Turning Red Is More Universal Than It Seems
Released exclusively to streaming service Disney Plus, Turning Red is the latest film to come from Pixar. A simple coming-of-age story about an Asian-Canadian girl living in Toronto in the early 2000s, dealing with a myriad of issues. Not the least of which, is that she suddenly has an affliction where she uncontrollably turns into a giant red panda when she isn't able to stay calm.
The film seems innocent enough, and it is, but of course, it still managed to garner some controversy. Some criticized the frank discussions about menstruation and period products, stating that those topics took away from the film's ability to be family-friendly. The main critique of the movie though revolved around its relatability. Because the main character, Mei Lee, is of a very specific culture, location, and time period, some critics and viewers found that Turning Red lacked universal appeal.
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In reality, the specificity is found only on a surface level. Yes, the character is a girl with a specific culture in a specific city in a specific time period. But so are pretty much all the other characters in Disney and Pixar films. Looking at thekey themes of Turning Red and how the story progresses, there are actually a lot of universally appealing aspects.
While the conversation around periods and the red panda possibly being a metaphor for starting menstruation was generally agreed upon to be family-friendly in the end, it is a point of contention for people who can't relate to that aspect of life. So is Turning Red only for people who menstruate? The answer is no. Looking past the surface-level storyline of a girl getting her period for the first time is a story of
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