Paving the Future

Animation is a field that critics have always left up to interpretation. The default for many is to demean the medium for being only directed toward a child audience and this could be the furthest from the truth. If truly valued, the field of animation has minimal competition because there are few that have the capability to capture public conversation and simultaneously provide content that stimulates the brain of viewers of all ages.

Animation also supplies a platform for a creator to express their vision and the opportunity to set societal representation. The shift of culture today rooting from prejudice is now in a place of social change and understanding.  People are beginning to be more aware and in tune with the minority experience and the role that marginalized groups play in the overarching culture. Creators such as Rebecca Sugar and Ben Levin have shown representation for marginalized groups in society. Sugar’s show, Steven Universe has been nominated for awards such as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLADD) media award for giving representation to the LGBTQ+ community in children animation. She has also used her platform to partner with Dove, to promote a self -esteem/body confidence project to help youth and to provide an outlet for teens reaching adolescence. As for Levin, the creator of Craig of the Creek made it possible for a black family to be featured without having reasoning or an agenda. He and his team have shown that there is no definition of being black and he gave representation to the black youth who are finding themselves in modern society. This has also been shown in the medium of animation in productions such as the Oscar-winning, Hair Love which highlights the need for representation of black media in modern society. It disabuses the notion that only the white experience is valued. Historically white institutions such as the Oscars would not have given an award to a film of this nature. This is a result of the changing of culture because the marginalized experience is of more importance. Another film that will be released in June 2020 is Soul, a film about an aspiring jazz star. Animated films and shows perpetuating positive minority culture are important because in the past the media has tried to equal the black experience with negativity and minority as a statistic. If American culture is heading in this direction then I believe it's safe to say: this world may finally be a place worth living.