Akwat Kbrana said:
My rationale is probably the same as yours. It's not a matter of censoring the movies he watches (beyond what a responsible parent should do anyway) or trying to force my views down his throat; it's more a matter of wanting him to be able to appreciate the magic of Star Wars exactly how it was before the PT came along and ruined it. Personally, I wish to high heaven someone had prevented me from ever seeing the prequels, since it irreversibly alters the context within which the OT occurs. I know you can always say "Well just ignore the PT; problem solved!" but that's really easier said than done. Whereas pre-1999 there was a lot of mystery and intrigue involved whenever I watched Star Wars ("I wonder what the clone wars were like," etc.), I now have to make a conscious decision not to think about the official crappy backstory. So while it is possible to enjoy the OT while ignoring the PT, it's still not as interesting/exciting/magical as it was in the days of pre-1999 blissful ignorance. And that's the untainted Star Wars universe that I want my kids to experience.
The problem though, is that they are in a situation exactly the same as yours then. You spent your adolescence watching the "pure" OT, then the PT came along and "ruined it" for you. Even if you hide the PT from your kids and show them just the OT, they will still eventually see it one day. So it will be the same as you, so how are you saving them the tragedy that befell you? The PT exists and you can never create a situation where Star Wars is "untarnished" by it. The idea that showing them all the films now will create less of an experience is based on the assumption that they will hate the PT and think the OT is lesser for it, which is far-fetched and unrealistic.
The alternative is that they see the PT and like it, because they are children and are entertained by movies like the PT. They may even grow to love the PT. If this makes them pay attention to the OT less it is only because the PT has provided a more worthwhile distraction for them, as one might not be all that surprised from kids. Then, when they are older, they realise that the original films were actually a lot better made than the prequels and are classics of cinema. The other alternative is that they see the PT and aren't crazy about it, so they keep watching those other ones they like.
The flaw in this whole thing is that you are projecting your own views of the films onto people that don't have them. The OT won't be "ruined" by them seeing the PT now, because in order to do that they have to have the same initial experience as you, and unless you have a time machine and a brain swapping device, that won't happen. They won't have the environment and context that we had in the 70s, 80s and 90s, because its not the 70s, 80s and 90s, and they won't be adults seeing the PT either. Instead, they will go to school and see Mace Windu action figures and hear about the movie where Anakin turns into Darth Vader and their friends will all be talking about new episodes of the Clone War series with Obi Wan and Ahsoka. This is the context for a kid in the year 2011. If your son finds a movie from 1977 interesting, he's not suddenly going to hate it if you show him the Clone Wars, although he might find Clone Wars more appealing and interesting. This isn't taking anything away from Star Wars, kids like what they like, it will just supplement it and give him entertainment and pleasure that he otherwise wouldn't have had. That's why it always seems like this is really not for the kids benefit but for the parents'. They don't care if they like the PT more than the OT, you do.
That's why the idea of going to such lengths to manipulate your kids from not seeing the PT does seem a bit strange and obsessive about the PT's "badness", no offence intended. It just seems like treating the movies with way more seriousness than is merited. There is a whole video, posted here, that has people doing stuff like this, but as parody, or at least halfway parody. I get it that you want them to have the same experience you did, but it just seems like denying them an otherwise fun experience for this notion that they must and will necessarily have the same feelings as you. The idea of programming your kids to be "safe" from the PT just seems a bit...odd. I mean, I'm not trying to tell anyone how to raise their kids. What the hell do I know about parenting? It just seems counter-intuitive to me. It's not the idea, because I wouldn't want to volunteer much PT stuff on my kids either because I feel that there is better things for them to see, I guess it's just the level of involvement when there is a clear desire on their part to see them. The films are harmless and the worst they will do is give them entertainment IMO. I mean stuff like the Clone War series is fantastic fun for me, and I'm an adult, I wish I had this stuff as a kid.