The release of Pixar’s Turning Red has prompted some to share unhealthy views on puberty online, showing why it’s important to talk about it.
Pixar’s latest film, Blushing, is about a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian girl named Mei who is going through puberty. What Mae doesn’t understand about female puberty in her family is that instead of just dealing with PMS and mood swings, all the women in her family gain the ability to transform into a giant red panda when they reach adulthood. Mei’s mother, Ming, hides this from her, which causes a nasty surprise when Mei wakes up and realizes that she is no longer human. The red panda in “Blushing” is a visual metaphor for the heightened emotions Mei experiences during puberty.
While “Blush” is undoubtedly a story about puberty, in fact, periods are not mentioned that often. There are only two scenes in the entire film with pads, tampons and painkillers. This is due to a misunderstanding on Ming’s part when the panda first appears. However, those two scenes were enough to bring out some of the unhealthy views of puberty and periods online, and some of the reactions weren’t very pleasant.
RELATED: Red confirms Pixar’s LGBT issue is real
Over the past week, several threads have surfaced on Twitter criticizing parents for not responding well to the historical scenes in Blushing. The film was widely praised for its destigmatization of female puberty and for its positive and honest presentation of the theme. The fact that there are already many films about male puberty that have not received as much criticism is another point that many people have brought up online.
Twitter user @IDontBlog shared a screenshot of a Facebook group post from a mother who expressed her displeasure with the menstrual scenes in “Blushing”. Other users have also criticized the backlash, such as @DynamoSuperX’s post pointing out that menstruation is a perfectly natural part of most young girls’ lives, and @msdanifernandez’s post highlighting the fact that babies who do menstruate are often very small. when they begin puberty. so the topic should not be sexualized.
People didn’t like that Pixar addressed girls turning into women in Blushing.
I 100% understand why some find this topic uncomfortable, but there is nothing “inappropriate” or “disgusting” about women’s periods. This is a natural part of their life. I respect Disney for that. pic.twitter.com/aQ5TGmcoaT
— FUNNY J✨ (@DynamoSuperX) March 13, 2022
It’s strange that conservatives sexualize #Red . I started my period in 5th grade. I was a child when I received this, as are most children. I looked at the average age. It’s 12. It’s a baby. Therefore, this is NOT an adult topic. You MUST know about them BEFORE they happen ✌🏽
— Dani Fernandez (@msdanifernandez) March 15, 2022
RELATED: Why is there so much green in Pixar’s ‘Blushing’?
These views ironically reflect the beliefs of the older women in Mei’s life who tell her to get rid of the red panda because it is dangerous and shameful. The moral of Turning Red is that Mae doesn’t need to be ashamed of her red panda because it’s part of herself and her family was wrong to encourage her to hide it and get rid of it. Expressing disgust at the discussion of pads and periods, the adults who denounce the tale are no different from the May family before the film’s climax.
Reactions like this show just how stigmatized puberty is and how important it was to release Red right now. The appearance of these comments is troubling and proves that a Pixar puberty movie was definitely needed at this point in time. By providing a positive perspective on a young girl going through puberty, Blushing will help young children understand the process of growing up and help remove the stigma of talking, even if some people aren’t fully used to it yet.
To see May’s journey as a teenager, Blushing is now available to stream on Disney+.
KEEP READING: Why Pixar Goes Red in 2002
Did Jack really survive the tragic end of the Titanic?
about the author
Avery Watson (50 articles published)
Avery Watson is a writer based in Edinburgh, Scotland. They have worked as anthology editors for Stryvling Press and Ta Voix, and have published their work in anthologies from Black Hare Press, Journal of Erato and Scrap Lines. Avery grew up reading DC and Marvel comics from the 60s and watching every new superhero movie that hit theaters, as well as other comics, movies and TV shows like Scott Pilgrim, Star Wars and Universe Stephen.” Avery loves sci-fi and horror and spends too much time reading Junji Ito manga and watching A24 movies with his cat. You can follow Averie on Twitter at @avery_watson
More from Avery Watson