14 comments total)

We're doing a whole Disney movie every afternoon for our four year old, which is obviously a lot more, but man am I glad she changes preferences sometimes. Usually it's the same movie for four or five days in a row (this was the week of Robin Hood), but I haven't seen anything 25 times, not even Frozen 2 or Mary Poppins, thank God.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 1:16 PM on May 1, 2020

So glad I grew up before this was possible. But don’t ask me how many times I’ve seen each episode of Gilligan’s Island.
posted by neuron at 1:30 PM on May 1, 2020 [8 favorites]

Due to my sister's 2nd kid, John, love him, the movie I've seen the most times by like, several factors, is Finding Nemo.
posted by FirstMateKate at 1:31 PM on May 1, 2020

When we visited for a couple of weeks about a year and change ago, my two year old nephew was averaging one point five Wall-Es per day. Averaging. It was nuts. I guess if you're stuck watching one Disney movie over and over, there are worse choices.

Currently my kids are demanding the Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That about once a day, and it is the worst. That fucking theme song. "He's coming!" It's the most unnerving project that Martin Short has ever been involved in, and that covers a lot.
posted by phooky at 1:49 PM on May 1, 2020 [4 favorites]

Isn't there some idea in film studies that you should watch a film about ten times, each time focussing on a different element? Cinematography, plot, sound etc?

Seriously though, this sort of wretched film choice seems like best argument not to have kids. It convinced me anyway.
posted by biffa at 2:07 PM on May 1, 2020 [2 favorites]

Repetition is great for learning which s a good thing for the toddler and a terrible thing for the researcher. This person is to be credited for their commitment to objectivity, if asked I would put my child's number of Daniel Tiger Family Trip viewings at roughly 11 million.
posted by teh_boy at 2:20 PM on May 1, 2020 [2 favorites]

So glad I grew up before this was possible. But don’t ask me how many times I’ve seen each episode of Gilligan’s Island.

I know, right? I don't think my kids could believe or comprehend the number of TV shows I watched that I just barely liked because there was nothing else on. Hard to imagine growing up and LOVING every single thing I watched, either because I found something like Cars and watched it over and over again or just kept switching/clicking until I found something I actually enjoyed.
posted by straight at 3:06 PM on May 1, 2020 [10 favorites]

The adult version of this is to get the Criterion Edition of Antonioni's "The Passenger" and then watch it and all the commentaries. By the fourth watch, we were convinced it was a masterpiece.
posted by acrasis at 3:40 PM on May 1, 2020 [4 favorites]

Speaking of Cars, I just saw a tweet today about an unused sequence that was nightmare inducing, feel free to go be horrified.
posted by emjaybee at 3:48 PM on May 1, 2020 [4 favorites]

The study is fundamentally flawed in that the movie chosen is Cars, which is I rubbish. Unless the authors can get better data, for instance by performing the study with Toy Story or Toy Story 2, I recommend a strong reject.
posted by drnick at 3:49 PM on May 1, 2020

This makes me feel sick.
posted by tiny frying pan at 4:15 PM on May 1, 2020

Cars is garbage but it is Up compared to Cars II. So it could be worse.
posted by condour75 at 9:21 PM on May 1, 2020 [4 favorites]

pffft 19 times? you've obviously never read the same bedtime story every night for 2 months
posted by mbo at 10:41 PM on May 1, 2020

This is the millionth reason I'm so glad I've got a 9yo, now, and not... well, anyone under 7 or over about 11, I guess.

Watching a bunch of Steven Universe, She-Ra, Infinity Train, Bob's Burgers and Owl House isn't the worst way to spend an apocalypse.
posted by gurple at 3:36 PM on May 2, 2020