According to Variety,
Disney executive producer and Pixar frontman John Lasseter has recently
emphasised the importance of conveying diversity in animated film, particularly
ethnic diversity and gender. This statement comes as a result of having been
asked whether Pixar will utilise a black protagonist in the near future, to
which he responded that a more intense and informed focus on ethnic groups and
women represents a sure-fire step in the right direction. However, one cannot
help but wonder whether Disney and Pixar’s focus on emanating ethnic and gender
diversity is somewhat laboured, and detracts from the far more important
objective of delivering a compelling narrative.
Moreover, it could be argued that this statement serves as
little besides a mere sound bite for the purposes of quelling the onslaughts of
aggressive reporters in light of the fact that only one of Pixar’s features
released so far (as of May 2015) contains a female protagonist. Sure, I’m
willing to accept that this is likely subject to change, but to argue the case
for complete diversity in the animated genre, you have to admit, is somewhat
idealistic. The film in question, Brave (2012),
in fact, conveys very little in terms of female empowerment. Its protagonist is
one of the least interesting characters in the film, mostly due to the fact
that the narrative itself proves problematic, leaving her character learning
nothing by the film’s conclusion, and having overcome no obstacles by dint of an
epiphanic anagnorisis, typical of your average main character. Instead, this
burden is instead attributed to her mother, Queen Elinor, whose role in the
film is surprisingly underplayed considering the substantiality of her physical
and emotional changes as the narrative progresses.
It must be acknowledged, however, that under Lasseter’s
tenure as executive producer, Disney have at least attempted to be more diverse
in their racial and cultural onscreen depictions, The Princess and the Frog (2009) perhaps representing the most
obvious candidate for the most notable of these attempts. That said, despite
its predominantly black (animated) cast, African Americans are nonetheless
presented to a mainstream audience through the use of culinary signifiers; of
particular note is the use of gumbo, which is utilised to convey something
mildly exotic but simultaneously non-threatening and familiar to a mainstream
audience, generally unacquainted with and presumably ignorant of black culture.
In addition, whether it’s intended or not, it aligns the African American woman
with food and cooking – a signifier present in film and animation since the ‘Mammy’,
as identified in MGM Tom and Jerry cartoons
of the 1940s and early 1950s. Parasecoli provides an in-depth analysis of food
as a signifier in the aforementioned feature (Parasecoli, 2010), while other
critics have also argued that the conveyance of African Americans in this
feature reinforces a racist discourse. While this is a rather extreme view in my
opinion, this perception can nonetheless be supported by the easily identifiable
lack of contextual references. The oppressive, subservient realities of African
Americans in 1920s New Orleans are present, but vastly underplayed, to the extent
at which protagonist Tiana appears content with her and her family’s
subjugation – hardly unlike the depiction of the complacent plantation worker
in Song of the South (1946), though
admittedly less severe. But therein lies the issue: historical context is
avoided rather than addressed. Evidently, this is intentional in order to
obviate the conveyance of a potentially racist discourse, or at least a dark,
bitter historical reality, in a family animation. Yet this simultaneously
proves problematic in that it circumvents and, in a sense, rewrites historical
fact.
While Pixar, for the time being, are yet to encroach upon
the threshold of ethnic diversity to any notable extent, their inclusion of
female protagonists seems to be increasing, or at least that’s what Inside Out (2015) would indicate.
Disney, meanwhile, have already begun to publicise their 2016 release Moana, which is being heavily promoted
as their first feature to contain a Polynesian princess. Indeed, as Lasseter
indicates, it does seem as though the
animated genre is entering a new era in terms of ethnic and gender diversity.
However, there seems to be a far greater focus on encouraging (or forcing) this
diversity than on delivering impactful and engrossing plots. I’m in support of
diversity in animation, but only as long as it doesn’t detract from the quality
of the narrative. Moana gets no bonus
points for its emphasis on cultural diversity ahead of its release, at least
not in my book. It’s arguably an achievement in a sense, yes, but it’s a minor
detail, tangential to the far more significant components that comprise a good film (such as narrative structure,
compelling characters and their development).
Furthermore, the fact that we do, contemporarily, consider
such developments to be worthy of a great deal of media attention is quite
frankly pathetic and upsetting. Of course, the encouragement of diversity in
any form of media is undoubtedly a positive thing, but for something as minor
as Disney’s ‘first Polynesian princess’ to hit the headlines in the 21st
Century is somewhat unsettling, in that it absolutely emphasises the tragic
nature of the lack of cultural diversity in film generally. Personally, I’m of
the opinion that we are behind the times, at least where animated films are
concerned. Bafflingly, if anything, a predominant focus on race and culture surely
represents a retrograde step, for there was no such emphasis on the nationality
of Princess Jasmine, the Arabian princess, in Aladdin (1992), although this was likely since it was integral to
the plot. Such a heavy emphasis on diversity is unnecessary, and today’s films should
already be representative of a society so complex and ordinary that it doesn’t
warrant media attention. Race and gender’s continual utilisation as a means of
promotion punctuates the sensationalism of the cartoon at its absolute nadir. Taking
all this into account, Lasseter’s words seem almost meaningless. We might be
edging closer gradually, but complete, equal representation in animation
currently remains little more than a far-off delusion.
Sources:
Variety: ‘John Lasseter Says Disney/Pixar Wants More Diverse
Characters’: http://variety.com/2015/film/markets-festivals/john-lasseter-disney-pixar-more-diverse-characters-1201499414/
Parasecoli, F. (2010) ‘A Taste of Louisiana: Mainstreaming
Blackness through Food in The Princess and the Frog’ in Journal of African American Studies. 14 (4), pp. 450-468.
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