Q1:
(1) Do cartoons of today lean on radicalized caricatures in the way that older cartoons once did? Can you think of examples of contemporary cartoons (Disney, or otherwise) that feature (implicitly or explicitly) racialized characters? （200-400 words in length）
reference：
https://www.fastcompany.com/90379067/critics-said-the-first-lion-kings-hyenas-were-problematic-disney-revamped-them
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/video/2020/oct/01/anime-has-a-race-problem-heres-how-black-fans-are-fixing-it-video
two articles
Q2:
This question is based on question one, list a movie or music video or Twitter argument or TikTok about question one.
You should include (i) a link: to a website, news story, film/video/music clip, etc. – something that can show us or tell us about the item/event/issue you’re talking about
(ii) comment and/or description that says something briefly about how and why this relates to the issues of the Topic Module that it is posted under (this should be no more than a few lines, up to one paragraph)
(3) ONE question about the item/issue
Q3：
This article illustrates how despite the film Aladdin being a representation of Arab culture, the characters within the film are presented in very different ways. For instance, Aladdin and Jasmine who are both protagonists are able to pass as tanned Americans if it was not for the setting of the film. Meanwhile, Jafar, the antagonist of the film, was a negative stereotype of Arab culture. This includes being physically unattractive as well as morally corrupt, whereas Jasmine and Aladdin who have less cultural aspects to their characters are seen as the ‘good guys. Thus contributing to how Arabs are portrayed in a less civilized way than Europeans and overall depicting how cartoons are site images of race.
What positive effects would having a positive portrayal of different cultures in cartoons have?
Q4:
I found the discussion analyzing Disney cartoons, specifically the Lion King, to be very interesting while listening to Module 14, titled “Cartoons and race: hegemony and the normalization of racial types.” Specifically, I thought the idea of visioning society through the circle of life theme to be the most interesting as there is a naturally existing order, and this theme assumes an arrangement. There are evil figures like the hyenas in the movie who represent marginalized people in society, and contest to power. This idea allows viewers to make sense of how villains and heroes are portrayed in society, and those who do not hold power must submit naturally, through cartoon representations.
In relation to this, I have included a youtube video that shows some Looney Tunes cartoons that are part of the “Censored Eleven,” which were Looney Tunes cartoons that were banned and deemed too offensive for audiences.
It is important to understand how there are always certain representations about race, gender and class that imply different meanings. Through these cartoons, we can see how ideas of the race we commonly used for entertainment purposes became hegemonic, and normalized in society. You could argue that Lion King was not created with the intention of stereotyping, but it is interesting to compare cartoons that directly included racial stereotypes and ones that did not.
Question: Based on our lectures and readings, what racial tropes can you detect from any of these cartoon shows/episodes? Do any of the depictions in these cartoons surprise you?
Q5:
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CYjZltZly_X/?utm_medium=copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CYH-4-UlAvC/?utm_medium=copy_link
On December 28th, 2021, a Toronto based organization protested outside the Toronto East Detention Centre to demand for the immediate action of the government of Ontario to address the COVID-19 outbreaks within these provincial institutions. These Instagram reels provides insights onto the inhumane treatment that is used by the correctional institutions to combat the spread of COVID-19 by increasing lock downs within these institutions. As there is an increase of lockdowns, the inmates are forced to stay within their cells for 23.5 hours a day and are not given their basic necessities such as showers, phone usage to contact lawyers and their loved ones etc. These reels highlights the deplorable living conditions and inhumane treatment of the prison population. This relates to the course material as the speaker within the second clip states how Black men are targeted within the correctional system. This reflects upon the ideas of ‘black criminality’ and anti- black racism that institutionalized within policies.
Question: What are your opinions about the current treatment of radicalized individuals within these detention centers?
Q6
