“People keep saying, ‘the animation genre.’ It’s not a genre! A Western is a genre. Animation is an art form, and it can do any genre. You know, it can do a detective film, a cowboy film, a horror film, an R-rated film, or a kids’ fairy tale. But it doesn’t do one thing.”
Brad Bird, director of The Incredibles (2004)
Within the last century, animated works have transcended short, wacky cartoons and become more nuanced pieces of storytelling. While the comedic charm of early Disney and Looney Tunes shorts has remained over the years, we’ve seen a major jump into all kinds of tales, from action-packed anime series to movies that examine the depths of the human psyche. Surely, these films are well appreciated beside their live-action counterparts among audiences and critics today?
If the Academy Awards ceremony last March was any indication, not quite. During the ceremony, the introduction to the Animated Feature categories had host Jimmy Kimmel asking the audience: “Please raise your hand if you let your kid fill out this part of the ballot.”
We can debate whether Kimmel was claiming animation was for kids or was poking fun at the Academy for this belief. But this isn’t the first time the Oscars have associated animation with children, as a speech during the 2022 show emphasized how the medium made up “some of [their] most formative movie experiences as kids.” It thus raises an important question: is animation a “kids’ genre”? Let’s consider some of these animated titles:
Waltz with Bashir (2008): a docudrama film about one Israeli man reliving his memories of the 1982 Lebanon War.
Sausage Party (2016): an adult comedy film about sentient groceries learning about their fate outside of a supermarket.
Loving Vincent (2017): a biographical film that centres on the life of Vincent van Gogh and the circumstances of his death—animated entirely on oil paintings.
These movies encompass different genres, target older audiences, and deal with more mature themes—whether violent, risqué, or mysterious—and, as such, were not made with kids in mind. Imagine an unknowing parent taking a child to one of these assuming it’ll be an age-appropriate adventure (granted, some have actually done this). The crews behind these titles made it clear that these are not merely juvenile works of art and toiled away to depict them as such.
What’s the story behind the stigma?
Despite efforts to counter it, the “Animation Age Ghetto,” as observers have called the connection between animation and kids, has existed for some time. Sources point to the 1950s and ‘60s, the post-WWII period, where this stigma developed. Around this time, the postwar economic state and a lack of funding meant animated works were of mostly poor quality, relegated to shorts or television and primarily for younger audiences (as children were often the few to enjoy them). The resulting association meant that it became harder for animated works to reach out successfully to more mature audiences—a trend that has carried on into the present day.
Is this a universal sentiment?
It’s worth noting that the stigma chiefly resides in the North American consciousness, as animation, even titles targeted beyond children’s audiences, has found greater success and reception in other markets. One prominent example is Japan, where anime titles like Dragon Ball, One Piece, and Neon Genesis Evangelion have had strong holds in pop culture. But we also see this in places like Europe; the continent has seen notable works from the French film The Triplets of Belleville (2003) to the movies and series by Irish studio Cartoon Saloon, all of which have seen acclaim. Furthermore, Europe is home to the Annecy Film Festival in France, a notable event dedicated to highlighting animated works.
What’s happened since then?
By the turn of the century, the arrival of titles either aimed at older audiences (e.g., The Simpsons, South Park) and those that blur the lines between kids’ fare and darker themes (e.g., Invader ZIM, The Owl House) has ushered in increasing reception to animation. Titles in the medium now range from the poignant films of Pixar and Studio Ghibli—such as Academy Award-winners Inside Out and The Boy and The Heron—to action-packed titles with mature topics like Avatar: The Last Airbender and Attack on Titan. While some sentiments regarding animation as a medium for children remain, the increasing number of works are challenging this belief.
At the end of the day, animated films and shows can be as good or as bad as any other title, and it shouldn’t be a surprise to see the likes of Beauty and the Beast, Up, and Toy Story 3 join the ranks of other Best Picture nominees in choice years. While the medium has many capabilities that set them apart from their live-action contemporaries, it is a means of storytelling all the same.
“Animation is not a genre—it’s a medium.”
Guillermo del Toro, filmmaker, producer, and director of Academy Award-winner Pinocchio (2022)
Sources:
“Animation is not a genre: examining the animation age ghetto Comically Serious.” https://www.poncacitynews.com/lifestyle/animation-not-genre-examining-animation-age-ghetto-comically-serious.
Bird, Brad. The Incredibles. 2004. GeekishTroper. “The Animation Age Ghetto.” https://netflixstudies.wordpress.com/2018/06/15/the-animation-age-ghetto/.
Guillermo del Toro. https://twitter.com/RealGDT.
Oscars. (2022, April 27). ‘Encanto’ Wins Best Animated Feature Film | 94th Oscars [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rmiq2PPQDg
Web Desk. “Jimmy Kimmel faces backlash for making fun of anime at Oscars 2024.” https://madhyamamonline.com/entertainment/jimmy-kimmel-faces-backlash-for-making-fun-of-anime-at-oscars-2024-1266587.
