Preparing for Disney's Encanto

Having participated in GWS and the ENG departments at URI, Christensen’s chapter and the slide deck feel very familiar to me. Textual analysis was, and still is, my bread and butter. This is not to say that I always have the”right” interpretation of the media I consume, but rather is my way of saying that my brain is always in critical analysis mode, whether I want it to be or not. Christensen’s student’s question resonated with me deeply: “‘Don’t you ever get tired of analyzing everything?’” Sometimes, yes. But I think the bigger picture (and the one that Christensen ends with) is not to stop with an awareness of the world around us but to put that awareness into action–make a change. I think this sentiment to act collides a bit with the slides’ message to balance pleasure and critique. As Professor Bogad expressed in her video, the terms are not mutually exclusive, meaning that you can indeed critique something even if it brings you enjoyment. This concept of pleasure v. critique leads me to consider the dilemma of separating the art from the artist. Can you enjoy the work of someone if you know that that person has done terrible things to others, perhaps even whole communities? Should you?

It's easy for a conversation like this to become a battle of morals, however, I think the choice to ask questions, rather than move to automatic censorship is a step in the right direction. Just like Christensen’s unit, asking big questions of the media we consume can get us to reconsider the narratives we have accepted for ourselves. Just because I’m a huge

Twilight fan (I’m not joking) doesn’t mean I support the extra-toxic relationships the films portray. What I can do, and have done, is have a discussion about the films with others to parse out the parts that are problematic. If I feel so moved that these movies will make prospective viewers swoon at the first sign of blood-lust, then yeah, I’d be right there with Christensen’s students making my own project to inform the public about why the Twilight franchise, at it’s best, is D level viewing material for adolescent youth. And even still, I will keep my Meyer’s collection on the shelf because I know how to critically analyze the mythological world that is put forth before me.

As I ready myself for watching Encanto tonight, I know that I will be coming to this viewing primed to consider the messages the film teaches us, both overtly and covertly. Having already seen Encanto, I know there are parts I will enjoy but alongside these moments, I will be asking myself about the messages the film teaches us regarding gender, race, class, and ability. Who is the hero? Who is the villain? How do these identities show up in our world? How do the representations of these tropes influence the way we understand ourselves, those around us, and the world at large? Starting there, I think, is how we can begin to make sense of this world. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that starting with questions is a trend we have encountered in many of our sources this summer (I'm looking at you, Wesch and Mitra).

*** My completed viewing chart from last night ***