Animation often brings with it associations of fairytale tropes, cutesy characters, and family-friendly storylines (with the exception of a few innuendos for the parents). But the foul-mouthed animal-human hybrids of BoJack Horseman (Bob-Waksberg, 2014-2020) exemplify the ever expanding, highly whacky world of adult animation. Although it is massively under-researched in comparison to children’s animation (Mitkus, … Continue reading You Can Lead A Horse To Feminism But You Can’t Make It Think: ‘BoJack the Feminist’ and Nuanced Understandings of Gender in Adult Animation
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Why do we talk about masculinities and femininities?
When you first start reading about gender, arguably one of the most confusing concepts to grapple with is how the terms ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’, which may once have seemed overarching and definitive, are often discussed as plural ‘masculinities’ and ‘femininities’. These plural terms, whilst ubiquitous in academia, don’t seem to crop up too often in … Continue reading Why do we talk about masculinities and femininities?
To be a ‘Princess’: Language, womanhood & social status in Studio Ghibli’s ‘The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’
“… Then a noble princess is not a human!” – Princess Kaguya As several other GLARe posts show, gender stereotypes are reflected in animated characters. When you place a Disney princess next to a prince, the differences are stark (take Sleeping Beauty below, for example). Traditionally, the princess might be polite and beautiful, taking a … Continue reading To be a ‘Princess’: Language, womanhood & social status in Studio Ghibli’s ‘The Tale of the Princess Kaguya’
The Sapphic 90s anime that inspired Steven Universe and She-ra: a discourse-focused analysis of Revolutionary Girl Utena
Even if you’ve never heard of Revolutionary Girl Utena (Ikuhara, 1997), you’ll absolutely know something that’s referenced it, if not taken direct influence from it. From Steven Universe (Sugar, 2013-2019), The Owl House (Terrace, 2020-present) and She-Ra and The Princesses of Power (Stevenson, 2018-2020), to Pokémon (Yuyama and Tomiyasu, 1997–Present), Scott Pilgrim (O'Malley, 2004-2010) and My … Continue reading The Sapphic 90s anime that inspired Steven Universe and She-ra: a discourse-focused analysis of Revolutionary Girl Utena
From Cinderella to Steven Universe: How language has shaped Trans+ and Genderqueer representation in animation across the last century
The Timeline From famous Disney villains inspired by drag queens, to the openly non-binary characters of new fantasy cartoons, the way that trans and genderqueer characters are described, voiced and treated has shifted massively over the years. This post will cover several canonical transgender and non-binary characters, as well as those who are genderqueer-coded, to … Continue reading From Cinderella to Steven Universe: How language has shaped Trans+ and Genderqueer representation in animation across the last century
The basics: Terminology around Genderqueer, Trans+ and Gender Non-Conforming identities in Animation
Here is a list of concepts and terminology in relation to trans, genderqueer and gender non-conforming identities with explanations to help deepen understanding of this area. Androgynous Androgynous is not a specific label for an identity – instead it refers to a mixture of feminine and masculine characteristics, or an absence of gender. Characters who … Continue reading The basics: Terminology around Genderqueer, Trans+ and Gender Non-Conforming identities in Animation
“But I’m not a girl! I’m a shark!” – A discourse-focused analysis of genderqueer allegory through language in Nimona
Representation in Animation Animation can arguably be a medium of exploration and growth. As other GLARe posts have shown, animated films are far more than just cartoons for children! Films like Into the Spiderverse (Persichetti et al., 2018) and The Mitchells vs the Machines (Rianda, 2021) are some of my personal favourite examples of the … Continue reading “But I’m not a girl! I’m a shark!” – A discourse-focused analysis of genderqueer allegory through language in Nimona
Hegemonic masculinity and the subversion of gender stereotypes: A linguistic analysis of DreamWorks’ ‘How to Train Your Dragon’
"When I was a boy, my father told me to bang my head against a rock, and I did it. I thought it was crazy, but I didn’t question him. And you know what happened? That rock split in two. It taught me what a Viking could do, Gobber. He could crush mountains, level forests, … Continue reading Hegemonic masculinity and the subversion of gender stereotypes: A linguistic analysis of DreamWorks’ ‘How to Train Your Dragon’