By now, I should have a character I want to write an essay about. I do. As you've seen, I've written an extensive blogpost about Wakko and his siblings. I should also have thought of a question to address, some key points to raise and probably some academic sources to draw information from. No. See, there's a big gaping hole of information here.
If I wanted to write about Bugs Bunny, there's a million academics publishing books by the thousands with varying opinions and perspectives addressing millions of different things. Did Bugs Bunny help America through the Depression? To what does Bugs Bunny lend his popularity? Does Bugs Bunny's inner-humanity affect how we relate to him? There's a lot people want to write about that rabbit. He had a huge impact on the older generation, those who're now in their 40's and 50's. The same goes for Mickey Mouse. If, for some reason probably involving brain enemas and a bad concussion, I wanted to write about Mickey Mouse - I'd have a near endless list of sources to turn to and questions to address. However, I just had to go and pick Wakko from Animaniacs. This was a horrible choice. I love Wakko. He's insane, cute, wacky, funny and someone I can relate to somewhat. But he was invented too recently.
One is hard-pressed to find academic writings of characters who were invented after the Golden Age of Animation. Animaniacs was a 90's cartoon, and that's what is making this difficult. Even though Animaniacs was more popular with teens and adults in its time, nobody wanted to write about it. There's a few witterings about educational value or animation style - but nothing about the characters. None of them seem to have been as inspirational as Bugs Bunny or Mickey Mouse.
So where does that leave me? I can't change that, because I need to make references and cite sources rather than writing a block of sheer opinion. At the same time, I can't just give up because I kind of need to earn a grade. Even worse, it seems much too late to start looking into different characters because I just don't have a lot of time where I'm not making characters. Maybe its a time-management issue, or maybe its a motivational issue. Either way, this research project is becoming gruellingly hard. If I were to change to Bugs Bunny, I already have a series of feature-length documentaries I could look at. However, that is also a problem. They're feature-length, and I don't have time to watch five two-hour documentaries interspersed with full-length cartoons. At the same time, it would feel weird for me to talk about a character whose popularity seems to stem from his efforts during the war-time era of which I was not a part. A modern-generation kid talking about The War doesn't seem right. I can only talk about what other people have said and bring nothing of myself to that. So what would be the point in writing it?
I don't know, maybe I just need to look at this differently?
I'd really appriciate the in-put of my peers and followers on this matter. Anyone who comments gets a free cookie.
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3 comments:
this might help your thinking: you seem to think that you can only write about a character that other people have written about. You don't. On the contrary, if loads of other people have already written about your chosen character what you are writing is a summary, which is on the whole a bit boring, really. What you should do is find something written about a different character (like Bugs Bunny or Mickey Mouse) and apply it to your choice, i.e. Wakko. Are the same principles in place? Is this the same context? Have the animators solved particular problems in the same way or have they done is differently? This will be a better essay if your source material is about a different character!
And maybe you can even make a comparison that takes the times these characters were created into consideration is Wakko different because no war was on when he was popular (or as much more probably the case a different war was on)?
It sounds as if you are thinking along the right lines, you just have to be confident enough to do it 'your' way.
Hope this helps (and possibly even earns me a cookie)
Ah! You've really freed up my mind, Alke, thank you!
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