Virtue signaling in modern cartoons.

[VG_Addict]

Why do modern cartoonists keep shoehorning LGBT characters/themes into their shows? Why can't a cartoon just be mindless fun instead of virtue signaling?

Is it because most cartoonists lean FAR left?

 

[SweetShop209]

No. Creators now have more freedom to tell the kind of stories they want, and are simply taking advantage of it.

 

[Red Arrow]

There have been lots of cartoons that sugarcoat warfare and no one complains about that. But lesbians, oh no, the horror!

I think love classifies more as mindless fun than warfare does.

Is it because most cartoonists lean FAR left?

Communism? In cartoons?

 

[PapaGreg]

I dont see how having a gay character takes away mindless fun, Archer has a gay and bisexual character but it doesnt stop it from being a comedy

Sent from my SM-J727T using Tapatalk

 

[Light Lucario]

Including LGBT characters/themes shouldn't be considered a political statement. People within the LGBT community are just people, not objects for anyone within the political spectrum to use for attention. The reason why more shows are using LGBT characters/themes now is because creators have more freedom than they did even just ten years ago.

I don't see how this prevents a show from being mindless fun. Just because other characters who aren't in a typical heterosexual orientation are in a show doesn't mean it can't be fun. It provides some much needed representation for a lot of people and it can potentially widen the appeal of a show by offering said representation. I don't see how this is a bad thing or even problematic.

 

[VG_Addict]

Including LGBT characters/themes shouldn't be considered a political statement. People within the LGBT community are just people, not objects for anyone within the political spectrum to use for attention. The reason why more shows are using LGBT characters/themes now is because creators have more freedom than they did even just ten years ago.

I don't see how this prevents a show from being mindless fun. Just because other characters who aren't in a typical heterosexual orientation are in a show doesn't mean it can't be fun. It provides some much needed representation for a lot of people and it can potentially widen the appeal of a show by offering said representation. I don't see how this is a bad thing or even problematic.

Well sure, even 10 years ago, people would have made a fuss about including LGBT characters. Now, not so much.

I didn't say it was a bad thing.

Maybe people these days (myself included) see every little thing as a political statement.

 

[Dudley]

I want to see more “neuro-diverse” characters in cartoons.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Red Arrow]

I would love a main character (not THE main character) with Asperger's syndrome. And I would love it to be no big deal for most of the series.

 

[PapaGreg]

Well sure, even 10 years ago, people would have made a fuss about including LGBT characters. Now, not so much.

Its almost like values change over time

Sent from my SM-J727T using Tapatalk

 

[Zanneck]

I'd rather cartoons NOT just be mindless fun. That's why people are dismissing most Western fare in general for anime, especially as of late.

Cartoons should be able to do what anime does on average - be taken seriously in an entertaining way (not seen as baby tripe, which is still a problem today, and yet anime isn't - unless you're an adult watching it in it's home nation of Japan, of course, where you will be given weird looks if you do if you happen to be an adult native, unfortunately.).

I seriously can't go anywhere without feeling like trash for liking Western fare more with this sword that is people telling me garbage like "anime is better and I should stop wasting my time hoping Western fare will keep getting better"... and it really ticks me off after too long.

Regardless, I'm liking that cartoons are starting to be taken somewhat more seriously, again, but it's still quite niche (and unless you're really popular on the internet, you're easily ignored / seen as baby stuff, which is quite sad in itself, IMHO.), compared to anime's presence. More than anything, I want to see this medium respected again, just like it once was and still clearly isn't enough, IMHO. Otherwise, anime & western fans would be on more equal terms of speaking with each other and I don't see that happening fast enough, honestly.

However, to go further into it - all this virtue signaling should not really be a thing. I have no problems with the LGBTQ community, but any sort of shoehorning of such (or any political/cultural themes that are overplayed in general, regardless of the generation they came from!) is more harmful than useful to truly making a thing stand out in terms of concept/writing/storytelling, humor/drama/action/conflict, characters and their overall development, I could go on.

The way I see it, political/cultural themes should not be the forefront of the show; the point should be to make the show good first without them getting in the way.

 

[VG_Addict]

I would love a main character (not THE main character) with Asperger's syndrome. And I would love it to be no big deal for most of the series.

I think a cartoon with a main character that has Asperger's would be great, as long as that's not the entirety of their character.

 

[Light Lucario]

Well sure, even 10 years ago, people would have made a fuss about including LGBT characters. Now, not so much.

I didn't say it was a bad thing.

Maybe people these days (myself included) see every little thing as a political statement.

People unfortunately still make a fuss about including LGBT characters. It isn't as taboo as it used to be, but there are still people who get upset about it. Starting off the thread by asking why LGBT characters/themes are shoehorned in, why shows can't be just mindless fun and questioning if it is a political statement/due to the creators being on the far left heavily implied that you thought it was bad, or at least didn't like it.

I just find it a bit annoying and tiring that a simple act of diversity and representation is seen as a political statement. The existence of LGBT characters/themes to represent actual people within the LGBT community shouldn't be seen as political.

 

[VG_Addict]

People unfortunately still make a fuss about including LGBT characters. It isn't as taboo as it used to be, but there are still people who get upset about it. Starting off the thread by asking why LGBT characters/themes are shoehorned in, why shows can't be just mindless fun and questioning if it is a political statement/due to the creators being on the far left heavily implied that you thought it was bad, or at least didn't like it.

I just find it a bit annoying and tiring that a simple act of diversity and representation is seen as a political statement. The existence of LGBT characters/themes to represent actual people within the LGBT community shouldn't be seen as political.

I don't have a problem with LGBT characters or themes, as long as they don't feel shoehorned in.

 

[The Overlord]

Why do modern cartoonists keep shoehorning LGBT characters/themes into their shows? Why can't a cartoon just be mindless fun instead of virtue signaling?

Is it because most cartoonists lean FAR left?

No offense, but in the past wouldn't have someone argued that having black characters appear in a non sterotypical manner in cartoons is promoting a far left agenda?

What is wrong with a cartoon having a social message vs. just being mindkless time wasters? Would X-Men be better if things just explode for 30 minutes rather then dealing with bigotry?

Edit: I am not trying to be mean or judgmental, but I think a work with something to say is usually better then mindless fluff and I do not think LBGT representation should be seen as some far left political statement.

 

[JoeMabbon]

There’s an inherent hypocrisy that underlies a lot of mainstream cartoons that try to promote environmental messages, maybe that’s why you don’t see as much of a push for that anymore.

“Save the Earth! But before you do that watch our shows and movies on energy consuming devices and by all our merchandise which is made of paper and plastic.”

 

[PapaGreg]

There’s an inherent hypocrisy that underlies a lot of mainstream cartoons that try to promote environmental messages, maybe that’s why you don’t see as much of a push for that anymore.

“Save the Earth! But before you do that watch our shows and movies on energy consuming devices and by all our merchandise which is made of paper and plastic.”

At least they are getting the message out, just saying in Argentina there is a thing called cow backpacks where people give cows backpacks to trap methane and produce bio-fuel. Maybe we can invest in that.

 

[JoeMabbon]

At least they are getting the message out, just saying in Argentina there is a thing called cow backpacks where people give cows backpacks to trap methane and produce bio-fuel. Maybe we can invest in that.

That's not really the same thing as what I'm talking about. That's doing something. That's installing solar panels on your roof. That's making a consciousness decision to use public transit when possible. Making an environmentalist themed episode and then licensing toys, disposable diapers, etc. is something else.

 

[Fone Bone]

Let's here it from The Man himself about why diversity is necessary:

I would love a main character (not THE main character) with Asperger's syndrome. And I would love it to be no big deal for most of the series.

Meek in Gilda and Meek is an Aspie. And it's not a big deal.