Without including any mentions of sex or anything inherently sexual, “Turning Red” accurately depicts the often relatable, awkward and weird feelings that come with teen sexuality and coming of age.

On the other hand, the concept of sexuality is entirely nonexistent in most Disney movies with teenage characters. For instance, Betty Cooper, a 16 or 17 year-old character from “Riverdale” played by 25-year-old actress Lili Reinhart was shown strip teasing and pole dancing in front of a crowd of adults. Usually, fictional adolescents are either oversexualized or express no sexuality at all. But adolescent sexuality is normal and “Turning Red” explores it without actually sexualizing children. Reviewers deemed Lee’s harmless pining as an improper portrayal of sexuality. This, of course, meant lots of fantasizing and swooning, just like Lee. Many teenage girls had romantic crushes and were passionate fangirls of male celebrities such as One Direction, Justin Bieber and Edward Cullen of the “Twilight” series. After all, it is only typical of teenagers to behave in their youthful ways - Lee isn’t alone and shouldn’t be shamed for acting her age.Ĭontrary to what critics say, Lee’s interest in 4*Town is very realistic. In support of “Turning Red,” the hashtag #at13 trended on Twitter as users shared personal stories about the fictional characters they fell in love with and the embarrassing things they were drawing, reading and writing at 13 years old. And as a result, reviewers shamed Lee for being “ too cringey ” and “ annoying. It is no secret that Lee is unapologetically crazy about boys: she routinely gawks at boys in the school hallway, doodles in her notebook about her crushes and has an obsession with the boy band 4*Town. Somehow, a quirky story about the chaos of youth has now become Pixar’s “most controversial film.” Upset by the film’s mention of menstruation, romantic crushes and autonomy, critics - particularly parents - claim that “Turning Red” depicts teenagers unrealistically and is inappropriate for child audiences. The film explores Chinese heritage, generational trauma and coming of age, but its portrayal of young teenage girl experiences has some critics up in arms. Disney and Pixar’s latest film “Turning Red” follows 13-year-old Meilin Lee and her newfound tendency to transform into a giant, red panda when faced with intense emotions.

New disney movie red panda