A school in England is seeking to protect “Christian ethos” by banning songs from the hit Netflix animated movie ‘KPop Demon Hunters’, explaining to parents that demons are associated with "spiritual forces opposed to God and goodness."
A primary school in the UK has banned pupils from singing songs from the hit Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters.
The reason? The songs featured in the most-streamed movie in Netflix history could make Christians feel “deeply uncomfortable”.
Lilliput Church of England School in Poole, Dorset, sent a letter to parents last week requesting that they tell their children not to sing the chart-topping songs at school because of the school’s “Christian ethos”.
Lloyd Allington, head of Lilliput Church of England Infant School, wrote: “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.”
“For some Christians, references to demons can feel deeply uncomfortable because they associate them with spiritual forces opposed to God and goodness.”
He continues: “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.”
Allington even ventured a more positive spin to the ban, writing: “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.”
There’s a lot to unpack here – chiefly that Llyod Allington, in lieu of actually taking the time to watch the film, would do well to go beyond the second word in the film’s title and move on trippingly to the third, as the animated action-musical is about a fictional K-pop girl band whose three members don’t promote demons but secretly protect the world from hellbound rascals. If anything, their actions, the example they set – and by extension their songs – are a positive influence rather than a source for concern.
Granted, the film also features a rival group made up of five demons, and their song lyrics address temptation. Still, while not one of the seven deadly sins in the Good Book, one could argue that “impure” impulses like seduction are worth being exposed to, in order to better fight them. You know, like the KPop Demon Hunters do.
In response to Allington's letter, one parent told the BBC: “I thought it was ridiculous. My daughter is very into K-Pop and her and all of her little friends love it.”
Faced with negative feedback from parents, Allington updated his letter, adding: “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.”
He added: “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, released in June, was the surprise hit of the summer and became the most-watched movie in Netflix’s history – watched 236 million times in its first three months online.
The songs from KPop Demon Hunters have also been some of the most streamed online on Spotify, and Billboard said the soundtrack broke a record to become the first to ever chart four simultaneous Top 10 songs – 'Golden', 'Your Idol', 'Soda Pop' and 'How It's Done'.
The track 'Golden' was even performed by the Royal Air Force band during the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. They did not seem “deeply uncomfortable” about it.
