In which I badmouth Pixar a bit

[soc_puppet]

This is something I've been sitting on a bit, especially since there's so many avid Pixar fans on my f'list, and criticism in general is not always taken well.

However. I just read a good percentage of a particular spoiler-tastic Up review, and now it's not going to stay behind locked teeth any longer.

Therefore, if you cannot hear a single bad word against Pixar, please do not click the cut.



Dear Pixar,

Your graphics are fantastic. Amazing, even! Your stories are often touching and funny. I love how you're bringing back the pre-film short cartoon, and, generally, what you're doing with them. As of Up, you're even getting better at including diversity in your films*!

However. You are absolutely horrible at passing the Bechdel Test**.

If I recall correctly, The Incredibles and A Bug's Life pass. If I recall correctly.

So, Pixar, I love you, but seriously. Please to be getting to work on writing more female main characters. In fact, a film that stars a female character wouldn't be remiss! Princess Atta and Helen Parr*** are the only ones I can think of# that come close, and they'd be co-starring. With male counterparts.

You've already got plenty of films that star or co-star male characters exclusively. As a young woman, I would definitely like to see myself better reflected in your work.

Yours,
Me


* Former examples of diversity: Frozone in The Incredibles, supporting character; that one chef in Ratatouille, bit character (although - possibly Colette? I saw her as generic Mediterranean, but my therapist saw her as Asian, so IDK/YMMV); those two cars in Cars (god, one of them is Flo, I think, the one with the diner? And the other one is the guy who paints and I feel horrible for not remembering his name, but considering Flo's is one of three names I remember from Radiator Springs, I'm giving myself a bit of a pass), supporting characters(?). I for one could only tell by the clear dialect that they were intended to be non-white - which actually almost makes it worse for me. See, specifically casting for dialect use in those two cases points out that you didn't cast anyone using stereotypical non-white dialect in pretty much any other movie of yours that I know of to date. Which means you recognized it was an issue. Which means that pretty much any character in any previous movie defaults to "white". And, before Up, those are the only instances I can think of. See where I'm going at all?

** For movies that pass the Bechdel Test, see this blog.

*** Just for you, I'm temporarily skipping the housewife tangent.

# As inarticulate has pointed out to me, I forgot Dory from Finding Nemo. I feel incredibly foolish now. And I could probably also add Eve from Wall-E in there, with a possible side-order of what's-her-face that's on the BNL ship and stuff. I'm also willing to give points to Jessie from Toy Story 2 and Sally from Cars, but I really don't know how much you could count Boo from Monsters, Inc. Rassa frassa memory failure... I'll show you how to remember something...!



...Upon a brief look around Wikipedia, it seems as if someone has already written this letter. And while the subject of a female protagonist is apparently going to be addressed, there's still a nice gaping hole for a non-princess role.

Edit: Now with less memory fail!

Edit 2: Review mentioned in the comments is here, for the sake of. Is transparency the word I'm looking for here? Well, whatever. If you're insanely curious, there's where it is. Be warned, it is not a nice review.

Comments

[inarticulate]

Please, please, don't read the rest. It just… augh. Knowing that it's keeping people from watching the movie (as the comments say) just makes my heart ache because that is not what the movie's about. At all. It spoils everything in a really… overly critical way (and, again, not going into the gender issues it addresses at all-- it critiques a fight for being unrealistically bloodless in a movie about a flying balloon house!)

[soc_puppet]

I, uh. Already skimmed it? Er. If it helps at all, it's not going to keep me from seeing the movie. I wouldn't even expect it to keep me from thoroughly enjoying the movie. Honestly, most of what I took away from it myself was the confirmation of my private prediction re: lack of female characters ._.a Even after the skimming. (I'm willing to suspend my disbelief about a lot of things for the sake of a good story, and that includes the ability of blood to spatter, etc.)

[inarticulate]

That does help, yeah. I just… I was expecting something like "lack of speaking female roles is problematic," which I would agree with, not… this movie has murdered my family levels of hatred. E-eep.

[soc_puppet]

Merf. Maybe I could dig around tomorrow for an entry that is more suited to my uses :| Or something similar, at least.

[inarticulate]

Honestly, I'd say just give it a try yourself, if you're interested in it, because the only reviews I've read have been either overwhelmingly positive or… that particular review. If you have a purpose in seeking out reviews, then… wouldn't the source be better?

[soc_puppet]

An excellent point. It also just occurred to me that this entry - the one we're in right now, that is - could be written just as well without linking to the review in question at all, so. *goes to do the edit dance again, whee*

[inarticulate]

[nods] Again, I agree with your point about Pixar needing more female leads or starring roles! And, honestly, I think you'd be a lot more… er, on my level? and able to vocalize that without it reaching into the hatred territory, particularly since the movie does do some really good things for Asian Americans (who are even more underrepresented in popular media-- which doesn't give Up a pass for gender issues but IS notable.)

I'm also trying to figure out who they could have gender-reversed to make female, and… honestly, I'm not sure it would work, except for some of the bad guys-- I think Dug would have struck a different chord if he were female, Russell would work best but the parallels with Ellie would have been a lot creepier, Carl would have suddenly been a woman entirely motivated by her love for a man, and… yeah. :|a So… Bechdel fail aside, I'm not entirely sure that it wouldn't have squicked me gender-wise if they hadn't been male (short of reversing the whole cast, which would have been cool except that woman!Carl would still make me B| unless she was a lesbian).

[soc_puppet]

I am now 100% tempted to do this for all the Pixar movies I have seen.

I definitely sympathize with the whole "character/story dynamic balance" issue; as of RaceFail '09, I've been trying to tweak some of my original fiction ideas to include more racial diversity, and it's tough work. However, I'm aware of the importance of the issue, so I'm going to keep at it until I'm satisfied (which basically translates to, "I feel I can submit it to verb_noire without failing their most basic qualifications").

Would Up have worked with a third main character? Maybe make it a non-gender-specific scouting troop, make it a girl and a boy going out to earn that last badge, have Carl be reminded of himself and his late wife through their dynamic? [/suggestion] ...On that note, I think it would've been totally cool to see Marlin go looking for Nemo with his wife, as well as Dory, 'cuz she seemed like a stand-up lady fish lady-fish to me, and loyal married couples always could use more screen time. Alternately, Gil and that puffer in the fish tank would've also made awesome lady-fish, IMO.

[inarticulate]

Short answer, because I keep essaying and deleting and I need to leave soon: no, it wouldn't have. Pixar movies work because they have a tight focus, and expanding that focus is just going to make weaker movies with less emotional punch; the issue isn't adding more female characters, it's making a movie where that focus is on female characters at the expense of male characters.