School bans KPop Demon Hunters songs to protect ‘Christian ethos’
The film is rated PG and was watched 236 million times in its first three months of release
A primary school has banned students from singing songs from the smash-hit children's cartoon KPop Demon Hunters in a bid to preserve its “Christian ethos.”
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Lilliput Church of England School in Poole, Dorset informed parents last week that they tell their kids not to sing songs from the most popular Netflix film of all time because they could make Christians feel “deeply uncomfortable.”
KPop Demon Hunters skyrocketed to fame earlier this year after releasing on Netflix, and stars three pop stars battling evil demons in the form of a boy band.
Writing to parents, Lloyd Allington, acting head of Lilliput Church of England Infant School, said: “While we fully respect your right to make choices about the content your child engages with at home, we also want to be mindful of the diversity of beliefs within our school community.
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“For some Christians, references to demons can feel deeply uncomfortable because they associate them with spiritual forces opposed to God and goodness.
“From their perspective, even fictional or playful use of this language can conflict with their faith, which emphasises rejecting evil rather than engaging with it – even in entertainment.
“This is a valuable opportunity to explore the diversity of beliefs within our community and consider how we can support those of faith who find these themes challenging – particularly as we are a faith school, chosen by many parents for our commitment to fostering and upholding a Christian ethos.”
Some parents have been left unimpressed by the school’s attempt to ban the film, with one saying: “I thought it was ridiculous. My daughter is very into K-pop and her and all of her little friends love it.
“It’s just a harmless, a nice little thing for them to do to get their confidence up.”
After receiving feedback from parents, the school shared a new letter, which read: “Thank you to those parents who have shared your thoughts around the positive themes you see in KPop Demon Hunters and its music.
“We completely agree that values like teamwork, courage, and kindness are important for children, and it’s clear from your feedback that many of you feel songs like Golden have helped your children learn about these themes.
“However, we want to reassure you that we are not asking parents to tell their children that there is anything wrong with enjoying the film or its songs if it aligns with your own views and beliefs, and this will not be the messaging we share in school either.
“Our role will simply be to help children understand that some of their peers may hold different views and to explore how we can respect and support those peers in upholding their faith.”
KPop Demon Hunters is rated PG and was watched 236 million times in its first three months of release.
Netflix has already greenlit a sequel after the animation’s monumental success.