Betty Boop essays

Betty Boop essays The best case study in animation to illustrate the powerful influence society has over the types of films that are produced is the story of Betty Boop. She was a major cartoon character before the Production Code of 1934 was put into place, and her dramatic and fatal transformation illustrates how a product created under one set of standards often withers when placed in a new set. At the same time, the Code alone cannot explain why this dizzy little flapper degenerated so quickly. Betty Boop exists today solely as a merchandising item. Betty's face and figure can be found on T-shirts, posters, and all sorts of things. Her current popularity in merchandise is somewhat puzzling, as the Fleischers released all of her short cartoons before 1940, save for a halfhearted TV special in the early 1980s and a brief cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. While colorized versions of her cartoons exist, they were never given the same degree of exposure as the colorized versions of Max Fleischer's Popeye cartoons. Seen today, it is easy to see why these cartoons were often revived in the trippy 1960s. While not psychedelic by any means, they are off beat' with other animation. Seeing them for the first time, one can hardly believe one's eyes. These are cartoons that are definitely not from the Disney mode nor are they strictly of the Looney Tunes variety. They are odd. And Betty was their princess. Betty Boop's cartoons were all directed by Max Fleischer's brother Dave, and Dave Fleischer created a world of dark surrealism. The fluid natures of these cartoons make them difficult to describe in a coherent fashion. Dave Fleischer almost certainly did not use story boards or even a script in some of these films and Boop's adventures were free form as a result. Ad-libbing by the voice actors (including Mae Questel, who provided Betty's voice in many films) was the norm, resulting in a very spontaneous-sounding soundtrack. The anim ...

The Role of Caliban in The Tempest

The Role of Caliban in 'The Tempest' The Tempest- written in 1610, and generally considered William Shakespeares final play as well as the last of his romances- includes elements of both tragedy and comedy. The story takes place on a remote island, where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, schemes to restore his daughter Miranda to her proper place on the throne using manipulation and illusion. He conjures up a storm- the eponymous tempest- to lure his power-hungry brother Antonio and the conspiring King Alonso to the island. Caliban is an original inhabitant of the island, the bastard son of the witch Sycorax and the devil. He is a base and earthy slave who mirrors and contrasts several of the other characters in the play. Caliban believes that Prospero stole the island from him, which would make Prospero a colonial (and perhaps villainous) occupier. Man or Monster? Caliban symbolizes his mothers black magic; at first, he appears to be a bad person as well as a poor judge of character. Prospero has conquered him, so out of revenge, Caliban plots to murder Prospero. He accepts Stefano as a god and entrusts his two drunken and scheming collaborators with his murderous plot. In some ways, though, Caliban is also innocent and childlike, almost like someone who doesnt know any better. Because he is the islands only inhabitant, he doesnt even know how to speak until Prospero and Miranda arrive. He is driven solely by his emotional and physical needs, and he doesnt understand the people around him or the events that take place. Caliban doesnt fully think through- perhaps because he lacks the ability- the consequences of his actions. Other characters often refer to Caliban as a monster. As the audience, though, our response to him is more ambiguous: on the one hand, his grotesque appearance and misguided decision-making may cause us to side with Prospero. On the other, however, our sympathies are manipulated by Calibans passion for the island and his desire to be loved. His knowledge of the land demonstrates his native status; as such, its fair to say that he has been unfairly enslaved by Prospero. However, Caliban does make a number of regretful decisions- for example, he trusts Stefano and makes a fool of himself with drink. He is also rather savage in devising his plot to kill Prospero (though no more savage than Prospero is in setting the hounds upon him). One has to respect Caliban’s proud refusal to serve Prospero, perhaps a true sign of power in The Tempest. Caliban is a complex and sensitive character whose naivete leads him to foolishness. A Point of Contrast In many ways, Calibans character serves as a mirror or contrast to other characters in the play. In his sheer brutality, he reflects the darker side of Prosperos vengeance, and his desire to rule the island mirrors Antonios ambition (which ultimately leads to the overthrow of Prospero). Calibans plot to murder Prospero also mirrors Antonio and Sebastians plot to kill Alonso. Like Ferdinand, Caliban finds Miranda beautiful and desirable. However, Ferdinands traditional approach to courtship is very different from Calibans attempt to rape Miranda in order to people the isle with Calibans. By contrasting the base and lowly Caliban with the nobles, Shakespeare forces the audience to think critically about how each uses manipulation and violence to achieve their goals.