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https://thenerdsofcolor.org/2020/02/21/noc-review-onward-is-mid-level-magic-for-pixar/
In the 25 years since Toy Story first hit theaters, the amount of unfavorable films to come out of Pixar versus the number of instant classics can probably be counted on a single hand. That is an insane and unprecedented track record for any studio, and frankly even their worst films are still infinitely better than the […]
The president of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a prestigious fashion school in New York, issued an apology after a graduate held a controversial fashion show at the college that was labeled “racist.”
The runway show made headlines after an African American model said she was pressured to wear monkey ears and oversized lips in a runway show during New York Fashion Week. The accessories were reportedly from MFA graduate Junkai Huang’s collection and was meant to highlight the “ugly features of the body,” reports Diet Prada.
“I stood there almost ready to break down, telling the staff that I felt incredibly uncomfortable with having to wear these pieces and that they were clearly racist,” Amy Lefevre, a 25-year-old model, told the New York Post. “I was told that it was fine to feel uncomfortable for only 45 seconds.”
Although Lefevre still participated in the show, she walked down the runway without the ears or the exaggerated synthetic lips while the other models in the show, who were not African American, wore the accessories. Afterward, Lefevre says she was visibly shaken.
“I was literally shaking. I could not control my emotions. My whole body was shaking. I have never felt like that in my life,” she said, reports The Post. “People of color are struggling too much in 2020 for the promoters not to have vetted and cleared accessories for the shows.”
According to some observers, Huang, who is from China, did not appear to understand the racial overtones of his work. “It was such a grave lack of judgment,” said an anonymous witness who was backstage when the show took place.
On Wednesday, FIT President Joyce F. Brown issued a statement apologizing for the show held on Feb. 7 to showcase the work of the 10 alumni from the college’s inaugural Master of Fine Arts class in fashion design.
Currently, it does not appear that the original intent of the design, the use of accessories or the creative direction of the show was to make a statement about race; however, it is now glaringly obvious that has been the outcome. For that, we apologize—to those who participated in the show, to students, and to anybody who has been offended by what they saw.
Let me be clear: no person should be made to feel uncomfortable—particularly about race—in service of their work, job, livelihood, or course of study. Right now, we are actively investigating how this happened. And as you’ll read, we have outlined several steps to address the concerns and questions of students, faculty, and our community. We take this very seriously and our response and actions going forward will reflect that.
In addition, Jonathan Kyle Farmer, the chair of the modern fine arts fashion design course which ran the show, also apologized to the model Lefevre in an Instagram post, writing:
“I deeply apologize for any harm and pain I’ve caused to those involved with the show. I take full responsibility and am committed to learning from this situation and taking steps to do better.”
(Pixar/Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Palm Springs International Film Festival)
After years of subtle inferences and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments, Disney and Pixar have finally given us an openly queer animated character. In Pixar’s new fantasy road trip film Onward, out actor/writer/director Lena Waithe (Master of None, Queen & Slim) voices Officer Specter, a cyclops police officer. Specter is one of the cops trying to catch up with elven brothers Barley (Chris Pratt) and Ian (Tom Holland), after their attempts at magic go awry.
In a bit of dialogue, Specter commiserates with a fellow officer about the challenges of raising kids and blended families, remarking, “My girlfriend’s daughter got me pulling my hair out.” It’s a simple, self-identifying statement, but a huge moment for LGBTQ representaton in animation.
So excited to announce that I’m part of Disney and Pixar’s Onward as Specter. Cannot wait for you all to see it in theaters on March 6, 2020! #PixarOnward @Disney @Pixar pic.twitter.com/a3vVz1flR6
— Lena Waithe (@LenaWaithe) December 16, 2019
Onward producer Kori Rae said of the line, “It just kind of happened, … The scene, when we wrote it, was kind of fitting and it opens up the world a little bit, and that’s what we wanted.” Director Dan Scanlon added, “It’s a modern fantasy world and we want to represent the modern world.”
While LGBTQ characters have shown up on animated television series like Steven Universe, Voltron: Legendary Defender, and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (to name a few), big screen representation has been lagging.
There have been nods to background queer characters, like the alleged two moms in Finding Dory. Director Andrew Stanton was cagey about their identity, saying “They can be whatever you want them to be. There’s no right or wrong answer.”
This was followed by a barely-there moment of two moms picking up and dropping off their daughter in Toy Story 4, which, though buried in the background of the scene, was enough to set off a One Million Moms boycott. The boycott had little effect on the film, which ended up earning over $1 billion worldwide.
Officer Specter’s acknowledgement is made all the more refreshing by how low-key it is. It’s just a matter-of-fact moment of queer representation based in one character relating to another. But the best part is that no one is acting like this moment is some watershed event for queer rights. Like ParaNorman‘s Mitch Downe, it’s simply another attribute to describe a character.
Disney has an unfortunate track record of patting themselves on the back for the most meager moments of representation. See LeFou’s (Josh Gad) barely there moment of locking eyes with another man in Beauty and the Beast. Or Avengers: Endgame‘s Joe Russo as unnamed gay grieving Snapture survivor. Or that lesbian kiss at the end of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
It’s frustrating because Disney is prone to congratulate themselves on these nuggets of queerdom, while also making them small and inconsequential enough to be edited out for international releases in places like China and Russia, where LGBTQ content is censored. It feels like pandering because, well, it kind of is. Hopefully Officer Specter will be the first of many openly queer animated characters to grace the big screen.
(via Yahoo Entertainment)
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Here’s what we reviewed in comics this week that you might want to check out:
DCeased: Unkillables #1
Whereas DCeased always had a very somber overtone, Unkillables is a little more cavalier and boisterous. The tone is fitting considering that most of the principles are unconventionally heroic at minimal. Taylor’s ability to weave lore and various plot points is still very commendable, and the ease of which you can line up events and timelines even though it’s been months between issues is commendable.
Superman Smashes the Klan #3
The best Superman stories are supposed to evoke hope. Hope for a tomorrow that is better than today. Hope that we are capable of becoming better ourselves. Hope that even throughout all of the uncertainties that life has, we’ll get through. And the conclusion to Superman Smashes the Klan is very much hopeful and very much, in fact, one of the best Superman stories that one could ask for.
Guardians of the Galaxy #2
The Guardians are more than just a team: they’re family (dysfunctional as they may be) and we get to watch them pretend they’re not as invested as they are. Juann Cabal’s artwork is pretty inspired. The color palette is as eclectic and vibrant as the book’s cast of characters. Rarely have I seen Rocket Raccoon looking as expressive in his emotional range as he was in the final pages of this book.
Wolverine #1
Someone has been stealing Krakoan flowers with curative abilities for street drug applications and Wolvie is hot on their trail. Of course, the customary superhero shenanigans are there, but I found a lot of entertainment in the exposition moments where Logan is rousting the bar or getting crime lab information from Sage.
Marvel’s Voices #1
Within this mix, a few pages stand out. ‘Race’ by Ayala, Chang, and Maiolo is a fun bit of action between Shuri and Forge, featuring Wakandan tech vs. Krakoa tech in a world ranging car race. Stelfreeze delivers a Black Widow 2-pager that is a perfect feature for his artistic style. Silver Surfer gets a galactically-worthy feature from Markman, Scott, and Sanchez-Almara.
What books did you check out this week that we didn’t cover? Hit us in the comments or on our social media!
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The post The Pull – 02/19/2020: New Voices Ready to be Heard appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.