Messed Up 1950’s Movie about Repressing Emotions – ...

An offensively brutish film, Control Your Emotions offers an oversimplified version of the effects feelings can have on adolescents. A bogus doctor explains a troubled teen’s bad behavior by saying questionable things like “fear is triggered by loud noises,” and “your emotions can be your own greatest enemy.” Likening emotions to fire in their tendency to get out of control if not carefully regulated, this film advocates the suppression of emotion as a way to be a well-liked and happy member of society. Further warnings from the doctor reach higher levels of stupidity: “If this kind of behavior is repeated often, it might lead to a permanently warped personality.” Control Your Emotions exemplifies everything that was bad about the rigid conformity imposed in 1950s culture, as well as revealing the outright dishonesty involved in such control.