COMM 3560 Assignment 6

COMM 3560 Assignment 6 | Tulane University

In Bouldin’s article, he argues the character of Betty Boop is more figurative thanembodied.  She is the stereotyped version of a pretty, ditzy girl who is highly sexualized.  Theaesthetics themselves flatter Betty as she is drawn with perfect hair and a tight fitting dress.  TheFleischer brothers gave depth to their cartoons.  Their techniques of drawing created a 3D worldfor their animations to live in.  In Betty Boop’s “Rise to Fame,” the Fleischer brothers actuallyinteract with their animation of Betty Boop.  This metalepsis of the real world animator and thecartoon world animation interacting creates a self-awareness for Betty Boop.  It brings to life thecharacter of Betty Boop in the real world.In general, animation has a problem that they have been thought of a child-like mediumassociated with innocence.  However, animation has a conflicted history just like everything else.Just some of the less innocent moments in animation, for example, are ministries, black-face,problematic representations, and sexism.  Femininity and masculinity are presented andstereotypes in Betty Boop and Popeye.  JP Telotte’s “The Double Space of the Fleischer Films”argues animation has the ability to blur the lines of traditional orthodoxies and challenge identity.For example, when a cartoon crossdresses the audience has little reaction than in real life.  Theaudience accepts it as just being part of the cartoon universe they are watching.  Conversely, thesame can be said about the conservative reinforcement of norms.  A cartoon can depict the

Scott 2perfect family and thus imply that is what the status quo is.  In addition to the characters, theaesthetics themselves can challenge the orthodox and be subversive.This is clearly visible in the Fleisher brother’s episode, “Betty Boop’s Trial.”  As a policeofficer cat calls her, she refuses to pull over.  This depiction of the masculine, large, officer in aposition of authority, chasing Betty Boop sexualizes her.  However, the animators glorify thissexualization by drawing her license being kept on her inner thigh in her garter.  Once in court,the judges' notes are solely about the physical appearance of Betty, not the trial.  He writes “cutelegs” among her other physical female appearance.  Later, Betty winks at the officer after he sayshe just had to meet her.  This stereotype further portrays a misogynist outlook on women.The sexualization of Betty Boop is the sole purpose of the cartoon.  There is not any othersubstance to Betty’s interactions.  The other characters have no personality while Betty is themost developed as a fantasy girl for the male spectator.  Also, the size of the characters correlatesto their power dynamic.  The officer is twice the size of Betty while the judge is small and thejury is all the same size.In Betty Boop’s “Bamboo Isle,” Bimbo’s blackface washes off and the tribe chases him.The animated map geography changes to lock the tribe in and stop them from chasing after them.This colonial imaginative can sometimes make fun of bigotry, but there is built-in bigotry due tothe colonial vibe.