Animation as Parody and Social Critique
In the readings for this week, the authors discuss how genre, content, and visual form can work to heighten social critique and surpass expectations. While animation and cartoons are typically thought of as shows made for a child audience, shows like the Boondocks and the Simpsons are able to work within this visual form and challenge traditional assumptions. In Rex Krueger’s Aaron McGruder’s The Boondocks and Its Transition From Comic Strip to Animated Series, the author explains that “the Boondocks chooses animation as its medium for much the same reason The Simpsons does: potentially dangerous and inflammatory subjects can be explored from multiple angles and with a freedom that traditional sitcoms do not have” (Krugger, 324). With that said, the Simpsons and the Boondocks are able to repurpose the frivolous nature of cartoons to serve a new agenda. Even as the shows remain in a 2-D form, the multi-layered narratives, characters, and cultural references open up this genre to an adult audience. “By breaking away from the limitations of the sitcom and cartoon genres, both shows achieve ‘situational realism’, where the social and political environment the characters live in is more realistically depicted” (Krugger, 325). In Jason Mittell’s Cartoon Realism: Genre Mixing and the Cultural Life of The Simpsons, The Simpsons and the Boondocks make references to contemporary culture, which works to mature the intended audience and while challenging them to deal with issues that often cease to exist within traditional sitcoms and animations. Ultimately, The Simpsons and the Boondocks laid the groundwork for other adult cartoons to emerge.
(via: https://analyzingtv.wordpress.com/2016/03/01/archers-narrative-structure/)
As new forms attempt to challenge traditional conventions, narratives within these shows have been under criticism. The Simpsons have been criticized for being “anti-family” while the Boondocks has been criticized for perpetuating black stereotypes. When the animated comedy, Archer, emerged, people criticized the show for its sexist portrayal. Yet in the same fashion that the Simpsons and the Boondocks work within the context it wished to critique, some argue that “the sexist attitude of the show's protagonist encourages us not to sympathize with his opinions but to view his arrogant, dismissive behavior as the object of our ridicule.” While the narrative within Archer doesn’t appear to be self-critical, the show still works within 2-D animation to challenge assumptions and norms. In the same way, Family Guy has also worked within traditional forms of animations while commenting on aspects of our culture. Even though the show has been criticized similar to other adult animations, the show includes current issues of contemporary culture such as women protesting against misogyny depicted below.
(via: https://www.tubetoon.com/video/womans-sexist-protest/)
Works Cited
Jason Mittell (2001). “Cartoon Realism: Genre Mixing and the Cultural Life of The Simpsons” in The Velvet Lightrap, pp. 15-28.
Rex Krueger (2010). “Aaron McGruder’s The Boondocks and Its Transition From Comic Strip to Animated Series” in Animation 5(3), pp. 313-329.
