My Phindings

Adults watching movies tend to judge the overall worth any given character based on his or her words and actions. This is why the movie industry places great value in talented and proven writers. If I keep saying it, it will come true.

Kids, on the other hand, come to their conclusions a little bit sideways. Movie executives, aware of this, make sure that in any given animated feature, their target audience can know very quickly whether a character is good or bad, trustworthy or sneaky. The way they do this is, in large part, how a character looks and sounds.

Here we'll be focusing on, you guessed it, the "sounds," specifically the accents given to certain types of characters. While this may seem arbitrary to you, keep in mind that nothing comes about by chance in movies, especially kids' movies.

These accents directly correlate to how the fat cat movie execs want you to think of these characters. Producers and directors know how kids react to certain accents and what it can do for their movie, thus playing upon racial and societal stereotypes and widening the gap between cultures.

STEP 1- IDENTIFICATION

We'll be exploring the accents of 15 movies over several decades (though most in the last 20 years) and 3 1/2 production companies (including Pixar, though the majority are out of Disney studios). I've split these movies into 3 categories:

1. Movies with accents all from all over the place

2. Movies with accents for all but the main characters

3. Outliers

If you pay attention, you'll begin to see some definite trends across the board.

A quick note- when I refer to an "American" accent, I'm speaking about a plain old midwesterner, knowing full well that we speak plenty of ways here in Freedom Land

1. Accents all over the place

This category features five movies whose casts include many different accents, some of which are pertinent to the plot and setting and some of which are not.

Anastasia

Setting- Russia/France

American accent- Anastasia and Dimitri

French- Sophie

Russian- Everyone else

Greek?- Bartok

Lion King

Africa

American- All good lions, plus Timon, Pumbaa and Shenzi

British- Scar and Zazu

African- Rafiki

Latino- Banzai

A film, if you took Race and the Media at NAU, about the subjugation of racial minorities

Beauty and the Beast

France

American- All the humans, plus Beast and Chip

French- Lumiere and the featherduster

British- Cogsworth and Ms. Potts

The AristoCats

England

American- Kittens, O’Malley, detective dogs Napoleon and LaFayette and drunk Uncle Waldo

Hungarian- Duchess

British- Everyone else

Rise of the Guardians

Burgess, Pennsylvania

Russian- North (Santa)

British- Pitch (Bad guy)

Australian- Bunny

American- Everyone else

2. Accents to all but the main characters

This category includes movies who generally give accents to all characters except the leads

How to Train Your Dragon

Setting- Imaginary Scandinavia

American- All the kids

Scottish- All the adults

Pocahontas

America

American with Native accent- All Native Americans except Pocahontas

British- All sailors except John Smith

American- John Smith and Pocahontas

Really, Disney, John Smith who just got off a British ship with British sailors from Britain?!

101 Dalmatians

England

British- All humans and adult dogs

American- All puppies

Ratatouille

France

American- Linguini, Remy and the rats

British- Anton Ego

French- Everyone else

Peter Pan

England

American- Peter Pan

British- Everyone Else

Treasure Planet

England

American- Jim, his mom and Jar-jar Binks. I mean B.E.N.

British- Everyone else

3. Outliers

This is a category for films whose characters generally speak plain American, with some odd exceptions

Lilo & Stitch

Setting- Hawaii

British- Grand Councilwoman (in-charge alien lady)

Russian- Jumba (Stitch's creator)

American (with Hawaiian accents where appropriate)- All humans and some aliens

Nightmare Before Christmas

Christmastown

Southern- Oogie Boogie

American- Everyone else

Shrek

Duloc

Scottish- Shrek

American- Everyone else

The Little Mermaid

Portland

Jamaican- Sebastian

American- Everyone else

STEP 2- CLASSIFICATION

Now that we've laid out the different accents in all these movies, it's time to group up characters with the same accents. Characters whose accents match the setting of the movie will, generally, be omitted because their accent choice is less about characterization and more about atmosphere. So, let's see whose accents do not match their setting.

Expat Americans:

These are all characters whose American accents don't agree with the setting

What do you notice?

If you're noticing that most of these characters are the leads in their respective films, then you're thinking along the same vein as I am. With, arguably, the only exception being 101 Dalmatians, every single one of the movies listed above features main characters and children with American accents. The only conclusion that I can draw is that producers want so desperately for kids to connect to the title characters that they white-wash world culture and disallow children to be exposed to important faces that are different from their own. I mean, for crying out loud, the whole point of Pocahontas is to accept people who are different than you which is not exactly hard if they miraculously speak perfect midwestern English.

Immigrating English

Here are the British characters whose accents are somewhat out of place

What have we here? Looks like 2 1/2 bad guys, three sour-pusses and only one genuinely caring face. And let's be honest, Ms. Potts would have been American to remind you of your mom if Angela Lansbury weren't the bomb. I will say this- cast a misplaced Brit in your movie and he or she will sound intelligent and well-mannered, but also stuffy and cunning.

Freelancing French

I know, these three technically exist in their country of origin, but the point is still valid

That's right, your overly romantic kissy smoochy characters- French. Or Gomez Addams. Either way, this is how I thought all French people were until Ratatouille.

And now I know they're all overly romantic people who are also excellent cooks.

Roving Russians

Ok, North is on the fence and Vlad is downright legitimate, but there is still a trend.

They're big. They're foreign-sounding. They're Russian.

Scots

Which reminds me, how weird would HTTYD have been with Scandinavian accents?

Scots- also big, but with a big heart and apparently often found with their mouths hanging open.

STEP 3- CONCLUSION

I'm not going to say that this practice of characterizing via accents is inherently bad. Anyone who's traveled to another country can tell you that the difference is not just in language, but in behavior and culture. In the words of Strongbad,

Wouldn't you buy a shirt with this on it?

I do take issue, however, with two practices, both of which are present if not epidemic in Hollywood:

1. Playing upon racial and cultural stereotypes. You can think of examples.

2. Shielding children from being exposed to new cultures in an authentic fashion.

Both of these points really come back to the same thing- kids need to come to understand and love people of all kinds. Movies can either provide a help or a hindrance to that end. They hinder when they show cultures only at their silliest or classify someone as foreign because of the way they talk. They help when they present a wide array of characters all from the same background, so that kids can see that both good and evil exist in all cultures.

Here are a few movies I feel do pretty great with their accents:

I'm sure I forgot some great ones, let me know in the comments below!

I encourage you to show some extra support for movies which respect cultures in whatever way you can, whether by seeing it a couple times in theaters or buying the movie. Make no mistake- this isn't just about you and the movie company; it's about how the young minds of this country will grow to think and believe about other cultures.

This is not a blog about celebrities; it is a blog about how we treat our children.

Ever since the dawn of cinema, movie-makers have desired to portray all facets of human life- the good,the bad and the ugly. And a big part of our lives as a society is our children, from their birth to their learning about the world to their voyage through the flames of puberty and into adulthood. Children have always been a part of art- there are beautiful paintings of posed little children from centuries past just as kids have long performed in conjunction with professional musicians.

For some reason, though, we seem to have crossed a threshold in the last hundred years that is pushing kids over the edge to the point of madness. More and more often we see children who, by the good grace of their parents, have been either coaxed or forced into acting or singing, break under the pressures of a world for which they are not prepared. People gall at the depiction of Hunger Games teens fighting for their own lives, but do we not allow similar emotional trauma to those even younger every day in show business?

This blog is not meant to condemn, but merely to educate and, hopefully to find a better way.

First Wave- Baby Boomers

When I think of trailblazing child stars, there are two names that come which mind which perfectly demonstrate the vastly divergent paths a child actor's life can take.

Shirley Temple
Born in 1928 (not a BB, I know), this talented young lady was in her first film at the tender age of 4. Despite a flourishing childhood career and a fair number of popular movies late into her adolescence, Shirley got out of the game before she was 20 and went on to be an American ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia.

Judy Garland

Garland, on the other hand was one of the most tragic outcomes of all child stars. Born in 1922, her first acting credit came when was 8, but her career didn't really take off until her portrayal of Dorothy in Wizard of Oz, filmed when Garland was just 16. She had a turbulent home life to say the least with a domineering mother who began collecting on Judy's talent very early on. To make matter worse, movie producers would often encourage her to self-medicate with prescription or otherwise drugs in order to keep her on-point during shoots and to maintain her physique. The following 20 years, despite a few successes in the box office, were marred by substance abuse, extramarital affairs and, eventually, suicide attempts. Garland died in 1969 as a result of an overdose on the same sort of drugs that she had been given by producers as a child.

Second Wave- Exploitation

Michael Jackson

Few stars have ever or will ever achieve such explosive, pervading fame as the most famous and well-loved Jackson child, making his back story somewhat better known than most. Michael was born in 1958 and began performing, at the orders of his parents, together with his brothers at the age of 6. In interviews later in life, Michael admitted to having undergone severe abuse at the hands of his father, the results of which would echo mercilessly through the rest of Michael's troubled life. Despite championing several foundations fighting against substance abuse, Jackson struggled with drug addiction himself, a problem at which we often turn a blind eye because it is so common among celebrities. Jackson died in 2009 after a fatal mix of prescription drugs which he took to help himself sleep.

As an avid MJ fan, I have often asked myself, was it worth it? There's no doubt that as a boy Michael was prodigious and bound for greatness, but would his artistry have soared as it did without the backdrop of emotional turmoil which fueled his need to perform? Would I deny myself, and what's more, billions of listeners over the years, some of the best music that has been produced in the last several decades in exchange for the mental health of one boy?

Gary Coleman

Star of Diff'rent Strokes fame, Gary suffered from an autoimmune kidney disease which caused his perpetually youthful appearance and provided him with near constant medical troubles. At its peak, Coleman was reeling in 100k per episode of Diff'rent Strokes, 75% of which went straight to Gary's parents, agent and legal advisers. Only after he had left the show was he able to get back some of his misappropriated money by suing his parents.

Third Wave- 90's Wild Children

Drew Barrymore

Barrymore made it big when she was just 5 in Altered States, and 7 in E.T. as our favorite screaming little girl. Perhaps a lesser known fact for those of us who weren't reading tabloids in the mid-80's, Barrymore had a well-publicized and very troubled adolescence, smoking cigarettes at 9, drinking alcohol at 11, smoking marijuana at 12 and snorting lines at 13. At 14 was her first trip to rehab and at 14 her first suicide attempt. By the time she hit 20, however, the rebellion had more or less run its course and she began to wind down into more productive celebrity life. Barrymore was likely destined to be an unruly teen, whether she was an actress in Hollywood or a waitress in Culver City, but she, unlike some of her child star colleagues, seems to have been able to move past her rough years and settle in as a semi-responsible adult.

Mousketeers- JT, JC, Christina, Britney, Ryan and Keri

Anyone who has reminisced about child stars has unfailingly remembered this apparent goldmine of talented youngsters known as the Mickey Mouse Club. Most know that from this show came Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilara, but fewer know that Ryan Gosling, Keri Russel and JC Chasez (of N'SYNC) were also cut from the same stock. All in all, JT, JC, Ryan and Keri had pretty straightforward careers with hits and dips in popularity, but rarely a time when we questioned their sanity. Brittany and Christina on the other hand, had a blood feud in the late 90's and early aughts to see who could be more popular/dirtier/crazier. I think we can agree Brittany wins on the last count.

Who can say what the difference was between all these singers and actors? Why did some transition so naturally into adult fame while others struggled just to maintain their sanity?

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

These little bundles of joy were cast into the sitcom Full House at 9 months old. Why so young? Two reasons- 1. even at a young age, they had "the look" and 2. child labor laws wouldn't allow them to work enough hours to play a role in the show, so they needed two identical girls to play one part. The girls continued on Full House for 8 wonderful seasons while their fame grew and grew. They have had many successful endeavors since then, including countless teeny-bopper shows and their own fashion line. For some reason I was under the erroneous impression that the Olsens were knee-deep in scandal, but it turns out that Mary-Kate had a brief stint with a eating disorder and that's about all between the two of them. It seems incredible that two girls started in the biz so young could ever had a grasp of real life, but their continued net-worth and semi-successful fashion line convince me otherwise.

Macaulay Culkin

This was a kid who was made to perform. His smart-alec performances got him attention well before he was 10 starring in Home Alone. Such popularity, however, caused an estrangement between he and his father which, among other things caused Culkin to get out of the game when he was 14. Culkin has been around since then, doing projects every once in a while, but generally staying out of the limelight. Macaulay plead guilty on possession of illegal substances in 2004; call me cynical, but I consider this a result of his celebrity status, not of his child stardom.

Fourth Wave- America's Progeny

Haley Joel Osment

HJO first made his break in 1994 as Tom Hanks' son in Forrest Gump. During the late 90's he was the go-to actor when you needed a heartfelt child monologue (or a creepy whisper) to cinch up that Oscar Nom. Upon reaching adolescence, however, he fell somewhat out of popularity and now most people remember him much less than Robert Duvall and Michael Caine in Secondhand Lions. In 2006 he was in a car accident, very drunk and possessing marijuana for which he was checked into rehab and was on probation. Since then he has acted in small projects.

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus in Big Fish!

Only the most recent in a long history of sad child star breakdowns, Miley began acting before she was 10. She played small roles until her fame explosion, becoming Hannah Montana. I won't go into the details of Cyrus' current philandering, but suffice it to say she has not made it out of stardom unscathed.

A theme that is constantly on my mind when writing about this is parenting. I am fully cognizant that children often rebel from their parents, but Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley's father, a family man and a celebrity, must have known what he was getting his daughter into at such a young age. And who knows but what effect the divorce of Miley's parents in 2010 had on her?

Dakota Fanning
Started work when she was 7 in the movie I Am Sam and has had a very steady career ever since. Fanning was involved with several films as a child including War of the Worlds, Man on Fire and Coraline, but unlike many of her predecessors, her fame hasn't seemed to dip as she ages into adulthood. As far as can be seen, she seems to have made it through the years where others have cracked without doing so herself.

Freddie Highmore
Great little actor who wowed audiences with exceptional performances in Finding Neverland and August Rush (his amazing guitar skills!). In spite of beginning as early as 7, he too appears to have a good head on his shoulders and continues acting without attracting much attention to his personal life.

Coming closer to the modern day we see perhaps an even greater dichotomy than ever before between the apparent normalcy of some child stars against the blaring strident living of others. What makes the difference between one child and another? How could two children have such vastly different reactions to approximately the same stimuli?

The best answer I can come up with is parenting. If the parent's goal is for the child to express themselves while continuing to understand their role as an individual in a family and a society, just like any other child, then the child is more predisposed for level-headedness when their fame bubble either grows very large or pops. However, if the parent's motives include self-glorification, monetary gain or absenteeism, then then child will be more prone to receive life instruction from outside sources such as producers, tabloids and obsessive fans, all of whom see the child, not as a person, but as a paycheck.

Now, the tie-in for you.

Whether or not you are a parent, whatever your relation is to the next generation; what is your responsibility?

Do you encourage their creativity without forcing your will on theirs?

Do you listen them or do they just listen to you?

Do you put their well-being before your own?

Do you sometimes deny them immediate gratification so that they can be happy in the long run?

Do you see them as the treasures that they are?

I'm not a parent, just an uncle. But since doing the research for this blog, I've wanted to be a better uncle, more compassionate and less absorbed in my own life. I hope you can take some time as well to reevaluate how you treat the rising generation and resolve to be a better father, mother, uncle, aunt, old-cousin, adoptive balloon-housed grandpa, inspiring school teacher, philosopher, what have you.

Honorable mentions: (many of whom turned out pretty ok)