'Inside Out' relies on stereotypes for its story
If you still have no idea what is going on inside Riley’s head at the end of Inside Out, you can probably be forgiven. After all, emotional states and emotions are complex, and Pixar proves that it is no easy feat to divine what exactly any woman is feeling – unless she is a teacher in class, or a disenfranchised organic broccoli pizza server. Men, on the other hand, are easy to figure out. Distracted by sports and ruled by anger, men are easy to define in terms of their emotional states.
The fact that Pixar perpetuates these stereotypes in its newest film may be because Pixar is trying to answer critics who wonder if Pixar is afraid of little girls. It may just be that stereotypes are an easy way to draw characters that are not the main focus of the story. It may be that stereotypes have a long and storied, if not altogether savory, history. Whatever the reason for the stereotypes, the movie going audience has a right to expect more from the creative minds at the foremost animation studio in the United States, which includes its own “in-house” competition/cooperation at the Disney Studios. While observations about the use of stereotypes in Inside Out won’t do anything to stop whatever happens at the box office, it may be enough to get a better sequel out of the folks at Pixar – one that can harness all of the creativity at a place once called Creativity Inc. Read 'Inside Out' review |
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