Realism in Animated Cartoons

Realism in Animated Cartoons

The Simpsons, created in 1989 by Matt Groening is the longest running American sitcom. The plot revolves around the family patriarch, Homer Simpson, and his wife and three kids, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. The Simpsons was the first animated cartoon dedicated to realism, combining aspects of the sitcom and animation, attracting a broader audience. “The commitment to realism changed viewers’ perceptions of television animation, which became very much the status quo,” (Crawford). Family Guy, created in 1999 by Seth MacFarlane is very similar to The Simpsons, however it is more ridiculous and less dedicated to realism. Like The Simpsons, the plot revolves around the family patriarch, Peter Griffin, and his wife Lois and three kids Meg, Brian and Stewie. Family Guy represents the idea of magical realism, the juxtaposition between reality and the fantastic, (Crawford). One of the elements of magical realism is the representation of the phenomenal world.

This essay explores the idea that the animated cartoon shows such as The Simpsons and Family Guy, include culturally relevant situations and a sense of realism in their content. They are in a realistic setting and the characters portray human qualities. They depict problems in society in every day life using satire and exaggeration to create funny situations. The many different locations and characters add depth and richness to the plot.

 Realistic Setting

 Family Guy and The Simpsons have a more realistic setting than typical Saturday morning cartoons and sitcoms with real people. Their goal was to make the viewer forget they were watching a cartoon. Even the slightest differences make the show seem more realistic. For example, “unlike the glossy, featureless backgrounds traditionally associated with animation. The trash and cracks are subtle signs of the imperfection of reality,” (Crawford). The Flintstones is often credited as the first show to combine animation and sitcom, however Groening was more committed to realism. The Flintstones share their world with dinosaurs and some of them are even characters in the show that can talk.  The Simpsons, unlike The Flintstones and other cartoons display a sense of spatial reality. Groening mentions in an interview with Erik H. Berman that while “Fred Flintstone might run past 35 windows in his living room. If The Simpsons ran 20 feet, they would run into a wall,” (Crawford). Family Guy also respects spatial reality and the characters often run into walls.

The Simpsons live in the fictional town of Springfield, one of the most common town names in the US. Some argue that Family Guy is more realistic in this sense. Although they live in a fictional town, Quahog, it displays the real setting of Providence County in Rhode Island showing the skyline of Providence in the background. The characters have New England accents and there are many references to clams, the state fish in Rhode Island.  According to Seth MacFarlane “rather than being a limitation this specific setting adds richness of the show, which gains considerable texture from its overt immersion in Rhode Island culture,” (Crawford).

 Human Qualities of the Characters

The characters in The Simpsons and Family Guy display human qualities making them more realistic and believable. In order for to overcome the stereotype that cartoons are only for children and attract a broader audience, The Simpsons “had to behave-think, laugh, cry-like you and me” (Crawford). Groening abandoned typical attributes of Saturday morning cartoons to help distinguish The Simpsons from other animated shows. He insisted the Simpsons obey the law of physics, (Crawford). Other cartoons often “plunge thousands of feet off cliffs or get blown up by mountains of dynamite and appear in subsequent frames with no damage,” (Batchelor, 238). The Simpsons are not as resilient; when they are injured they would actually get bruised. The characters in Family Guy obey the law of physics as well, and when they are injured it shows. The characters are not invincible like in other cartoons, portraying more human qualities. These characters are more believable and adult viewers are more likely to identify with characters that have these more realistic physical attributes. The physical attributes are not the only aspect of the characters that represent human characteristics.

The audience can relate to the realistic personalities of the Griffin family and the Simpson family. The different charisma of each family member, and their less than perfect qualities make the family dynamic more realistic. The Simpsons is marked as one of the most accurate depiction of an American suburban family. The family patriarch in The Simpsons, Homer, is large and dimwitted “more devoted to drinking beer and eating doughnuts than taking care of his family,” (Booker, 49). Despite causing a lot of trouble, the audience regards Homer as a fool rather than a villain. They are sympathetic and forgive his stupidity because of his many redeeming qualities, “Homer is at heart a good soul, oddly lovable, and given to doing the right thing in the final analysis,”(Booker, 49). The family patriarch in Family Guy, Peter resembles Homer, however his behavior is even more outrageous and he gets into more trouble. Homer likes to drink beer, whereas Peter drank 37 beers at a bachelor party and passed out on the kitchen table in the first episode. Even though Peter’s antics are more ridiculous the audience sympathizes and identifies with him, “Peter, despite being a buffoon, also has a realistic side and an odd charm sometimes becoming a genuine object of sympathy as he attempts to cope with the failures of his life,” (Booker, 86). Although Homer and Peter are less intelligent than the average viewer, the audience can sympathize with these two characters.

 Marge, the mother and wife in The Simpsons, is dedicated to her family but she gets frustrated with them from time to time, (Booker, 49). Lois, the mother and wife in Family Guy, is a stay-at-home mom as well, however she is not as conventional or conservative as Marge, (Booker, 84). Bart, 10, is the troublemaker in the Simpson family and resembles his father in many ways. He is a typical 10-year-old boy that would rather play than do his homework. Some argue that he is not a good role model for television, however he represents many students who do not try in school. According to Elizabeth Thoman, executive director of the Center for Media and Values, “’the fact that Bart is an underachiever and proud of it – well, I’m afraid there are a lot of these children,’” (Shales). One fan even admitted to calling his son Bart sometimes when he does something foolish, (Shales). Lisa, 8, is the brain of the family and always does well in school. Meg, 16, like Lisa, is intelligent but she must cope with issues such as being chubby and unpopular. Chris, 13, like Bart, resembles his father but rather than just being an underachiever he is described as “stupid and obese” (Booker, 83). Each member of the family in both of these shows have completely different personalities, creating a more honest reflection of the American family.  Most agree they are more realistic than the ‘model family’ in other TV shows “’the slightly skewed perspective of The Simpsons makes them a far more human and believable family than such carefully conceived, endlessly responsible TV fascimiles as the Huxtables, the Keatons” (Mittell). The Simpsons and the Griffins are flawed and are far from perfect, but that is why the viewers can relate to them.

Family Guy takes one step further than The Simpsons, and two characters Brian, the dog, and Stewie, the baby, do not follow the social norms of a baby or a dog. They are both more mature and can speak at an adult level, which is an example of magical realism in Family Guy. However, they both demonstrate some typical attributes. For example, Stewie has a stuffed teddy bear and still relies on his mother for feeding and diaper changes, (Crawford). Brian sniffs other dog’s butts and occasionally pees on the floor, “thus, Brian is in many ways a normal dog and Stewie a normal infant, which combines their otherwise over-the-top portrayals to create a tremendous space for irony and incongruity,” (Booker 84).

Problems and situations in the society and everyday life

The Simpsons and Family Guy depict problems and situations in everyday life, in which the viewer can relate. These shows “tell stories that people can connect to, that are funny and actually have some sort of emotional resonance you don’t expect in a cartoon” (Crawford). The Simpsons appeal to a broader audience, attracting both younger and older viewers. Bart and Lisa are younger and some of the situations in their lives are less serious, however the younger viewers relate to them. They

“manage to tap genuine emotions and experiences, from violent video games to the euphoria of learning that school’s been cancelled by the season’s first heavy snow,” (Mittell). Meg and Chris are older than Bart and Lisa, which allows Meg, 16, and Chris, 13, “a number of new plot opportunities as the two teenage Griffins struggle to deal with puberty and the pressures of adolescence,” (Booker, 83).  Meg must deal with the difficulties and strains of being a teenage girl, and the pressure to fit in.

Many episodes depict the family relationships of the characters in the Griffin family and the Simpsons family. Homer often feels the need to compare his family to another, often feeling like they are not as competent. In the episode “There’s No Disgrace Like Home” the Simpsons attend a picnic where Homer compares his unruly family to a more ideal family with well-behaved children, (Booker, 51). Although the Simpsons might misbehave “The Simpsons often veers into sentimentality in its depiction of the family as ultimately close-knit, despite the fact that they all seem to drive each other nuts” (Booker, 52). These shows also depict marital problems, and the struggles of remaining faithful and sexual.

            The Simpsons and Family Guy portray the financial struggles of the working class, which is very rare in most shows with real humans. Most other shows such as, The Cosby Show, the main rival of The Simpsons in the early 90s, provides unrealistic expectations of the standards of living, “it provides a sanctuary from the real world, shielding the characters from the stress of social and financial hardship and thus keeping the ideal of the happy American family intact,” (Crawford). Most people living in the United States need to deal with issues like how they are going to pay the bills or send their child to college. The Simpson family and the Griffin family are the “backlash against the vision of the successful and happy American family” (Mittell). For example, in the first episode of The Simpsons, Homer doesn’t get a Christmas bonus, and Marge spends all their savings removing a tattoo from Bart’s arm. They struggle to get Christmas presents, and end up buying them at the convenience store. Homer is embarrassed of these Christmas presents compared to his neighbor’s lavish gifts, (Crawford). In the DVD commentary David Silverman said that it was James Brook’s idea to “’anchor the Simpsons economically and keep them mired in their money problems to make it real, because in most sitcoms people have no money problems whatsoever, or the money problems aren’t real,” (Crawford). In the first episode of Family Guy “Death Has a Shadow” Peter loses his job at the toy production company. In order to keep Lois from finding out he applies for welfare support, and buys extravagant items with this money. Many critics commend these shows for their realism in these financial struggles. There were t-shirts that said, “Cosby is the way it is supposed to be. The Simpsons is the way it really is – that’s life”

 Many Characters and Locations Add Depth

             Animated cartoons such as Family Guy and The Simpsons have more flexibility and freedom in creating environments and developing situations. They depict happenings in a whole town, rather than just the occurrences of the domestic setting. Other shows, like The Office only deals with issues at work while Family Guy and The Simpsons deal with issues at work, home, society, and much more. There are many more characters that add richness to the show. Other main characters in Family Guy such as Glenn Quagmire, Cleveland Brown, and Joe Swanson add diversity and versatility. Joe is a paraplegic, who was injured in the line of duty as a police officer. However, he has overcome his disability and is very strong and capable, (Booker 85).  Other characters in The Simpsons play an important role such as C. Montgomery Burns, Homer’s boss at the nuclear power plant, satirizes the greed of the rich (Booker, 53). “A broad range of characters and settings allows for greater depth and complexity than had been seen in television animation before, making the animated world a more familiar place for the viewer,” (Crawford).

Conclusion

            Family Guy and The Simpsons both have many of the same qualities. However, Family Guy is not as dedicated to realism, portraying aspects of magical realism, and often not following a plot. Family Guy disrupts the plot using non-sequiturs, pop-culture references, and cutaways to different scenes. Some argue that Family Guy is a blank parody, and is “meaningless, plagiarism, banality, laziness, and being formulaic” (Crawford). However, Crawford argues this is not the case and the plot disruptions represent how a majority of people receives information in the technological world in the form of either “channel surfing” or browsing the internet. The Simpsons and Family Guy both display many aspects of realism. The realistic settings, human qualities of the characters as well as the every day situations they deal with, and the broad range of characters and locations help achieve realism in these two TV shows.

WSOE News Report

THURSDAY, 11/15, ANNIE LAUTENBACH, 1:53

FOR WSOE 89.3 NEWS I’M ANNIE LAUTENBACH

ON THURSDAY BP ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WERE CLOSE TO SETTLING ON A DEAL WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT FOR THE 2010 OIL SPILL IN THE GULF OF MEXICO IN ORDER TO SETTLE CRIMINAL CLAIMS. THIS WAS ONE OF THE WORST OIL SPILLS IN HISTORY KILLING 11 WORKERS. THE OIL COMPANY HAS ALSO AGREED TO PAY A FINE TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCORDING TO A NUMBER OF MEDIA SOURCES ALTHOUGH BP DENIES THESE CLAIMS.

EMILY JACKSON WAS ONLY 18 WHEN SHE DIED SIX YEARS AGO AFTER TAKING OXYCONTIN AND MIXING IT WITH ALCOHOL. SHE DIED IN HER SLEEP FROM RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION OR IN OTHER WORDS SHE STOPPED BREATHING. ALTHOUGH DYING FROM JUST ONE PRESCRIPTION PAINKILLER IS UNCOMMON, PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE IS COMMON IN THE UNITED STATES. ACCORDING TO CNN OVERDOSING ON PRESCRIPTION PAINKILLERS IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES.

IN NEW YORK CITY MANY SCHOOLS WERE DESTROYED IN HURRICANE SANDY, AND 33 SCHOOLS ARE STILL SUFFERING FROM A LOT OF DAMAGE INCLUDING THE ROCKAWAY PARK HIGH SCHOOL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN QUEENS. ROCKAWAY PARK WAS REASSIGNED TO MASPETH HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS, WHICH IS NOT EASY TO REACH SO THE SCHOOL HAS PROVIDED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. HOWEVER, THIS SCHOOL, AND MANY OTHERS, IS STRUGGLING TO COMMUNICATE WITH STUDENTS AND PARENTS.

IN FAYETEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA JAIME MORRIS IS BEING CHARGED FOR MURDERING HER DAUGHTER, BELLA, LAST WEEK. BELLA LIVED WITH HER GRANDPARENTS EVER SINCE THEY RECEIVED CUSTODY IN 2009 AND STERLING MORRIS, BELLA’S GRANDFATHER, RECENTLY FILED FOR A RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST JAIME MORRIS. ON NOVEMBER 5TH, THE NEXT TIME BELLA VISITED HER MOTHER, STERLING FOUND HER DEAD LESS THAN THREE HOURS INTO THE VISIT.

ELON TOWN OFFICIALS ARE ALMOST FINISHED IN DEVELOPING A DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN IN ORDER TO HELP REDEVELOP THE TOWN IN THE FUTURE AND WILL SOON BE SENT TO NORTH CAROLINA CONSULTANTS. ACCORDING TO SEAN TENCER, TOWN PLANNER, THE ELON DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE WILL MEET ON TUESDAY IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHERE THE REQUESTS FOR THESE NEW PROPOSALS SHOULD GO.

THIS IS ANNIE LAUTENBACH FOR WSOE NEWS, ELON UNIVERSITY.

Australia Zoo: Feature Story

Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo Provides Exciting Education and Promotes Animal Conservation

This is a picture of all the volunteers in the Rustic Pathway program sitting on a statue of Steve Irwin’s favorite crocodile. In this picture is Amber George, Madeline Wagner, Annie Lautenbach (me), and Becca Jones from the left to the right.

Their immense beauty and elegance made it hard to look away for even a moment. Their light-brown fur with dark polka dots glistened in the crisp afternoon sun as we walked along the path. They strutted as if they were models walking down a runway. They had such a calm demeanor that I could not believe they were considered dangerous at all.

A cheetah stared back at me at the Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo in Queensland. I was a volunteer at the Australia Zoo for four days in August 2011 through a program called Rustic Pathways.Through my experience as a volunteer, I saw that the zoo truly ensures an original zoo experience that fosters an engaging education and promotes wild life conservation.

Although Steve Irwin, the famous animal lover and crocodile hunter, is dead, the Australia Zoo keeps his name at heart. Pictures of Steve are everywhere at the zoo with his catch phrase ‘Crikey’ embellished on the walls. Steve dedicated his life to protecting animals. He established the Australia Zoo to share his love for animals with the rest of the world. The staff shares his passion for animals and infects visitors with their enthusiasm. They make zoo guests love animals.

The enclosures the animals live in are a lot like their natural habitat and are very spacious and well kept. Specifically, the encounters for cheetahs allow them to get up to full speed. However the most extravagant exhibit at the Australia Zoo is the Crocoseum, because Steve’s favorite animal is the saltwater crocodile.

The Crocoseum includes a huge stadium that allows the zoo to put on shows about crocodiles and other animals. Every day at noon, zoo guests fill the stands of the Crocoseum to see the amazing Croc show, “Australia Zoo Wildlife Warrior.” This show engages the audience right from the when everyone shouts ‘Crikey’ as loud as they can in the opening of the show. The purpose of this show is to honor Steve’s wishes and provide an education on wildlife and conservation issues in an exciting and entertaining way.

The Croc Show in the Crocoseum

The Croc show includes a hilarious snake act that shows the audience a snake will only attack if it is provoked and feel threatened. They teach the crowd to wrap snakebites tightly just in case someone is bitten. In another part of the show, countless colorful and beautiful birds fly all over the arena. The melodious tune of the birds fills the stadium as they soar over the audience.

Feeding the crocodile in the croc show

The final and most excellent act of the show is the ancient and huge saltwater crocodile. The crocodile swims out from its private enclosure into the center of the stadium. The clear water allows the audience to get a good view of this magnificent crocodile. A trained professional lures the crocodile to the edge of the water with bait until the crocodile all of a sudden jumps to grab the bait. In this act, they emphasize that crocodiles are slow on land so people are safe from crocodiles as long as they are far enough away from the water.

But the croc show is not the only exciting activity the Australia Zoo offers to promote conservation through education. The Australia Zoo gives visitors the unique opportunity to purchase an animal encounter allowing them to choose from many different animals. All the money raised goes back into wildlife conservation. The animals range from koalas and echidnas to more dangerous animals such as cheetahs. During my time at the Australia zoo, I had the chance to interact with all three.

Cuddly Koalas

I held a cute and cuddly koala, feeling its soft fur in my fingers. I fed the fascinating and spiky echidnas, an animal native to Australia that resembles a porcupine. They eat by picking up the food with their narrow and sticky noses. I got the chance to be up close to two stunning and graceful cheetahs. These encounters give zoo guests a hands-on learning experience that allows them to fall in love with the animals.

Me feeding a kangaroo in ‘Roo Heaven’

Zoo guests can interact with the animals in many other ways besides paying for one of these animal encounters. In the beautiful koala walkthrough, visitors have the chance to stop and pet a koala. The walkthrough consists of many green trees surrounding the walkway that allows the koalas to sit and play on the branches. Right next to the walkthrough is ‘Roo heaven’ where guests can feed and pet the kangaroos.

But the zoo staff always makes the animals their first priority. The zoo staff is very familiar with the personalities of all the animals. They make sure that the only animals that zoo guests interact with can handle a lot of human contact. This ensures the well-being of the animals as well as the safety of the zoo guests. They make sure the animals get enough rest by rotating the koalas and providing a space for kangaroos to go when they do not want to disturbed by the people.

The Australia Zoo also puts animals first and increases wildlife conservation through its work in its wildlife hospital. Visitors can take a tour through this hospital, which was established in honor of Steve’s mother’s dream to open an animal hospital. A rescue team travels all around Queensland bringing injured and sick animals back to the hospital to be saved. It is the hospitals’ goal to rehabilitate the animals so they can be released back into the wild. When I visited the hospital I was touched when I saw a cute and helpless koala hooked up to many tubes. I think if other people experience this they would want to help with animal conservation.

The Australia Zoo carries Steve Irwin’s message that animals are important. If visitors don’t leave with a love for animals then they will certainly have a better understanding and respect for them.

Maya Angelou Article

Maya Angelou is a Rainbow in the Sky

Not a single seat was open tonight when Maya Angelou spoke at Elon University. Maya Angelou shared her life experiences with the notion that everyone impacts someone.

Angelou is famous for her poetry and other writing and is deemed one of the most powerful voices of our time. Many people were eager to hear her speech for Elon’s fall convocation in the Alumni gym. Angelou did not disappoint and captivated the audience with her great knowledge and good humor.

The constant theme of Angelou speech was that “Everyone is the rainbow in someone’s sky.” Angelou struggled throughout life and the rainbow in her sky helped her become so successful.

Angelou’s mother’s boyfriend raped her when she was just a little girl. He was sent to jail for only a day, and three days later he was found dead. This left Angelou so shaken and traumatized that she stopped speaking to everyone for six years, except her brother. But then a lady at her school introduced her to literature, and she found a passion for poetry.

Angelou described poetry as being “written to liberate us.” Literature gave her the courage over time to accept and let go of this terrible event in her life.

Angelou said, “Without courage you can’t practice any other virtue continuously.” She believes that people are not born with courage, but it is a trait that is developed. For example someone would not have the courage to lift a 100-pound weight right away. They would train themselves and start with a 5-pound weight and work their way up.

Angelou worked her way up from being the little girl who never spoke to becoming a very successful author. Her wise words and infectious charisma influences countless lives. Today she makes a difference and is considered a rainbow in many skies.