https://www.newsweek.com/lola-bunnys-desexualized-space-jam-2-redesign-sparks-intense-debate-1574012?amp=1
Lola Bunny will appear less feminine in Space Jam 2.
This raises a lot of questions. Before I delve into those, I will disclaim that I think it’s fine to desexualize characters for children. I don’t mean ambiguous asexuality like in Spongebob. But generally romanticized desexualization like Rugrats, Hey Arnold, Arthur and so on.
The questions.
1. What does it mean to desexualize a character?
2. What if the character has already been established and part of a long history of this type of behavior and it’s accepted that that is who they are?
3. Is desexualize sex shaming? Is it teaching children sex is wrong?
4. Or is this attempting to blur the lines between femininity and masculinity to the point of destroying both?
The background (my perspective)
I grew up in a pretty conservative household. This is not the conservatism some would presume. Islamic conservatism is similar to Christian conservatism. Half of my family we’re Christians and the other half Muslims living in the culturally liberal state of Connecticut. This means…it was incredibly mixed.
At the end of the day like it or not, I was raised under traditional conservative values. There are many things I liked and probably even more that I disliked. All of it combined with my political experience going forward is what made me the apolitical person I am today.
I thought Space Jam was a dumb movie when it came out and had wished I could have unseen it. I’m not a fan of mixing cartoons with reality. Secondly, the plot was stupid. I’m not gonna elaborate and defend that in this OP as it’s besides the point.
Sex shaming is a real thing where I come from. Being taught, ingrained to not look at women. To not speak with them. This is a concept that you’d think was only from the conservative side, the Muslim side especially, but it is also reinforced in liberalism. “:O what tari?!? That’s heresy!” No. It is the truth. Let me explain.
I have always viewed politics in the U.S. as such: Democrats will stab you in the back and Republicans will stab you in the front. In other words, one group lies to your face and the other tells it as they believe. Doesn’t make any side better or more honest. It’s as simple as that. A Republican president will tell everyone they are bombing a country. A Democrat president will lie and say they aren’t and how peaceful they are, and then bomb a country…or in my life experience, more countries than I can count.
These concepts are in grained at the roots. Conservatism is standing for what you believe in. Liberalism is creating a stance whether you believe in it or not.
It has always been a point in my lifespan that sex shaming is ingrained in liberal culture as “sexual accusations.” Read separately from rape and sexual assault, there is sexual harassment. At face value it appears honest and straight forward. Don’t sexually harass others. Don’t harass period. Sometimes it doesn’t feel that it’s as face value as it appears.
Sometimes it seems that sexual harassment encompasses a larger opinion that males should not approach females whatsoever unless they are invited to do so, and perhaps not even then.
If someone is made uncomfortable, it is not enough to simply break things off and either distance or communicate and talk things out. Things are propelled toward character assassination and a push to lock up the accused for presumably…forever? This could be as simple as verbally expressing attraction. Words today like “hey, you’re cute!” can almost be spun around as “that person wants to rape me!”
Why? Why has society moved towards this? Why are things no longer innocent? Why is there presumably the worst intention behind everything?
Is Lola bunny being desexualized because it is presumed young boys will grow up to become sexual predators if she is sexy? Is it because the concepts of femininity and masculinity are attempting to be destroyed? What is the real aim with all of this?
The article in newsweek states it is to make female characters appear more realistic. Realistic? Generally speaking women are not flat chested and besides, Lola is already established! Does that mean a future Batman could be old and fat? Muscular dystrophy? No. Please don’t go to Batman Beyond and destroy him like that. Even then he appeared quite capable of defending himself. That’s an entirely different subject I’d love to go into but I’ll leave it here.
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