New Times,
New Thinking.

  1. Culture
  2. Film
22 November 2017updated 30 Jul 2021 8:09am

Pixar has always been a boys’ club

Rashida Jones is right: Pixar has failed to give women and people of colour as much creative control as white men.

By Anna Leszkiewicz

Everybody loves Pixar films. How could you not? Toy Story is a stone cold classic, WALL-E is adorable, Finding Nemo is a perfect story. Don’t pretend you didn’t cry your little eyes out at Up and Inside Out. So what’s the problem?

Yesterday, The Hollywood Reporter ran a story accusing John Lasseter, the chief creative officer of Pixar and Disney Animation Studios and director of several Pixar films, of misconduct, including “grabbing, kissing [and] making comments about physical attributes”. Lasseter later released a statement apologising for “missteps” (including “an unwanted hug or any other gesture”) and announced he would be taking a six-month leave of absence.

Subscribe to The New Statesman today for only £1 per week
Content from our partners
Securonomics? Don’t forget UK agriculture
The future of exams
Skills are the key to economic growth