Some of you may remember that when Noah was 2-3 years old, he was obsessed with the movie Cars. I am pretty sure we watched it 1-2x/day for a minimum of 6 months. And less regularly for a few months after that.
Josie is showing signs of being similarly obsessed with Cars Toons, a DVD of short stories featuring the same characters.
Except that by “the same characters” I mean Mater, Lightning McQueen, and Mia & Tia, the twin simpering fangirl cars who had no loyalty and became simpering fangirls of the bad guy car late in the first movie. There’s no sign of Sally the Porche-lawyer turned entrepreneur and advocate for small-town history and culture.
In terms of gender depictions in film, I’d rather have Disney’s princesses than CarsToons. At least the Princesses DO SOMETHING other than bat their eyelashes, giggle, and manipulate/betray the good guys. Mulan saves China. Belle helps her father invent things, reads books, rejects boorish suitors, and saves her father and the misunderstood bad guy. Cinderella at least wants some fun and a better life. Snow White also runs away and tries to create a better life for herself, even if it is in service of the 7 (male) dwarves.
Mia and Tia, on their best days in Cars Toons, are NASA door openers (who fawn), surgical assistants (who fawn), Spanish bullfighting fans (who fawn), and Japanese street racing fans (who fawn). In one short film, a film noir parody, Tia manipulates Mater into a trap set by the bad guy, because “it’s the only way I could save my sister.” At least she has agency, even if it is to be a liar and betrayer.
Owen Wilson & Larry the Cable Guy, what is your power over the preschool set? And
