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
Tag: gender-queerness
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
Gender queering and villainy in animated films: a linguistic analysis of Hades from Hercules
The picture so far In recent years, an increasing number of commentaries have focused on the presentation of gender in animated villains — take, for instance, these articles from The Tempest, Screen Rant, and Feminism in India. More specifically, these commentaries have considered ways in which the villains don’t conform to traditional gender norms, while … Continue reading Gender queering and villainy in animated films: a linguistic analysis of Hades from Hercules
Campanelli (2019) Gender Nonconformity and Lesbianism in the Magical Girl Genre
Explores conventions of the “Magical Girl” and “Good Witch” tropes within the Shojo/Shoujo genre. Covers older representations of heteronormativity, gender conformity and nonconformity in the 90s, analysing a variety of animes from this genre. Focuses on the demonization of “butchness” and lesbianism as well as the sexualization of adolescent protagonists, through semantic and pragmatic analysis. … Continue reading Campanelli (2019) Gender Nonconformity and Lesbianism in the Magical Girl Genre
Herendeen (2023) Being non-binary on Japanese Disney Channel: An analysis of the gendered language used in ‘The Owl House’
Examines the English dialogue of a non-binary character from Disney's ‘The Owl House’ in comparison to the show’s Japanese dub, analysing what linguistic features are used to index their identity. There is an extensive overview of Japanese attitudes towards queerness. The thesis goes into detail about gendered language features in Japanese - such as pronouns, … Continue reading Herendeen (2023) Being non-binary on Japanese Disney Channel: An analysis of the gendered language used in ‘The Owl House’
Stecher (2023) Animating Gender: A Medium Drawn to Transness
Applies transgender theory to animation as a medium. Focuses mostly on character design, and the gendering of non-human characters but also contains a chapter on the impact of voice on gender representation which may be useful for those interested voice tone, pitch etc. in animated characters. Stecher, D. (2023). Animating Gender: A Medium Drawn to … Continue reading Stecher (2023) Animating Gender: A Medium Drawn to Transness
Vogt (2022) A Critical Discourse Analysis of Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Characters in Children’s Animated Series
Uses Critical Discourse Analysis and an overview of critical theory, in general, to analyse and understand Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Characters in popular modern children’s cartoon series. Takes a qualitative approach and samples episodes from 20 different cartoons and looks at five major themes these characters represent. As well as discussing the language used around … Continue reading Vogt (2022) A Critical Discourse Analysis of Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Characters in Children’s Animated Series