Footbinding in Modern American Art

[camwyn]

Well, if you define 'TV cartoons' as art, anyway.

Those of you who've seen the Cartoon Network show "Dexter's Laboratory" - the next time you're watching, keep an eye out for Mom. I was watching the other night when suddenly I got smacked between the eyes from behind by that part of my brain which records everything I ever read or look at. And what it smacked me with was a diagram of a normal human foot's skeletal structure, overlaid with the skeletal structure of the old 'lotus feet' effect you got from binding girls' feet in China. I spent the rest of the show watching all the characters' feet and realizing my brain just wasn't going to let go - Dexter's mom's got lotus feet.

This isn't something that can get chalked up to cartoon distortion, either. Dad's got normal feet compared to his body. Dexter, too, even though he has no neck. And Didi - Didi's feet are larger than her HEAD, and Didi's got a case of Charlie Brown Syndrome. Add in the fact that she's got that ballerina fetish and if anyone on the show should have deformed feet, it's her. Mom alone has teeny tiny feet, and Mom has never been seen to take her shoes off. True, Mom seems to be able to keep up with Dad when they go out shopping, but she's definitely slower than either of her kids.

Dexter's mom's got bound feet. Who knew? What's next?

Quick note: I came within a hair of writing a six-page monograph on founder effect and restricted genetic exchange's consequences for isolated Smurf populations as portrayed on the 80s TV show when I was in college. Dexter's mom is getting off light.

Comments

[pelogrande.livejournal.com]

Maybe she's got a medical condition. Or maybe she was in a terrible accident and they had to amputate her feet. You ever think of that? Huh? No, you jumped to conclusions and accused her and Dexter's father of being terribly abusive people. You should be ashamed of yourself! It's not the poor woman's fault that she's got podiatric problems!

Or something. ;)

[camwyn]

Excuse me, did I say it was voluntary? Mmmnope. My assumption was that Dexter's mom, like generations of Chinese women, was subjected to the practice in girlhood and has had teeny tiny feet to this day. If they were into horribly abusive practices, would Didi have the Feet that Flattened Cleveland? I don't think so.

Nyar.