‘Elemental’ uses ‘racist’ allegory and fails marketing again

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Elemental looks like Pixar’s doomed movie of 2023.

It’s already being predicted to be a major box office flop, and that’s partly thanks to Pixars’ poor marketing and promotion of the film. Ever since Elemental’s premise was first announced, fans have complained that it’s just another movie following Pixars’ cut-and-paste style of the past few years. Another set of anthropomorphic characters revolving around a story about overcoming prejudice, and many were quick to draw comparisons to the messages of Zootopia (2016) and the overall design of Element City and Zootopia’s capital.

Credit: Disney

Although Turning Red (2022) had some success, Pixar’s other recent big film, Luca (2021) was a commercial flop. It just seems like Pixar rested on its laurels and a proven method of making movies rather than doing something truly innovative. Unfortunately, what seems innovative is Pixar’s decision to market the film as little and as badly as possible.

Credit: Pixar

The movie has received almost no major promotion since it was announced and released next week. In a poorly timed move, Pixar attempted to promote the film earlier this week, but quickly deleted its Tweet within just hours. They revealed a set of in-universe movie posters with a different character depicting a different existing Pixar movie.

Credit: Disney Pixar

One of the posters featured Ember, the main character of the element fire, on a “Burning Red” poster with the caption: “Unleash your wildfire side with this Burning Red poster straight from Element City!” Fans were quick to jump on it, pointing out the bad timing with Canadian wildfires affecting much of the northeastern United States and the post was quickly deleted.

Credit: Disney Pixar

Now they have done it again. Pixar recently released a clip of a scene from the film showing the ground element, Clod, who is presumably a younger character, flirting with Ember and trying to get her to agree to go out with him. Many replies on Twitter pointed out that the joke of a young boy flirting with an older woman is tired and not funny in today’s social climate. “When people finally get rid of the ‘child has a crush on the adult’ trope in the media, that’s the day I find peace,” said @BUGZSNATCHER. Others were quick to draw attention to Ember’s response to the coming. Rather than pointing out their age difference as the reason for her refusal, she simply says “the elements don’t mix.”

We landscaping her #ActOfClod

Find out in Disney and Pixar’s #Elemental, only in theaters June 16. : https://t.co/OIkiKC3Hp7 pic.twitter.com/Bm8o9WeFMo

Pixars Elemental (@pixarelemental) June 8, 2023

Many viewers took it as a metaphor for race, with the different elements actually being different races of people, especially since many call the film a “tribute to immigrant parents”. “Elementals can beat Zootopia for worst allegory of racism in fiction,” tweeted @LubbaSMG2. “You creatives need to stop creating racial allegories where just interacting with someone of the other race could be fatal,” @ajthdonut asks.

Credit: Disney/Pixar

Others pointed out that the film might have worked better as an allegory of accessibility, given Ember’s comment that the city wasn’t made for firefighters. As @disruptthehuman suggests, “this video is wild because not only does it show how bad this kind of allegory for race is, but it gives a much better premise for a movie about accessibility with the commentary on how whose city infrastructure is not designed with fire people in mind.

Credit: Disney Pixar

Honestly, @bi4birymin seems to sum up popular opinion pretty well, “I really want to give this movie a chance but they make it so hard.” Unfortunately, between Pixar’s lack of marketing for Elementa and their seemingly constant lack of a target, it doesn’t look good for Ember or the rest of those in Element City. Especially with the film competing with the already successful The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Little Mermaid, it will be an uphill battle for Pixar this year.

What do you think of Elemental? Unfortunately neglected or simply unplugged? Share your opinion in the comments below.

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