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argle bargle
Nov. 6th, 2010 09:49 pmWatched "How to Train a Dragon" with my sister's family tonight. She's been selling it hard because, "It's such a good movie!" I agree, it is a good movie - fun story, lovely dragon-design, lots of pretty animation. But I just kept thinking, how hard would it have been for Hiccup (the protagonist) to be a girl? How hard would it have been for that "Viking" village (hel, even leaving their vaguely-Scottish-vaguely-Vikingish-vaguely-nothing-like-either-one culture intact) to be multiracial?
Not hard! NOT HARD AT ALL!
Multiracial not realistic? As my brother-in-law said wrt a different point, "There're _dragons_." Not enough actors of color that were "right" for the roles? For one thing, fuck that noise. And for two, it's animation, they can look any way you want for, what's that? NO ADDITIONAL CASH? (Except maybe it might cost money to have people vet it in case you accidentally rendered offensively stereotypical characters? Except no one *coughGeorgeLucascough* does that anyway...) Hmm... (I'll concede America Ferrera was the lead female protagonist's voice, but wouldn't it have been nice if that particular character had looked as strong and gorgeous as America herself?)
I did notice there were more female characters before the movie was over. There were big, strong women fighting with the vaguely Viking-ish men. The village elder appeared to be a woman. There were two girls in the larger group of teen protagonists, and they both fought well and were equal to the boys, even. (Though really, why weren't there three?) And yet. AND YET. I DO BELIEVE IT F'IN STIIIIIIILLLLLLLL FAILED THE BECHDEL TEST!!!!!!
Had to bite my tongue, because my sister & mom are short-tempered, and tired of hearing this stuff from me. As I sit there and watch my niece absorbing all of the messages, overt _and_ inherent, in her spongelike little brain.
It's all fandom's fault. I just can't not see this shit anymore. In movies, and in real life.
Thanks.
Not hard! NOT HARD AT ALL!
Multiracial not realistic? As my brother-in-law said wrt a different point, "There're _dragons_." Not enough actors of color that were "right" for the roles? For one thing, fuck that noise. And for two, it's animation, they can look any way you want for, what's that? NO ADDITIONAL CASH? (Except maybe it might cost money to have people vet it in case you accidentally rendered offensively stereotypical characters? Except no one *coughGeorgeLucascough* does that anyway...) Hmm... (I'll concede America Ferrera was the lead female protagonist's voice, but wouldn't it have been nice if that particular character had looked as strong and gorgeous as America herself?)
I did notice there were more female characters before the movie was over. There were big, strong women fighting with the vaguely Viking-ish men. The village elder appeared to be a woman. There were two girls in the larger group of teen protagonists, and they both fought well and were equal to the boys, even. (Though really, why weren't there three?) And yet. AND YET. I DO BELIEVE IT F'IN STIIIIIIILLLLLLLL FAILED THE BECHDEL TEST!!!!!!
Had to bite my tongue, because my sister & mom are short-tempered, and tired of hearing this stuff from me. As I sit there and watch my niece absorbing all of the messages, overt _and_ inherent, in her spongelike little brain.
It's all fandom's fault. I just can't not see this shit anymore. In movies, and in real life.
Thanks.
