This open letter previously appeared at Pixar Can Do Better.
November 2011
Berkeley, CA
An Open Letter to Pixar
Dear Pixar Creative Team:
I adore your films. Want proof? My car is named Dory. I have Boundin’ posters hanging in my house. My partner and I mentioned both a jackalope and a delay fish in our wedding vows. We are fans.
I know that you are aware that last year, Toy Story 3 received criticism for a few lines and moments that seem sexist and homophobic. What you may not know is how to fix this situation, or why you should bother.
Let me briefly offer you answers to both of those questions:
1) How to fix this: I want you to hire a consultant to read your scripts and look at your storyboards. More on that later.
2) Why you should bother:
Here’s the thing. Your movies are funny, warm, moving, lively, and brilliant. And yet every so often, they contain a throwaway joke – something that doesn’t forward the plot, something that you don’t need! – that hurts kids.
Let me repeat. You are putting in jokes that aren’t necessary for the scripts, that no one will miss, and that hurt kids.
Here are some examples just from Toy Story 3 and Ratatouille:
A) Making fun of boys who transgress gender lines hurts kids.
In Toy Story 3, Ken laments, “Why do people always call me a girls’ toy?”, and he’s laughed at for having “girl’s handwriting.” What you are teaching here is that 1) girl’s toys and handwriting aren’t as good as boy’s toys & handwriting, and thus 2) girls, and feminine boys, just aren’t as good as masculine boys. This is called gender policing, homophobia, and misogyny. It hurts kids. And you know what? This joke wasn’t necessary. No one would have enjoyed Toy Story 3 one whit less if the homophobia was left out. You make people laugh in plenty of other wonderful ways in every movie – why do it at someone’s expense?
B) Telling stories where women need to be rescued hurts kids.
In the end of TS3, Jessie is “saved” by Buzz in a very obviously cliched and evocative pose, like in an old western. You seem to have put this in as the final reason that Jessie falls for Buzz. Why bother? Jessie was a perfectly strong female character in her own right, and she already clearly liked Buzz. There was no reason to set her up as a damsel in distress – especially because this image hurts kids. Damsels in distress create the expectation that women are powerless and need to be saved by men, which damages both girls and boys by 1) teaching them that the roles of Savior and Damsel are the most important roles they can have and 2) teaching girls that they can’t take care of themselves.
C) Showing men kissing women against their will hurts kids and leads to date rape.
Folks, in Ratatouille, there are THREE females – two characters and one bridal caketopper – that are kissed against their will. Each of these is presented as humorous or romantic. Are you kidding me? When kids see these images, 1) they learn that when girls say no, it is romantic or funny to kiss them anyway, which can lead directly to date rape. 2) Girls learn that what they want or say is not important, and that what a guy really wants is for them to put up a half-hearted fight and then submit. Is this really what you want to be teaching? I fervently hope that Ratatouille is the last time we will ever see that kind of thing in a Pixar movie.
D) Showing bikini-clad, voiceless women as supreme objects of desire hurts kids.
Night and Day was a gorgeous little gem of a film. But why did your two transparent beings have to fight over hot skinny bikini girls? Why not chocolate cake, or a bouquet of balloons? Are we in Tex Avery’s 1950s? From this story (and Knick Knack before it) kids learn that hot skinny bikini girls are the most important prize in the world. Girls learn that in order to be interesting they need to be skinny, half-naked, and sexualized. This leads to anorexia, depression, and so much more, as documented in this study: Sexualization of Girls is Linked to Common Mental Health Problems in Girls and Women.
E) Making fun of people who are physically different hurts kids, and
F) Making the bad guy brown hurts kids.
Folks, you did both of these at once with your short, dark-skinned villain in Ratatouille. Again, is it the fifties? This was especially surprising considering that none of your other villains are dark-skinned, and your truly inspiring and groundbreaking portrayals of disability in Finding Nemo.
On the good side, we had some very positive possibly-not-Caucasian characters in Up and TS3. So I think you’re on the right track. Now how to keep going in that direction?
SO, that consultant.
Pixar Creative Team, you are experts and brilliant leaders in your field. You tell wonderful stories and create beautiful works of art. You don’t need to also be experts in fighting homophobia, misogyny, racism, ableism, or sexism.
What you DO need to do is to hire someone who is that expert.
Please, I beg of you: hire a consultant – someone experienced in noticing sexism, racism, heterosexism, and ableism – to look at your scripts and make sure that you are aware of the impact of your throwaway jokes. You need SOMEBODY on your payroll who can look at each story in the earliest phases, scripts and storyboards, and who can say, “that’s sorta sexist. Do we really need it?”
Because you don’t.
Your films are masterpieces. Please, do the right thing, and take out the unnecessary jokes that hurt kids.
Sincerely,
T. Bookstein
T. Bookstein has been noticing misogyny, racism, heterosexism, ableism and other “little” problems in the media for about ten years. She works in higher education at her dream job. She and her partner are raising two awesome sons, and one orange cat.
haha, the old “someone please think of the children” strategy. These films don’t hurt anyone, just annoy the types of people who grow into this author, a meaningless minority.
Hey Woody, I guess it’s easy to dismiss these comment if you’re in the majority. Technically, as a woman ie. 50% of the population, I shouldn’t be in the minority. However, if you look at females representations in family films I am.
Here are some fun facts-
Even among the top-grossing G-rated family films, girl characters are out numbered by boys three-to-one.
Astoundingly, even female characters in family films serve primarily as “eye candy” and Messages that devalue and diminish female characters are still rampant in family films.
Woody, this disparity in representation is not part of our imagination, and films need to represent all people (including minorities) in diverse and non-judgemental lights so as not to add fuel to the fire of stereotypes, prejudices and bullying that are part of our society.
p.s. references from Geena Davis Institute in Media
http://www.seejane.org/research/
Ya this review is insane
I mean are you actually suggesting that Toy Story 3 causes date rape, because if you are that sounds like the punchline to a bad joke about feminists.
Seriously you sound like a crazy person, please stop it.
-Signed, the rest of the world!
I thought this was an awesome and well thought out letter. The fact that the trolls are out and angry proves it.
i second bunny’s comment. this is a clear, direct, to the point letter and i hope it is received by open-minded people.
I couldn’t agree more the sentiment of the letter. It’s possible to have fun and laugh without denigrating entire segments of the population, whether we’re doing it intentionally or not. When someone speaks up, we should taker him/her seriously.
Do you really think that date rapists turn to children’s movies to decide whether or not to rape someone?
Right,Because one movie had a person of color being a villain so pixar is racist,Not only is that a ridiculous statement but,… Here’s a list of Pixar villains & as you can see,Most of them are white or non human:
http://disneyvillains.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Pixar_Villains
I agree with the content in your letter, it is very well thought out and proves very strong points. However, I feel like some of these suggestions are overly analyzed such as the “damsel in distress” situation HURTING kids. I think that this situation should not be portrayed but it does not necessarily hurt kids.And also the date rape thing. But otherwise, I really enjoyed reading this letter.
A decent point by “woody” in rebuttal;
I agree with this not only because it’s true, but because the tone of the whole review is arrogant, presumptuous, and misguided. I wonder if the reviewer subscribes to cable television, lets her kids see any movies at all, go to the mall, or surf the Internet. There’s all sorts of potentially “hurtful” things out there for kids, and instead of demonizing pixar, perhaps we should direct our efforts toward teaching kids how to think for themselves and become well-adjusted enough not to let stereotyping affect their decision-making.
I also agree that the review is overanalyzed. The subtext of Ken’s displeasure at being considered a “girl’s” toy is the product of deep-seated thinking that dates back centuries and is as much a part of the human thought process as the “fight or flight” mechanism. Boys make fun of boys for being Girly, girls make fun of girls for being overly masculine or manly. You can see a shakespearean example of this in Romeo and Juliet where Tybalt taunts Benvolio for being “drawn among these heartless hinds,” a reference to the other men sharing characteristics with frightened female deer. It is easy through a pushy feminist point of view to misconstrue these examples as gender conditioning, but what the real issue is is poking fun at “the other.” Girls generally enjoy being Girly, boys, manly. Those that fit into the minorities that do not fall under those categories will surely hate to hear it, but Pixar designs its movies to the enjoyment of the masses (WHO RELATE TO THOSE IDEAS) and not to be overtly concerned with every single one of their viewers.
I apologise if my earlier comment was slightly throw away, I was not expecting much activity on this article.
In response to “Unknown”, you, nor the author of this letter represent women, just as I do not represent men. Being in a minority (whatever minority your in) does not give you an underdog opinion against the oppressive majority.
Back to the letter, as a film student we study Pixar ( the most successful film production company ever) for it’s flawless structure, character development and clever writing. They didn’t get their success by accident, and they wouldn’t have if more than half the population (i.e. women) had a shared issue with it.
Films and entertainment aren’t real life, nor do they have the responsibility of accurately representing real life. They’re there to entertain, if they do they make money, if they don’t they go out of business.
HAH.
You really jump to a lot of conclusions and stated theories as facts!
Did you interview children and ask “In this movie you see some girls getting kissed by surprise, does this make you wanted forcibly penetrate a girl?”
Because that is creepy. There is no way of knowing whether or not these movies have the effects you are suggesting. Everything in this article is conjecture other than what you wrote about your car and your wedding.
You are disgraceful.
-A sane woman.
Erm, who was the “brown” villain in Ratatouille? Refresh my memory.
alot of people at pixar are gay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a4MR8oI_B8
I basically disagree with everything here. They’re reasonable points by themselves, but they’re not really applicable to the movies in question. I’ll take it point by point.
A. Making fun of boys who transgress gender lines does indeed hurt kids. But by having Ken be in the inner circle and a respected leader, the movie shows that boys who transgress gender lines can live fulfilling lives. It does indeed get better.
B. I agree with this partially, in that movies built around a man rescuing a woman, particularly a hysterical woman, tend to anger me for the reasons you’ve mentioned. But in Toy Story 3 I don’t think it particularly fits because doesn’t everybody need rescuing? All the best testosterone fueled, alpha male war movies features butch male characters rescuing other butch male characters (Saving Private Ryan is built on it) and the end of Toy Story 3 is more of a Great Escape, leave-no-man-behind type of caper than a straight “save the weak girl.” Also, your notion that a strong female character (a) can’t be vulnerable and (b) can’t be rescued is also flawed. Being too strong to accept help is not virtue, regardless of gender.
C. This one here assumes that kids have no idea how to read situations based on context. Real people, children included, can tell the difference between comedy and drama, right and wrong. All comedies are heightened for laughs. No child over the age of, say, 7 who has watched a moderate amount of TV would mistake this for something to emulate. The silhouetted scene with the comically French couple, for example. In fact, if I remember correctly, the only reason the man grabs the woman in this scene is because she has a gun trained on him, and which actually does go off. Insinuating that Ratatouille or movies like it lead to date rape is disingenuous.
(it’s not letting me post all of it, so I’m going to break it into two parts)
D. Again, context. You’re taking out one small part instead of examining it as a whole. In addition to bikini-clad women, there’s also rainbows, fireworks, fireflies, butterflies, jets and the fabulous city of Las Vegas.
Something else I disagree with here, the notion that women in bikinis have to be sexualized by default. Women in bikinis aren’t de facto sex objects, and I really don’t think the short was trying to suggest that they are.
E. Making fun of people who are physically different hurts kids only if those physically different people are not total dicks who would be mocked regardless of physical disabilities, like the Ratatouille villain. Much like with Ken, making fun of people who are physically different but also accepting them as friends is an important part of childhood development. Don’t most friends make fun of each other all the time for any reason? If you can mock someone who’s different and still be friends with them, that shows kids that being different isn’t a bad thing. South Park has proved this with the characters of Jimmy and Timmy, severely physically handicapped children who are accepted even as they are mocked by their peers.
F. Making the bad guy brown. This is a thornier issue by itself, but the way you present it is not at all a convincing argument. You mention that none of the other Pixar villains are dark-skinned, then blast them for making this one dark skinned? Are you saying that no movie villain ever should have dark skin? Movie villains are often the best, most interesting roles. Just off the top of my head, the movie Serenity had a murderous, child-killing black man as the villain, and he was maybe my favorite character. I don’t think the issue is the race of the character necessarily, but the complexity of the character. People of color as random, 1-dimensional drug dealers is problematic, but as The Wire showed, drug dealers can be the most interesting, well-rounded characters if they’re written correctly.
As I said, I agree that these issues are widespread in many mainstream movies and they are contributing to the many -isms that plague our society, but I think you’re seeing problems in these movies that aren’t actually in these movies.
The “damsel in distress” point is pretty weak. Toy Story 3 was not a story about a woman needing to be rescued. The bit you’re referencing is, what, 30 seconds of a 4 1/2 hour trilogy?
Plus, the first two movies, in their entirety, were movies about male characters rescuing male characters. Doesn’t that count for something?
Excellent letter, I completely agree.
Things that just seem like small issues, like a few women being forcibly kissed by men, if seen on a fairly regular basis, do end up seeming normal, especially when this particular script begins to be seen at such a young age.
No, a child watching this one film does not necessarily learn that date rape is ok, but growing up in a culture of rape, where women are expected to say no, but no means maybe, and when this particular storyline plays out in movies, television shows, even jokes by politicians over and over again throughout people’s lives, it contributes to a culture of rape.
What you say is true, these obvious or nuanced messages do send cues to kids.
The old Disney style princess/rescued/falls in love script is boring.
At least Dreamworks had their fun shattering all those old stereotypes when Fiona does martial arts moves on the Merry Men. In the end,she is beautiful as herself- heavy set, with large feet, although she falls in love, it is with the Ogre & they have a true connection.
Even the King who has it all, does not have real love, and therefore fails (becomes a snack for the dragon).
In another episode when they try to fill in for the King as royalty, they fail at trying to be something they are not.
Busting out of the same old stereotypes is refreshing & long overdue.
Jo said, “The bit you’re referencing is, what, 30 seconds of a 4 1/2 hour trilogy? ” and that’s precisely the author’s point. It’s a lousy 30 seconds that (a) is hurtful to some people, and (b) nobody would miss if it had been omitted.
Remember that the author is a fan. (No? Look again.) The complaint isn’t the otherwise excellent movies themselves, but rather the handful of throwaway moments that make people say, “now why did they have to go and put that in there?!?”
And to Lolip, a supposedly “sane” woman: if you’re not angry, then you’re not paying attention. You clearly subscribe to the notion that if something doesn’t bother you personally, then there’s absolutlely nothing wrong with it. The world is bigger than you.
– a sensible man
A person kissing another person against their will for a few seconds in a children’s film starts a culture of rape? Really?
No-one said it starts a culture of rape, Billy, but it sure as hell contributes to it. The key point is “against their will” – no-one should have something even mildly sexual done to them when they do not want it. Ever.
I’d also like to point out the immense fat-hatred that serves as a major plot point in Wall-E. Yes fat kids, you will destroy everything by being fat. What a GREAT message for children. Not.
It says it can lead directly to date rape. Saying kissing someone against their will in a CHILDREN’S MOVIE leads to date rape is like saying stealing someone’s cookies at lunch in a t.v. show leads to armed robbery.-What a joke.
Oh, And i don’t see an issue with Wall-E either. The people in the movie are fat because of 700 years of eating & not excising,So What? Is that not why most people are fat? The movie only portrayed the truth. Plus, It’s just a joke you know,-I’m not fat but I’m very ugly,-I laugh at ugly jokes in the media, Why? I think it’s funny. Because it’s just a joke you know. -It’s ok to laugh at yourself once in awhile. If we don’t laugh,We’ll cry.
Pixar wasted money making Wall-E due to their own misogyny.
The DVD extras contain just two deleted scenes that were partially rendered before being replaced. One of these takes place in the waste area of the Axiom, and shows Wall-E saving Eve. Don’t remember this? In the final movie, Eve saves Wall-E. They only decided on this change after showing the movie (still lacking some lighting and animation effects) to test audiences. The final version is superior, but leads to some unfortunate repetition: Eve puts Wall-E back together twice.
How much money, and how many hours, went in to this scene they discarded? Sometimes you have to render a scene before realising it’s bad, but this error could have been detected at the storyboard-and-scratch-dialog stage.
@billy williams:
30 seconds of TV advertising will change our buying habits. Companies spend millions on it, because it works – even when we think it doesn’t.
Yes, not every boy who watches these scenes goes on to assault women. But, an unhealthy number do. To find out how many, go and read ‘Meet the Predators’.
https://yesmeansyesblog.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/meet-the-predators/
@Turing Incomplete:
So, Because they tried different things to see what would make a better film they’re misogynists, Really?
People commit crimes because they want to not because of the media.
Ads change our habits? Ya when they’re rational or trying to sell us something but not with anything else. If a commercial came on that said “Go jump off a bridge” Do you really think any people(including kids) Would actually do it? If an ad said “Go rob a bank”, Do you think kids would decide,Whether now or when they’re older,That they’re going to rob a bank simply because an ad told them to? No,I don’t think so.-Ads only work by selling a product or promoting something reasonable not by encouraging criminal acts. Besides that Pixar isn’t even saying “Go forcefully kiss a woman against her will” or “Go rape somebody!” They’re simply showing a scene that involves that but they aren’t encouraging kids to do that,-How are they promoting rape?
If i make a movie showing one character hitting another, Am i promoting Murder? -Same thing here. You know many people grew up watching the three stooges & cartoons like roadrunner, But I’ve yet to hear of a case of somebody poking someone’s eye out because of the stooges. I’ve yet to hear a case of somebody dropping an anvil on anothers head, Or beating them senseless with a hammer for no reason whatsoever.
Media doesn’t cause violence, Criminals Do!
Oh and P.S.-yesmeansyes blog is a joke.
Are you really that ignorant? Try reading the article again, you seem to have missed most of the point.
Everything you said that might have been fair was cancelled out by your typical ‘pushy feminist’ comment. I am so sick of hearing that shit.
A sane woman? What’s your point here, that anyone who does not automatically accept everything shoved in front of their face without question must be crazy? You don’t NEED to interview children to understand that advertising to young, impressionable people that it is acceptable/humorous/romantic to kiss a girl without her CONSENT will very easily give some people the wrong idea, that can then evolve into something worse. You just need a touch of common sense, but that’s probably asking too much.
No. Try reading it again. (All the words this time).
I agree with T. Bookstein.I am a fan of pixar films and am kind of tired to be pointing out racism and sexism and sexuality. But she has got a serious point there.
Remarkably condescending.