Aftermath– a DSMP Kids Ask/Comic @dsmpaftermath - Tumblr Blog

I feel like people don't talk enough about how insane the ending of Kung Fu Panda is.

There's an almost-universal truism in kids' movies that the hero can't kill anyone. Not even the Big Bad, no matter how warranted it is in the moment or how much the audience wants it. You simply can't do that. Heroes don't kill.

There are exceptions, but this truism is especially universal in the studio that's practically synonymous with kids' films: Disney.

That's why so many Disney villains end up accidentally killing themselves. Usually by falling off of something:

I can only think of four heroes in the entire Disney catalog that deliberately, intentionally choose to kill a sapient, intelligent villain, and all of them were self-defensive and in the heat of the moment, where sparing the villain wasn't an option:

(Note: I have seen most Disney movies, but not all of them)

....and then Dreamworks came along, said "fuck that," and had their goofy, lovable Jack Black character ice a motherfucker just 'cause.

Po has already completely won the fight. The day has been saved. He has Tai Lung at his mercy. Tai Lung is terrified:

And Po's not even reluctant about it. There's no burden of responsibility. He doesn't even give his thoroughly beaten opponent a chance to surrender or be banished or something. They didn't just have Po kill, they had him enjoy it because his method of murder is so wicked cool.

Po is a hero in a kids' movie who not only kills his villain, but fucking executes him. All with that signature Dreamworks smirk on his face:

I have gazed into the abyss, and the abyss said "skadoosh."

andhumanslovedstories

had a genuine revelation in therapy that made me burst out laughing, been a while since I had one of those

andhumanslovedstories

therapist was talking about urge surfing (the idea that urges are waves that come and go if you ride them out, so the more you delay acting on the urge, the more likely you are not to do it) and then I was talking about how the transient nature of my emotions is actually what gets me so mad, like it's actually very very annoying to be so so sad but to also be thinking "I know I'm very sad right now but unfortunately I am going to feel better later so I can't destroy my life for one minute's gratification," and it's just so annoying because if I knew or at least believed that I was gonna be sad FOREVER it would make things much easier, but instead I'm so mad at the knowledge that this too will pass. like it's a manifestation of weak will to not feel bad forever.

and my therapist was like, "so even at the worst times, you still have hope"

and I was like "holy shit dude" because never once in my life have I considered that the little bastard voice that tells me not to smash all the dishes because they'll be a pain in the ass to clean up in ten minutes is the last gift/curse of Pandora's box

andhumanslovedstories

hope is a thing with wings, i.e. a bird and like most birds is 1) very beautiful, 2) very annoying, and 3) sometimes shits on you