Matt Jones

Post Six

 “Drawn Conclusions: Race, Gender, and Sexuality Representations in Animations”

Much like live-action cinema, the history of animation is rife with representations of race, gender, and sexuality that typify the prevalent stereotypes of the time.

A)           With the air of political correctness so prevalent in modern society it is shocking to look back on early examples of media and see such blatantly racist, sexist, and homophobic imagery.  Particularly in the United States where the tradition of the minstrel show continued throughout the 1900s.  White actors performing incredibly racist caricatures of African Americans have the sad distinction of being one of the few distinctly American forms of theatre.  This tradition continued throughout cinema, both live-action as well as the animated film.  Stereotypical blackface caricature was used to depict African Americans, or African natives in popular animated films up until the 1950s. 

                Negative issues regarding representation are not limited to race however, gender roles are defined through animated film.  Male representations, for example is shown through two Fleischer brother animated series: Popeye and Superman.  Popeye, the blue collar hero who exemplifies a moral character based in a common ethos.  Popeye’s moral character was often secondary to his physical strength (although aided by spinach) in the face of adversity.  His brute strength was typified by his physical transformation into machinery as he brutalized his foe.  Popeye, the idealized man (provided he has a can of spinach handy) transcends flesh and blood and becomes a creature of steel and strength.  While not created in the animated form, Superman (the man of steel) also exemplifies the American male image: Strong, Moral, and unflinchingly patriotic.  In the example given by Wells, Superman rescues Lois Lane from the nefarious Nazis, who are so lost in savagery that they are reveling in the idea and the practice of human sacrifice.  It is not uncommon to demonize the enemy during war (although, admittedly it is not terribly hard to demonize the Nazis) and the strength of a man of steel is the only way to defend American values.

The sexuality of cartoon characters are shown in two distinct ways.  Male characters are depicted in the way in which they act and the dominance they show, whereas female characters are distinguished by their appearance.  And the common occurance of a animated character dressing in the opposite gender’s clothing for the purposes of either deception or comedy only further muddles the issue of sexuality.

B.)          Given the reading for this week I decided to examine a video that showcases the racist stereotypes prevelant in animation.

This short features Bugs Bunny dancing and extolling upon the audience to support the war effort by purchasing war bonds.  However, the patriotism gives way to a blackface performance of a minstrel song by Bugs Bunny.  The animation is orthodox in its style and sadly, very racist in its presentation.  

C)            I have found a few more articles concerning intertexuality across media so, I hope to integrate them into my current research.