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To what extend does Coraline challenge the stereotypical representation of children and family

In my independent study, I will be focusing and analysing, the following question to what extent Coraline challenges the stereotypical representation of children and family.

Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistance of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways. The most common method of presenting animation is as a motion picture or video program, although there are other methods.

When gathering and researching about animation, there were many different concepts and ideas that I found fascinating. Eventually I decided to focus on a particular animation, which is stop motion, but focusing on Coraline to conclude my findings.

Coraline an alternative heroine for kids

Our heroine is certainly the sort of role model that any kid could wish for: Coraline is smart, funny and ultimately very courageous. She’s also self-centred, sometimes grumpy and frequently awkward, but this is a well-developed character rather than a Disney princess (Empire). As seen from the quote from empire Coraline does not portray the stereotypical Disney princess characteristics, quite on the contrary. Individuals are costumed to the ideological Disney characters or the glamorised Barbie/Bratz dolls or as some would call it ‘the virgin whore dichotomy’.

Coraline challenges and subverts these ideological ideas, and instead she creates a character, heroic and controversial, which is something that children are not costumed to but can relate and gratify immensely. This is what makes Coraline an alternative heroine for children. The scene where Coraline is trying to get back her ‘real’ parents back home is where she shows her courage and bravery as she is putting on a battle with her ‘other mother’ she conquers many obstacles to rescue her parents and in the end she does.

This is a controversial representation of heroism in animation, which is what makes Coraline a new reinvented character for children to identify with. This is what Henry Selick was trying to portray when he created this character.

Shocking entertainment

The New York Times wrote a review on Coraline, there was a particular quote that was significantly relevant, it said the following “there are many scenes and images in “Coraline” that are likely to scare children. This is not a warning but rather a recommendation, since the cultivation of fright can be one of the great pleasures of youthful movie going”.

In Coraline there are many scenes and images that are genuinely meant to scare children, but the scene where Coraline’s “other mother” turns into the evil spider is quite terrifying when looking though the perspective of a child. The thought of being scared can also be seen a gratifying emotion.

A theorist called Annette Hill wrote a book called “Shocking entertainment” the book consist of the following content threshold, boundary testing and self censorship. The threshold is what you as an individual can handle, boundary testing is self explanatory but it’s about testing your boundaries and finally self censorship. This involves individuals making a conclusion about what they’ve watched. This theory relates relatively well with Coraline because the film deals with many social taboos in a very unconventional way, issues such as broken nuclear families and child abuse. In children film these are issues are not often highlighted, Coraline challenged the safety of cinema and how much children can handle which related back to Annette Hill theory of shocking entertainment, Coraline tests individuals boundary’s.

Not only does Coraline “Frighten” it also exposes children to very bold and explicit content, including nudity. The scene where Miss April Spink and Miss Miriam Forcible are putting on a theatrical performance and shortly after Miss Miriam starts erotically dancing with her breasts almost on show, she then unzips her costume and she is an attractive slim female.

This scene in many parents point of view could be seen as inappropriate, due to the nudity and also the message that it is portraying. Once again the stereotypical representation of how a young female should look like, some parents may not want their children to be exposed to those negative messages. However in Coraline children are exposed to this content but in a modest and comical way.

The American dream will steal your eyes

Henry Selick writer and producer of Coraline said a quote on radio 4 which is the following: “There’s a strange denial about the things that children are exposed to. But we pretend in our children’s films that we will keep them safe and that this is good for them. It is not good for them, it’s very unhealthy to sugar coat life.” When reading this quote many ideas were evolved and judging from this, I believe Henry Selick is trying to say that, People are use to the stereotypical representations of what a family should be and as parents, what their children are exposed too, but in reality there is constant struggles and negativities that parent try to show is not happening and “sugar coating” life is unhealthy for children as they need to be aware of different elements that occur life. This quote also unravels that the “American dream” is all an illusion and that people needs to stop chasing a dream and live in reality. This involves many obstacles, which is what Henry Selick is saying in this quote.

Karl Marx theory relates well to Henry’s quote but also to Coraline, the idea of hegemony and the elite having power and control, Coraline does not conform to these ideologies as the film subverts these boundaries and shows that the elite do not have the control, as Coraline does not conform to the stereotypical conventions of an animated film.

The aim of my linked production was to show the idea, of the unrealistic ideologies that individuals have on the ”American Dream” in a stop motion animation. But also in a comic yet shocking vivid imagery. My critical investigation and linked production both related because they deal with issues of un glamorised representation of families, the fact that life comes with excess baggage and should not be “sugar coated” with unrealistic expectation. This is why I decided to use Barbie and Ken to show this idea and long side those characters I also added in war scenes to show the un glamorised element of life.

1)Our heroine is certainly the sort of role model that any kid could wish for: Coraline is smart, funny and ultimately very courageous. She’s also self-centred, sometimes grumpy and frequently awkward, but this is a well-developed character rather than a Disney princess. (Empire)

“As seen from the quote above Coraline does not portray the stereotypical Disney princess characteristics, quite on the contrary. This is shown in the scene where Coraline is trying to get back her ‘real’ parents. This scene particularly shows her courage and bravery as she is putting on a battle with her ‘other mother’ she conquers many obstacles to rescue her parents and in the end she does.

2)There are many scenes and images in “Coraline” that are likely to scare children. This is not a warning but rather a recommendation, since the cultivation of fright can be one of the great pleasures of youthful movie going. (NY Times)

“There are certain scenes that are genuinely meant to scare children but this scene where Coraline’s ‘other mother’ turns into the evil spider is quite terrifying if you look at it from the perspective of a child, but the thought of being scared can also be a gratifying feeling which I think relates well to what the ( NY times) as mentioned.

3)There’s a strange denial about the things that children are exposed to. But we pretend in our children’s films that we will keep them safe and that this is good for them. It is not good for them, it’s very unhealthy to sugar coat life. (Henry Selick)

“This scene is taken from the film, where Miss April Spink and Miss Miriam Forcible are putting on a theatrical performance and shortly after Miss Miriam starts erotically dancing with her breasts almost on show, this scene in my opinion related immensely with what Henry Selick quote because parents like to believe that their children are not exposed to certain material. But in Coraline and in this scene in particular they challenge this thought and they expose to children some form of nudity but in moderation and comedy.

Close of Janitor walking out of a clear passage way into  a “grubby old closet” (this isn’t seen by the audience yet).

OR

Sexual facial expressions

Shots of male body:

“They’re so soft just want to…”  Boss cuts in and yells “BONNA, what are you doing?”

Awkward silence reality of the setting…

soundtrack- Girls by Calvin Harris/ acceptable in the 80′s

black background: Name of product : tushie pop

slogan: the best you’ll ever have!

Judith Butler- (born 24 February 1956) is an American post-structuralist philosopher, who has contributed to the fields of feminism, queer theory, political philosophy, and ethics. She is currently the Maxine Elliott professor in the Rhetoric and Comparative Literature departments at the University of California, Berkeley.

Butler received her Ph.D. in philosophy from Yale University in 1984, for a dissertation subsequently published as Subjects of Desire: Hegelian Reflections in Twentieth-Century France. In the late-1980s she held several teaching/research appointments, and was involved in “post-structuralist” efforts within Western feminist theory to question the “presuppositional terms” of feminism. Her research ranges from literary theory, modern philosophical fiction, feminist and sexuality studies, to 19th- and 20th-century European literature and philosophy, Kafka and loss, mourning and war. Her most recent work focuses on Jewish philosophy, exploring pre- and post-Zionist criticisms of state violence

Gender is not the result of nature but is socially constructed-

How it conforms to gender roles…

Convergence Culture collective intelligence

“The phrase describes an emerging pattern of relations bringing together entertainment, advertising, brands, and consumers in creative and often surprising ways. These new relations are underpinned by three key concepts: transmedia entertainment, participatory culture, and experiential marketing.

Transmedia Entertainment describes the flow of stories, images, characters, and information across various media platforms. The coordinated fashion in which this takes place deepens consumer experiences.

Participatory Culture describes new ways consumers interact with media content, media producers, and each other … across the media landscape. Consumers are active participants, shaping the creation, circulation, and interpretation of media content. Participation deepens emotional investment in media properties, expanding their awareness of both content and brand.

Experiential Marketing refers to key ways to capitalize on participatory culture and a transmediated media environment. Developing novel brand extensions and strategies that play out across multiple media channels enhances consumer identification with both products and brands.

Theoriest

david gauntlett – sit back and be told culture… to making doing and sharing… empowering tool to to fill the world with meaning, gaunlete is building on the work of Ivan illich.

Paticipatory culture

henry Jenkins-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxENtgItiH8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg1iEBWxVeQ

The term “rude boy” originated in the 1960′s from Jamaica it was also used for juvenile delinquents and criminals in Jamaica, and have since been used in other contexts. During the late-1970s 2 Tone ska revival in England, the terms rude boy, rude girland other variations were often used to describe fans of that genre, and this new definition continued to be used in the third wave ska subculture. In the United Kingdom in the 2000s, the terms rude boy and rude girl have become slang which mainly refer to people (largely youths) who are involved in street culture, similar to gangsta or badman.

• What is their ideology/what do they stand for?

• What/who are they rebelling against?

• Do they have any distinctive fashions/music/lifestyle choices?

Rude Boy Music was a phenomenon that acted as a musical bridge in Jamaica in the mid 1960′s. As Ska was making its final impressions from its ‘hey-day’ and as Rock Steady was developing and emerging as the new musical style of choice, a significant number of artists took Ska and pumped up the bass line. Just as importantly, lyrically they began to address the Ghetto Youth in Jamaica as peers – equals. Ska was Big People music. NOW the youth had something they could REALLY relate to…Something to call their own. As it became apparent to many Jamaicans, at this time, that their independence had seen the dissolution of British rule only to be replaced by American economic domination, social behaviour began to decline. There had been no tangible improvement in life after independence. More and more young men had moved from country to Kingston seeking fame and fortune, or at least a decent living. This would NOT be the case and violence and bad minded actions were the result. In a sense, Rude Boy music was the seed that led to a portion of what we hear from the ‘slack’ corners of today’s dancehall.

they had a sort of mod style to their dress sense at is the “rube boy/ girl” look was around the same time (LOOK AT SAFFRON), they liked ska music and would hang out in certain dens and clubs that only played that kind of music.

the term rude boy was used in Jamaica when men were sent to prison for doing naughty things =(

they weren’t really rebelling against anything, it was more of  a life style choice.

• What do theorists have to say about them?

• How are they/have they been represented in the media?  Give examples across the platforms.

after watching the Video, from my perspective  i can conclude that the video was revolutionary due to that fact that, it changed my perspective on how web 2.0 can bring different consumers together, and each individual is able to express about what they believe in and share it amongst others, also that audiences are now more active than passive…

Print-

E-media-

Broadcast-

virgin whore dichotomy-  views that women are either:

virginal or hypersexual (whores)

(laura Malvey)- Voyeristic (spying for your own pleasure)

Fetishes-

Male Gaze- audiences are viewing a media product though the male perspective.