#MeToo and “Sexual Harassment and Hollywood’s Earliest Cartoons”

Sexual Harassment and Hollywood’s Earliest Cartoons

In a 2017 post titled “Sexual Harassment and Hollywood’s Earliest Cartoons” the author, Gabrielle Bellot, explained that recent claims of sexual harassment from Harvey Weinstein that started the #MeToo movement are what inspired her to investigate sexual harassment in Hollywood. Upon hearing about these claims she was reminded of sexual harassment depicted in old cartoons. Depictions of harassment towards women can be found in Hollywood through cartoons as well. A few examples are: Mickey Mouse, Little Red Riding Hood, and most importantly, Max Fleischer’s Betty Boop cartoons.

Whether the Betty Boop cartoon was meant as a children’s cartoon or an adult cartoon is up for debate. There are many specific episodes where Betty Boop is so obviously being harassed and even almost raped. The cartoon mirrored instances of the real world, bad ones. Episodes of Betty Boop depict stalking, sexual harassment in the workplace, and even an instance where rape is implied in the show. While most of these actions might go over the heads of children, adults can clearly see the problem. 

These types of cartoons were released around the time that the entertainment industry in Hollywood was being exposed. In the 1920’s, many scandals involving sexual assault, drugs, and even murder were being exposed to the public and being brushed under the rug in the courtroom. Hollywood releasing such controversial cartoons could either be seen as a cry for help or as a way to simply say “this is how stuff is around here”. Normalizing sexual harassment towards women could easily be done through cartoons like this. Which could explain why this type of harassment is still around today. Actions like the ones depicted in the cartoon such as workplace sexual harassment had the power to influence little boys. According to learning theory, used in psychology, actions like these could be learned. For example, a boy that witnesses a man getting what he wants with a woman in a cartoon at a young age may be more subconsciously willing to do the same when he gets in the same position of power when he is older. A little boy who watched a cartoon of many people in a work force working together and including both men and women might subconsciously be more open to working with both genders.  

Another theory based on why the cartoons were created could be found if you look a little deeper. In the episode “Betty Boop’s Big Boss”, Betty responds to a help wanted sign, clearly describing a position for a girl. Betty is asked what she can do and she responds by singing the boss a song. The boss is then shown daydreaming about what it would be like to be with Betty. While she is still singing, he sends all of the other girls away. Betty Bopp is then shown “provoking” the boss. While it may look like Betty Boop is the one provoking the boss, some people may see it differently. From his perspective, he may presume Betty’s actions or words are sexual advances. In reality, Betty’s naturally high pitched voice and friendly mannerisms may have been wrongly interpreted as flirtatious. After the boss hires Betty, she begins to work but then suddenly, Betty hits the boss with a piece of the typewriter and he snaps out of it. He asks Betty for a kiss and she rejects him. After being rejected the boss starts to walk towards her, when Betty tries to run away, the door is locked. Betty calls the police, but even they can not get to him because he is up high in his building. This part may suggest that a woman being harassed may not get justice if the abuser has a lot of power or is a member of the upper class. After the police fail to get the boss, Betty tries shooting him with a pencil sharpener. The boss only yells out once but still has a smile on his face. This could also be interpreted as Betty not having enough power to stop him. Finally, the only way to take down the boss is by shooting at the base of the building. The building falls with the boss still in it but Betty Boop goes down as well. This shows that Betty was not able to ask for help without going down along with her abuser. This has been the case for many women that have spoken up about their harassment in the workplace, even in Hollywood.

Bellot explains that “Harassment was braided to the industry from its beginnings; there were many Weinsteins before Weinstein”. Although this was a recurring problem, there were many women who were afraid to speak up about their abuse. The issue being spread through cartoons may have been a tool to help people cope. The cartoons may have helped them watch and laugh through the situation. On the other hand, they may have mirrored these Hollywood scandals to raise awareness in a discrete way. Women were not safe if they spoke up. In “The Limits of #MeToo in Hollywood”, Margaret Talley explains that even though laws were made to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, these laws were not abided. Thanks to activists like Tarana Burke and Alyssa Milano, and movements like the #MeToo movement, women in the United States are finally getting the justice they deserve.