Animation Domination

For as long as I can remember, cartoons have been a part of ad campaigns. From Bart Simpson promoting Butterfinger to Dora the Explorer having her own juice, the powers of these ads covers all facets of media and production. The products can range from food, to toys, to even clothes. Ad executives really believe that a colorful character that can relate to children will bring in big bucks for their respective companies. Animation was once solely a means of joy and entertainment, but as we move forward in this new day and age of the almighty dollar, the animated character has become nothing but an enormous dollar sign that corporations see as a huge profit and gain in this competitive economy.

For instance, animated characters are solely aimed toward kids because kids can easily relate to something very colorful and lively. Networks like Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Disney are the primetime spots to gain a child’s eye through ads. There is nothing like a kid watching their favorite TV show and being completely entranced by what’s on the screen. This is when ad executives come with the ads that triggers a subconscious thought in the mind of a child that they want what is on the screen. Is it a coincidence that a child watching Yu-Gi-Oh will just happen to see a commercial for Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards? If a kid sees something on their favorite cartoon that they like, they will want to be just like them and do what they do. From about the age of three to the age of ten, I was a Power Ranger fanatic. I had to have every toy, every movie, every piece of clothing, and every type of Power Ranger book there was, be it coloring or storybook, I even remember jumping off of chairs and couches dressed as the Blue Ranger when I was younger just because I saw it on Power Rangers and I wanted to be a Ranger so bad. I wanted to have all the Power Rangers products because I knew it would satisfy me and my mother also knew that as well. I used a Yu-Gi-Oh example earlier and if you guessed it I was a geek for that to. I followed the cartoon on almost a religious basis and collected the trading cards for about 3 years, in which I have amassed a total of 1000 cards even. Many other shows like Pokémon and Batman have had a similar effect on me. There is a pretty good chance that a child in their lifetime will connect to a certain character or several during those precious years and that brings parents to the point of having to buy different merchandise pertaining to these characters to fulfill their child’s wishes and make themselves feel like they are doing a good job as parents. The thing that often goes unnoticed is the effect of animation on adults.

Now there are many who believe that animation is not connected to adults, but is that so very wrong? An example is the Esurance commercials. Citizens all over the country believe that obtaining insurance of any kind is a task that should be left alone. By viewing an animated commercial pertaining to the subject, viewers are subject to conclude that the task of getting insurance is not hard, but easy. This also applies to the selling of sex. There are plenty of animated condom commercials that bring an almost humorous and innocent side to engaging in sex. Companies like Durex have balloon animals engaging in numerous sexual positions that are actually pretty funny. What is the point of the entire ad? They want to get your mind off the negatives and focus strictly on the positives. There has even been a rise in at least the last decade of adult themed animated shows. Cartoon Network has a block of programming every late night known as Adult Swim. During this time slot shows such as Family Guy, The Boondocks, and Robot Chicken are shown. Everyone who watches these shows knows that these are some of the most offensive shows on television. The topics on these programs range from politics to pop culture to even just some of the dumb acts that we as a society see almost every single day. Adults were once kids to and even they can’t escape the effect that animation has on the mind.

Now we all know the current state of things in the world, most notably the economy, leaves some people depressed or just in a very bad mood. The cure for this state of mind is often just a click of the remote away. Television and/or movies are usually the quickest way to escape the rigors of the real world and be immersed in a stress-free and easygoing state. There are many who find the most stress relieving images to be those of animated characters. Nothing says happiness, fun, and innocent like a cartoon. When I was younger, I know that after a long day of school I was looking forward to grabbing something to eat, sitting down in front of the television, and watching my favorite. It may seem like adults don’t engage in this same act because, well, they are adults after all. They go through the same process, just at different times of the day. Most adults work all day or don’t get off until late at night. For the ones who normally work a 9 to 5, more than likely they have young children and will spend time with them when they finally arrive at their place of residence. What do you think they will do when they walk through the door? If your conventional wisdom is firing on all cylinders, then you guessed that they will spend time with their kids. What do you think the kids will be doing when mom or dad? If you guessed planning an evil scheme like Stewie Griffin then you are wrong, but if you guessed watching TV or playing with toys you are correct. There is a very good chance that the parent will spend that time watching a cartoon, playing PS3, or playing out a fantastic Barbie tea party. When I was younger, my mother found as much time as possible after work to spend some type of valuable time with me. Even though she was a teacher and really emphasized books, she couldn’t pull me away from the television playing “The New Adventures of Batman and Robin”, the Sonic game on the Sega Genesis, or my countless Power Ranger action figures. Corporations know that key to a child’s mind, and more importantly a parent’s pockets, is through these animated shapes and pixilated CGI images.

Anybody who watched enough TV or surfs the internet daily will without the shadow of a doubt see the way Animation is dominating the very world we live in. Major corporations such as Disney basically rule the realm of animation domination. A few years back Disney bought Pixar, the maker of such movies as Toy Story, Monster’s Inc., and The Incredibles. Just last month, Disney took over Marvel which is one of the biggest comic sellers ever. Disney’s reason for buying Marvel was to put more movies out under its own name that appeal to boys since Disney has a track record of typically appealing to girls. The fight has gotten so bad that businesses are trying to take over each other because they know the profitable market that animated endeavors bring. Now you know the world has gone mad when people are fighting over cartoons.