![]() ![]() Though the film ends with young Bonnie as the happy new owner of the toys, Woody would have to become Wanda and Buzz become Betty in order for the series to break Pixar’s male-only protagonist tradition. Admittedly, Barbie ultimately rejects Ken and is instrumental in Woody and Co’s escape, but her hyper-feminine presentation coupled with Ken’s not-yet-out-of-the-toy-cupboard homophobia make this yet another family movie that perpetuates damaging gender and sexuality norms. In the typical way homophobia is paired with misogyny, the jokes about Ken suggest how funny and scary it is for a man to be either feminine or queer. Played for adult in-jokes, Ken huffily insists “I am not a girl toy, I am not!” when an uber-masculine robot toy suggests as much during a heated poker match. As for Ken, he is depicted as a closeted gay fashionista with a fondness for writing in sparkly purple ink. Potato Head says at one point “No one touches my wife, except for me!” while another character suggests she needs her mouth taken off. Alas, after this first scene, the movie went back to its male focus, throwing in rather sexist and homophobic banter along the way. Potato-Head and Jessie chased a train in the opening scene. ![]() When I first viewed the 3 rd film, I was almost giddy as Mrs. This is far worse than the one female to every three males ratio documented in children’s media by The Geena Davis Institute on Gender and Media. Out of seven new toy characters, only one is female – the purple octopus. Potato-Head displaying mad train-robbing skills and Jessie skillfully steering Bullseye in the ensuing chase, from there, the bottom drops out of the film’s female quotient. Though Toy Story 3 opens on a female-empowerment high, with Mrs. Meanwhile, the female toys have gone missing (Bo), fallen in love with Ken (Barbie) or gone soft for Latino Buzz (Jessie). Rather, the male toys are still front and center. Sadly, if her parents bring home Toy Story 3 for her to enjoy (released on DVD November 2 nd), she will find there is not more Jessie. Once the song finished and the main narrative resumed, she chanted “More Jessie, more Jessie!!!” When the scene highlighting Jessie’s back story came on, she jumped off the couch and ran towards the television with a look of rapture on her face. ![]() I had the pleasure of spending last weekend in the presence of Isla, a four-year-old who LOVES Toy Story Two and LOVES Jessie even more. Mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman” ![]()
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