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Homosexualidad, infancia y animación: Del nacimiento de Pebbles Picapiedra a la adopción de Ling Bouvier

2011; Technical University of Valencia; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.4995/caa.2011.863

2173-6049

Emilio Martí López,

Cinema History and Criticism

Animation has grown significantly since its inception and its ability to remain young and creative, despite its century-old age, has become even more evident with the rise of adult animation, distinguishable from most animation in that it is neither infantile, naïve, nor sexualized. In this article I will analyze the way in which this stereotyped idea of mainstream animation, false yet nonetheless commonly applied to the medium, particularly in the way in which gays, lesbians, transsexuals, and bisexuals (LGTB) are portrayed in television cartoons, passing from total invisibility in this media to representations which are detrimental and lead to new stereotypes. Through the analysis of certain episodes from the American series The Flintstones and The Simpsons, I seek to reveal how the notion of animation being always infantile is used to exclude certain determined contents, and the way in which adult animation becomes equally contaminated by this cliché. I shall try to elucidate here whether or not the apparent non-affection towards the LGTB community, whose revolution in the social arena has been reflected shyly and belatedly, is a symptom of homophobia or whether it does actually have to do with an inability (and a resistance) to assume new content, like a certain immaturity (albeit punctual) which removes animation from being able to be accepted in society as a truly serious and adult form of media.