On Watching Madagascar 3: Strong, Single Female Character in a Box

Chantel Dubois

I watched Madagascar 3 with my daughter this week and as is my tendency, kept my eyes open for things to analyze.  What struck me was the sufferings of the antagonist, Chantel DuBois, the animal control deputy chasing the animals across various continents.  Not only is she presented as assuming the posture of a dog (thus being a female dog) as she sniffs the ground to track the animals, but she also is the only prominent single female character.  Every other female character is (often literally) cuddly, fuzzy and paired with a male companion.  The single, professional woman in a position of authority suffers much humiliation and violent treatment winding up crated up and shipped off to Madagascar.   I doubt that this message is what the filmmakers intended; they likely were aiming for a modern Inspector Clouseau figure, but still the figure is troubling.  On another level,  I wonder why this figure bothers me where a male figure suffering a similar fate would not.  I believe it is because of the history of violence against women, and the bias against strong, single women in realm the political and economic realm.

I know I over analyze film–that’s why my family does not let me go along on outings to the local cinema and I only offer commentary after the DVD makes it home– but I cannot help it.  I will, however, stop before I author a screed on the presentation of Africa and the concept of “Afro-” culture in the film.”

Movie on Girls Adopted from China and Quest for Identity

I look forward to seeing this movie I just heard about on NPR. The girls’ reflections in the trailer are fraught, optimistic and thoughtful.  In the report I also heard one of them metaphorically describe their mixed American (white) and Asian identities as “scrambled eggs.”  That is one food analogy for racial identity I had not heard before, and its creativity alone piques my interest.

Blackface at University of Florida Party–Time for a History Lesson

For the University of Florida fraternity members (above) who donned blackface for a rock stars and rappers themed party, I suggest this educational activity.  Sit down and watch D.W. Griffin’s film Birth of a Nation.  Pay close attention to the way the film presents blacks as portrayed by white actors in blackface.  Also note the pro-KKK propaganda including the Klan riding to the rescue in the end saving the white people from hostile blacks.  Consider the link between your costume choice and this early film example of blackface.  Then, if you wish to put on such makeup again, you can do so in full knowledge of the tradition to which your actions connect.  For an abridged lesson, there is clip to a key scene from the movie below.

New Disney Princess: Leia Brings Interstellar Diversity

With Disney buying Lucasfilm that makes Princess Leia the newest Disney princess.  At first glance adding another straight white female would not add diversity, but think about geographic diversity.  Being from Alderaan, she would be the first princess from outside the planet Earth.

Cinderella told me to take out the evil stepsisters…

 

Beauty and Beast: Class Based Critique

Lumiere and Cogsworth having assumed the form of actual objects reflect the reduction of the lower class to objects in the castle’s economic order

I now recognize that Beauty and Beast contains a critique of social class structures.  My reasoning is as follows.

1. The prince at the start is an arrogant member of the ruling wealthy class

2. The enchanteress who comes to the castle witnesses his arrogance and teaches him a lesson by turning him into a physical representation of the oppressive, devouring nature of the ruling class–a beast

3.  At the same time she turns his employees in the castle into physical objects (tea kettle, candelabra, and clock) to reflect the fact that residing on a lower level of the economic system they were treated as objects not real human beings. Thus, as long as the spell remains unbroken the rich beast rules over the lower class objects–a literal representation of economic oppression.

4. In order for the spell to be broken the prince/beast must relinquish control over his possession, Belle, and show compassion.  At the same time he must engage in an interpersonal exchange not based on power or money but on love.

I doubt the story was written with this sort of subtext in mind, and I am pretty sure Disney was not trying for a critique of capitalism.  Nonetheless, since I hear the story two or three times every morning, I think the economic implications are obvious.

 

Reversing Beauty and the Beast

Imagine if you will replacing Belle with a handsome lad named Brad and making the beast female.

I have been listening to Beauty and the Beast (audio version of Disney story), repeatedly and I am beginning to wonder what would happen if the genders were reversed.

Imagine for example the following changes:

1. The Beast is a princess who for being unkind to a visiting enchanter was turned into a beast

2. The Beauty (Belle) is a handsome lad from the village who likes to read books

3. The Beauty’s one parent, his mother to whom he is deeply attached, is an inventor scorned by the villagers

3. The conceited bully (Gaston) is a woman who aggressively pursues the handsome lad

How would an ugly, beastly female character play differently?  How would the handsome lad sacrificing himself for his mother and living with a female beast play out differently than a daughter sacrificing herself for her father?  What further stereotypes would the female bully play into (shrew, cougar, etc.)?

Looking online I have not found any great examples of this reversal.  There is the film Shallow Hal, but some commentators question the parallel there.  There is also tale told by Chaucer’s Wife of Bath regarding a knight who as punishment for committing rape encounters a hag who transforms into a beauty.  I need to break out my Chaucer to review that one.

Nonetheless, as I continue to find myself listening to this story, I am going to continue to spin out the alternative gender reversed version in my head.

Watching Madagascar and Pondering Diversity

I have been watching the films Madagascar and Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa with my family, and while enjoying the films have been trying to see what kind of subtle messages about race and stereotype are present.

First, I must say that because all the characters are animals, there is not much overt to consider.  I notice that the films due reduce Africa to a playground for large, charismatic mammals (lions, zebras, hippopotamuses, and giraffes) with the only humans being tourists and guides.  This presentation may contribute the assumptions behind my students frequently asking exchange students from urban African locales about their encounters with Lions.

The one animal choice that strikes me is the zebra, Marty, voiced by Chris Rock.  There is frequent reference to the question as to whether the zebra is white with black stripes or black with white stripes, a question that could be taken to get at issues of essential racial identity, especially given that the voice is done by a black comedian.  There is also the moment when Alex, voiced by Ben Stiller, sees a crowd of zebras and cannot distinguish between them; they all look the same.  This could be a play on the trope that white people with limited experience in multicultural environments  often say when looking at black people that it is hard to tell them apart.

As a side note, what is it it with the equine sidekicks voiced by black comedians?  There is Chris Rock’s Marty here and Eddie Murphy’s Donkey in Shrek.

Back to Madagascar, there is also the hippopotamus Gloria voiced by Jada Pinkett Smith.  She is a very assertive character and in the second film, much is made of her girth and the appeal of the girth to a smooth male hippopotamus, Moto Moto, voiced by Will I Am.  Given the voices involved, and the way the characters movements are animated, the exchange between these two characters appears to present a certain stereotype of black culture.  I cannot imagine a proudly rotund animal being voiced by a white actor in this way.

Once again, I am probably reading too much into the films, but given that modern children’s movies often contain allusions and subtexts designed to appeal to adults, who knows?  These references might be intentional.  Now I have to go see Madagascar 3.

 

Waiting for the Cable Repair Person: Avoiding Sexist Language in Everyday Conversation

The habits one falls into with language. The computer and cable were not working due to a weed trimming accident.  My daughter asked when they were going to be fixed.   I said, “the cable repair…”; then I paused for a moment before saying, “…person will be here Friday.”  I quickly pondered how the word that first came to mind was cable repairman, but then caught myself and made it cable repair person.  It would not have been a disaster if I used the sexist language.  It would not have stunted by daughter’s development or permanently relegated her to a subservient role in society.  Still, I try to be a gender neutral as possible to show that all careers are open to both genders.  I wonder why in this case I nearly fell back on traditional language when I am usually pretty good with police officers, firefighters, postal workers and other occupations.  It may be that of all the cable repair people who have every come to my apartment or house, none have been female.  On the other hand, it may just be Jim Carrey’s fault.

“How to Read a Racist Book to Your Kids” What Marche Gets Wrong

Stephen Marche is white.  I assume, based on this recent piece, his children are also.  As a result, his reflections in the piece, “How to Read a Racist Book to Your Kids” are limited by the fact that the racist book in question is not dehumanizing him or his family members.  He begins with this paragraph:

““Dad, why do the pirates have a gorilla?” This unexpected question intruded on a recent intergenerational cultural exchange: I was introducing my 6-year-old son to Asterix the Gaul. The pirates in the “Asterix” comics don’t travel with a gorilla, of course. One of the pirate crew is a grotesque caricature of an African who does indeed more closely resemble a gorilla than a person.”

He then explains why he takes a path of “cowardice” and tells his son he does not know why the pirates have a gorilla.  The piece goes on to look at the various forms of racism a child could encounter that would have to be explained from Huck Finn to Jar Jar Binks with a nod to how various racist bits of film such as the Oompa-Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory have been edited and corrected over time. He ends on a vague note talking of how because of his childhood love of Asterix he cannot withhold these comics from his son before saying that since explaining the racism in a way that works for children is impossible, perhaps his son’s simple perspective is the best one.

I wonder what his view would be if he or his son were black? I cannot imagine reading my beloved multi-racial, preschool-aged daughter a comic with a black figure presented as a gorilla.  That’s not happening.  I also see no reason to show her Dumbo with its crows or any other number of stereotypical portrayals in book or film.  There are enough questionable presentations of black people in American culture without adding more.  There will be a time in her education when such issues are addressed.  If I happened to find myself reading her such a book by accident.  I would stop.  I would say that the author was mean, that the book was not a nice book, offer any further explanation on a 4 year old level, close the book, and put it away.  Some might say this is censorship or a withholding of reality. Fine, in our house there are some realities we don’t share with four year olds.

Harder to Animate Female Characters?

“Animating female characters is actually harder than animating male characters,” said Steve  May, Pixar’s Chief Technology Officer, “Maybe we’ve just caricatured the male characters a little more.”   I wonder why this is the case?  I do not know much about computer animation, so I would be curious.

This quotation came in an interview on Cleveland.com where much of the attention was directed to the difficulty of animating Merida’s bouncing, ample red locks in the movie “Brave.”  The other comment that suck with me was the authors line about the movie being “a burst of feminism for Pixar” with two strong female protagonists.  Now I may actually have to go see the film to evaluate that claim.