11/21/2024
In honor of "Inside Out 2," which in July became the highest grossing animated film of all time, I have a new cuss phrase for you to try out if the upcoming holiday stress reaches a boiling point:
"Jiminy Mother Lovin' Toaster Strudel!"
I even learned today that you can purchase, on Etsy, t-shirts that proudly proclaim the phrase. (Don't tempt me... 😉)
If you have seen "Inside Out 2," you might remember that this humorous cussing outburst came from the character, Joy, in her uncharacteristic meltdown after trying to keep things hopeful while her fellow emotions were running rampant with doom and gloom.
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In all of my years speaking, I've never had so many presentation attendees say to me, "You have to see this movie," as I did with "Inside Out 2." Typically, the "Inside Out 2" suggestion came after I spoke on Emotional Intelligence or Self-Awareness. I am glad that each person who suggested the movie added that I needed to watch "Inside Out" first, so I would better understand what was going on in the sequel.
The gist of both movies, if you haven't seen them, is that we get to see what's going on inside Riley's mind/emotions as she progresses from 11-year-old in the first movie, to teenager Riley in the second.
Each of Riley's emotions is a character, starting with Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust, and adding the more complex emotions of Anxiety, Ennui, Embarrassment, and Envy in her teenage years. The movie has received rave reviews, particularly from mental health professionals, for its accurate depiction of how our emotions work and for the powerful insight that all of our emotions are an essential part of who we are.
As illustrated in this picture-quote, one of my favorite depictions in the movie is Anxiety. She arrives a bit disheveled, carrying numerous bags and announcing, "Where can I put my stuff?" As someone who has dealt with a certain level of anxiety my entire life, I had to smile at that line. Anxiety certainly brings a lot of baggage with it, as so many of us can attest to.
In a later scene in the movie, Anxiety takes the controls of Riley's emotions during a crucial hockey match, and Riley ends up having a terrifying and escalating panic attack. When Joy eventually regains the controls from Anxiety, Anxiety expresses sincere regret for the damage she caused, and quietly adds, "I was just trying to protect her."
I cried at several points during "Inside Out 2," and have since learned that for adults watching the film, that is not unusual. One of the most emotional moments for me was when Riley went from having a core sense of self at 11-years-old of, "I'm a good person," to for the first time, as a teenager, changing that sense of self to, "I'm not good enough." (Cue the tears...too many of us have told ourselves that lie too many times.)
Sincere thanks to all who recommended "Inside Out" to me! And next time you see me, I truly hope you proudly declare,
"Jiminy Mother Lovin' Toaster Strudel!"
