Let me explain. First, let's agree that by 'ideology', we do not mean negative ideas only. Lots of American cartoons may have ideas that we as Arabs agree or disagree about. But what I mean is that every American cartoon has an idea to convey. Of course, you'd say that any cartoon has a goal. That's right, but the skill is not in just having an ideology or a goal: it's how you convey it.
Take Aladdin for example. Aladdin is a very famous Disney animation movie. It was used to enforce the stereotype that many Americans have about Arabs: that they are a bunch of barbarians living in the desert with their camels and sheep. Aladdin was one of the few times that Disney used a dark-skinned hero for one of its movies (see below). But when you see the movie, you'd find it really entertaining and you may not even notice the subtle messages in it.
Batman is another example. In such shows, the idea of "America saves the world" is being put into every episode. Of course, Batman is an American guy (Bruce Wayne) who saves his country and never gets defeated. Superman seems to work on a larger scale. He saves the world against aliens and evil creatures. You might say: they're just simple cartoons, but just take a deeper look at them, and you'll find that they all tend to enforce the image of the "American hero" that the world would suffer without.
Sexuality is another ideology conveyed in cartoons. Take a look at Batman for example. Isn't it supposed to be for kids? Well, how do you explain a 3 minute scene in one of the episodes, where Harley Quinn, one of the evil characters, actually seduces the Joker in a really explicit scene that I could not believe my eyes when I saw. The problem is not in the sexual hints, the problem is where they are placed. In Japan, there are special adult anime that is basically sexual and immoral. But to include such hints in a popular cartoon show that kids of all ages watch, is definitely another issue.
But again, American animators are not that bad. I mean, there are many positive ideologies that are included in American cartoons. Take Happy Feet, the 2006 Oscar Winning Best Animated Feature movie. It's about a penguin who is different from all his peers. While all his friends and family like to sing, he likes to dance. Happy Feet's main message is how to accept and tolerate others who are different from us. It says that being different doesn't mean being inferior. Did it say these messages directly? Of course not and I believe that if it had done, it would have never won the Oscar.
Even movies, such as Shrek, that have lots of sexual hints, do contain very deep and positive messages. The fact that Princess Fiona sees the beauty inside Sherk who is an ogre, is a very good message. It tells kids never to judge someone from the outside, and that real beauty lies within a person.
Americans have this talent of working on many levels simultaneously. On one level, they are just doing nice cartoons with vibrant animation, engaging story, nice characters, glamorous colors, great music..etc. On another level, they are including whatever ideologies they want to convey in a way that is barely noticed.
Closely related to this issue is subliminal advertising in cartoons, especially American ones, where there are ads that are not noticed being put inside the cartoon. But what I am more interested in is the ideologies in such cartoons. Ideologies are more subtle and you can never touch them. A product is visible, so it's easier to include in a show, even if subtly. But an ideology requires more effort because you can never see it but rather sense it.
For American animators, it's important that you convey your ideology, but that doesn't mean that you have to say it out loud. Consequently, you'll find many interpretations of American cartoons. While someone would see Shrek as innocent humor, other people may see it as explicit. This debate means that American cartoons are definitely more than just nice characters that kids love. They deserve a much closer and analytical look. This does not mean that we keep criticizing cartoons and making things complex. But simply, whenever you are watching a cartoon, tell yourself: It's a nice show, but is that all, or does it want to say more?
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