Ultimate Blogging Challenge January 2026 - Cars' parenting message

Does the Disney Movie "Cars" have a parenting message?

My teenage son, who grew up watching Cars on a regular basis, recently sent me a video.

In it, a dad who appears to be a lawyer jokes: “If I got to defend Lightning McQueen, he wouldn’t have been convicted.”

For context:

Lightning McQueen is an ambitious racecar who pushes his truck, Mack, to sacrifice his rest time and drive through the night so they can reach the next venue ahead of schedule. Exhausted, Mack begins nodding off and eventually swerves. His trailer door pops open, and McQueen slides out onto the highway. Suddenly, the racecar finds himself lost and driving erratically along a country road that looks a lot like Route 66.

As he nears the town of Radiator Springs, McQueen catches the Sheriff’s attention. When the Sheriff signals him to pull over with lights and sirens, McQueen tries to flee, confident that, as a racecar, he can outrun anyone. But he ends up tearing through a construction zone, ruining a freshly paved road. He is promptly arrested and brought to court.

With no lawyer of his own, McQueen is represented by his best friend Mater, a well-meaning but not particularly skilled tow truck. Unsurprisingly, the court rules against him: McQueen must repair the road he destroyed and may not leave Radiator Springs until the work is done.

This punishment throws his racing schedule into jeopardy. At first, McQueen grumbles his way through the task under the watchful eye of the Sheriff. But in the process, he forges friendships with the townsfolk of Radiator Springs, the heart of the story. And despite the delay, he still makes it to the Piston Cup in time.

In the final race, McQueen is on the verge of victory when he notices veteran racer The King has been wrecked by rival Chick Hicks. Rather than claim the trophy for himself, McQueen slams on the brakes, forfeits the win, and pushes The King across the finish line so he can end his career with dignity. Chick Hicks takes the official victory, but the crowd boos him, while McQueen earns lasting respect for his sportsmanship.

So while “YouTube Lawyer Dad” may be joking about getting McQueen acquitted, I can’t help thinking he’s sending the wrong message to his young son and to other children watching.

What’s the number one lesson we want to teach kids when they do something wrong?

That with a clever lawyer, you’re above the law and don’t have to care about the people or damage you’ve left behind?

Or that actions have consequences, and if you break it, you fix it?

Would YouTube Lawyer Dad cheer for a racer who wins by exploiting dirty tricks?

Or should we applaud Lightning McQueen, who chose to do the right thing, even though it cost him the championship he had worked so hard for?

I think we all know the answer.