First Cartoon Made

One of western culture’s favorite pastimes is remembered watching Saturday morning cartoons. In America our youth has had the privilege of growing up with animated tales. It has taken other countries over fifty years to show the same media to their young. From 1991 on, children’s based cartoon channels have surfaced on our cable selections.  In India the first children’s channel aired in 1999. Many of the cartoons that people watch are from a western culture. India has recently launched their first 2D animated films, and series’ made and produced in Bollywood. 

The first animated western cartoon made was “Fantasmagorie" by the French director Émile Cohl. The cartoon reel on film was released in 1908. 

In the late 1920’s Walt Disney started to make their first reels of animated film for the child viewer. Today our children have a variety of cartoon channels to watch and can choose hundreds of shows to watch. The animations that our children watch are produced from many other cultures. In India the children have been influenced by western cartoon heroes from a couple cable channels now being broadcast to their televisions. 

Most cartoon produces are from the western culture. Some Indian parents are concerned with the influences the children are taking from cartoons. Many families feel that monitoring their child when they view cartoons is necessary.  Some children are taking influence and ideas of our culture into their daily lives. Some families feel that their children are loosing their traditional culture through westernization or globalization. 

Some of the cartoons that are being aired on the Indian cartoon broadcast channel for children are Japanese, Crayon Shin Chan, (which airs on the Saturday by Cartoon networks adult swim at 2 am.) others include Tom and Jerry, (which displays acts of random violence), Johnny Bravo, (American male chauvinist)

In India the first animated cartoon TV series was launched in 2003. It is called Hanuman. The series is based off of an ancient Hindu god. The ancient Hanuman is a monkey headed deity who performs great deeds, and leads a monkey army to defeat the evil. The new animated series’ character is a deity reborn as a boy / superhero who attends life as an everyday character who fights common day dilemmas to save the Earth. Other popular Indian made animations include some of the most popular Hindu gods such as Ganesha, and Krishna. “A number of haloed Hindu gods and goddesses have debuted in the frenetic world of animation over the past five years. Their appearance marks a shift from a decades-long period in which Indian children grew up almost exclusively on American TV and movie characters.” (Lakshmi) 

Parents like the Idea of their children learning ancient myths through cartoons. They are not worried about monitoring their children at the television. The Indian culture has found a successful way to introduce the ancient tales, and cultural values, of their background to their children, who are surely losing touch with their heritage with so many options from today’s emerging popular culture.  The new animated series, is promoting India’s ancient culture as a new cool trend.  

The cartoons being produced in India are full of values and good virtue. The animation is as quality as American, Canadian or Japanese toons. In fact the animation is revolutionary. The imagery and illustration is far beyond a typical Warner Brothers or Disney animation flick. Each still image is a beautiful piece of artwork in itself. The color and flow of the images catch the attention of all viewers, young and old. The traditional stories are a brilliant way to broaden our knowledge of the countries traditional cultures.    India has much to offer the rest of the animation world. India is leading by example. This example may help stop producing and airing our children cartoons that need to be monitored closely.  We may also get a little closer to making shows for our children that will teach them about traditions, culture and good morals.

Lakshmi, Rama.  In India, Gods Rule The 'Toon' Universe: Hindu Myth a Fount of Superheroes. Washington Post Foreign Service. 2008

 

Vālmīki, Manmatha Nath Dutt. The Ramayana. Girish Chandra Chackravarti, 1893

 

Allen Katie. BBC children's series confirms India is centre of animation. The Guardian. 2008                                  <http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/02/bbc.television>

www.indiantelevision.com

 

 

 

18th Century Fashion

The 18th century fashion was social life and class structure. The idea was to show your wealth through your dress and belongings. Fashion remained consistent throughout the century until the American and French revolution. The styles and ideas of the previous century carried over.

In the beginning of 18th Century the fashion from the previous century, Rocco Style remained prevalent because Louis XV, was only 5 when anointed king. During this period “the regency” the styles of the earlier century carried over. The court of Versailles was abandoned during this period until Louis was 13, at this time he was of age and court returned to Versailles. Fashions of the times were influenced by his Mistress Madame de Pompadour. Madame Pompadour was a fashion influence, in style and art, including fans hairdos and dresses. The Rocco style was replaced with neoclassical in 1770 until the mid 1800’s. With the help of 1748 excavations at Herculaneum, classic antiquity was revived and this stimulated neoclassical revival.

The lifestyle reflected lavish court. Louis XVI succeeds, marries Marie Antoinette at the age of 14. Marie spends lots of money on clothing, and jewelry, but her country was living in increasing squalor because the American Revolution was being funded by the French. Marie, an Austrian Princess did not agree with the traditions of the French court and abandoned the ideas, this upset the nobility and common man.

Peasant style dress and hats happened when the queen moved to cottage for a country lifestyle in Petit Trianon, a house within the grounds of the palace. This style was adopted and spread through Marie Antoinette. At the close of the century the common man lead a revolt in France and over threw the monarch, beheading the royal family and leading the French revolution. At this revolution fashion moved in the direction of freedom.

The garments of the women’s fashion started underneath; next to the body was a chemise, with lace lined on the neckline. Sometimes the lace would show through at the neckline of the outer garments. Over the chemise were stays which were intended to be visible in the overall garment some wore a stomacher and paniers or wide hooped skirts like farthingales also worn with bustles or false rumps. These undergarments helped shape the silhouette. Petticoats were worn over the panniers. The outer garments consisted of gowns and two piece garments sometimes opened in the front to display the petticoat. The headdress of the 18th century consisted of hair combed back, and bunned or loose curls around the face, the hair was powdered. Extravagant hats and wigs were worn.

The fabrics and details were ornate and extravagant. Increase of trade with the Far East brought imports of eastern textiles including, silk brocades, and damasks, Indian chintz, calico, and muslin, and European copies of the fabrics were made into garments. Fabrics and textiles were fabricated from Velvets, silks, satins, cottons, flax or linens and wool. Fine needles were utilized to produce finer embroidery.

 
The modes in which fashion details were transported were through copying fashion dolls, and plates. In the center of Versailles these dolls were introduced to royalty to sell costume. The dolls would then be viewed by members of court and trickle down the class structure.

The French revolution marked the end of the grand century of class and social structure, the end of lavish lifestyle embarked by our hierarchy. Fashion moved closer in a direction of freedom from sumptuary laws and monarch control.


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