Unless you've been living under a rock recently the world (but more specifically America) seems to be on fire at the moment. A deadly pandemic has killed hundreds of thousands of people, America is seeing record unemployment, and people are having to protest and riot in the street so that American police around the country see some kind of accountability for violent abuse of their power. To say that living through this has been trying on my mental health would be an understatement, luckily I have the right companion to get me through this.
While still in quarantine, I have been watching a lot of animated films and television. I've watched and rewatched the entire "Hotel Transylvania" trilogy. I've watched countless episodes of "The Simpsons", "South Park", and "Futurama". If you've read any of my previous works you know that I am a huge fan of animation. Animation has limitless possibilities when it comes to art and creativity. However, during these hard times they have other aspects that make them appealing to me.
One of the primary aspects of animation is keeps me in good spirits is the color. While animated films do vary in this aspect, just like other genres in film, animation is predominantly made of colorful films that are made to catch the eyes of children. This has made them essential to me during this depressing time when I need a little visual pick-me-up and a reminder that not everything in the world is completely terrible. Seeing the bright colors on screen gives me a warm nostalgic feeling and reminds me of my childhood watching these shows almost constantly.
Another aspect in animation, both film and television, that I love is the humor. It's always fun to watch an animated film and enjoying some of that classic cartoon wackiness. I've especially been enjoying the more adult humor from adult animated series like "The Simpsons", "Futurama", "South Park", and "Family Guy". During hardship it's always important to maintain a sense of humor about certain things or else you'd go insane with depression.
One of the greatest aspects about animation, however, is its ability to speak to my inner humanity and compassion. At a time when we are faced with great injustice coming from the people who should be leading us and protecting us, we need to find things that reaffirm our faith in humanity and the ability to be selfless and kind. Most children's media, such as animation, tends to have this message so they can instill a sense of good morals at an early age. These messages form the backbone of what it means to be a good human being. Most importantly, these messages give us a sense of hope that things do have the possibility to be better in the face of despair. These films and television have the ability to lift us out of sadness and give us moments of levity that are necessary to get us through day to day life. That's the positive power art can have on us all.
