
The Action Plan Caper
By: Jenna Goldsmith
The Action Plan Caper
By: Jenna Goldsmith
By: Jenna Goldsmith
By: Jenna Goldsmith
Strategy one is to create a more diverse live action TV development of Carmen Sandiego. One example of an animated series made into live action is director Sean McNamara's film, Bratz. The film illuminates its strong BIPOC protagonists' cultures and even goes so far as to include a hearing-impaired love interest. Bratz pushes the boundaries of EDIB and makes audiences question the exclusionary social strata in American high schools. With Bratz's live action twist, young audiences can relate further to real-life role models rather than pixelated works of fiction. Seeing oneself represented by real people on screen is essential for the next generation to feel confident, empowered, and heard. Much like with Bratz, Carmen Sandiego's diverse plot lines and multi-dimensional characters will prove impactful in a nonfiction setting.
“A report by USC Annenberg and Women in Animation shows that in 2018, 31% of animated films had female producers. And only 3% of animated film directors were women. Overall, women held 19% of key roles in top animated films from 2014-2018. Women of color held 7% of those roles" (The Academy of Animated Art).
Strategy two focuses on illuminating Carmen Sandiego's exploration of global cultures. The show illustrates how the people of one culture and origin are not better than others, only different. Both new and old audiences are impressed with Carmen's robust travels and her celebration of various cultural customs, traditions, and practices. In order to avoid accidentally sequestering other cultures, young audiences must be exposed to a charcuterie board of global traditions so that they may appreciate them and be aware of their own biases. "A lack of critical thinking when receiving the imagery, and ignorance of cultures other than one's own, can lead to cultural appropriation" (Han). In each "caper," Carmen Sandiego clarifies complex cultural topics and comprehensively breaks down specific regional practices to avoid appropriation. See one example below.
Carmen Sandiego is the strong female lead that audiences can revere and be proud to call their own. Her role as a non-white protagonist is crucial in promoting EDIB, and her exploration of the world encompasses the show’s premise as one for all. The cultures and locations she explores make this piece a harbinger of change and relatable content. However, with any piece of media there is always room for improvement. Carmen Sandiego is an excellent idea for a live action TV development and could provide audiences with tangible, global BIPOC role models and protagonists to look up to. Furthermore, Carmen could incorporate new BIPOC characters onto her own heroic team while continuing to push the envelope for young, Latina women. In sum, the creators could be more diverse, the multimedia and advertising more socially savvy, and the cast could be more extensive with more varying voices than are already present.
Eloiseedgington. “7 Animators That You Should Get To Know: Blog.” Domestika, DOMESTIKA, 3 Nov. 2020, https://www.domestika.org/en/blog/3124-7-animators-that-you-should-get-to-know. Fang, Xiaowen. “An Augmented Reality Update of a Classic Game: ‘Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?’, Case Study.” HCI in Games, vol. 13334, Springer International Publishing AG, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05637-6_37. Gallois, Gina. “Why Our Sons Should Definitely Be Watching Carmen Sandiego.” Medium, Medium, 7 Mar. 2019,https://medium.com/@ginagee/why-our-sons-should-definitely-be-watching-carmen-sand iego-3b61fd422b8. Han, Hsiao-Cheng. “Moving From Cultural Appropriation to Cultural Appreciation.” Art Education (Reston), vol. 72, no. 2, 2019, pp. 8–13, https://doi.org/10.1080/00043125.2019.1559575. Katatikarn, Jasmine. “The State of Diversity in Animation (2023 Guide).” Academy of Animated Art, 21 Mar. 2023, https://academyofanimatedart.com/diversity-in-animation/. “The Sticky Rice Caper.” Carmen Sandiego, 2019. Duane Capizzi, Season One, Episode Three. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, WildBrain. “Top 10 Ways the Film Industry Benefits Georgia.” Top 10 Ways the Film Industry Benefits Georgia | Georgia Department of Economic Development, 19 Dec. 2022, https://www.georgia.org/blog/top-10-ways-film-industry-benefits-georgia.
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