Line #17 BrokenAesop/TheEmojiMovie


1	''WesternAnimation/TheEmojiMovie'' doesn't do a very good job at conveying its morals, to say the least. They get {{broken\|Aesop}} and {{lost\|Aesop}} while the main lesson is handled {{clueless\|Aesop}}ly. In fact, it does such a bad job with its {{Aesop}}s that it's [[MedalOfDishonor the first individual piece of media ever]] to have a BrokenAesop subpage.
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3	* Gene and Jailbreak's stories essentially [[LostAesop cancel each other out,]] message-wise. One wants to conform and learns to value freedom, while another wants freedom and ends up conforming. This is especially {{iron\|y}}ic considering that the main focus was about Gene learning to reject the oppressive caste system and express himself, instead of just performing his one function.
4	* WebVideo/WisecrackEdition [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpIqNpWtKEU made the case that]] the lesson of [[BeYourself "you should reject societal expectations and express who you truly wish to be"]] couldn't escape unbroken. Sure, Smiler was defeated and the Emojis learn that it's perfectly fine to express more than one emotion. However, there is still the fact [[FullCircleRevolution that they are stuck with one ''function'',]] [[SlaveRace to serve Alex.]] [[CluelessAesop Emojis were invented for this very specific purpose,]] so Textopolis is a [[{{Metaphorgotten}} terrible metaphor.]] The movie constantly validates the idea that they should only pursue society's intended purpose for them. In RealLife, the pressure to conform can easily prevent people from [[BeYourself being themselves.]]
5	** If emojis wanted to become more than merely vessels of conveying ideas or express whatever they feel, then Alex could simply delete them as they would [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness have outlived their usefulness.]] After all, Gene didn't stop the phone from being erased. It was Alex who stopped it because his crush was so EasilyImpressed, and the movie fails to call him out for attempting to delete the phone data.
6	** [[FullCircleRevolution Aspects of the caste system still remain intact]] as the unpopular emojis remain in the Loser Lounge.
7	** Jailbreak learns to stop valuing her freedom and reverts back to being a [[PrincessClassic Princess.]]
8	** Gene quickly discards the idea of leaving the phone forever.
9	** Hi-5 [[StaticCharacter never dumps his narcissistic ways]] to become a more well rounded emoji.
10	* For a movie where [[http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/tj-miller-slams-silicon-valley-cast-for-not-doing-enough-to-stop-trump_us_59701345e4b062ea5f8f1e26 women have "limitless potential"]] there don't seem to be any interestingly written female characters.[[note]]Though to be fair, [[DamnedByFaintPraise the movie generally struggles in the interestingly written character department.]][[/note]] The only female emojis we see with major speaking roles are [[ControlFreak Smiler, a generic order obsessed villain who runs society like a dictator,]] [[PrincessClassic a generic princess,]] [[RealWomenDontWearDresses Jailbreak, a]] {{Jerkass}} who accomplishes nothing except [[HeroicBSOD breaking Gene's heart,]] [[LoveInterests and the generic love interest.]] There is also [[DullSurprise Gene's mother Mary, who's little more than a particularly emotionless]] ExtremeDoormat and Akiko Glitter, who's a genuine NiceGirl [[spoiler: but who is so expendable that [[DesignatedHero our hero Gene]] leaves her to die in the trash can.]] The most significant female character other than the villain, Jailbreak, [[spoiler: fits ''three'' out of those six characteristics.]] And it gets even worse outside of the phone, where Addie is merely a SatelliteLoveInterest with less character than the ''emojis''.
11	* Jailbreak is meant to be a strong independent-minded female role model, but ultimately "learns" to fit in with the same societal expectations that she found sexist. It seems to suggest that you can only save the day by following tradition, since revealing herself as a princess is treated as an empowering moment. The movie also treats her as being incredibly selfish for [[EntitledToHaveYou rejecting Gene's fairy-tale views of romance]]. The fact that it's the male character who learns to value freedom while the female character who learns to conform and become a potential love interest also sends uncomfortable implications about a woman's place in the world.
12	** Jailbreak's heavy-handed rants about women being denied positions of power and the ability to voice their own ideas seems at least a little misplaced when you realize that Smiler, ''the leader of the Emojis'', is female! It actually makes Jailbreak's inability to achieve a high position in life seem like a product of her own {{Jerk Ass}}ery, incompetence, and unwillingness to conform to standards, rather than the product of a "broken system", and makes it seem like she's just [[NeverMyFault whining and making excuses]]. This has the very unfortunate effect of implying the same about people in real life who complain about the Glass Ceiling...
13	** Even throwing in a lesson about RealWomenDontWearDresses undermines the BeYourself [[AnAesop Aesop]] because [[StopBeingStereotypical it involves defining your life in opposition to gender roles]] rather than accepting a unique identity of your own that includes a variety of traits.
14	** Jailbreak's cred as a sophisticated hacker falls ''[[InformedAbility significantly]]'' short of what the movie [[FauxActionGirl wants us to believe that she can do]]. Despite her claims to be strong and independent, she almost falls to her death in ''VideoGame/JustDance'', and her two displays of "hacking" in the movie (guessing the password to a firewall and deprogramming the bot that's trying to kill Gene) are both upstaged by [[TheLoad Hi-5]]. Conversely, her only noteworthy accomplishment happens when she embraces her princess side and whistles for the Website/{{Twitter}} logo, accidentally suggesting she was better off as a stereotype.
15	* If the movie was supposed to mock and critique excessive use of technology, then this is sure as hell broken when the simple act of sending a text ultimately saves the day. And because we don't get to see the real problems that it causes, none of the human characters learn the drawbacks of their [[PhoneaholicTeenager obsession with smartphones.]] For their lack of trying, the movie just makes this behaviour seem normal.
16	* Hi-5 has to learn to stop being a [[ItsAllAboutMe narcissistic jerk]] and learn the value of having true friends. [[StaticCharacter Yet he still yearns for popularity through the entire movie.]] Shortly after [[ShowDontTell he comes back and says he learned his lesson,]] he shouts about how "they love us" without any humility whatsoever. [[AesopAmnesia He presumably reverts back to being a jerk]]. To make matters worse, he got along with Gene just fine and they were able to work together to accomplish their own goals, suggesting that narcissism doesn't really harm your relationships and life goals.
17	* The message [[GoodParents about being a supportive father]] is undermined since Mel changed his mind and believed that his son was ready for the prime time, yet his doubts were correct since Gene got StageFright on his very first day. The movie calls him out for not being supportive, yet a good parent would understand their child's strengths and weaknesses so that they can help them succeed.

Context BrokenAesop / TheEmojiMovie