Toy Story 3

Okay, Okay, nice work Pixar! You're not perfect, but I think you're trying!

The low-down. This is a really sweet, fun movie. It's also the film I'd least recommend to anyone going off to college this fall or to somebody with a child who's leaving home. It'll break your heart.

It's still a boy-dominated franchise (in any given scene, do a quick head count of the number of males and females on screen), but I think Pixar's really making an effort here. The movie opens with an imaginary show-down between Woody and Mr. Potato Head. Predictable. But wait! Immediately, Mrs. Potato Head and then Jessie jump into the scene. Yes! It almost, ALMOST felt like the filmmakers were sending a shout-out to the many people like me who have been concerned with the lack of a female presence in their films.

Another moment that was particularly meaningful from a gender perspective was Woody's first experience at Bonnie's house. It begins with her holding a tea party for him and her other dolls. I thought, "Oh brother, here we go." Do you remember how dismissive the first movie was about Molly's tea parties? But, in 3, Pixar handles this brilliantly. Bonnie holds a tea party, but it quickly segues into an escape from an evil witch and then a space adventure. With this one decision, Pixar shows us that they have a much more nuanced view of how little girls actually play than they have previously demonstrated.

Finally, (major spoiler alert here), the fact that Andy passes his beloved dolls on to Bonnie is a huge step. Pixar, in a sense, passes the torch on to a female (10, even 5, years ago I have an inkling they would have written Bonnie's character as a boy). It also sends the message that toys are toys, fun is fun, and imagination is imagination. Play doesn't have to be gendered.

Also, two small points:

1) I like that Jessie's taller than Buzz.

2) I love the computer geek dinosaur Trixie!


A couple of complaints. (Of course.)

They introduce some new female characters, but they also bring in at least as many, probably more, male ones. All of the villains are male, for example. Even the potentially gender-neutral "big baby" is identified by masculine pronouns.

Ken is hilarious. I'll grant them that. But I think they went a little too far with the "I'm not a girl's toy!" vibe.

I could have used a little more involvement from human fathers. The only people who interact with kids in this story are women.

Definite progress for Pixar. I hear they're coming out with a princess movie next. Very interested to see how they do with that.

I must be on a Pixar kick. Part II.

And this.

I must be on a Pixar kick.

I went to see Toy Story 3 yesterday. I'll write a review soon, but I got kind of interested in what other people are saying about females in Pixar films.

This post makes me want to quit blogging, it's so good.

Wild Idea of the Day

I'm often met with the argument that little things like whether a protagonist is female or male just don't make an impact on real individuals' lives. Those who make this argument believe that people are people and that girls can look up to men as role models, boys can look up to women, etc. The individuals who hold this viewpoint are also the ones who argue that it's no big deal if brides take their husbands' last names or that little girls wear pink and little boys wear blue. According to them, these subtle messages just don't have an influence on our lives.

I respect and understand this viewpoint. I kind of admire the idealism it represents. People who make this argument are saying that we are strong, tough, independent individuals who don't let anybody tell us what we can and can't do. But I disagree.

Here's some evidence to support my point.

I just read an article by a very smart, very respected economist that compared 500 or so sets of sisters on their likelihood of taking advanced math and science classes in high school. The shocking finding is this: Girls with more feminine first names were less likely to take these advanced courses than their sisters with less feminine names.

The idea is that having a feminine name either makes others treat you as more "girly" OR makes you think of yourself as less "into" traditionally male-dominated subjects (or both). Remember that these findings occur within individual families. So, there are no background differences between these girls - they have the same parents, grew up in the same houses, and go to the same schools. The only difference is how feminine their names are.

I truly, truly believe that messages about who we are supposed to be as men and women are everywhere. I believe we internalize them and make a lot of our decisions according to them. And since I hate limitations and pigeonholes, I believe that if we heard a greater variety of messages, we would be happier, healthier, and have lives that better fit who we really are.

Pixar & Garden State Discussions

If you're a Pixar or Garden State fan, you might want to check out a fun back-and-forth my smart and movie savvy friend Mike and I are having. Head to this post on Up or this one on Garden State to check it out!

Write the future

This is a really cool commercial. I can appreciate a good commercial.



I liked this one so much I called my husband over to the computer last night and made him check it out. Then I joked, "I'm glad the World Cup is giving us an extra opportunity to worship 18- to 22-year-old men this year."

Now, I don't begrudge people their sports (often... ;). But have you ever seen a commercial like this about female athletes? I haven't. I'd love to.

The Bechdel Test

Wow. Wow. Wow. How did I not know about this?



Also, this:

http://bechdeltest.com/


Also THIS! I need to meet this young lady. She even goes to my old college!

http://thebechdeltest.blogspot.com/



Thank you to my wonderful friend Sarah for pointing out these sites to me!