Author: Shizra Manzar

One to One Feedback

The one to one feedback sessions throughout the term were very helpful. Nigel’s valuable feedback helped us to think critically and clearly. He helped me multiple times to build a better outline for the thesis and to cut the un-necessary arguments.

Critical Reflection

The whole unit of thesis writing was extremely helpful for me to build my reasoning and analytical skills.

This thesis has been an enriching experience, allowing me to explore the dynamic intersection of media, diversity, and societal values. The critical reflection on Pixar’s journey provides valuable lessons for both the industry and the academic understanding of the role media plays in shaping our perceptions of belonging, inclusivity, and diversity.

Introduction

This week I continued working on the chapters of discussion and wrote about the exploration of marginalized themes.

Thesis Proposal

Chapters of Discussion

5.  Exploration of Marginalized Themes

Animated media is an important agent of socialization, through which emotional, social, and cognitive development is influenced. Watching films can be an avenue through which people are exposed to experiences different than their own, can explore their feelings regarding a situation, and can broaden their personal perspectives (Tenzek and Nickels, 2017). Other research indicates films can be used to help develop empathy and compassion for others (Walker, 2014). By telling stories with unique themes Pixar is promoting empathy and making people feel heard and seen.

5.1 Personal and Progressive Themes

Pixar is known for bringing unique stories which challenge stereotypes. The film, Turning Red, explores the theme of open discussions about everyday experiences of menstruation in women, in a way that does not shame or stigmatize them. It also sheds light on the hormonal changes that come with puberty, through the eyes of a confident young girl. It shows female puberty as something to be embraced, rather than embarrassed about. Similarly, movies like Brave, Turning Red, Luca, and Finding Nemo shed light on intergenerational trauma, family relationships, and obsessive parenting. These movies give us a message to be gentle with ourselves and with the ones in our care. These are the topics that are hardly discussed in the media but Pixar has always gone a few steps ahead than the others to bring the stories that are more personal.

5.2 Identity and Belonging

Like personal themes, Pixar films have consistently explored themes of identity and belonging, offering narratives that relate to the audience. Toy Story talks about these themes from the perspective of toys that are struggling to find their place and purpose in the world. Characters like Woody and Buzz navigate feelings of friendship and acceptance, highlighting the universal desire to be included and accepted.

Unlike most of animated films, Pixar films often showcase the complexities of identity formation and the search for belonging. Through their powerful stories, Pixar puts emphasis on embracing our true selves, celebrating diversity, exploring their roots, and finding connections with others. 

5.3 Mental Health and Emotional Well-being

Pixar films have made significant contributions to addressing mental health and well-being by deep diving into character psychology. Films like Inside Out provide vivid representations of the complexities of emotions and convey the message of embracing ourselves. By portraying characters struggling with anxiety, loss, and depression Pixar creates narratives that relate to audiences of all ages. Finding Nemo touches upon themes of loss, anxiety, and the journey toward healing. It portrays the challenges faced by Marlin, the overprotective father, as he navigates his fears and learns to trust and let go.

Though Pixar has been applauded for showing the themes of mental health and emotional well-being beautifully, there is always room for further exploration of stories with different mental health challenges and experiences.

5.4 Environmental Awareness

Like other animation studios, Pixar has discussed the environment and climate change through its films highlighting the importance of environmental stewardship. In Finding Dory, Pixar talks about the need to save the fragile ecosystem of marine life and their habitats. Similarly, the film franchise Cars shed light on the theme of pollution and resource depletion, encouraging viewers to reconsider their carbon footprint. Moreover, the film WALL-E explores the dystopian future of Earth due to environmental degradation.

Through these films, Pixar creates awareness and promotes a sense of responsibility among the people to make conscious decisions in order to save the environment. By using the power of storytelling and animation, Pixar has the power to inspire audiences to bring positive climate-friendly change in their lives.

Introduction

After writing introduction and conclusion this week I worked on my chapter of discussions in the thesis proposal.

Thesis Proposal

Chapter of Discussions

4.1 Analysis of Gender Representation

Pixar commitment to gender representation has been a journey of growth and progress. The studio has often been criticized for not showing powerful female characters that are self-sufficient. Apart from that, there are only three Pixar films to date that feature female protagonists. This also happened because all the Pixar films were made by male directors.  But recently, Pixar deviated from its conventional tropes and has pushed all the barriers with its first female directorial film Turning Red. 

Pixar has generally been more progressive in its portrayal of gender equality compared to Disney. But before Turning Red, it never featured a normal, relatable female protagonist who is not a princess or a superhero, but rather a regular human being who is confident and brave and celebrates her individuality. Though this is a remarkable step from Pixar, the absence of such characters in the earlier films of Pixar highlights the need for more diverse representations that relate to the audience and help bridge the gender gap both on-screen and within the studio. This realization underscores the importance of continuing efforts to fill this void and promote gender equality in all aspects of Pixar’s storytelling.

4.2 Analysis of Race and Ethnicity

Similar to gender representation, Pixar has made strides to increase racial and ethnic inclusivity in its storytelling. In the past, the studio had often been criticized for using white protagonists in its films. Notably, it wasn’t until 2020 that the studio released its first film, Soul, with an African American protagonist. While the studio has received criticism in the past for being less diverse in its stories, it has made significant improvements to rectify this gap. In recent years, we have seen a tremendous improvement in Pixar films and we can see more diverse characters from African-American, Asian, Italian, and Latin origin.

Introduction

This week I wrote the tentative introduction and conclusion of my thesis. I will keep working on it to further improve it in coming weeks.

Thesis

1. Introduction

In the last decade, Pixar has increased efforts to produce films that have explored unique themes, with greater depth and nuance than their earlier works. It has made the themes of belonging, diversity, and inclusion an essential element in its movies.  Recently, we have seen a growing trend of unique storytelling with a strong focus on marginalized themes and diverse characters.

By telling relatable stories, Pixar is helping to bridge gaps between communities and promoting empathy in our society. This thesis aims to explore Pixar’s efforts to make a more inclusive cinema and to what extent it has succeeded in achieving its goal. By examining the narrative and the visual representation, this study will shed light on the engagement of the studio with these vital societal issues. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of Pixar films in fostering a more inclusive cinematic experience.

2. Conclusion

Pixar’s effort to promote inclusivity, diversity, and belonging in the past decade is significant. These distinct stories and characters have created a strong cultural and social impact by showcasing underrepresented cultures, races, and sexualities fostering empathy and understanding. While the studio has taken steps to feature diverse stories, themes, and characters there are areas where progress can be made. Firstly, the studio can work on portraying characters with people with multiple dimensions of identity and secondly, it can expand the portrayal of different cultures. Moreover, the studio needs to work on the implicit biases within the studio and its creative decisions which are creating hindrances in achieving the goal. In addition, the studio can actively work on diversifying its creative teams, ensuring that individuals from underrepresented groups have a seat at the table. This way the studio can bring a broader range of perspectives, ideologies, experiences, and cultural nuances to their storytelling process. By working on these areas of improvement Pixar can become closer to its goal.