A Defence of Cartoons

 by Naome Dixon

Bojack Horseman

There seems to be a preconception that cartoons are childish that often do not have the same level of meaning or dramatic impact as traditional forms of media. There can be truth in this; personally, I had an affinity to animated figures in my youth, often glued to the antics of SpongeBob tormenting squidward or Johnny Test beating up Bling-Bling Boy. While I still indulge in the nautical realm of SpongeBob, I found myself to not grow out of cartoons, but grow within the genre, consuming adult animations, such as Bojack Horseman, Rick and Morty and Big Mouth. I found myself feeling emotionally attached to the anthropomorphic figures on my screen, as through the comically absurd background, there are often depictions of human existence that seem to permeate through the 2-dimensional world and relate to the often ugly part of real people, including me. 

Within adult animation, a front runner is often seen as the Simpsons, which is now often defined by raunchy comedy within the satirical sitcom form. However, at the start, one can see how this show was perceived to be more than this, using  the cartoon form to mock the nuclear family, by hughtling the overlooked part of family life such as Homer characterising an ignorant, incompetent and violent father. The subversive perception can be seen with Costa Rica banning the show on its release, as it was seen to promote anti-family values. The sitcom form reiterated the status quo at the conclusion of every episode which negated any meaningful consequences or character development, which perhaps has contributed to the decline in viewership (in 2016 80% declined since beginning) as emotional connections and seeing yourself within the characters are harder to foster when the consequence based reality is reflected in the show. Thus, many come into the realm of animation having the Simposns or child-orienated cartoons such as SpongeBob, representing the field as whole, despite the recent maturation of the field.

 

This maturation can be seen by animation more effectively reflecting the consequence based reality, by stepping outside of this sitcom format. Bojack Horseman can be seen to do this, a show which ironically  follows a washed up sitcom star, who happens to be an anthropomorphic horse, battling with mental health and drug abuse. By stepping outside of the sitcom replication of the status quo, the characters within Bojack are able to feel the consequences of their actions, which mirrors human existence and experience progression and regression, adding humanity to the anthropomorphised characters. For example, after Bojack seemingly turns his life around and becomes a drama teacher, his past still comes to haunt him, with his treatment of Sarah Lyn resurfacing. Bojack is pictured writing “Professor Horseman” on a whiteboard, however he uses a permanent marker, symbolically foreshadowing how his past actions have had permanent consequences on other people and himself. While he tactically handles this, the fame he accrued from his interview on the subject led him to relapse into his old tendencies, mimicking his drug abuse and one could even argue that he is addicted to the attention he was receiving. Thus, as imperfect humans in the real world often do, the animated horse takes it too far, triggering his own downfall and regressing. Bojack cycle of progression and regression is encapsulated in the opening track, by the emotional detachment remaining constant in title, while the surroundings morphe into current 

The appeal of adult animation could be linked to the absurd nature of watching an animated horse or pink cat going through human experiences of progression and regression. This idea that absurdity can lend itself to truth is reflected within classical literature, including Shakespeare’s King Lear. This can be seen with King Lear, at his lowest moment of reduction and madness, showcasing the most humility. While Lear had his “flower crown” he was able to see the perfor attic nature of existence that humans at every level are on “this great stage of fools”. This idea that through absurdity or madness one is able to fully grasp the complexity of existence encaspamltes the appeal of adult animation, as through the dichotomy of an anthropomorphic horse dealing with substance abuse, one can find catharsis. From Princess Caroline’s obsession with work to Dianna’s idealisation of her trauma, the cartoon handles human reality. The animation of these characters lends itself to greater symbolism, as cartoons are by nature symbols, allowing the viewer to feel represented in the characters. The ability for animation work through the viewers own issues is because a cartoon symbol transcends materiality that a real life actor cannot. For example, in Big Mouth, when Jessie gets her period for her first type, the physically personified tampon making a musical represents the hyper fixation in conjunction with shame and embarrassment young girls often feel towards this event. The carton format allows the exploration of overt symbolism, but also implicit symbolism. This can be seen in the title scene of Bojack Horseman, where the recurring theme of nihilism is present, as while nuanced changes of the season ahead occur, Bojack's emotional detachment to his situation is seen with his back to his own reality. This could also represent his acting career, as he is symbolically facing the camera that is filming his own life, thus performing. The symbolic value that animation lends itself to cannot be undervalued. 

In conclusion, animation can be seen to have matured from the escapist childish nature, where consequense are seemingly non-existent, of Spongebob, to the emotionally and symbolically driven Bojack Horseman. The animation form lends itself to symbolism, via the ability to break rules of logic, but also through this absurdity, the writers are paradoxically able to explore mankind.