thestig, dorman

A couple “realities” came to my attention while reading Dorfman and Mattelart’s article.

The adult produces the comic; the child consumes them (126).

How often do you think about this concept? That to every cartoon, children’s movie, or comic, there is a wide range of staff, executives, and creatives working a product to be consumed by a child. To me, it must be a strange life. I had the privilege of working with Howie Hoffman, a cartoon director, when I was 12 or 13 at Camp Androscoggin up in Wayne, Maine (As a side note, the general store in Wayne sold bumper stickers that said, “Where the hell is Wayne, Maine?” So you are not alone…). Howie is wonderful person; a mentor, devoted to his work, and to teaching the skill of animation. The spot that we made was simply for pure fun, and had no sociological implications about our culture; no powerful ideology that Dorfman and Mattelart are getting to with Disney’s impact on Chile and the rest of the world. Nonetheless, I think it is worth thinking about the people who craft the ideas and the images that kids watch and are immersed in day in and day out. I’m sure many of you find yourselves in conversations about whether or not your parents let you watch TV or made you read a book. Should we be more critical about animation and its creators?

Dorfman and Matterlart describe these creators as adults who “create for themselves a childhood embodying their own angelical aspirations, which offer consolation, hope and a guarantee of a ‘better,’ but unchanging future” (126). The guarantee of a better future… ‘hmmm.’ I trust Howie because I know him, but how are we to spread this word about being critical of the filmmaker. There is a huge potential for catastrophic damage to the youth viewers of animation: Disney is a prime example.

Mommy, I want to meet Donald Duck. I want to go to Disney World!