mi6021jesspark2

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ESSAY REVIEW

I absolutely dragged myself through this essay, i am not an academic writer by any means. I always struggle to sit down and write about something in a non passionate way, my life is meant for passion! Why do academic essays not let me express that (I know why, but felt like being dramatic)

I feel like this essay reflects my aims and interest as an animator. I want to include messages that are important to me within my work, this essay reflects the importance of certain messages especially when directed towards a younger audience. This helped me with my final film pre-production as it reminded me that including messages and meanings within the media can be quite impactful.

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ARTICLES FOUND WHEN RESEARCHING ESSAY- A DEEPER DIVE

First of all, i was shocked that steven universe was the first Cartoon Network show which was directed by a woman. For it to be as late as 2013?!

This article outlines the importance of the strong yet complex female characters. Often times when women were portrayed as strong, they would be depicted in a more masculine way. this being invulnerable, emotionless steel walls of strength.

This isnt the case in Steven universe, as each of the strong female characters are complex and unique in their own ways. Take amethyst for example, she is undoubtedly strong yet still has the capacity to be vulnerable. Compared to other gems she is still in her infancy, this makes her insecure regarding her abilities and knowledge. This is important for on screen representation as it will give audience members someone to both look upto and resonate with. Seeing themselves in the heros is inspiring.

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ARTICLES INCLUDED WITHIN THE ESSAY- A SLIGHTLY DEEPER DIVE

(I do find it a little ironic that this article is written seemingly by a woman)

outlines the many ways in which the media upholds outdated gender stereotypes which can impact men. The idea of toxic masculinity and the stigma surrounding sharing ones feelings or mental health struggles is something which hinders our society from becoming a safer space for all.

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ARTICLES INCLUDED WITHIN THE ESSAY- A SLIGHTLY DEEPER DIVE

Although I have studied feminism in relation to media studies at both GCSE and A-Level i needed a refresher on the specific details. this article was the most comprehensive run down of each wave of feminism compared to other articles that clouded the information behind overly fancy worlds.

The web page separates each wave of feminism into their respective time period, something that was really useful when trying to conceptualise when they occurred and how they work in relation to each other. A fun piece of information that i wasn't privy to before this article is the origin of the quote "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women, were created equal", which was popularised in a verse of a song in the hit musical Hamilton, was in fact not of the declaration of independence but was from a document called the declaration of sentiments which was signed at the first ever women's rights convention in 1848. this convention is recognised by some as the start of the women's rights movements to follow.

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ARTICLES WITHIN THE ESSAY- A DEEP DIVE

This essay was used to reference the evolution of voting rights in the UK as a way to provide context behind the contemporary understanding of feminism. I used this fact as a way to give a time perspective on the gap between voting rights

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Using Animation as a Platform for Queer Awareness

This essay outlines the writers involvement in creating a queer focused animation as a means to advocate to stop homophobic bullying. I also like the technique which inspired this piece, one person draws something, the next fold the paper over and draws something else and the drawing continues in a collage of ideas and styles. really like the mixed media approach to this and the way each section follows on from the last.

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#GiveElsaAGirlfriend and the importance of mainstream queer cartoons

This article is short, sweet and simple. It explores the origin of the hashtag "Give Elsa A Girlfriend" and why it reflects audiences advocacy for queer characters within animated media. Cartoons are often one of the first aspects of media that children consume, making it a stepping stone into society and its expectations. This tied together, shows why queer identities within animated shows is important for younger audiences as this type of representation is fundamental in giving people the tools to identify who they are as a person.

This could also link to the "end of audience" theory where, due to the audiences advocacy for more representation of the lgbtq+, producers will listen to the wants of audiences and therefore cater to them, making audiences psuedo-writers.

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"Stronger Than You: Garnet as Queer Icon" By Jake Pitre

This article outlines how important Garnet is as a character to both the plot and the audience. The show, Steven universe follows alien beings who manifest from crystals and different gems. These beings can somehow mesh their physical bodies together, fusing themselves to create a new being originating from the two 'of them'original' forms. Garnet is a fusion between two gems named Ruby and Sapphire, who chose to live as their fusion to express their love for one another. The article highlights how this character has become a fan favourite as audience members resonate with pieces of Garnets identity. The Gems are all female coded due to features that are traditionally perceived as feminine (physical features, voices and the general way they present themselves). By having two gems, who are perceived to be female, so un-apologetically in love with each other, the show is inclusive and supportive of those who align with the LGBTQ+ community through the portrayal of a character that isnt just lazily hinted at, but instead is clearly queer.

[when i refer to the 'gems' i am referring to the gems as a species. same way we are called humans, they are gems. The main group of gems are called the crystal gems, same way we have a group of humans called One Direction]

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"Representing sexuality in animation, how limiting is technique?" By Adam Beer

This article explores and outlines how animation as a medium and technique could possibly become a limitation to fair and accurate representations of queer identities. It draws examples upon shows like 'family guy' (a higher budget hand drawn animation) and 'Rick and Steve' (a stop motion animation) to compare how each shows medium may change the way each show presents different identities to its viewers. The article comes to the conclusion that it is not animation as a technique that is to fault, but other outside factors such as writers, directors, networks and project investors that put constraints onto the project which can limit the inclusion of these topics within the story line.

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The fleeting nature of joy in Isao Takahata's "The tale of the princess Kaguya (2013)"

This article is, I believe, really effective in identifying key themes that it explores. This is important as the reader can easily understand what the article will go onto talk about. It also may intrigue the reader making them read on if a theme personally resonates with them. The way the article highlights that the film is the “final masterpiece of one of studio Ghibli’s founding fathers” creates a sense of importance, makes the reader view the media as almost a piece of studio Ghibli’s legacy.

The story follows an almost whimsical atmosphere, a story centred around a young girl born out of a glowing bamboo shoot and is adopted by a baboo cutter and his wife, The tale explores identity and how the girl deals with her longing for her old life and the struggles with facing superficial desire. She also struggles with her connection with nature, a complex idea often shied away from in animation as it is a media viewed as child focused. These complex themes explored in Ghibli films help separate animation away from being solely a medium for children. Japanese culture is also explored through the inclusion of cultural ideas such as a concept called “Mono-no-aware”. It is the awareness of how everything isn’t permanent. It is the knowledge that impermanence surrounds us.