Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

SuspiriaGoose t1_iy0o90z wrote

Reply to comment by AnnenbergTrojan in ‘‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ Review: Antonio Banderas in Fine Form by Sofie-Forsberggg

Which is frustrating in itself, not just because it’s the best Pixar film in years dealing with perfectly normal adolescence, but because there is some criticism to be made in good faith on some of that. But now it can’t be made without seeming like you agree with a Fox News Troll.

I didn’t like how it was okay for Mei to buy into the capitalist sexualizing of other children (the boy band) without any sort of questioning of that paradigm, but only celebration. Especially when the other half of the film is so critical of institutions exploiting and repressing children for its own benefit. I also didn’t like a child twerking being shown as a heroic act.

But the rest of the film is incredibly well made, and there’s so much more to discuss than just that. It was targeted just as much for being about Chinese-Canadians as it was for being about tween girls.

6

mranimal2 t1_iy2p4km wrote

In fairness the boy band members might've been 18+ and I think it's normal for a 13 year old to crush on people they legally can't be with; I mean I was crushing on Angelina Jolie and an extremely beautiful teacher of mine when I was 13. Doesn't mean I had a chance with them!

5

SuspiriaGoose t1_iy2ph66 wrote

That would make me feel a little better, but I’m pretty sure they were meant to be teenagers, or even pre-teens. I guess Disney does do that with their own child stars, so they were unlikely to criticize it, but it did feel weird to me. If the genders were reversed, I’d bet we see a lot more criticism of how certain dynamics were handled.

It wasn’t egregious or anything, but it was dissonant in the film’s own story and themes.

−1

mranimal2 t1_iy2sczf wrote

Maybe but then again most of the members of N'Sync or Backstreet Boys were 18 or in their early 20s at the height of their popularity

4

SuspiriaGoose t1_iy2thup wrote

Possibly, though when I look at their designs they look like children to me. I was thinking they were the age of Disney child stars, who are nearly always in the age group they’re meant to appeal to.

If they are adults, that makes some other interactions creepy instead.

1

[deleted] t1_iy138fq wrote

[deleted]

−2

SuspiriaGoose t1_iy148gj wrote

Personally, it weirded me out to see a kid do it. Sorry. It’s different for an adult. Generally they know what it means.

5