How about the whole villains-have-rotten-teeth thing? When this came out in the theaters the first time, my best bud had bad teeth from growing up poor and neglected. Fucking felt terrible watching it.
Villains are stereotypically older fat queer bald men (e.g. Vladimir Harkonnen). These are all factors people have little-to-no control over.
Media will sometimes subvert those expectations, but most of the time the iconography matters more to the filmmaker than decency. It’s quite fucked up the insecurities these portrayals breed, no amount of positive affirmation will make up for the fact that some natural body types are fundamentally associated with villainy in the Western visual canon.
How about the whole villains-have-rotten-teeth thing? When this came out in the theaters the first time, my best bud had bad teeth from growing up poor and neglected. Fucking felt terrible watching it.
There’s the thing where the poor/neglected tend to have a higher rate of mental health issues, for… Obvious reasons.
Villains are stereotypically older fat queer bald men (e.g. Vladimir Harkonnen). These are all factors people have little-to-no control over.
Media will sometimes subvert those expectations, but most of the time the iconography matters more to the filmmaker than decency. It’s quite fucked up the insecurities these portrayals breed, no amount of positive affirmation will make up for the fact that some natural body types are fundamentally associated with villainy in the Western visual canon.
Very lucid and clear comment, now I gotta ponder it. Thanks for the kindling.
Villains in Don Bluth movies don’t have rotten teeth.
They have big teeth.
Even if they’re penguins.
Clearly you should have taken your friend to see The Pebble and the Penguin and showed him that brushing can lead to villainy.
(Okay, the first guy had missing teeth…)