I tend to find myself grumbling and groaning and throwing things at the screen whenever I watch any animated film targeted at a younger female audience. Let’s face it, I usually have that reaction whenever I see most animation studios tackle ANY female character (come to think of it, most films and TV in general). Having recently found myself in yet another conversation on this topic I thought I’d put up my top four picks for animated films young girls should watch…
Firstly let me list the things I hate seeing in animated films that, yep, usually come out of Disney but don’t always have to herald from there:
- The female character needs a man by the end of the story (because YEAH MEN!)
- The female character is generally useless or a victim for most of the story (if only there was a MAN!)
- The female character is controlled by men in some way and is inevitably freed by, yep, a man (or a crabby, ugly, jealous woman…BOOO)
- “Success” or “achievement” for a female character means getting married (because happiness means GETTIN SOME MENS!)
- The adventure usually happens AROUND the female character without her ever really contributing to it (shout out to April O’Neil)
- The female character is never of any real use beyond bolstering the male character’s story
- The female character rarely ever makes a decision, not involving a man, that contributes to her own story or success (in other words they usually choose the man that will be agent of their freedom/success/achievement without actually bringing any of that about by themselves)
Any wonder girls are idolising the Kardashians when this dead eyed thing was their role model growing up?
In a nutshell movies tell boys to be heroes and the agents of their own destiny while films tell girls to wait for the right guy to come along AND MARRY THAT DUDE STAT! I’m shocked any girl grows up feeling like she can make a difference in her own life at all with what’s up on the screen. Most stories on the screen exclude girls from the adventure altogether or if they are included there’s one, generally horrible, female character that ends up getting saved ALL THE TIME. Where’s the inspiring, motivating, encouraging female characters that actually take care of their own lives? THERE AREN’T MANY. However here’s a few I like…
LILO & STITCH
Girls…THAT AREN’T STICK FIGURES?!
I’m going to kick off with a Disney film since I poo pooed them earlier. This is actually, hands down, my favourite Disney film. Diversification, female characters (yep, more than one), females with curves that look like ACTUAL PEOPLE MIGHT and a fantastic female protagonist that is the star of her own adventure. Also, two words I never thought I’d hear in a Disney film…”Family services”.
It’s got fantastic themes of family, acceptance and love. Anger is conquered through love from a girl that sees the beauty in all people (they even make a point of her finding overweight people “beautiful”). Way to nail it Disney! For once…
PRINCESS MONONOKE
Talk about confident role models…
This whole post could be chock full of Miyasaki films but I wanted to focus on my favourites that weren’t dominated by romance.
A strong and independent character, Sen (Princess Mononoke) fights alongside her surrogate family for the wellbeing of her homeland. Sen is extremely physically capable and takes action into her own hands. Yes there’s a love interest in this film but SHOCK HORROR it doesn’t result in a wedding and eventually Sen puts her homeland and beliefs first. She sticks to her guns throughout the whole film, is resourceful and independent and doesn’t need a man to determine her fate.
KUNG FU PANDA FILMS
Body issue themes AND a strong female character
Okay so in this instance the female character isn’t the protagonist but she’s strong, resourceful AND very much involved in the adventures.
I rave about the Kung Fu Panda movies to anyone in earshot. They’re brilliantly written and animated and have outstanding themes. In these films we have a female character (Tigress) that isn’t defined by her gender or sexualised in any way. She’s the strongest of all of the Furious Five and can easily outdo the title character. On top of that these films are about understanding and appreciating who you are, no matter how you look, and to understand that whilst we’re not all built alike we each have our strengths. When Po succeeds WITHOUT SHEDDING ALL OF HIS WEIGHT I couldn’t have been happier. No fat shaming here!
Tigress features heavily in the films as a force to be reckoned with and gives younger girls someone empowering to look up to.
SPIRITED AWAY
More Miyasaki…
This is actually my favourite out of all four. Not my favourite film but the film I think every young girl should watch. Chihiro (who is later renamed “Sen”) is the most relatable of all of the characters; she’s a young girl in over her head that uses her bravery and wits to get herself and her parents out of trouble. She doesn’t have the ferocity or physical prowess of Tigress but she’s a constant inspiration throughout the film.
Once again romance plays its part but it’s by no means the focus. Again and again we’re treated to Chihiro’s courageous choices as she seeks to save her parents from the curse of being pigs forever. Yep…pigs.
There are a few more that could be listed…not many unfortunately. It’s a horrifying sign of the world we live in where there’s little up on the big screen to inspire and motivate the younger generation of a whole gender. There should be more, there will be more, but until then keep putting girls in front of characters like these to let them know they don’t have to be skinny princesses who get married to be of any worth to the world around them.