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Respecting Adults...a la Shmoop.

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Penelope Powers is all about fighting… “The Man.”

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That would be… every man. Every one of ‘em over the age of about twenty. [Penelope angry as lots of people are stood together]

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In fact, she even started a club called “The Man Fighters.”

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For a while there was some confusion, and she was getting a lot of sign-ups from guys [Two men fighting]

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who were looking to get into boxing…but she cleared it up with some new signage.

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The club’s message is simple: “Kids are cool, adults drool.”

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In Penelope’s eyes, adults are behind the root of every problem. [Penelope reflecting on adults causing all problems]

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They fight and argue among themselves…

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They create rules and laws that keep kids from enjoying themselves… simply because [Little girls enjoying a merry-go-round]

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they’re so grumpy and disappointed with their own lives that they’ll do whatever

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it takes to keep anyone else from having fun. [Little girl drawing]

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Not to mention that they’re just… old and ugly and gross.

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So far, three other kids, Huey, Dewey and Fred, have joined “The Man Fighters.” [Huey, Dewey and Fred outside the Man Fighters Club]

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They’re equally as upset with the way things are, and are sick and tired of adults getting

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to decide how every aspect of their lives play out.

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Fast forward twenty years… [Clock ticks forward rapidly]

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The Man Fighters is still in business. Yeah, it’s a little shocking.

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The treehouse has seen better days. [A tree house with 'The Man Fighters' sign]

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But through thick and think, the four of them have hung together, sticking it to the big people…

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…until one day, they suddenly realize… they ARE the big people. [Penelope, Huey, Dewey and Fred grown up]

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When they weren’t looking, they went ahead and grew up.

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They’ve become “The Man”.

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All of a sudden…all the stuff adults do is starting to make some sense to them.

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They’ve gotten older, gotten jobs, gotten married, had kids…

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…and the various stresses of responsibility and obligation have sunk in.

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They realize now that some rules are set, not just to stomp out fun and be fuddy-duddies… [A herd of sheep running through a field]

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…but to preserve order, to keep the peace, and to protect the innocent, and all that kinda stuff.

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They realize that all the stuff they used to say to their parents…about how they’re [Penelope thinking about what she used to say to her parents]

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going to be different when they grow up…

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…they’re now hearing their kids say to them. [Penelope and her child arguing]

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And they’re hearing themselves dole out punishments and time-outs and curfews…

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Oof. Might be time to close the treehouse doors at last. [Treehouse with a closed sign]

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It hits Penelope that kids and adults are different types of people…but they are both people. Just different versions of each other. [Adults in golf clothing and kids together]

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Adults have gone through decades more of life experience, and it’s shaped and changed

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them. Sometimes for the better.

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They aren’t always right about everything. But most of them are just stumbling along [Man stumbling along on a hike in a mountain]

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their own path as they take the same journey their kids will some day…

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…and they’re doing their best to…do their best. [Girl using a tablet in a car]

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Regardless, the very fact that they’ve put in the time and taken that journey makes adults

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deserving of some respect.

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Unfortunately…that’s only hit Penelope now…now that she hasn’t spoken to her [Life hits Penelope and she falls to the floor]

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parents in ten years and has made life difficult for herself by getting in the face of every

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authority figure she’s ever encountered.

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Ah, well. Maybe there’s still hope for Huey, Dewey and Fred… [Huey, Dewey and Fred stood together]

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