Sexuality in American Cartoons

As I have already pointed out, animation is a medium that American producers limit to an audience of children. The vast majority of animated films are rated G by the MPAA, meaning that these critics deem the film 'safe' for children to view. The rest are rated PG, meaning that they recommend parental guidance. In practice, PG translates into 'parents let kids watch it'. Generally the difference between a G rating and a PG rating is the level of violence. A PG film like Transformers has quite a bit of violent action, while a G film like Toy Story does not. Sexuality and romance does not seem to be considered in these ratings, even though it is present, and even though most parents seem to consider sexuality a more taboo subject then violence. Films like Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame have just as much of a romantic plot and a subtext of sexuality as any PG rated live-action romantic comedy. And these live-action films are rated PG, while only two Disney films have garnered that rating, and both of them for violence. The subtext of messages dealing with sexuality and romance are ignored, unacknowledged by critics and parents. This subtext is perhaps ignored because it is teaching 'needed' lessons - in gender.

Disney films, and to a lesser extent other animated films, have become the staple of movie fare for children, an institution we bring them up in and use to teach values. One only need to look as far as books such as The Family New Media Guide and The Movie Mom's Guide to Family Movies to see the recommendation of Disney films for value lessons. The former title even goes on to point out that "Disney has almost become synonymous with wholesome family entertainment." (p. 59) Neither of these books address the depictions of sexuality and gender role modeling that are an ever present subtext in Disney films.

Fairy tales are ancient stories, and true fairy tales are often very dark and are not children's stories at all. But we have sanitized the fairy tales to make them 'appropriate' for children, and we have sanitized even stories that were meant for children. Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" is a story that ends with death; Disney's ends with marriage. Fairy tales have traditionally used the kiss as a symbol of the loss of innocence. "Sleeping Beauty" is the classic example here. The kiss is also a symbol for the breath of life. Again, "Sleeping Beauty" is a classic example, as is "Snow White." Animation preserves this symbolism in these films. Most other animated films use the kiss as the sealing of a romantic bond. When the hero and heroine kiss, it tells the viewer that they have admitted their love for each other and that they cleave to each other. It is also a way to depict sexuality without going into an overt depiction -- a way to draw the curtains. In Pocahontas, she and John Smith kiss when they are all alone in a forest. In the animated film they do nothing else, but subtextually we know that had this been a live-action romantic comedy, they would have. Even if we didn't see it. Those are the values of today. So therefore, we infer the subtext based on our experience.

So much for there being no sexuality in a G rated film.

Women are constantly depicted in sexually suggestive ways. Many of the human characters of animated films have suggestive mannerisms, dress or both. Aurora is flirtatious and coy. Pocahontas wears a low-cut dress with plenty of cleavage while Ariel wears nothing but a bikini top. Megara sashays her hips and her dress clings to her body like a second skin and Jasmine's two-piece outfits are of the harem girl style rather than what real Arabic women wear. Chel dresses differently from every other woman in her tribe. And then there is Esmeralda, whose dance in The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a striptease in all but actually taking off her clothes. Esmeralda's pole-twirling is straight out of that style. And these suggestive mannerisms are not just limited to the adult women. The little girl in The Jungle Book is pre-teen, but has already mastered the coy mannerisms of suggestive sexuality to lure Mowgli back to the human village.  Male characters are never shown in this manner.

Sexuality is also evident in other actions. Ariel and Megara both set out to seduce men, the former out of lust and the latter as part of her job, while Chel actually completes her seduction. Esmeralda is viewed as an object of lust, clearly and blatantly evident in Frollo's "Hellfire." And women are viewed as commodities for their sexuality - marriage as alliance with Aurora or Odette, marriage for heir with Cinderella or Jasmine, a useful pawn in Megara, or an object-du-art with Snow White. The sexuality of these human women becomes something to be used by the men in their lives, not used by themselves.

This is a contrast with the way it is treated in animal females. Animal girls are depicted with more equality with their partners and a greater degree of sexual innocence and/or asexuality. Romance in animal films is given more emphasis on romance and less on physical attraction. Certainly physique is what attracts the eye in the cases of women from Perdita and Duchess, but their relationships with Pongo and O'Malley get built on more solid foundations. Duchess's suggestiveness is limited to a look, much like a classy old-movie as opposed to a more modern one. Lady, Perdita and Neera have no suggestive mannerisms. Their partners notice them for their look, but fall for them because of who they are. And Nala and Simba have their relationship built from friendship first. These depictions are in direct opposition with the depiction of human romance, where the Prince falls for the beautiful woman without knowing her at all.

What this gives us is a distorted view of relationships. Women are encouraged to view themselves as desirable through the lens of physical sexual attractiveness. They are encouraged to see this as the sole avenue of winning a male partner. They are also encouraged to view physical attractiveness as the qualification of their partner. Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella, and Snow White all fall in love with a handsome hunk they barely know. Esmeralda falls for the handsome Phoebus, not the kind but ugly Quasimodo. Belle is the exception, not the rule. Girls are taught to win their desire with the use of physical mannerisms and dress - witness Ariel's silencing - not with their personality and intellect. And the women who do get their men this way are all animals, relegating a view of equality to the animal kingdom and therefore not belonging with humans.