Sunday, October 3, 2010

Response to Becca

Becca asked: Do you think it is harmful that we make films and television shows that anthropomorphize other species?

Well, first of all, this is certainly a fascinating question that I had not the pleasure of considering until now. Secondly, I do not think that these portrayals are harmful. You deliver quite potent points however, such as our emotional attachment to the animals only when they exhibit their human qualities, and while this is certainly a regrettable fact of the situation, it is not very harmful. Should we care about the animals when they are being themselves? Certainly. However, does portraying them as humanistic cause harm in some way? I think not.

You mention yourself that this could have potential benefits such as calling attention the the plausibility of animals experiencing complex emotions and thought processes only articulated through the lens of human language and other qualities. This is the essential part. There is no other way to convey this principle to, above all else, children. Children may not be able to conceptualize the complex process that runs through the brain of an animal, so we create the character to articulate her thoughts and her emotions through language that the child can understand.

Now it is possible for harm to be caused by being too effective at this. It is possible, that is, for our shows to be so convincing that some children will think animals to be capable of more than they are. I would certainly not want to give children the impression that their dog can play basketball. On a less extreme note, while there is certainly propaganda that claims animals to be cartesian automata, or even less than, I would not want to begin instilling in children the idea that animals are capable of mental qualities that they may not actually possess.

Question: Is there a possible method to educate children as to their proper states without anthropomorphizing the animals in an inherently incorrect or insincere manner?

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