Project Topic Reflection - 9/14/16

Topic #1: The lack of women in the field of animation.

Pros: I am currently taking a History of Animation class, which involves Pixar and major companies where few women animators are present. I am a prime example of this issue, as I am majoring in Emerging Media on the Experimental Track. There are organizations dedicated to this issue, such as “Women in Animation” (WIA) that I could contact or read articles from. I am passionate about women’s studies and how young women view themselves, such as how they may not want to be associated with a career where men dominate, such as animation. I am also taking a Virtual Women class and, as an administrator on the class blog, I may choose to conduct a poll to reach many people who want to voice their opinion about the issue.

Cons: There are not many animation companies where I live that I could conduct face-to-face research with. The scope of animation is very broad, so I would focus on American animation from major movies with the techniques they used, such as computer animation and clay modeling.

Research required: My History of Animation professor discussed how, during the early years of animation, women played an important part in the entire process by coloring and inking thousands of panels that created the movie, such as “Cinderella.” These women were seen as background artists and not necessarily represented upfront in the company, which is one area that I would discuss in my paper. Another area where I could conduct my research from is animated movie credits, where I would assess the amount of female animators from the beginning of cartoons until today. In my paper, I will discuss what improvements could be made to inspire women to join the animation industry and become leaders. I may contact the high school that I graduated from to see how many female students are enrolled in the Game and Animation class for further research. There is a lack of women-related clubs and organizations in the high school, so I could discuss how this may lead to young women not pursuing careers in animation. In order for me to research where the lack of women in animation originates from, I would view the college courses required for animation majors in various universities. If the courses involve physics, math, or typically male-associated subjects, I can research why women may choose to avoid majoring in animation. Women may feel that they could not succeed in computer-related fields because society’s definition of these careers is generally focused around men. The lack of women interested in fields associated with computers and animation may be a defining factor in the issue that I am aiming to research for my paper. Lastly, I would conduct research about how women view the animation field itself. The desire to appear “glamorous” may not come to mind when women think of animation, but my research would include how diverse and rewarding animation is, instead of the stereotypes about people in the career.

Topic #2: How females are represented in Japanese anime/manga.

Pros: I have read and watched many different types of anime, including English and Japanese versions. I attended conventions recently where I have seen women cosplay as characters and how they are viewed by the general public. I am knowledgeable about the Japanese culture and how it uses gendered language for men and women to communicate, or onna kotoba (women’s language). There are many blogs and online articles by female cosplayers that I could conduct research from. In my paper, I would draw parallels of the voices, appearances and emotions represented by the characters in different anime and how similar they are to each other. I am also familiar with the lexis used by certain female characters and how viewers of anime incorporate these phrases into their own lives. The word “kawaii” is widely known and embraced by girls globally, as it involves pastel-colored animals and inanimate objects with large eyes.

Cons: There are many anime shows and mangas to read, so I would focus primarily on the ones where women are major characters. I will analyze only anime and manga instead of videogame spin-offs of the same series.

Research required: This is a very familiar issue to me, so the areas that I would conduct research from are vast. I would watch seasons of anime where female characters exhibit traits of being emotional and desirable to others around them, which is quite common. Expanding from this idea, I would compare how other characters and fans react to the demure female characters versus the heroic ones. In some anime, the characters wear revealing clothes, have augmented, unrealistic body parts and possess superpowers. I would research if any of the aforementioned qualities contribute to the plot of the overall story or if they are present solely for the character to be viewed a certain way. Another area of research is from my own discourse community of friends. They watch many types of anime and I would ask them why they have a preference to watch it in Japanese instead of English, or reversed. Furthermore, anime is watched by many adults and I would research if its authors decided to create characters that would encourage older viewers to escape from reality while watching or reading. The ethereal, catlike characters with large eyes may seem comforting to people in any culture, such as the tea houses in Japan where women dress as well-known characters to provide a fanciful experience. For further research, I would explore the genres used by fans of anime. Online forums, blogs and YouTube videos featuring famous cosplayers and voice actors currently promote the issue of how females are represented in anime. The seemingly attractive nature of a particular female character may encourage young women to want to adopt the same lifestyle as the cartoons they see, such as a popular anime girl with multicolored hair. The world of anime extends much further than watching and reading, however, when some women have their bodies modified to emulate a character. Colored circle contact lenses have proven health risks, including eye oxygen deprivation and blindness, because of their large size. Unfortunately, some women who are professional cosplayers have resorted to dressing as male characters in fear of being verbally or sexually assaulted. Lastly, I would research the differences of how female or male authors depict their characters. Female authors may choose to create heroines instead of coquettish characters because, as women themselves, they want to inspire girls to be viewed as more than emotional or sexualized.

Topic #3: How teenagers escape reality and misrepresent themselves on social media.

Pros: There are many discourse communities that are prime examples of this topic, including social media websites where I am a member. I have access to many articles, videos and organizations striving to eliminate cyberbullying on social networks, including CNN and Common Sense Media. I am familiar with how YouTube stars inspire young people to establish profiles in the hopes of becoming Internet celebrities. However, besides the teenagers who use social media as an outlet to identify themselves, there are also young people raising awareness about the negatives of establishing an online presence. I would research the consequences of overusing social media, including accepting every friend request that arrives and altering photographs that are not accurate representations of the user’s appearance.  

Cons: Social media is global, so I would focus on countries that use it heavily, such as the United States, Europe and Australia.

Research Required: In my paper, I would discuss how the desire of appearing popular with hundreds of friends attracts teenagers to social media. In the video, “Generation Like,” adolescents and young adults admit their sense of pride when they discuss how many fans or followers they have. Similarly, I would research how teenagers use conversational tones in their posts to promote closeness with their fans. A false sense of friendship arises when teenage Internet sensations end their discussions with “I love you,” when in reality, they do not know the people who may be following them. Another area where I would conduct research from is social media comments on popular brands and how certain teenagers use conspicuous consumption to identify themselves. If young adults see that their peers are “liking” certain types of music and brand names, they may decide to conform to those beliefs and become a part of the conversation. A major area of research that involves teenagers’ social media usage is their recognition of how certain companies sponsor YouTube stars. Tyler Oakley, one of the most well-known Internet celebrities, is endorsed by fashion designers and fast food companies looking to advertise their brand to his fans. I would research how many “likes” different companies accrued and what percentage of them were by teenagers. Additionally, I would research why young people prefer certain social media applications and websites over others. Some websites may allow their users to create virtual avatars where teenagers can explore different personalities, genders and races. This misrepresentation of identity is very common in these games, where the body types and clothes available do not reflect users in actuality. Lastly, I would research how social media encourages teenagers to adopt superficial methods of thinking based on the images they view online. On applications like Facebook, profiles depicting teenagers with seemingly perfect lives is rampant. The appealing nature of an attractive person who is constantly busy with lavish vacations and friends inspires teenagers to post the best photographs of themselves, sometimes altering them in the process. Smartphone filters that brighten an image or add humorous animal ears to a person’s face allow users to escape reality and acquire more page views. Overall, teenagers view social media as an outlet to express themselves and possibly become celebrities with the content they provide. However, the constant usage of social media can be detrimental to a person’s reputation if they are not aware of the lack of privacy it includes.