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- 1. https://fairplayforkids.org/ Review 2–3 of the organization's current social action campaigns. (Note: You can locate the current campaigns on the home page listed under "The Latest" or from the home page selecting "Get Involved" followed by "Take Action.") http://cdn- media.waldenu.edu/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6357/CH/mm/audio_ player/index_week4.html Click on Institutional Bias: "The Many Ways Institutionalized Bias Sends Messages to Children" Running head: The Future of Nursing in Leadership 1 The Future of Nursing in Leadership The Future of Nursing in Leadership Phase 1 Planning Student’s name: Yusleiby Castillo Professor’s name: Nora Hernandez-Pupo Date: May 26, 2022
- 2. Transitional Nursing At all stages of their engagement, nurse-patient communication is critical. It is crucial in the initial stages of nurse-patient interaction because it establishes the context for why a patient has come to seek medical or health support. A nurse gets to hear from a patient about what led them to the medical center and what is wrong with them at the introduction stage. This is also the time when nurses may reassure their patients that they will provide all possible aid. Ethical considerations are crucial in the medical field. During patient-nurse interactions, nurses have the opportunity to enlighten patients on their ethical obligations when it comes to the provision of medical services. Nurses and other health personnel also request agreement from patients at this point in order to perform specific operations or tests, as these procedures would not be possible without it (Jensen, 2015) . It is critical that nurses communicate with patients in a variety of ways. Nurses work with patients of all ages, genders, and cultures, as well as patients suffering from various illnesses. It is critical for a nurse to understand how to interact successfully with these patients in order to provide the best and most suitable nursing care. Nurses may choose to develop personal ties with their patients in order to better interact with them in certain situations, such as chronic diseases or while dealing with elderly patients. Kindness and compassion characterize
- 3. personal interactions (Neese, 2015). The sort of communication that a nurse uses is determined by the patient's age and condition. The type of communication utilized with young patients differs from that used with adult patients. Patient-nurse communication is critical because it affects how a patient is treated. The future of nursing in leadership Nurses in the healthcare field are frequently undervalued as leaders. In comparison to their counterparts, such as doctors, health officials, and businesspeople, they do not have an equal say. Mentorship and participation in policymaking and engagement can help with this. Leadership programs should also be established to provide training and opportunities for nurses to grow as leaders. Nurses must also shift their perspective and perceive themselves as leaders. To strengthen the healthcare system, nurses should have a say in questions of leadership, policy, and health systems (Richardson & Storr, 2010). Nursing research must develop new and improved policies to assist nurses in influencing the healthcare system. They may be able to function as equal partners in the workplace. They must see themselves as people who can establish policies rather than simply carrying out orders. Nurses can become leaders if the healthcare system is structured in such a manner that nurses and other healthcare counterparts play interdependent roles, allowing each party to contribute to the solution of a problem rather than one party teaching the others. Professionals will respect them as a result of this. To become leaders, they must be excellent communicators, speaking out and sharing ideas, research, volunteer and mentor, and advocate for the well-being of patients, among other things. To avoid feeling inadequate, nurses should be highly compensated. Experienced nurses can mentor new nurses on how to become the finest nurses and have a say in leadership. Some nurses have also become entrepreneurs to enhance the healthcare system, such as Ruth Lubic, who started a birth center in New York City
- 4. in 1975 that provided care to the community. Nursing students should be prepared with the essential information and practice while still in school so that they may become leaders once they begin their careers. (Grossman and Valiga (2016) explore the phenomenon of leadership as well as the future of nursing in leadership roles in the health care industry. Leadership and how nurses can be guided into making big decisions and having a say in decision-making with their health counterparts has been discussed by (nursing made easy, 2016). Transactional and transformational leadership have certain similarities. Transformational leadership is a type of management that encourages nurses to go above and beyond their normal responsibilities. It requires visionary leaders that encourage their nurses to search out fresh innovative ideas while remaining mindful of their specific abilities. Transactional leadership is action-oriented, and it entails leaders motivating their nurses to achieve short-term objectives (Hamstra, Van Yperen, Wisse & Sassenberg, 2014). They are mostly driven by rewards, and those who do not accomplish their goals are punished in some way. Nurses are supposed to obey established norms and regulations and are also observed. They are, however, free to make their own project decisions. Similarities include; • Both leadership approaches entail leaders and nurses working toward a common objective and achieving mutual gain. • They are both motivational leadership styles. • They strive toward a definite objective that must be met. Transformational leadership can be used in my workplace, where we are encouraged to come up with innovative ideas to help the company achieve its objectives. We can contribute ideas for new ways to improve customer service, handle customer complaints, improve the company's products, and come up with new product ideas, among other things. This will allow nurses to work in a variety of industries, allowing them to put their abilities and skills to good use and so boost the
- 5. company's productivity. Nurses are also kept engaged by this form of leadership because they have a sense of belonging to a project. The University of Ghana Business School's (Kwasi Dartey – Baah, 2015) highlights the similarities between transformational and transactional leadership theories in terms of achieving desired outcomes. He also conducts a literature study of the two hypotheses and demonstrates their connection. (Martin, 2015) discusses how leadership has influenced their nurses' attitudes toward their workplace. He goes on to argue that when followers are motivated, they work more, which is crucial to the company's success. He compares and contrasts transformational and transactional leadership styles. It is possible to advocate for advanced practicing nurses using existing and nursing practice policies as an advocate. It is possible to use the rules and policies that govern how and when nurses can work independently to advocate for nurse autonomy. Nurses with sufficient education and supervision hours are capable of offering sophisticated and dependable patient- centered care. For the reasons stated above, such nurses should be given the ability to prescribe medication and perform particular activities and procedures related to health care delivery. There are numerous stakeholders who can assist in bettering APRN advocacy. References Tappen, R. M., Davis, F. A., & Tradewell, G. T. (1995). Nursing Leadership and Management: Concepts and Practice. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 11(5), 280. Tomey, A. M. (2009). Nursing management and leadership. USA: Mosby Elsevier. Richardson, A., & Storr, J. (2010). Patient safety: a literative review on the impact of nursing empowerment, leadership and collaboration. International nursing review, 57(1), 12-21.
- 6. Nursing made easy. (2016).Leadership in Nursing. Retrieved from https://journals.lww.com/nursingmadeincrediblyeasy/fulltext/20 16/05000/Leadership_in_nursing_practice.6.aspx Jolanki, F., & Månsson, M. Transformational and Transactional Leadership. Hamstra, M. R., Van Yperen, N. W., Wisse, B., & Sassenberg, K. (2014). Transformational and transactional leadership and followers’ achievement goals. Journal of Business and Psychology, 29(3), 413-425. Kwasi Dartey-Baah, (2015) "Resilient leadership: a transformational-transactional leadership mix", Journal of Global Responsibility, Vol. 6 Issue: 1, pp.99- 112, https://doi.org/10.1108/JGR-07-2014-0026 Running head: TRANSITIONAL NURSING TRANSITIONAL NURSING Value of Relationship Management in Transitional Nursing: Phase Two Yusleiby Castillo Florida National University Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Professor, Nora Hernandez-Pupo Date: June 7, 2022 Value of Relationship Management in Transitional Nursing Literature review
- 7. The topic of transitional nursing has been undergoing research over the past decade. However, the topic of relationship management in transitional nursing has not received enough attention from researchers; yet, it must be thoroughly covered. There is a need for more research into the topic since relationship management in transitional nursing is critical in assisting patients during their road to recovery and regaining a certain level of independence. According to Centeno and Kahveci (2017), there are various transitional care models that transitional nurse practitioners can utilize when providing care for patients. These include the adult physician model, switch models, and comfort and resource, models. The authors also note that relationship management during transitional periods is critical to achieving a seamless transition because patients are typically at their most vulnerable during these times. In transitional nursing, relationship management is essential. According to Ortiz (2018), individuals who experience good relationships with their caregivers in their transition care have improved results. Leading healthcare institutions are actively working to establish strategic measures to enhance this process. In light of this development, the significance of healthcare providers cultivating meaningful relationships with their clients cannot be overstated. It is certainly not enough to merely work on increasing patient satisfaction, which is the primary approach that many healthcare organizations have taken up to this point to deal with this issue. Lee (2017) suggests that concentrating solely on the level of contentment experienced by patients can actually be counterproductive in efforts to provide high-quality care at a low cost. For instance, in order to maintain high levels of patient satisfaction, some medical professionals have been known to unnecessarily administering narcotic pain medications and antibiotics to their patients. In order for transitional nurses to be successful in an environment driven by value-based reimbursement, they will need to adopt an orientation that is genuine towards patients and families to achieve excellent relationship management with
- 8. their clients. Better health outcomes, enhanced patient decision- making, and more incredible therapeutic bonds between physicians and patients are all possible results of this approach (Boling, 2022). Value can be increased by forming deeper ties between transitional nurses and their patients; yet, these connections cannot be made by programs that are solely focused on patient satisfaction. In the same way that businesses operating outside of the healthcare industry have developed methods, applications, and workflows revolving around client relationship management (CRM), organizations operating within the healthcare industry should construct the same discipline revolving around the idea of patient relationship management (PRM) (Chou & Lin, 2019). There has been some forward movement to improve relationship management in transitional nursing. However, there is still a need for additional research to understand better the value of these connections to boost the acceptance of these relationships by transitional nurses. Methodology and Design of the Study The problem in this study will be evaluated using descriptive, quantitative, and empirical studies. Random sampling will be used to select the study participants (eighty nursing staff and patients) from several local health care facilities. First, patients and caregivers from various health care facilities are less likely to communicate with one another. Hence the results generated from the various facilities will be less skewed. Second, various healthcare institutions have varying perspectives on how transitional methods should be applied. A questionnaire method will not be appropriate for the study since questionnaires are prone to low response rates. Instead, a qualitative study interviewing (in-person conversations with people willing to share their thoughts and feelings) will be used. This is because interviews provide more comprehensive information than survey questions (Bloomfield & Fisher, 2019). Such interviews also enable researchers to work very closely with respondents and ensure that respondents are not influenced
- 9. by other parties during their responses. Participants will be contacted when the medical institutions' administrations have consented to provide the researcher access to these individuals. The prospective volunteers will be sent a letter that will contain a description of the study and some data about the investigator and their background. The participants who will be included in the sample will each receive contact details (email address or mobile number). Before the interviews take place, a written agreement from all the study participants will be required. Participants below eighteen years will have their parents contacted, and their parents will be required to give their written consent. The investigator will make an effort to conduct a one-on-one interview with each participant within the sample size. Those individuals who decline to participate in the research will be approached to understand better the participants' decision to decline participation. Unstructured and casual interviews will be used as the data collection method for this project. The participants will be given time throughout these interviews to think about the questions and clarify their thoughts and responses to the person conducting the interview. As a result, the researcher will be able to gain a better understanding of the participants' perspectives on the topic at hand (Value of Relationship Management in Transitional Nursing), as well as whether or not they believe these relationships are crucial and the kinds of modifications that they recommend for enhancing relationship management in transitional nursing. Sampling Methodology Simple random sampling will be used to generate the sample size. The advantage of taking this strategy is that it results in a selection that is not biased in any way, and it gives each individual unit in the sample population an equal opportunity to be chosen. In addition, statistical software applications can be utilized to generate a random sample selection. Nevertheless, it is essential to keep in mind that the representativeness of a
- 10. sample increases in direct proportion to the size of the population that it is drawn from. In this research, data will be collected from two samples: nursing staff who work with patients who are transitioning and patients who have recently undergone such a transition from one department to another or from a health center to their dwelling units. A total of eighty participants, consisting of twenty nurses and sixty patients selected randomly, will participate in the study. Necessary Tools To successfully carry out personal interviews, several different tools will be required. First, the person conducting the interview must have the appropriate credentials and should be familiar with the questions and problems under investigation. Second, an outline of the interview, even if it is just a rough draft, is necessary to determine which subjects and questions need to be covered. When conducting research, it is best to steer clear of contentious topics if at all possible. After the interviewer has finished creating an overview or a roadmap for the interview, equipment such as an audio recorder will be required to transcribe the interview. If interviews are to be audio recorded, the equipment needs to be tested to ensure that it is functioning correctly. Any observations that were made during the interview will also be documented. Interview Flow Map Interview outline Interview preparation
- 11. Preparation of necessary tools Data gathering Results interpretation References Bloomfield, J., & Fisher, M. (2019). Quantitative research design. Journal Of The Australasian Rehabilitation Nurses' Association, 22(2), 27-30. https://doi.org/10.33235/jarna.22.2.27-30 Boling, P. (2022). Improving Transitional Care and Reducing Hospitalization for Nursing Facility Residents. JAMA Network Open, 5(5), e2210200. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.10200’ Centeno, M., & Kahveci, K. (2017). Transitional Care Models. Critical Care Nursing Clinics Of North America, 26(4), 589-597. https://doi.org/10.1017/j.ccell.2017.08.009 Chou, P., & Lin, P. (2019). THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PATIENT-PROVIDER RELATIONSHIP ON CANCER PAIN MANAGEMENT IN THE ELDERLY. Journal Of Geriatric Oncology, 10(6), S96. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1879- 4068(19)31278-0 Lee, J. (2017). Transitional care intervention. Nursing Management, 48(3), 32-39. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.numa.0000512507.39701.16 Ortiz, M. (2018). Transitional Care: Nursing Knowledge and Policy Implications. Nursing Science Quarterly, 32(1), 73-77. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894318418807938
- 12. Running Head: Phase Three Evaluation of a Research Study Phase III Yusleiby Castillo Florida National University Professor Nora Hernandez Pupo Date June 28, 2022 Evaluation of a Research Study: “Translating evidence to practice in the health professions: a randomized trial of Twitter vs Facebook” Has the author formulated an appropriate research question based on the problem/issue? The main purpose of the research study was to develop a comparison of the change within the research-informed knowledge of health professionals and the intended practice following the exposure to adequate research information delivered through either Twitter or Facebook. Thus, the author of the articles tends to appropriately formulate the research question in regards to the identified research problem. In general, there tends to be a major gap between the research- generated healthcare knowledge as well as the clinician practice (Tunnecliff et al., 2016). The formulated research question allows the targeted audience to be in a position to attain a detailed understanding of the ability of social media to connect diverse researchers as well as a clinician from various regions, disciplines and areas of practice across the globe and its ability to be a positive medium for exchanging knowledge as well as
- 13. education. Furthermore, understanding the impact social media, Twitter and Facebook, respectively, have on the enhancement of clinician knowledge and ability to promote behaviour change allows health facilities and professionals to appropriately utilized the information attained from the social media to enhance their skills and knowledge in their divers fields within the medical practice (Tunnecliff et al., 2016). Is the research question clearly defined in terms of its scope and relevance? The advancement of information technology tends to have a significant impact on how various activities are being conducted in the modern world. Thus, it may be asserted that the developed research question tends to clearly define the aim as well as the relevance of the research. Further, it tends to review the effectiveness of various social media platforms to be abl e to develop a robust conclusion on the impact social media have on clinician knowledge enhancement (Tunnecliff et al., 2016). In addition, it also tends to guide the researcher to focus closely on the use of social media platforms in education and the various impacts it may have in promoting learning experiences and enhancing knowledge as well as skills. Moreover, the formulated research question also tends to be relevant as it focuses on the two main social media platforms ( Twitter and Facebook) by reviewing the ability of these applications to utilize user interaction and text, videos as well as web links to allow their users to be able to effectively engage with each other (Tunnecliff et al., 2016). What is the author’s orientation towards the research problem/issue- is it critical analysis or interpretation based? Research orientation may be described as the level of emphasis that a person or organization may have on specific research compared to other academic activities. Research orientation tends to be a major influence on the attitudes towards research, research motivation as well as the perceived level of intellectual
- 14. demand by the research. The author’s orientation towards the research was academic as they sought to identify the gap between the research-generated healthcare knowledge and the clinical practice("Themes, orientations, and research directives," 2017). The academic research orientation often focuses on the scientific community, which tends to be the main audience for researchers who want to address their results. In addition, the academic orientation further tends to reflect on the traditional academic values as well as norms which include academic freedom and curiosity-driven choice of the research topics. Additionally, following the aspects of the academic orientation, the authors’ orientation of the research has significantly motivated the researchers to focus more on achieving a detailed understanding of how social media platforms are significant tools for enhanci ng the knowledge and skills of health care professionals ("Themes, orientations, and research directives," 2017). In addition, a significant population of health professionals tends to utilize various social media platforms to achieve relevant knowledge and information regarding their profession. How does this article contribute to your understanding of possible research modalities and methods? In research, modality may be described as the form of behaviour, expression or way of life which tends to belong to a specific person or a group of people. On the other hand, research methods may be described as the various approaches that are utilized to collect as well as analyze data (Namey et al., 2021). Thus, from a personal understanding, the research tends to follow a systematic research approach to enable it to be able to acquire the appropriate data to answer the research question. The research utilized an open-label randomized comparative design and a mixed-methods approach to be able to acquire as well as analyze the necessary data. In addition, the research modalities utilized in the research are the various ways in which the social media platform may be used to enhance the
- 15. knowledge and skills of health care professionals (Namey et al., 2021). Majorly, the significant use of Twitter and Facebook in the modern world tends to be the main modality of this research as it aids in understanding forms of behavior within the social media platform as well as the approaches that may be utilized to enhance knowledge and skills among the healthcare professions. What are the strengths, limitation of the study? A major strength of the study is that it offered a detailed understanding of how the various social media platforms ( Twitter and Facebook, respectively may be used to enhance knowledge and skills among the health care professionals(Tunnecliff et al., 2016). Another significant strength is that it offers a detailed understanding of the various behaviour that health care professionals may have about the social media platform and how it may be utilized to enhance continuous knowledge and skills advancement. On the other hand, the main limitation of the research is that it tends to lack a controlled group hence not able to adequately evaluate the impact of learning effect from a social media platform. Due to this, it is quite essential for another research to be conducted with a controlled group to be able to determine if the use of social media platforms as a tool to enhance the skills and knowledge of health care professionals is helpful or not(Tunnecliff et al., 2016). Additionally, the research also followed a randomization approach, which comprised of high risk of bias, and as a result, the findings of the research may not be generalized. Which Essentials do you see represented in this article and why? The main essential that I have identified being represented in the study is the importance of social media platforms to promote knowledge and skills. The research identifies that technology is part of modern society, and it is important for various organizations and filed to develop ways in which they may promote continuous knowledge and skills enhancement
- 16. through the social media platform(Tunnecliff et al., 2016). Additionally, a significant population around the world are members of either Twitter, Facebook or both, and thus it tends to be a convenient way of sharing crucial information within the healthcare field as well as other professional fields. References Namey, E., Guest, G., O’Regan, A., Godwin, C. L., Taylor, J., & Martinez, A. (2021). How does qualitative data collection modality affect disclosure of sensitive information and participant experience? Findings from a quasi-experimental study. Quality & Quantity. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-021- 01217-4 Themes, orientations, and research directives. (2017). Ethnographies of Reason, 199-200. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315580555-23 Tunnecliff, J., Weiner, J., Gaida, J. E., Keating, J. L., Morgan, P., Ilic, D., Clearihan, L., Davies, D., Sadasivan, S., Mohanty, P., Ganesh, S., Reynolds, J., & Maloney, S. (2016). Translating evidence to practice in the health professions: A randomized trial of Twitter vs Facebook. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 24(2), 403-408. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocw085 166 Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies, Volume 9 Number 2, April 2009 166-178 DOI: 10.1177/1532708608325937 © 2009 SAGE Publications
- 17. “Look Out New World, Here We Come”? Race, Racialization, and Sexuality in Four Children’s Animated Films by Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks Carmen R. Lugo-Lugo Mary K. Bloodsworth-Lugo Washington State University In this essay, the authors argue that, as suggested by Giroux, animated films offer children intricate teachings about race and sexuality, guiding children through the complexities of highly racialized and sexualized scenarios. Moreover, the authors explain how animated films for children teach children how to maneuver within the general terrain of “race” and “sexuality,” and they highlight quite specific differences. Thus, in their role as agents of socialization and “portable professors,” these films provide children with the necessary tools to reinforce expectations about normalized racial and sexual dynamics. Keywords: Racialized anthropomorphism; heterosexism; animated films; socialization Children’s Films as Agents of Socialization The last decade or so has witnessed a proliferation of successful animated films, the majority of which have been made by Disney, Disney
- 18. and Pixar, and DreamWorks.1 Full of fantastic computer-generated images and special effects, the characters in these films depart from the simpler, two- dimensional designs in earlier (mostly Disney) films and provide viewers with more sophisticated, three- dimensional, emotion-displaying characters. Technological advances notwith- standing, these films, on a social level, offer viewers all -too- familiar and ordinary lessons wrapped in extraordinary and sometimes-magical plots. In a basic sense, the narratives embedded within these recent stories provide children (their primary target audience), and even adults, with audio-visual reinforcement of ide- ologies concerning gender roles, the importance of conquering one’s fears, the Lugo-Lugo, Bloodsworth-Lugo • “Look Out New World, Here We Come”? 167 rewards of hard work, or the benefits of team effort, making these stories power- ful agents of socialization. Elizabeth Freeman (2005) actually describes these films as “‘portable professors’ of a sort, offering diagnoses of culture for adults even as they enculturate children” (p. 85). These successful animated films also offer lessons about accepting ourselves for who we are, the wonders of pulling ourselves up by our own
- 19. bootstraps, and the idea that love conquers all—even seemingly insurmountable class differences, ill- intentioned acts, and evil characters. Similarly, the narratives teach very specific messages regarding clear-cut dichotomies such as good and evil; namely, that good and evil are mutually exclusive, self-contained monoliths and that the good will always be good whereas the evil will always be evil. Henry Giroux (1999) explains this best when he claims that with these films, the corporations involved (e.g., Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks) are “regulating culture,” and thus, pro- foundly influencing “children’s culture and their everyday lives” (p. 2). The mes- sages embedded within these films resonate with children and are reiterated through other sources, while they also resound with parents who have received the same lessons since childhood. As Helaine Silverman (2002) conveys, “As a quintessential form of American public culture, animated movies may be exam- ined as a site where collective social understandings are created and in which the politics of signification are engaged” (p. 299). According to Giroux (1999), these films are part of a popular culture that “is the primary way in which youth learn about themselves, their relationship to others, and the larger world” (p. 2). He goes on to argue that media culture has become a substantial, if not the primary
- 20. educational force in reg- ulating the meanings, values, and tastes that set the norms, that offer up and legit- imate particular subject positions—what it means to claim an identity as male, female, white, black, citizen, noncitizen. (pp. 2-3) Giroux (1999) insists that “entertainment is always an educational force” (p. 28). Within this “edutainment,” “animated films operate . . . as the new teach- ing machines” and “they possess at least as much cultural authority and legitimacy for teaching roles, values, and ideals as more traditional sites of learning” (p. 84). In this article, we argue that, as suggested by Giroux, animated films offer children intricate teachings about race and sexuality. Thus, as socializing agents or “teaching machines,” these films guide U.S. children through the complexities of highly racialized and sexualized scenarios, normalizing certain dynamics and ren- dering others invisible in the process. We fundamentally disagree with Bell, Haas, and Sells (1995) who argue that “Disney’s trademarked innocence operates on a systematic sanitation of violence, sexuality, and political struggle concomitant with an erasure or repression of difference” (p. 7). To the contrary, these films pre- cisely teach children how to maneuver within the general terrain of “race” and “sexuality,” and they highlight quite specific differences. It is our contention that
- 21. films, in their role as agents of socialization and “portable professors,” provide 168 Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies • April 2009 children with the necessary tools to reinforce expectations about normalized racial and sexual dynamics. To illustrate our points, we will focus on four specific films: The Road to El Dorado (2000), Shark Tale (2004), Dinosaur (1993), and Toy Story (1995). We could discuss race and sexuality as intersecting markers within the context of each film, but in the interest of clarity, we will discuss each category separately here. Con Men and Fish: Racialized Representations and Animated Films In her book, Understanding Disney, Janet Wasko (2003) lists the various ele- ments found in any “classic” Disney narrative: style, story, characters, and themes/values, along with the formulaic components of each. We would like to focus on her description of characters, for it is through the characters that “we” piece together the story, learn the themes/values, and get a feel for the film’s style. According to Wasko, Disney anthropomorphizes animal characters, presents for- mulaic heroes, heroines, and villains, and provides stereotypical representations of
- 22. gender and ethnicity. We can offer two points in relation to Wasko’s basic claims. First, Wasko’s description of Disney’s animated characters can likewise be extended to the animated characters in films made by DreamWorks and Pixar (as we will discuss in this article);2 and second, her claim regarding stereotypical rep- resentations can be expanded in the following way: Even though animals (and other nonhuman characters) are anthropomorphized in children’s animated films, these films also, unfailingly, racialize nonhuman characters in the process. That is to say, these characters are not simply transformed into some generic “human” (for there are no generic humans); rather, they are inscribed, for example, as White “humans,” Black “humans,” Asian “humans,” or Latino “humans.” Thus, we maintain that animal and other nonhuman characters undergo a kind of racialized anthropomorphism within animated films. Our discussion of Shark Tale, below, will illustrate this point. Similarly, although human characters in animated films still “play” formulaic and stereotypical roles and adhere to strict dichotomies, the scope of these roles and the shape of these dichotomies seem to be broadening in recent films, adapt- ing to contemporary definitions. We will use The Road to El Dorado to illustrate this point. Consequently, we also argue that while many “classic” animated films
- 23. (often featuring human characters) tend to adhere to strict dichotomies (e.g., good/evil, hero/villain, etc.), there are also recent notable examples (generally fea- turing anthropomorphized characters) that create more nuanced constructions of these binaries. That is to say, while we still see films that enact clear sets of bina- ries and simultaneously racialize characters in accord with these roles, we are also witnessing very recent films that complicate classic structures. The two films dis- cussed in this section provide examples of each sort of fil m. Lugo-Lugo, Bloodsworth-Lugo • “Look Out New World, Here We Come”? 169 Stereotypes and Dichotomies in The Road to El Dorado We begin our discussion with a film that conforms to classic structures and dichotomies: DreamWorks’ The Road to El Dorado. Adding to Wasko’s discussion of stereotypical representations of race and ethnicity in children’s films, and—we add—sexuality, we argue that stereotypical representations must be placed within a broader, more complicated historical context within which gendered, racialized, and sexualized dynamics take place. In other words, stereotyped representations are only relevant because they simultaneously reinforce both contemporary and historical notions of race, gender, and sexuality.3 Let us take,
- 24. for instance, repre- sentations of race in The Road to El Dorado. Set during “the Conquest” of the Americas, The Road to El Dorado begins in Spain and moves to a mysterious loca- tion in what is now known as Mexico. The film begins with Hernán Cortez deliv- ering a speech just prior to his departure for “the New World,” in which he boasts, “We sail to conquer another world, for Spain, for glory.” Thus, in a superficial way, the film subtly points to the greed-induced injustices of the Spanish Conquest; however, when examined more closely, The Road to El Dorado tells a highly racialized and dichotomized story involving Spaniards and indigenous peoples in the Americas. This story is accomplished by romanticizing the Indigenous as child-like and innocent beings (always smiling, rarely speaking, and mostly in awe) who are positioned as being in need of rescue. This “rescue” comes in the form of Tulio and Miguel—the “good” kind of Europeans (and the con- trast to Cortez, the “bad” kind). In the case of The Road to El Dorado, the evil characters are hopelessly evil (i.e., Cortez and the High Priest) and the good characters are ultimately good (i.e., Tulio/Miguel and the Chief ). While Tulio and Miguel (described by DreamWorks as “a pair of two-wit con men”) may sometimes lack good judg- ment, they are—in the end—good, decent people (as they must
- 25. be given their place within the binary structure). Hernán Cortez, in his evil incarnation, becomes the damnation of the natives, while Tulio and Miguel discover their role as saviors of the doomed indigenous society. The most interesting feature of Tulio and Miguel’s characters is that, mistaken as gods, they are able to become heroes and save the indigenous society from its own heartless high priest. In fact, in his role as one of the gods, and responding to the high priest’s request for a human sacrifice, Miguel gives the natives their first commandment: “There will be no sacrifices, not now, not ever.” In the film, El Dorado (the place) becomes a site of racial dynamics where the indigenous population not only dances, drinks, and is happily festive but also partakes in “uncivilized” practices such as human sacrifice. It is also in El Dorado that Spaniards, Tulio and Miguel (with their puzzling British accents), manage to save the place, even after Miguel informs the Chief that the Indigenous will not be able to fight off Cortez and his men who are rapidly approaching the city. Despite this claim, Tulio is able to arrive at a solution to save the city which entails block- ing its only entrance, thus preventing Cortez (or anyone else) from ever finding
- 26. the city. In turn, its residents are isolated from other human contact forever, thus repositioning them as perpetually innocent and childlike peoples in need of pro- tection. While carrying out the plan, both “con men” renounce the gold they had planned to take, signaling a change of heart concerning their own greed and revealing that in the end—and different from Cortez—they do possess kind hearts. Nonetheless, given that Tulio and Miguel were “con men” who arrived to and stayed in El Dorado through deceptive actions, their portrayal as ultimately kind-hearted heroes broadens any former (and pure) construction of “the hero.” Moreover, dichotomies notwithstanding in The Road to El Dorado, Europeans become both the damnation and the salvation of the indigenous characters. Racialized Anthropomorphism in Shark Tale We find an excellent example of racialized anthropomorphism in the recent DreamWorks’ film Shark Tale, in which Oscar, described by DreamWorks (2005) as “a little hustler fish,” speaks in a clearly “Black” American accent and lives in the ghetto part (South side) of the reef. His blackness is found not only in his accent and place of residence but also in his mannerisms, behavior, and jewelry (i.e., “bling”), which are highly racialized signifiers. For instance, in one scene, Oscar tries to “hustle his way” out of a situation with his boss
- 27. Sykes, a puffer fish. Oscar tries to connect with Sykes by performing a complicated “fin shake,” but Sykes is unable to follow the steps. After a few attempts, Oscar gives up and says, “Don’t sweat it, a lot of white fish can’t do it.” For children who are learning the intricacies of race (as a social signifier) and race relations, labeling Sykes as a “White fish” (and therefore, Oscar as a “Black fish”) validates other societal mes- sages. Children learn that our culture is strictly raced and racialized, since even fish can be Black or White. In fact, Oscar and Sykes are not the only fish racialized i n Shark Tale. We can also find Ernie and Bernie (two Rastafarian jelly fish, complete with Jamaican accents) who work for Sykes, Lino (an Italian American accented Mob shark and master of the reef ), and Mrs. García (an overweight, middle- aged, single, Mexican-accented, female fish, with permanent rollers in her hair) who also lives in the ghetto. These are just a few examples. However, we can also locate nuances in the ways that these characters are racialized. For instance, not only can we see Oscar being racialized as Black but also can we see an ethnicization of race whereby Oscar is constructed as a Black American. This ethnicization is accom- plished through his juxtaposition to Ernie and Bernie with whom he interacts. In one scene, for example, Oscar attempts to sing reggae, to which
- 28. Ernie retorts, “Don’t like the way you sing that song, man.” In this way, Oscar is reinscribed as Black, but this reinscription is promoted through contrasting Oscar, as Black American, with Ernie and Bernie, as Black Jamaican (where to be Jamaican means to be accepted by Rastafarian jellyfish). In addition, Sykes is actually finally able to perform the fin shake, once Oscar becomes a celebrity and Sykes becomes his 170 Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies • April 2009 manager. With Oscar’s celebrity and Sykes’ newfound investment, we see Sykes now able to do the finshake and to speak “Black lingo.” We could argue that Sykes’ “Black performance” parallels that of White rap producers and others who “learn the lingo” to have better rapport with their “investments.” In Shark Tale, further- more, we witness ethnicization in “White,” for Lino is not only racialized as White but also ethnicized as Italian by way of very specific signifiers. For instance, Lenny (his son) tells Oscar that Lino is the Godfather, Lino speaks with an accent usually associated with New York Italians, and Frankie (Lino’s other son) receives a Catholic burial, performed in Latin, after he dies. While almost silly, these stereotypes serve as important signifiers of a particular kind of whiteness within the United States—
- 29. the whiteness of a group that, until recently, was not actually seen as White. Dinosaurs and Toys: Straightness, Heterosexism, and Animated Films A few years ago, Tinky Winky (of the children’s television show, Teletubbies) was rendered a “homosexual” by Jerry Falwell. Falwell —a professed straight man—claimed to know the status of Tinky Winky vis-à-vis “his” sexuality. Even though Tinky Winky never said “I am gay,” Falwell thought that Tinky Winky’s color (purple) and his accessories (his purse) said “I am gay” very clearly; Tinky Winky need not utter the words. It is worth noting, in this case, that Falwell’s assessment of Tinky Winky also followed a curious path: He first assigned Tinky Winky a sex (male), then assessed that sex (by reading the color and the accessory as “inappropriate” gender attributions for a male), and then conflated gender and sexuality (by labeling Tinky Winky a “homosexual” on the basis of these “inap- propriate” gendered characteristics). In addition, it could be the case that Tinky Winky’s triangle head-piece clinched the “homosexual” assessment for Falwell. At the time of the Falwell incident, some members of the gay and lesbian com- munity argued that cartoon characters do not have sexualities; hence, in musing over children’s television programming, Falwell had “simply
- 30. gone too far.” This was a case, some gay men and lesbians argued, of homophobia run rampant. However, it seems undeniable that cartoon characters— especially in Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks productions —certainly do have sexualities, which is to say, they have heterosexualities. Despite a tenuous relevance, or an outright irrel- evance, to the story-lines, “heterosexuality” (in the form of heterosexual relation- ships or heterosexually oriented banter) pervades most films for children. Indeed, if there is a purpose to these seemingly pointless scenes, the aim could be taken to be the “indoctrination” of children into “the heterosexual lifestyle.” In the films discussed above, The Road to El Dorado and Shark Tale, we can eas- ily find examples of heterosexual relationships and banter. In The Road to El Dorado, Tulio, who has warned Miguel regarding the dangers that Chel (the “native”) could bring, ends up falling for her himself. The fact that it is Tulio, and not Miguel, who cannot resist the Indigenous woman only underscores her dan- ger, for Tulio is represented as the more level-headed member of the con men Lugo-Lugo, Bloodsworth-Lugo • “Look Out New World, Here We Come”? 171
- 31. 172 Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies • April 2009 pairing. On first seeing Chel, after all, it is Miguel who states, “Maybe we should call this place ‘Chel Dorado,’” while uttering sounds of sexual excitement. The introduction of Chel into the narrative occurs after a series of scenes in which the sexuality of the two main characters could be construed as unclear; for example, after the two men have recited to each other that they have made each other’s lives more adventurous and rich (on thinking that death was immanent) and after the two men have bathed naked together (on arriving in “the New World”). Chel clarifies for the audience that these two men are, indeed, sexually “normal.” Of course, this “normalcy”—played out in the relationship between Chel and the two Spaniards—also tells the audience that the indigenous woman is available for the White man’s choosing and that, like El Dorado itself, no “normal” man could resist her temptation (leading to her/its conquest and possession). In Shark Tale, the role of “woman as temptation and trouble” is played by Lola who is positioned as a danger to Oscar’s potential wealth as he places a “sure bet” on Lucky Day to win the ensuing seahorse race. As Oscar turns around and sees Lola seductively entering the room, a song unleashes the lyrics, “Better watch out, she’ll take your cash. She’s a gold digger.” Of course, in The
- 32. Road to El Dorado, Chel’s initial interest in Tulio and Miguel also centers on the “escape” that they might offer, and she makes a deal with them to gain a share of their gold. However, in Shark Tale, the “type of woman” represented by Lola is also contrasted with two other sorts of women—the kind of woman with which a man should eventually set- tle down (Angie), and the kind of woman that no “normal” man could find allur- ing (Mrs. García). Angie, unlike Lola and unbeknownst to Oscar, loved Oscar before his newfound life of fame and fortune. Oscar initially overlooks her affection, referring to her simply as his “best friend.” But it is precisely one’s best friend (as long as that best friend is of the “opposite” sex) who offers a man long-term possi- bilities, unlike the seductress who will leave him on a whim. Or, perhaps worse still, it is the “Lola type of woman” who will seek revenge if he leaves her first. Lola her- self states that the only thing she likes better than money is revenge. However, it is not Oscar, the film’s main character, who is in the opening scene of Shark Tale. Rather, it is Lenny—the son of Lino, the “Don” of the reef. As a worm struggles on a fishing hook, eyeing Lenny swimming closer and closer (with the theme to Jaws playing), the audience senses the danger. But Lenny does the unexpected. Instead of gobbling down the worm, he releases it from the hook and
- 33. lets it swim free. As we learn, the thought of eating any of this “meaty” sea life makes Lenny sick. Lenny eventually confides in Oscar, in a discussion that evokes a narrative of self-outing, that he is a vegetarian. However, his family has known for some time that something is “odd” with Lenny—he is not a “normal” shark. As Lino says to Lenny, “You. I’m hearing things. When you look weak, I look weak,” and “Son, you’re going to learn to be a shark whether you like it or not.” Thus, being a “normal” shark is equated with being a shark as such, and being a shark means being a vicious master of the reef (and not a compassionate con- sumer of kelp). Lenny’s brother, Frankie, likewise tells Lenny, “If you want to make dad happy, you’ve got to kill something. You’ve got to be a shark.” While the issue of Lenny’s sexuality is left open in Shark Tale, parallels between stereotypical representations of gay men and characteristics displayed by Lenny are played on throughout the film. Not only does Lenny “come out” to Oscar (as vegetarian) but also does he dress both as a cowboy and as a dolphin at one point in the film (“Sebastian, the Whale-Washing Dolphin”). This “dress up” evokes both the fondness for uniformed men within gay male culture (the most famous example being the array of figures represented by The Village
- 34. People) as well as the more general relationship between gay men and drag. When Lino sees Lenny dressed in this get-up, he asks of Lenny, “What are you wearing? What is that? Do you have any idea how this looks?” Of course, while Oscar makes a plea for Lino’s acceptance of Lenny at the end of the film, asking, “Why can’t you love him as he is?” it is precisely Oscar who has subtly rejected Lenny at an earlier point in the film, stating the number one rule for friendship as “none of that snuggly bug- gly stuff. Whatever that was.” Oscar thereby distances himself from any “abnor- mal” closeness between the two male characters (or two men in general) and designates such closeness as “icky.” In fact, such intimacy is to be so desperately avoided that this particular rule for friendship is cited before Rule 2—the rule directly related to Oscar’s self-preservation: “If you ever have a change of heart [about being a vegetarian], please don’t gobble me down.” With his rules for friendship, Oscar reconstitutes himself as the heterosexual man—the man who may have other men as friends (as do Tulio and Miguel), but whose sexual desires are firmly positioned where they should be. A point of connection between the overall representations of sexuality in both The Road to El Dorado and Shark Tale involves the incorporation of [hetero]sexu- ality into the narratives of the films when the basic messages
- 35. could have been served without it. In this respect, children’s films do not function very differently from adult-centered Hollywood films which find a way to work a [heterosexual] love story into almost any plot. But unlike adults, whose sexualities have already been soundly established (it would appear), children are still learning the societal lessons of [hetero]sexuality—that heterosexuality is the “normal” sexuality and the desired outcome for “any healthy child.” Thus, the seemingly unnecessary incorporation of heterosexuality into the narratives of children’s films can actually be seen to serve a function. That is, it reiterates lessons that children receive elsewhere—that boys like girls and girls like boys, and men like women and women like men, even when the boys/men and girls/women are, for example, fish . . . or dinosaurs or toys. [Needless] Heterosexuality in Dinosaur In the film Dinosaur, the main character, Aladar, becomes orphaned when a bird picks up his egg and drops it far from Aladar’s home. Aladar (a dinosaur) is subsequently adopted and raised by a clan of lemurs. While this unusual situation could, and perhaps does, offer lessons about “alternative families” or “families of choice,” this message is fundamentally undermined given its repositioning within
- 36. Lugo-Lugo, Bloodsworth-Lugo • “Look Out New World, Here We Come”? 173 174 Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies • April 2009 a framework of normative heterosexuality. This framework renders procreation as the only legitimate reason for sexual activity and the nuclear family as sexuality’s only “natural” outcome. For instance, near the beginning of the film, a scene with questionable relevance to the plot unfolds (the plot being dinosaurs making their way to the “nesting grounds” after meteors strike and destroy much of the Earth), when pairs of male–female lemurs are shown “doing the wild thing.” While an argument could be made for the relevance of this scene (i.e., it suggests the means of survival for a species, thereby foreshadowing the meteor scene which renders extinction possible), any such significance to this scene—in our view—is under- mined by a blatant depiction of lemurs “doing it.” To prepare for the mating ritual, we see Zini (Aladar’s “brother”) practicing his pick up lines and remarking, “Girl, I’m the professor of love. And school’s in ses- sion,” and “Hey, sweetie. If you’ll be my bride, I’ll groom ya.” At the same time, we hear the girl and boy lemurs being taught their separate mating lessons. The girls are told to be subtle with their intentio ns and to “keep the
- 37. boys guessing.” Of the boy who has successfully mated in the past, we hear the praise, “He put the ‘prime’ in primate.” And, as the boys arrive to “go at it” with the girls, we are privy to their introduction, “Here’s your buffet table of love.” All of the lemurs then embark on heterosexual pairings, and all are successful, except for Zini, who reassures himself by saying, “Before you know it, she’ll be wanting a bigger tree” (i.e., to say, “women are trouble”). Zini is appointed the onl y bachelor of the clan—except for Aladar, who has not yet found others “like himself ” (i.e., other dinosaurs). Thus, Zini and Aladar can be seen to form a connection on the basis of their mutual bachelorhood, and while Zini is unsuccessful with the ladies him- self, he does not fail to offer advice to Aladar later when he meets Neera on the way to the nesting grounds. Zini remarks, “Hey, hey, there’s your girlfriend. What you need is a little help from the love monkey.” Finally, Aladar is able to settle down with “the right girl,” and the two dinosaurs have “a little Aladar” who “looks just like his father.” In the film’s final scene, we see Zini encircled by a “harem” of female lemurs, suggesting that he too might finally mate successfully. Zini asks, in a moment of sexual excitement, “Are you ladies up for a game of monkey in the middle tonight?” His inquiry is followed by a cheesy grin of sex- ual anticipation.
- 38. The Love of Toys in Toy Story Another example of heterosexual incorporation into a children’s film can be seen in the popular Toy Story movies, in which the voice of Tom Hanks animates the character of Woody. In the opening scene of Toy Story, Woody’s “boy” (Andy) acts out a playtime scene in which Woody saves the life of Little Bo Peep’s flock. When Andy leaves his bedroom, all the toys come to life. Little Bo Peep gently whispers to Woody, kisses him, and thanks him for saving her sheep. She follows this gesture with the line, “What if I get someone to watch the sheep tonight? Can you come over?” Woody blushes, revealing his sexual anticipation through the cheesiness of his smile (much like Zini). At the end of the film, Little Bo Peep tells Woody, “Merry Christmas, Sheriff,” as she pulls him toward her with her shepherd’s hook. To her holiday greeting, Woody replies, “Hey, isn’t that mistle- toe up there?” The two toys then disappear, out of the frame, as the film closes. This final scene arrives after Woody, throughout the film, has found himself having to compete not only for the affections of Andy but also for those of Little Bo Peep. While Woody was previously the mainstay of both
- 39. Andy and Little Bo Peep, their loyalties are tested as Andy’s new toy, Buzz Lightyear—the new and flashy sort of toy (guy)—enters the scene. Given that Andy’s family will be mov- ing to a new home in just a week, Woody has instructed the toys to locate part- ners for the move. Woody wants no toy to be lost or left behind. With the arrival of Buzz Lightyear, on the occasion of Andy’s birthday, Little Bo Peep thinks that she has found her solution. As she remarks on first noticing Buzz, “I’ve found my moving buddy.” Little Bo Peep thereby displaces Woody from the role that he would have likely assumed. In the end, however, Little Bo Peep returns to Woody, much as Oscar returns to Angie (in Shark Tale). The message, here, is that the steady guy—rather than the flashy one—is a girl’s best option. While flashiness might offer temporary excitement, steadiness provides long- term stability. The “tried-and-true” is ultimately better than the “toy-of-the-day.” It is worth noting that in a sustained Toy Story subplot, Mr. Potato Head spends the entire film awaiting the arrival of Mrs. Potato Head. She finally appears at the end of the film, on the occasion of Andy’s sister’s birthday. The arrival of Mrs. Potato Head is then followed by the regular appearance of the united and happy couple throughout the film’s sequel, Toy Story II. Conclusion
- 40. Given such depictions of race and sexuality enmeshed within the storylines of films primarily intended for children, it seems reasonable to maintain that racialization—including racialized anthropomorphism—takes place on various levels within these animated films. On a basic level, such films provide children with important signifiers that chart racialized, and racist, dynamics. On a more profound level, these films serve as tools that help to teach children to maintain the racial (and racist) ideologies that maintain the status quo. For instance, even though Oscar is no generic fish, we are taught that he should nonetheless be happy to be a fish (a Black fish), to live in the ghetto, and to enjoy the lot assigned to him in life. As Oscar, at the end of Shark Tale, settles into his newfound life as co-owner of the Whale Wash (with Sykes), we note that while he has indeed moved from his father’s lot as long-time tongue scrubber, he has not risen so far as to make a White audience uncomfortable with the success of a Black man/fish. After all, Oscar shares his bourgeois success with a White man, Sykes. Similarly, in The Road to El Dorado, we learn that the conquest of the Americas is over, and there is the possibility that multitudes of Indigenous folks did not die after all. Rather, their civilizations may actually be hidden behind large rock formations
- 41. Lugo-Lugo, Bloodsworth-Lugo • “Look Out New World, Here We Come”? 175 impossible for us to find—thus, we need not feel guilty about the extermination of entire cultures. We need not worry about rape either, for we are told that Indigenous women were actually more than willing to leave their families to live adventurous lives with European men (as demonstrated by the relationship between Chel and Tulio). And slavery, we are instructed, was an institution for evil people who fundamentally deserved it (as depicted by the enslavement of the High Priest by Cortez). Moreover, there is an ethnicization of race in more recent animated films for children, suggesting that children are being taught not only “crude” racial cate- gories but also more intricate ways of conceiving “race” in relation to ethnic mark- ers. While it might be argued that there are positive aspects to such portrayals (for instance, they complicate race by not homogenizing racial categories such as “Black” or “White”), we would argue that the real purpose of the ethnicization of race—in a film like Shark Tale—is to differentiate characters in not-so-positive ways. For example, Lino (Italian White) is contrasted with Sykes (nondescript White) in ways that promote negative stereotypes of Italians in
- 42. comparison to “other” Whites. While Sykes may wish to exploit Oscar and his newfound fame, Sykes is himself victimized by Lino’s perpetual bullying, thereby rendering Sykes a “better” kind of White fish than Lino. Heterosexism plays a similar role within these films, for a heterosexist lens implies no sexuality where a case can be made for glaring heterosexuality. Owing to the fact that heterosexuality is normative, depictions of it often go unnoticed. This claim seems a more accurate reflection of the actual status of sexuality within children’s animated films than the position that animated characters have no sex- ualities. All of the main characters discussed above not only have [hetero]sexuali- ties but also convey more nuanced lessons from within the category “heterosexual.” That is to say, Oscar’s attention is depicted as properly directed at women, while ultimately he must end up with the right kind of woman; Woody must compete for the affections of Little Bo Peep, while she is distracted by the flashiness of the wrong sort of man. Even when a character is introduced, like Lenny, whose sexuality is unclear, this lack of certainty only affords the sort of mild put-down illustrated by Oscar’s “None of that snuggly buggly” comment. With this distancing remark, heterosexuality is recentered and given its rightful place as the only “normal” sexuality. In the case of Tulio and
- 43. Miguel, any lack of clarity regarding the nature of the male–male relationship is resolved through the introduction of Chel, the irresistible woman. Likewise, rather than construing animated characters as generally unmarked by race, it is more likely that these characters are raced as White (which is why main- stream audiences do not notice many characters’ races) as well as non-White (which is why other characters jump from their backgrounds). Concerning the second part of this point, we might consider Native Hawaiian Lilo in Disney’s Lilo and Stitch, or Spanish-accented Puss “n Boots in DreamWorks” Shrek 2, as two additional examples. An interesting question arises here regarding how knowledge of the social location of the actors motivating the characters’ voices might inform the way we 176 Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies • April 2009 Lugo-Lugo, Bloodsworth-Lugo • “Look Out New World, Here We Come”? 177 (especially adults) perceive the characters, as well as how they are drawn and narrated. Our suggestion would be that while the participation of Tom Hanks certainly con- tributes to the heterosexuality and the whiteness of Woody in Toy Story and the voice of Will Smith contributes to the heterosexuality and the
- 44. blackness of Oscar in Shark Tale, this is not the only relevant (or even, most significant) factor in situating the characters. Rather, it would seem more important to consider how the characters (not the actors) operate within a specific frame of reference where socialization involving race and sexuality is the key. It is also significant to note that, in the end, the importance of these films resides in the fact that they are sold as mindless state- of-the-art entertainment and not as agents of socialization. This may be the most powerful aspect of animated films for children. Notes 1. Disney has released Aladdin (1992), Atlantis (2001), Dinosaur (1993), Lilo and Stitch (2002), and The Emperor’s New Groove (2000). Disney and Pixar have released A Bug’s Life (1998), Finding Nemo (2003), Monsters Inc (2001), Toy Story (1995), and Toy Story 2 (1999). DreamWorks has released Antz (1998), Chicken Run (2000), Joseph King of Dreams (2000), The Road to El Dorado (2000), Shark Tale (2004), Shrek (2001), Shrek 2 (2004), Spirit (2002), and The Prince of Egypt (1998). 2. As Alan Bryman (2004) discusses in his book, The Disneyization of Society, “disney- ization” as a practice is so pervasive in our society that Disney’s “style is frequently copied,” and “as a result, audiences are sometimes unsure about what is and is not a Disney film . . .” (p. 6). For such reasons, we insist on including Pixar
- 45. and DreamWorks animated films in our analysis. 3. A film such as The Road to El Dorado not only presents ideas that we have of race relationships in the 15th century but also reflects our own contemporary ideas of those very relationships. References Adamson, A. (Writer/Director), Asbury, K. (Director), & Steig, W. (Writer). (2004). Shrek 2 [Motion picture]. United States: DreamWorks Animation. Adamson, A., Jenson, V. (Directors), Steig, W., & Elliott, T. (Writers). (2001). Shrek [Motion picture]. United States: DreamWor ks Animation. Asbury, K., Cook, L. (Directors), & Fusco, J. (Writer). (2002). Spirit [Motion picture]. United States: DreamWorks Animation. Bell, E., Haas, L., & Sells, L. (1995). From mouse to mermaid: The politics of film, gender, and culture. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. Bergeron, B., Finn, W. (Directors), Rossio, T., & Elliott, T. (Writers). (2000). The road to el dorado [Motion picture]. United States: DreamWorks Animation. Retrieved March 15, 2005, from http://www.roadtoeldorado.com/index_main.html Bergeron, B., Jenson, V. (Directors), Wilson, M. J., &
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- 48. Finding nemo [Motion picture]. United States: Pixar Animation. Trousdale, G., Wise, K. (Directors), & Murphy, T. (Writer). (2001). Atlantis [Motion pic- ture]. United States: Walt Disney. Wasko, J. (2001). Understanding Disney. Malden, MA: Polity Press. Watt, S. (1993). Dinosaur [Motion picture]. Available from http://www.imdb.com Carmen R. Lugo-Lugo, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Comparative Ethnic Studies at Washington State University. Her research focuses on manifestations of empire, race relations, and popular culture. Mary K. Bloodsworth-Lugo, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Comparative Ethnic studies at Washington State University. Her research focuses on race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, embodiment/theories of the body, identity, popular culture, film, and contemporary continental political philosophy. << /ASCII85EncodePages false /AllowTransparency false /AutoPositionEPSFiles true /AutoRotatePages /None /Binding /Left /CalGrayProfile (Dot Gain 20%) /CalRGBProfile (sRGB IEC61966-2.1) /CalCMYKProfile (U.S. Web Coated 050SWOP051 v2)
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