Animation and Childhood

Why has animation become so closely associated with childhood?

Looking at the history of animation you can see that older animations were very adult themed such as Max Fleischer who created Betty Boop. She was created as a sex symbol.  Betty Boop in Minnie the Moocher is very racey and talks a lot about drugs. just finding this video on YouTube it said it used to be band. This is most certainly not intended for kids.

Animation is very closley assossiated with fantasy but that does not always mean happy friendly fantasy some fantasys can be quite dark and disturbing, In the 1930's of the Artistic Movement Surrealism.

"Surrealism was an avant-garde art movement that attempted to use the power of fantasy and the unconscious to challenge our ideas about the nature of experience"


The surrealist film Un Chien Adalou (1929) disrupts the rules of narrative, there is lots of montage which to me builds up intensity. Disturbing imagery, and breaks expectations of what you should see in film.

Bimbo's Initation (1931) is a very bizzare film the one thing I noticed about the film is at the beginning when he falls down the hole it is Micky Mouse who pad locks it. To me that says a lot. Is it subliminally saying that Walt Disney is locking all the adult stuff away whilst he takes over and going for the childish approach taking over the rules of animation. To back up this idea would be the Hay Code which came in in 1930 where animations couldnt show immoral conduct e.g. 

"1. No picture shall be produced that will lower the moral standards of those who see it. Hence the sympathy of the audience should never be thrown to the side of crime, wrongdoing, evil or sin.

2. Correct standards of life, subject only to the requirements of drama and entertainment, shall be presented.

3. Law, natural or human, shall not be ridiculed, nor shall sympathy be created for its violation."

This had a bad effect on Fleischer studio's. Betty had to change her appearance. This brought in walt disney studios who took over the animation scene with fairy tale stories made for children e.g. Snow white, Peter Pan and Alice in wonderland. these are all stories that origionally were scary.

Fairy tales previously known as "folk Tales" were stories descended down from generations around Europe originally not intended for children hence why some slightly scary content can still be seen in Walt Disney films. Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm were the first to publish Folk Tales still not neccasarily for children.