Disnability

One of the most successful animated films of the 21st century, Monster’s Inc. made the concept of the “freak,” and abnormality more accessible and relatable to modern audiences and viewers. Like Dreamworks, Disney/Pixar took an unorthodox approach and developed a film that focused on creatures traditionally perceived as scary or villainous. Ironically, the “freak” portrayed in this film are not the monsters, but a human, a little girl nicknamed “Boo” who had mistakenly found her way into the Monster world. Though their primary source of energy and resources come from the human world,they were taught to fear every aspect of the human world, to keep them at a distance because they are dangerous and different. This movie inherently works to dispel the stereotypes that arise due to ignorance and lack of knowledge of other social groups (in this case, monsters versus humans).

Viewers are given a whole new perspective of disability, in which our role is reversed and humans are feared for their “abnormality.” This film, albeit in a humorous manner, shows that disability is essentially in the eye of the beholder, one that is not necessarily defined by physical and mental limitations. It is mainly based on societal perception and acceptance, of people looking past physical deformities and abnormalities and learning to interact with one another in one integrated society. Fear of disability (and in this case, the freak)  is only heightened by ignorance and lack of knowledge. If main characters, Mike, Sully, and the rest of the Monster world had known more about the human world, Boo would not have seemed like a threat or hazard. “Freaks” are essentially what you make of the person, a title or category that you place on someone that happens to be different from the rest of society. There is no right or wrong to the concept of normalcy, and I think this movie does a wonderful job at viewing disabilities and difference in a positive light.

Conclusion: 

This film made me think about two articles we had read in class, one entitled  “The Horror of Becoming One of Us, Todd Browning’s Freaks and Disability”, by Sally Chivers, and one by Nicole Markotic, entitled “Disturbing the Viewer: Perceptions of Disability in Todd Browning’s Freaks.” They break down the stereotypes of the disabled that are portrayed within the film “Freaks.” In particular, they also discuss how Hollywood perceives and values perfection of the human body, and how “Freaks” threatened that idealized image.

The film was revolutionary in the sense that it portrayed people who were disabled as “normal” beings, the protagonists rather than villains. It encouraged viewers to sympathize with the plight of the disabled, a community that was traditionally shunned and ignored by modern society.

Like “Freaks,” viewers of Monster’s Inc. are not typically accustomed to the image of the disabled. Mike, Sully, and the rest of the Monster world are ”humanized” and seen in a more humorous light, challenging Hollywood’s perception of deformity as villainous and somber. By focusing instead on Boo’s influence, we become more sympathetic to the protagonists, even if they look unusual or abnormal to us initially. Markotic and Chivers thus argue that normalcy isn’t necessarily determined by one’s physical characteristics, but by societal ideals. The film was succeeds in the sense that it featured characters that completely defied Hollywood’s traditional ideal of physicality and beauty. 

Sources:

• Sally Chivers, “The Horror of Becoming ‘One of Us’: Tod Browning’s Freaks and Disability,”Screening Disability, Ed, Christopher Smit and Anthony Enns (57-64)
• Nicole Markotic, “Disabling the Viewer: Perceptions of Disability in Tod Browning’s Freaks,”Screening Disability, Ed, Christopher Smit and Anthony Enns (65-72)