Animated series such as Hazbin Hotel and Disney's Little Demon have gained popularity over the last year. Some fans are attracted to elements like the musical structure of Hazbin, while others are drawn to sharply drawn and multifaceted characters, as well as irreverent humor and a safe way to explore the darker side of the afterlife.
Yet, just as many other media consumers find this "demonic" animation offensive. For some, it goes against the tenets of their personal faith, particular Abrahamic religions, to consume these shows. Others find the demonic characters and landscape inappropriate for the kids at which some animation is aimed, or inappropriate for a mixed audience. Still others question why this material is so easily greenlit and produced while other material, such as films like Sound of Freedom, faced backlash and "cancelling" attempts due to graphic, yet realistic content at least somewhat based on true events.
Analyze and discuss this "demonic" animation. Beyond its target and niche audiences, does it have any merit and if yes, for whom or in what way? Should there be a "heavenly" counterpart, and if yes, what would that look like (if not, why wouldn't it work)? If demonic animation should be "replaced" because it's inappropriate in any way, are there shows or other forms of media that would attract audiences the same way?
In "Across the Spiderve," while there may not be a trans character, the presence of a trans advocate is an important aspect to explore. As a writer, it's crucial to consider the following points when delving into this theme:
Elevating Trans Advocacy: Highlight the role of the trans advocate in the film and their efforts to promote trans visibility and inclusivity. Explore their motivations, struggles, and achievements, emphasizing their dedication to creating a more accepting society.
Amplifying Trans Voices: Showcase the trans advocate's journey of advocacy, including their activism, community engagement, and initiatives aimed at raising awareness and challenging societal norms. Emphasize the impact of their work in creating positive change and fostering dialogue.
Overcoming Obstacles: Address the challenges faced by the trans advocate, such as resistance, discrimination, and backlash. Illustrate how they navigate these obstacles with resilience, determination, and strategic approaches, inspiring others to join their cause.
Collaborative Approach: Highlight the importance of collaboration between the trans advocate and other communities, organizations, or allies. Explore how they build alliances, bridge gaps, and promote unity in working towards a more inclusive society.
Empowering Others: Showcase the trans advocate's efforts to empower individuals within the trans community and beyond. Illustrate how they provide resources, support networks, and platforms for marginalized voices, fostering a sense of belonging and encouraging others to embrace their authentic selves.
By exploring these aspects, you can effectively convey the significance of the trans advocate's role in "Across the Spiderve" and emphasize the power of advocacy in promoting trans visibility and acceptance in society.
Can I write about this one? In the article I can explain the trans advocacy and everything else. – Beatrix Kondo1 year ago
Hey, I'm *really* interested in taking this topic, once I'm finished with one of the ones that I've already grabbed. I was wondering, though, if it would be okay to talk about Gwen's trans coding throughout a lot of the film? I've been thinking about ways to tie this back to the topic of advocacy, and I feel like that could definitely be part of it, especially if I compare Gwen's comic appearance to how it is in the film. As a member of the community, I really value seeing a topic like this on the site. In any case, please let me know what you think! – Siothrún1 year ago
I think it is a perfect approach 😊 – Beatrix Kondo1 year ago
Perfect! I am gathering ideas on this and finishing up some edits on my current topic while also finishing up NanoWriMo, so, I should be able to take this topic soon. – Siothrún1 year ago
Throughout the twenty-first century, there has been an increase in the number of children’s cartoons with complex storylines that unfold over multiple seasons. The episodes of this show format are intended to be viewed in a specific order, so that audience members can fully understand the show’s continuity-driven story. Popular examples of this format include Avatar: The Last Airbender, Steven Universe, and The Owl House.
The proposed article would discuss the future of story-driven cartoons in light of current industry trends. The writer could discuss factors such as: new technologies (eg. streaming services), broader entertainment trends (eg. mass TV show cancellations, resulting in rushed/unfinished stories), and competing forms of entertainment (eg. children spending increased time watching videos on tablets instead of TV). The article would explore whether story-driven cartoons will continue to rise in popularity or if it will be difficult for this format to thrive in the current animation industry.
In the case of Steven Universe, it's probably important to note how awful the airing schedule at CN was. Some of the most major plot developments happened during the "Steven Bombs," which were these airing blocks where a new episode would be aired a day for a week straight. There would be such large gaps between these little events, so it was a bit frustrating to follow – Justinv25529 months ago
The Owl House in particular provides an opportunity to further explore what happens when a streaming company (Disney, in this case) cancels a season when there was clearly more that the creator had planned for the story. – Siothrún9 months ago
I like this topic - as someone who grew up watching Avatar it's been interesting to see this style become more popular! It possibly could also be worthwhile mentioning the impact that anime has had on animators and/or the preferences of kids, as many of the anime targeted at younger audiences have had story-driven structures as well. – AnnieEM9 months ago
A popular meme showing Blue of Blue's Clues fame and Bluey of the eponymous Australian cartoon reads, "Every so often, a blue dog appears to guide a new generation." Tongue-in-cheek humor aside, one cannot deny the popularity and relevance of Blue and Bluey for millennials and Gen Z in particular.
Examine and analyze these two blue canines, their compatriots, and their shows. Compare and contrast them. What makes them both so engaging, yet unique to the generations at which they were originally aimed? What makes both so special for both the children and parents who watch them now? Why have both shows succeeded in netting older "periphery demographics" (e.g., older elementary students) where other shows have not? Or conversely, if one show or the other drove, or is driving, other older viewers up the proverbial wall, why is that?
If we're being honest with each other, the idea of throwing Michael Jordan together with the largely dying Looney Tunes franchise was a risky decision at best. And there wasn't much of a precedent for a film like this either, as at the time blending animation with live-action wasn't very common. So how did this film become a landmark of this blend of genres alongside films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit? This essay will discuss the attributes of Space Jam that made it such a success and revived the Looney Tunes franchise.
Hmmm, interesting. Maybe bring in a film like Who Framed Roger Rabbit as a point of contrast. – Stephanie M.3 years ago
I would suggest comparing the original Space Jam to the recent sequel/reboot/whatever that was. Did that one work as well as the first? Why or why not? – noahspud3 years ago
I just want to note that Michael Jordan was probably the most important athlete in the world/one of the top of 3 athletes across the world at the time of the making of Space Jam. So having Michael Jordan in the film was a huge selling point. – Sean Gadus2 years ago
Space Jam worked because at that time, pretty much any off-the-wall idea with MJ in it would have worked. – Montayj792 years ago
Space Jam worked because it was such a fun idea and had promotion written all over it – WesleyBraid2 years ago
Analyse the development of modern cartoons and animations. What impact might they have on young children's perception of the world – whether that is related to how a certain animal/person/character looks like (their visual representation), or whether it impacts behaviours in a certain way. How might kids react to certain characters and relationships portrayed on the screen? Can some of these have a perceptible negative impact on their lives?
As a starting point, trace the development of cartoons (from Disney, to Cartoon Network, etc) and some iconic shows.
I like this idea, but I definitely agree that it'd probably be best to pick some (or even one) specific show/s. Or maybe the way that modern cartoons have impacted one specific part of life/culture? There are so many different impacts you could argue modern cartoons have had, after all. – AnnieEM2 years ago
This might be a cliche suggestion, but an interesting route along these lines would be to analyze a cartoon that is bursting with political and social commentary (Like the new She-ra and The Princesses of Power"), to see if any of the major themes are actually absorbed by kids, or if they are more like fan service (harsh term but lacking a better one) for the many LGBTQIA adult viewers the cartoon's producers knew would be watching. You may be looking for more of a meta-analysis, but a lot of interesting things could be gleaned from examining She-Ra and it's viewership. – adhyuki2 years ago
I like this topic - perhaps you could detail the change of modern cartoons from purely for children (but with bits and gags meant to help their parents be entertained as well, I'm thinking Rugrats), to what Modern Cartoons look like now. For example, Adventure Time and Stephen Universe, which obviously are enjoyed by all ages due to its creators using a mixture of techniques (both visual and writing) to entertain a wider audience. Perhaps then you could delve into how this change then affects children today - for example, how much are the picking up on themes/ideas that are not meant for them? Or how is the overall tone, perhaps from purely chaotic comedy (Fairly Odd Parents) to a mixture of serious and comedy (Avatar the last airbender/Adventure Time) to purely adult animation that we all know many children are watching (Invincible/Rick and Morty etc). – Harry P2 years ago
There's definitely a lot of interesting directions you could go with this topic. Like how the decline of linear television and concurrent rise of streaming has broken down demographic barriers. Or how social media has transformed the ways fans interact with creators and the works they produce. – AddThreeAndFive11 months ago
Encanto as a film was one of the better received Disney animation in recent memory, from the music, to the character designs, to the narrative resolution and heartwarming interplay of all of the characters in the family Madrigal.
Though, for all of the popularity of the film there was a bit of controversy in the "proper" reading of the plot. While there is a clear examination of intergenerational trauma from Abuela to Mirabel and all of the family in-between, some have read the film with as allegorical to the experience some in LGBTQ community have experienced.
This disagreement led to a decent amount of intercommunal conflict on many social networks about the proper way of reading the text, but is their an actual proper meaning to a film? Does authorial intent matter? Is it "wrong" to read the text in a way more relative to oneself?
There is quite a lot of room to discuss the racial and cultural perspectives of the various angles of the argument of the actual meaning of the movie.
Death of the Author is essentially whats going on here. I like this topic as this is a reoccurring issue in the Anime community, as femboy/Trap characters are often read as trans by western audiences, while in Japan they are read as effeminate men. Even when authors directly comment on issues like this they are often ignored by fans and localizers. This often leads to heated debates online. I'm not a fan of the idea that text can be interpreted in any way possible, but that often becomes the case when authors note or thoughts are not available. It is why I believe whenever possible journals and notes should be preserved. But, in the event that evidence is not available, I was taught in my college classes interpretations of text need to be backed by evidence either from the author or evidence in the text, which is something that is often lacking in LGBTQ readings of text. An example that comes to mind is when Dreamworks Voltron was announced a lot of people assumed Pidge (Katie Holt) was trans. When the character was just pretending to be boy to find her brother. Same deal with Keith and Lance, as many people assumed the characters were gay, despite the show showing multiple times that Lance had feelings for princess Alura. – Blackcat1302 years ago
I don't disagree about it being death of the author I was moreso interested in the backlash the DOA side of the discourse received for subverting the "intent" of the movie. I also don't see an inherent flaw with queer readings of media, I myself am guilty of it with characters in some of my favorite shows. That said, I can't say I'm sympathetic to the idea of a culture being ignored for the sake of others reading themselves into a text. I do think it is a topic worth discussion. – SunnyAgo2 years ago
I just want to clarify that I am not saying that there is anything wrong with doing a queer reading of a text. My issue is as you put it "people reading themselves into the text" Another example of this is in My Hero Academia. Many fans believe Bakugo and Deku are gay for one another, despite the author clearly stating certain characters having romantic feelings for one another. Even without author input the text at certain points states how the characters feel about one another. This also becomes obnoxious to me, as often times these text actually have LGBTQ characters (Tiger and Magne are trans) in it that get ignored for fan canon. One theory that I've heard for why this happens comes from YouTuber Dimitri Monroe. They believe its not about whether or not a character is gay or Trans, but metaphorical point scoring. They believe the reason modern queer reading often alter characters is because some LGBTQ activist simply want a more prominent character as opposed to the side character (which Tiger and Magne both are.). Dimitri uses Astolfo from the fate series as an example, as not only in the lore Astolfo is canonically and stated multiple times to be an androgynous male who doesn't care about gender norms. Despite that many will say he's trans. Which once again fate does have actual trans/gay characters, Astolfo is just considered one of the more popular characters and that why he's often subject to this debate. You can see the same thing with P4's Naoto who states both their gender and sexual preferences, but fans created a mod to turn the character Trans. I think this more about politics as apposed to trying to understand the message of a story. (Also I might take this topic.) – Blackcat1302 years ago
I think what you're talking about here is "reader response criticism," where a reader (or viewer in this case) interacts with a "text" relative to his/her/their own experiences. For instance, as an autistic woman, I very much "read" Encanto as a commentary on disability, giftedness, and twice-exceptionality. So no, there is nothing wrong with looking for or finding deeper or truer meaning in the plot. The challenge here is going to be choosing which deeper readings to focus on, because as you mention, there are so many. – Stephanie M.2 years ago
The whole concept of interpreting creative works has been academically discussed for centuries by this point, so there's not exactly much new ground to tread, other than to perform case studies on specific modern works like you're trying to do with Encanto. I personally believe, especially in a medium like film, that the idea of any one interpretation being correct is absurd, even if it's one that has been publicly stated by a key creative such as the director or writer. Therefore I think that were you to continue this article in any direction where are you providing your own personal interpretation, the key point is providing evidence from the source itself, Encanto, to defend and support your case. If you are instead headed in the direction of using Encanto as a talking point to further the general discussion of artistic interpretation, then it would definitely be interesting to see you critically analyse some of the different 'theories' and 'arguments' circulating the Internet in regards to what the films 'true meaning' is. Irrespective of whatever path you take with this topic, I wish you the best and look forward to reading your work :) – LucasR2 years ago
Ever since "Arcane: League of Legends" came out, the praises haven't stopped and are still keeping the show alive in people's minds. Even months later, people are still loving its story, characters and storytelling because it has come out in an era where diversity and an agenda have now convinced screen writers and comic book writers that it was enough to make a good story.
So many things stood out in "Arcane", but one of the most important was the way female characters were written. Violet, Caitlyn, Jinx, Councilman Medarda… they were written and characterized in a way that made them both appear strong and weak at the same time. Circumstances of the story showed their vulnerability and their strength in a matter of 'Show, don't tell' that has been lost these past few years in movies and TV shows where they have female leads.
This begs the question as to what else could have made these female characters so appealing to the public upon the release of the hit Netflix series. What has made them stand out so much in "Arcane: League of Legends" among the throng of other female characters? How has the writing of the show made them special and quite unique in their own way?
Arcane is an excellent show. There are a host of well developed female characters in the show (as well as male characters). I think that one of the things that make the characters so great are that the characters all have clear goals, desires, and fears that they are dealing with throughout the season. Rather than simply being a love interest or minor background characters, each of the characters has their own arc, with nuanced exploration of who they are and what they want. – Sean Gadus2 years ago
I find this really interesting. I watched Arcane through twice; once alone and once with my parents. Watch through one I found myself in adoration of Councilman Medara. Arcane fascinatingly has no inherently right or wrong people; they are borne of their ideas and upbringing which shape their decisions (like real people). I find other shows haven't really done this with women to the same extent, haven't given them the space to be debatable or mildly disagreeable but still very likeable. It also helps that it's rare in this type of media to see a person of colour with this depth of character. The second time was a bit different. It came with a few insensitive remarks from my father about character design, mainly how they're depicted in similar ways to his eras sex icons were portrayed. I don't necessarily agree, and I doubt these designs were made entirely for this purpose and yet his comment has me thinking about how much their likeability is tied to their character design, and would we like them less without Jinx's iconic braids or V's build. I'd say no, Caitlyn's outfits aren't too remarkable and I love her character's progression. – Zephyr2 years ago
This is a great topic, I have re-watched the series multiple times. The way the writers deal with gender in the story is very unique in how they neutralise gender stereotypes, with not only the women but also the men. I particularly applaud how they show Vi taking many hits, and showing the ugly side of violence that isn't often shown on female characters. – TheResearchPixie2 years ago
I think female characters are seen as more appealing because they finally get the representation in video games. – hafsakhan3102 years ago
I definitely agree that the female characters in Arcane stand out from other films and tv shows I've watched. They have actual depth and personality. We have strong, capable characters like Vi and Caitlyn who we actually want to root for. We have an interesting antagonist like Sevika who is respected by someone with the kind of power Silco has. None of the female characters (including even Mel and Jinx) are treated as if because they are women they have a less important role. They're just treated as people with their own trauma, expectations, motives, etc. Many of the women in the show exist, not to serve some arbitrary purpose or to prop up a male character, but because they are important to the story. – AnushkaJ2 years ago
Having female characters as the main characters for a show, which came from a game, which is not only male-dominated, but often sexist within the gaming community, is a very smart move from the producers/Riot. League of Legends players, along with many other consumers of this show, cannot deny how amazing the story was, and how amazing the main characters' lives were portrayed and I think this was really a powerful way to combat the negative perspective of women in games. Well done Riot, and lovely article! – Aleyna2 years ago
