Dan the Man

By
on

Smartly made and funny short from Brisbane, Australia-based Studio Joho that shows why not all videogame princesses are created equal. Production done with CelAction software.

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  • http://www.switchbladecomic.com rorschach

    I get the joke, but it still seems a wee bit sexist to me.

  • Scarabim

    That was EXCELLENT! More! More!

  • Lindsay

    Yeah, “funny,” as in running through the tired old gag that women are demanding, backstabbing shrews? Har har. Hilarious. e_e

  • John

    Tedious and sexist. Not the work of someone who’s had a girlfriend.

  • Grant Beaudette

    Hey, you can’t blame a guy for wanting to walk to the right and punch. It’s what we do. Am I right, fellas?

  • http://beesbuzz.biz/ fluffy

    The punchline was cute but I’m not sure it was worth the extended angry misogyny.

  • Michael

    Yeah, sexist, because the filmmaker clearly intended the princess to represent all women.

    Lighten up, guys.

  • http://kelseighn.blogspot.com Kelseigh

    Bit of a tired old joke, as people have said, but I gotta say the style and especially the “voices” go a long way to balance that and make it more appealing. Some good stylistic choices that keep it from falling totally into the mass of “video game animations” that seem to be everywhere these days.

  • http://www.pencilmation.com Ross

    Very funny, but by the end it I pretty much understood what was going to happen…which was okay because it was still a great ending.

    I didn’t really see it as offensively sexist, as it was making a comment on a pre-existing stereotype…but maybe I’m just a coldhearted schmuck?

  • peu

    hahahaha that ending was great.

    i didnt see it as all women are like that, just that all princesses are like that. royalty in general really.

  • http://gagaman.blogspot.com Gagaman

    Man some guys are taking this a bit too seriously. The films not exactly implying ALL women are like this is it? :S

  • Val

    Smartly made, yes. Funny, not particularly.

  • Sunday

    Delightful piece! Puts the sprite-based movement to perfect use, comes across as wordlessly and clearly as Chaplin, the actions and timing are very funny, and “learning how to beat the level” ties in perfectly with video game problem solving. Many comments thus far are ridiculous and woefully serious. Lighten up folks and roll with the truly cartoonish exaggeration of video game princesses and the player character who always endures so much in a level for so little! Honestly in gaming what real “reward” does the player get other than usually an extended credit roll with catchy music? It’s the journey TO the princess that is always the real point of gaming.

  • Thomas Dee

    It’s gone a long way towards underscoring the stereotype that women are thin skinned and reactionary.

  • Rick

    LOL… Thomas!

    Yeah, I didn’t think it was generalized to all anything, and Amid’s comment was spot on: “not all videogame princesses are created equal.” Says it all really.

    Amid, thanks for the clip! It was great!

  • Chris B

    Hehehe a bit sensitive today are we? I liked it. Although I feel it was racist as there were no ethnic minorities in this here short. Come on what up with that!

  • http://www.spiteyourface.com Tony Mines

    meh.
    A fairly tired, familiar old idea that most adolescent boys humour at, around 14. Even on those terms though, if your going to be childish and sexist, at least do it to such extremes that it acquires a sort of audacious dignity:
    http://vimeo.com/7670880

  • NoTimeForThat

    I seriously have to wonder if some of you humorless, easily offended, knee-jerking, unimpressable curmudgeons are capable of appreciating ANYTHING. I really don’t think that you are.

    Man, this post especially really shows just how snobby, elitist, and ridiculously pretentious a lot of you so called “animation enthusiasts” really are. It’s incredibly difficult to be a part of a community that’s this snobbish, and constantly up on their bitter, jaded, high-horses over every stupid little thing they see anymore. It really is.

    You’ll find one thing to harp on and call it a “disgrace” and be sickeningly full of yourself on one minor detail of anything, and then write anything you come across off with this self-centered, bloated pretension of a little video game parody animation as being too “sexist” for your oh-so-superior tastes. Or if that isn’t enough, accuse the author of not having a girlfreind or being 14 years old.

    That is incredibly uncalled for. I mean, what is wrong with you people? Is being bitter, jaded, and unable to appreciate anything without being total snobs about it not enough for you? That you have to personally insult the creator of this with your stupid assumptions about his personal life, too?

    Honestly, this community sickens me these days to a point where i’d rather not be associated with stuck-up animation snobs anymore who cant appreciate one damn thing without being hateful, derogatory, and snarky about their own imagined superiority in taste.

    This is one of the last straws for me. For a bunch of people who make it their mission to sound like stuck-up old farts, you really have quite a bit of growing up to do.

  • http://www.degrandland.com David DeGrand

    Wow, see NoTimeForThat’s comment to read what I was gonna write, well said sir!

    What a fun little throwback, and seriously, misogynist? Really people?

  • http://www.switchbladecomic.com rorschach

    Clearly, it’s a personal matter. We see what we choose to see, so there’s no right answer here. I only said what my first impression was and it remains so. If that’s considered snobbish or elitist to you, NoTime, then oh well.

    I’m also sure that the fine folks at Studio Joho weren’t being deliberately mean. Maybe they’re more laid back about this sort of thing down under. *shrugs*

    Though I agree with Chris B., and upon viewing again, I’m even wondering why anthropomorphic pelicans named Winston haven’t been represented here! *points* Shenanigans!

  • Eric Drobile

    NoTimeForThat said it best! Loved the short. It could be as easily as sexist towards men as it could be towards women, if you apply that kind of thinking.

  • Deaniac

    Thank you, NoTimeForThat, for summing up every thought that has passed my mind about this blog in one rant. Sometimes I wonder why I still visit this place.

    In any case, the video was pretty funny. Mario should take notes.

  • http://thisisonlya.blogspot.com robcat2075

    I watched it to the end only because I was hoping he would eventually reach some “gay” level that would eliminate all the obvious drawbacks of the level he’s in.

    Alas, it was not to be.

  • Christopher Cook

    I never thought of it as sexist–that was an underlying current, sure but it wasn’t the first thing that crossed my mind. It was a cute and humorous little short.

  • Jay Taylor

    Thank you, NoTimeForThat!

  • Azz

    I liked it. It was cute and it replicated old school games well.

    As for the misogyny are amazing. He’s rescuing a princess who are well known for being spoiled little brats. Thats all. Case closed.

  • emjaybee

    Well done, but yes, sexist. Those bitches, always wanting to squeeze you for money amirite? Not about being “too sensitive” just “tired of predictable stereotypes”. If you like, think of it as criticizing the creators’ lack of originality, rather than their offensiveness.

    BTW, not really a statement on “royalty” (LOL) either, since, you know, in that case the hero would be the leech living off of *her* money. And hell, that might have been funny!

  • Bob

    NoTimeForThat :

    Thank you for that. We should off these uptight pricks and let easygoing people who know where it’s at take the reigns.

  • http://trevour.blogspot.com Trevour

    Oh come on. Sexist? Are you really overlooking everything else about this short because a fictional PRINCESS wants everything? So much for a fun little story. And it was EXCELLENT. They made the right choice by keeping it authentically 16-bit without voiceovers. Not to mention sprite designs and movements, video game “physics,” and SFX. Predictable or not, I enjoyed it to the very end.

  • http://tresswygert.blogspot.com Tres Swygert

    It was a hilarious clip from start to finish, especially with the different scenarios Dan had to go through. And to be honest, this clip wasn’t “sexist” as one would put it. It wasn’t representing all women with that one character. I know not all women are like that. Are there some? Yes…but it really wasn’t “sexist”.

  • Luke

    I was pretty psyched when that dog got shredded

  • Pez

    This is fantastic!! Pitch this as a show to Adult Swim or Spike TV. Great work. I have wanted to see a cartoon like this for a while. Hope to see more.

  • GhaleonQ

    Unbelievable, thin-skinned and reactionary commenters. Please, apply your (1/x)*a = a formula to all animation from here forward.

  • http://www.mitchworks.com/ Mitch Kennedy

    Haha I love all of the videogame gags.

  • http://dontpokesmot.blogspot.com/ Annie-Mae

    Sexist? I’m a woman and the joke at the end is worth the offense. It was more like he was saying that if you crave adventure and action (and/or you’re not ready for love), hold off saving your princess and let other people go after her. Plus it’s a parody of the video game theme of saving a damsel in distress.

    Kinda slow but the ending was really sharp. Good one

  • http://ashleyjinkim.blogspot.com ash

    I didn’t particularly take offense to the princess-y attitude…but more so that boys are being raised today to think that all relationships will end up being that way.

  • http://www.sibsy.blogspot.com Sabrina

    I’m with NoTime….100%

    It’s easy to fall into the trap of being jaded and angry in this industry, especially when you’re surrounded by it on a daily basis.

    I enjoyed this cute little clip, and was not offended by it in the least.

  • Kate

    Sexist, but I really like how they used the medium.

  • Kate

    And it isn’t thin skinned. She is the only female character in the short. If there were another more level headed female character to counter balance her, I might enjoy it more. The other two aren’t as exaggerated in their behavior outside of the fighting. I thought it was funny, but that doesn’t excuse its problems. (Plus it’s been done a thousand times before without adding anything new outside of the medium, which is probably more offensive.)

  • rebecca

    This was great its nice to see something from Australia let alone Brisbane.
    I know a lot of you are commenting on the sexist nature of the animation, sure I see it but it’s not so bad.

    Being Australian and from Brisbane this animation really stands out as being really great.

    Brisbane, even though it is one of the capital cities, isn’t known for its artistic culture (it is known for its love of beaches). If there are any artists that do come from Brisbane they usually are lured south to Melbourne or maybe Sydney.

    The government in the past hasn’t supported its artists the way in which other cities have, however in the past few years this has changed a little (but not much)

    So in the cultural wasteland that Brisbane (aka Brisvegas) is what ever comes out of here has to be able to appeal to a kinda wide audience and what has a bigger audience than something that incorporates
    a) retro video games
    b) computers
    c) stupid girl princesses
    d) 14 year old boys
    e) and be g or pg rated
    Well done and I hope to see more but most of all I hope the studio doesn’t move from Brisbane

  • http://andrelucato.com Andre

    hahahaha Score !

  • Kirk Johnston

    It’s funny because it’s true you tools!

    Pick out a hundred random woman and I promise you’ll struggle to find the ones that don’t act like that when given the chance.

    Also, stop trying to pretend you’re better than or above the joke somehow because you’re not, and pretending like you are just makes you look like a mindless sheep who’s afraid to be noticed and say what they really feel less someone judge them too.

    Get over it.

  • http://jodmovie.com Jodie Hudson

    Oh my God, this is sexist. I mean everytime the guy meets somebody, his first reaction is to punch them, even when they aren’t a theat. Are there some men like this? Yeah, but not all of us.

    Also it portrays all business men as immoral peole that only care about profits and are willing to lend out easy credit to people that can’t afford it. This one might be a fact though.

  • s.w.a.c.

    Brisvegas? Sounds like you’d lose a lot more than your shirt there.

  • http://www.drawingattheendoftheworld.blogspot.com Adrienne Jenkins

    I’m really surprised at the strong negative reaction to this short.

    I guess I’m just a traitor to my kind, or something. Not feminist enough.

    I just thought it was simply a parody of that sort of video game, and a funny, if cliched humorous take on female-style materialism–especially since she’s a princess.

    On the one hand, as a woman, I’d love to see more shows and movies with female protagonists, or with a feminine sensability.

    On the other hand, the push of many women to make sure that no female characters have any major flaws, and are superwomen: 150% independent, intelligent, and capable, hurts the likelyhood of seeing many interesting female characters. I don’t think that makes female representation in the media “equal”. It just makes individuals and groups too scared of offending people to proceed on what could be interesting creative paths. So men continue to get a lot of “sex, fights, and explosions” media that panders to them, and we continue to get media that panders to women…celebrity gossip, romance, and shopping?!

    And on the other hand, male characters in TV shows often just act like retarded children. That could be sexist too.

    But why the guile, for this lighthearted spoof on a well-known and pretty benign genre? It’s not a blackface minstrel show, just a 16-bit parody. Man…I gotta update my rage.

    –Adrienne

  • http://jessicaplummer.blogspot.com Jessica Plummer

    NoTimeForThat – I’m sorry, but it sounds like the pot calling the kettle black to me in your post. Either that or it’s just dripping with sarcasm.

    Knee-jerk reactionary posts here? Sure, there are quite a bit, but it says something when many people speak up about an observance with a piece of work. That’s supposed to be commented on. That’s supposed to engage discussion. Whether or not viewers have opposing views as to the content, from the most simplistic to the most complex. Film, art and animation are mediums that naturally spark such a range of expression and reaction, or none at all. If you can’t understand that you must be new to this field.

    I come to Cartoon Brew because I enjoy the extreme difference of views on topics in the animation world, even if I don’t always comment myself. If I wanted watered-down, “agreeable” views, I’d head elsewhere. And to those who think everything is skewed negatively on this site must be reading a completely different Brew. There are very pleasant, promoting posts for work out there I see here every week, and commenters that post something scathingly honest or critical might post something very positively in reaction to something completely different the next day.

    Please stop cherry-picking “problems” here to support arguments that shouldn’t be made in the first place.

    …
    Back on topic, I feel DAN the MAN is a nice piece; my first thought was it’s very similar to “Consoul” by Lasse Gjertsen…a little better executed though since Consoul was far too long for me though. Did I see potential sexist undertones? Possibly…I thought immediately that some might take offense to it without even reading, but I didn’t take it as a personal slight.

  • Mitch Kennedy

    This is so sexist! That MAN can only solve his problems by fighting!

    C’mon folks, get a grip! She’s a princess who has been pampered her whole life, so she has expectations.

  • http://www.rubberonion.com Stephen Brooks

    hilarious! fantastic use of platformer/damsel-in-distress games to tell the joke!

  • http://www.lostroom23@blogspot.com paburrows

    Man that was funny and awesome use of the 8 Bit NintendoSgea Master System type game!

  • http://amber-gail.blogspot.com Amber

    Chiming in to say that it is always WAY too easy to earn money in video games, so why is this guy having such a hard time?

    If we’re all throwing the sexism word around, then why is there no discussion about why the player char is always male. Sigh…

  • Sherrie

    Loved the sprite animation, but felt the idea was a bit predictable. Still enjoyed it though.

  • victoria

    Why does the pink dog cost more than the car?

  • Lisa H

    nice work man….as always! :-D

  • http://www.j3d.com.au Joshy B

    HA! That was funny! (^_^)

    Loved the style.

  • Grover

    Yes, because any time a female character is depicted as having unpleasant characteristics, the author is trying to say that ALL females have those characteristics.

    Or he could just be telling a story. One of the two.

  • Donald C.

    Hilarious.
    More of a commentary on spoiled royalty in video games then actual women.
    It’s funny and cute. It doesn’t have to be taken seriously. It shouldn’t be taken seriously.

  • Dave

    I thought it was a great short.

    I wish we could all just lighten up. I’d hate to see the “sexist!!” reactions if someone posted a Fleisher Popeye.

  • Demetre

    I feel entertained and happy

  • gillaxian

    Great sprite animation! Awesome build-up, and a funny ending. I love the expressions, and the snappy video-game timing. Also a Great commentary on spoiled, self-centered princesses.
    But that’s the joke. If you don’t get it, you shouldn’t be in animation at all.

    I mean seriously, Chuck Jones would be weeping at the state of the “animation community” these days. How did you elitists react to Bugs Bunny cross-dressing to fool Elmer Fudd?

    I’m with NoTimeForThat, this community is filled with a bunch of haters.

    Haters will hate.

  • Derek

    “And it isn’t thin skinned. She is the only female character in the short. If there were another more level headed female character to counter balance her, I might enjoy it more.”

    Good lord, this isn’t a major motion picture. This 5 minute animation should introduce a token “level-headed woman” to prove that the authors aren’t misogynists?

    Maybe that should be required by law, like some things are in businesses of a certain size. If your animation is over 2 minutes long, there must be a balancing character for every stereotype you use.

  • Prince Maximillian

    I can’t stand the way this movie perpetuates negative stereotypes about royalty! Like, just because she’s a princess, she’s not going to care about anything other than jewlery and pools? WELL, I’ll have you know, some of us with royal blood care about the welfare and security of our subjects and our court!

  • Max

    Am I the only one who finds it touching? DAN gets a chance to live his life all over again. He could throw the key away as retribution for the hell the princess made his last life. Instead, he gives the key to a man who could actually make her happy.

  • Paul

    Sexist? No! It is true. I know, because I was the keykeeper for 20 jears :-)

  • Max

    Amazing! a real stoner game!!! :p i wish it exists :( nooo!!! im getting a bad mood! i wil watch again then… hey that rhymes :p

  • Dere

    Reading the comments section made me facepalm SO hard.

    To the retards who screamed “Sexist!”: It goes both ways. If this video is sexist towards women because it has that selfish princess, then I will argue that it’s also sexist towards men because it depicts Dan as the princess’ bitch who’s willing to follow all her orders and work hard to give her anything she asks for.