The fans were irritating.
I’m aware that that’s childish. Yet whether it was the videos on how “KPop Demon Hunters is girl power done right!”, or using the movie to trash-talk Disney and Pixar’s recent outings, I figured giving it a watch would give these mind-numbing arguments their time of day. Because the internet already fails when having nuanced and thoughtful conversations about serious topics, giving oxygen to bad-faith actors in art and entertainment would be too much to handle. Still, fair’s fair. And after swallowing my pride, I can safely say that KPop Demon Hunters is an 8/10 experience.
But this isn’t about that. I can talk forever about the movie, yet that wouldn’t counteract sitting through endless bashing of the competition. Animation’s difficult enough without trashing the competition, so an honest rebuttal’s in order. Turn your “Hasn’t defended Disney in __ days” dial to 0, let’s get started. Also, I won’t hold back.
Perhaps the biggest sticking point is claiming this movie “does girl power right”. First of all, define “right”. Better yet, define “does girl power right”. The internet loves using this boogeyman like it’s a boss in a “woke” video game that needs defeating. Not only is it demeaning, it doesn’t even make sense. What about having women leads qualifies as “girl power”? Is it because the protagonists have vaginas? Is it because they discuss girl-centric topics? Enlighten me.
I wouldn’t be as annoyed if there were solid examples. Better yet, I wouldn’t be as annoyed if the examples listed held weight. But they don’t. They’re empty, coded and sexist attacks against women in storytelling, particularly in pop culture. God forbid a woman star in anything! And heaven help us if the stories are relatable to girls!
It's not like I’m pulling this from thin air. Remember Turning Red? Remember how it dealt with puberty and menstruation? Remember how it was well-received critically, yet chastised for discussing “icky pre-teen stuff”? I thought the movie was great! But because it catered to a niche, as opposed to a “general audience”, it was considered “forced girl power”.
Was it really a “specific niche”? Over half the world’s population is female, and menstruation’s a big concern for that demographic. I can’t speak from personal experience, but I’d consider that a universal concept. That’s something Pixar, masters of making the obscure universal, excels at. Why’s this different?
It's not like I’m pulling this from thin air. Remember Turning Red? Remember how it dealt with puberty and menstruation? Remember how it was well-received critically, yet chastised for discussing “icky pre-teen stuff”? I thought the movie was great! But because it catered to a niche, as opposed to a “general audience”, it was considered “forced girl power”.
Was it really a “specific niche”? Over half the world’s population is female, and menstruation’s a big concern for that demographic. I can’t speak from personal experience, but I’d consider that a universal concept. That’s something Pixar, masters of making the obscure universal, excels at. Why’s this different?
The obvious answer is that Turning Red, arguably one of Pixar’s best from their new talent, is female-centric and directed by a Chinese-Canadian woman. This ties into the view that women, particularly minority women, should be seen and not heard. They should uphold the status quo, not challenge it. It’s incredibly racist and patriarchal. Having a movie focused on that subset’s struggles rocks the boat.
Except…which boat are we talking about? Critics point to “the established order”, but orders aren’t indefinite. They come and go. Besides, white patriarchy being the status quo is a fiction upheld by fragile men. It’s why the “good old days” never existed, as people were already challenging the status quo then too. People merely forget that because they have blinders on.
Which leads me back to KPop Demon Hunters being “girl power done right”. Ignoring how much coded sexism and racism is baked in, KPop Demon Hunters has a pretty standard story about self-acceptance and discrimination underneath its art-style and pop numbers. It looks unique, sure, but it’s not reinventing the wheel narratively. If we’re going by innovation, Turning Red has the more groundbreaking narrative. The only difference is that it’s from Pixar, making it “less-interesting”.
Except…which boat are we talking about? Critics point to “the established order”, but orders aren’t indefinite. They come and go. Besides, white patriarchy being the status quo is a fiction upheld by fragile men. It’s why the “good old days” never existed, as people were already challenging the status quo then too. People merely forget that because they have blinders on.
Which leads me back to KPop Demon Hunters being “girl power done right”. Ignoring how much coded sexism and racism is baked in, KPop Demon Hunters has a pretty standard story about self-acceptance and discrimination underneath its art-style and pop numbers. It looks unique, sure, but it’s not reinventing the wheel narratively. If we’re going by innovation, Turning Red has the more groundbreaking narrative. The only difference is that it’s from Pixar, making it “less-interesting”.
I hate this conversation. Yes, KPop Demon Hunters is a “girl power” story. But that’s not something the movie’s hiding. It’s also not hiding its love for KPop, especially with its premise feeling like something South Korea’s animation industry would conjure up as an afterthought. It’s novel for Westerners, but not for Easterners. And for sure not for those familiar with Korean pop-idols.
By saying “girl power done right”, you’re hurting women of all stripes. It’s true that many female-centric stories in Hollywood are trying too hard. But they’re at least trying. Hollywood’s track-record with minority representation is pretty abysmal, and they’re playing catch-up right now. The real issue isn’t women-centric storytelling, but a lack of women in the writer’s room. It’s an issue of accuracy, and it should be allowed room to change. That’s doesn’t happen by tearing down misfires, which is what’s happening.
It’d be great if more movies about women were hits. But that’s not the case. Like everything else, you have to walk before you can run. And Disney and Pixar, for all of their faults, are doing that. They aren’t always succeeding, but they’re trying.
By saying “girl power done right”, you’re hurting women of all stripes. It’s true that many female-centric stories in Hollywood are trying too hard. But they’re at least trying. Hollywood’s track-record with minority representation is pretty abysmal, and they’re playing catch-up right now. The real issue isn’t women-centric storytelling, but a lack of women in the writer’s room. It’s an issue of accuracy, and it should be allowed room to change. That’s doesn’t happen by tearing down misfires, which is what’s happening.
It’d be great if more movies about women were hits. But that’s not the case. Like everything else, you have to walk before you can run. And Disney and Pixar, for all of their faults, are doing that. They aren’t always succeeding, but they’re trying.
Lastly, we should stop assuming that “girl power” is altruistic. It’s not. Hollywood’s a business, and businesses are out to make money. The recent trend in female-centric storytelling, which KPop Demon Hunters is part of, only exists because executives looked at women and saw profit in catering to them. That’s the reason behind the recent “glut in girl power”. If you don’t understand that, then you’re not media literate.
So yes, there’s no need to tear down Disney and Pixar to build up KPop Demon Hunters. Can we stop unfairly comparing them now?
So yes, there’s no need to tear down Disney and Pixar to build up KPop Demon Hunters. Can we stop unfairly comparing them now?
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