Awkward is a great trait to have if you are a Disney character nowadays. I don’t mean that as an insult, as I am awkward, too! It is a trait that is becoming more and more popular amongst characters in films and TV shows as not only a humor mechanism, but also as something viewers can latch onto and relate.
Take for example Anna in Frozen. Kristen Bell has been adamant about saying she IS Anna and she wanted to make her just as awkward as she is, because when she was younger, the princesses all had this “perfect” quality she couldn’t relate to as much as just think about. She wanted Anna to have the qualities she could have related to as a kid.
Then you have the fantastic Dipper from Planes: Fire and Rescue who stole the show. Julie Bowen was the perfect choice for the awkward and way too sincere character who just LOVES Dusty Crophopper…maybe a little too much. Her last line in the movie killed me, “I like watching you sleep” took her kindness (SPOILER ALERT) of watching Dusty during his “plane coma” and made the moment super awkward, which is probably something I would’ve done in the situation. Dipper sometimes doesn’t know what to say or when to say it, even though her intentions are there.
Riley over on Girl Meets World is built around her awkwardness. The whole premise of the show, amongst things like family and friendships, is about her navigating middle school and the world while having an awkward persona. The show has me hooked, 4 episodes in. Her personality is sweet and kind, while also being wacky and unpredictable, thanks to that awkward gene.
What do you think of the awkward trend? Do you think it’s overplayed? Can you relate? Let me know in the comments below! Until next time…have a magical day.
Personally I think they use it too often. I always looked at the classic characters as having traits worth aspiring to have myself. I don’t really see it as often now.
The awkwardness really seems to be working for Girl Meets World. It makes Riley seem really sincere – and more like her father, Cory. Rowan Blanchard is likable because she’s real, not too perfect or precocious for a young teenager. It makes me want to keep watching.
I understand the point of this blog entry but using celebrities or fictional tv characters as examples is questionable.
A good example of this is Ariel Winter. Her role as Alex Dunphy on Modern Family requires her to wear oversized shape-hiding sweaters and glasses in order to depict her as this awkward brainiac, but if you look at any of her photos on social media then she is clearly confident with her looks. And recently on Instagram she showcased her inner-beauty by posting a video of her giggling at an overweight couple kissing at the airport and tagged it “He likes it big”.
So in the end, are ANY of these actors really awkward? While I understand what it means for people to feel “awkward”, in no way do I think that television or film is the right place to find examples of it. And that is because the very idea of being an actor (or even going on an audition) is an expression of over-confidence. While the actors may be reaching into their past to find inspiration for Princess Anna or Peter Parker, it would be silly to claim that Kristen Bell or Andrew Garfield or any successful actor is someone who doubts themselves or has any anxieties about showcasing themselves in public when they’ve spent their entire lives being reassured of the talents that they have (and sometimes don’t have).
I feel like “inner beauty” and Ariel laughing at an overweight couple shouldn’t be paired together, but I see your point.
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