'Turning Red' Viewers React to the New Disney+ Pixar Movie
03/12/2022 09:20 pm EST
Universal
Fans of the movie pointed out the many aspects of its story that are universally relatable. They argued that failing to see the universality of these tropes is a symptom of white-washed media diets and poor education.
Expanding Talent Pool
Some pointed to Turning Red and other recent diverse movies as a sign of the talent pool in Hollywood expanding. They felt that it was good to explore the timeless themes of Pixar movies through different lenses to find new aspects of them.
Statistics
Some also pointed out that, statistically speaking, Asian culture is relatable to more people than white culture is on a personal level.
Relatability
Some users made a joke out of the idea that Turning Red was difficult to relate to in comparison to other Pixar movies. They wondered how a critic could feel like they had more in common with the fish in Finding Nemo or the robots in Wall-E than with a human family from Toronto.
Other Themes
Fans pointed out other thematic differences in Turning Red that you might have missed if you were too focused on the racial distinctions in it.
Menstruation
One of the things people applauded this movie for the most was its casual but earnest depiction of menstruation, without any shame or punchlines attached. In hindsight, many women wished they had seen this kind of representation when they were Mei's age.
Quality
At the end of the day, some felt that the conversation about race and relatability that this movie stirred up boiled down to a question of quality. They argued that Turning Red was a high-quality film while O'Connell's review was a low-quality article. Other factors were just ancillary.
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