Only boys among sexless Minions – Göteborgs-Posten

They are yellow, they are cute. They are popular and provide coffers of the film company. But something very important missing: there is not a single girl among minionerna.

Actress Geena Davis is among those who, like the undersigned in my review of Minions , reacted to the yellow popular minionerna – which appear in yellow masses, kavata, stupid and in overalls. They all are of the male gender. And this despite the fact that they do not even have sex, but only portrayed as playful, awkward thoroughly stupid, oval fantasy figures.

The protests have now become so loud that the film’s director, according to an article in the American magazine Forbes, felt obliged to explain itself. In a statement, he writes that “girls are just too smart to be Minions”.

This is apparently enough comebacks to calm the editor of Time. But actually there are girls of all kinds. “They come in all shapes, sizes and levels of intelligence, just like guys.” notes Forbes reporter Samantha one th.

This is the total absence of girls in the movie, however, that matters.

As Geena Davis patiently explains:

“What will the children of the message when women are consistently portrayed stereotypically, or when they are completely excluded from the film? Clearly and clearly conveyed time and again that girls are not as important as boys, women are not as important as men . This is the message the kids unknowingly get along. Popular culture and the media hammering constant in this message: that women and girls is a kind of second-class citizens. “

Samantha one th caller up of four experts to hear their views on what the consequences that there is a single minion of her queue. To say, for example, Richard Weissbourd, Child and family psychologist at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and School of Education:

“Too often oppress and repress girls extent of their potential because they so rarely get to see characters on film the can identify with, and they might want to be like. And too often the boys sight – and understanding of – the girls diminished and impoverished because they see such a limited range of female characters. “

And here says Ann Deak, teacher, psychologist and author of the book How girls thrive the lack of girl-Minions:

“It’s really comparable to reference to a whole group like “Hey guys.” It is unilateral, consolidates in passing the norm and has amtidigt a huge impact force. The same thing happens every time popular cartoon characters are male. It is in terms of research documented that the effect of it is that the girls are not considered – and consider themselves to be – enough … “Yes, fill themselves in what: funny, smart, stupid, brave … and so on.

” Even among the Smurfs were at least a girl, Smurfette, and it was on 1980! ” says Dr. Carlos Langlois, author of Girl Talk: boys, bullies and body image.