RELATIBILITY
A large problem many people spoke about after watching Turning Red was its relatability factor. This movie was written under a very specific narrative; it is set in Toronto, following the actions of Mei, who is a young Asian teen. For some people, this might seem very limiting, and this was the case for Sean O'Connell, CinemaBlend’s managing director. After watching this film, he posted a scathing review, saying:
"By rooting 'Turning Red' very specifically in the Asian community of Toronto, the film legitimately feels like it was made for Domee Shi's friends and immediate family members. Which is fine — but also, a tad limiting in its scope. If you are in [the target audience], this might work well for you. I am not in it. This was exhausting."
This may be true for O’Connell—he is a white, older man. How is he supposed to relate to Mei, who is both Asian and a girl, having gone through a different form of puberty in a different culture? He really may not be able to connect to the story, but this is not the point of Turning Red. Many movies, even going as far as to say most movies, are not written with minorities in mind. Chinese people are not often able to see themselves in any media, at least not on the same scale white people can. They have to adapt to white culture and try to see themselves in a demographic that is not their own. Why can O’Connell not do the same? Instead of acknowledging the importance Turning Red has not just for Chinese girls, but any young girl going through puberty, he tries to criticize the film for not conforming to his demographic. This review sparked heavy controversy, even catching the eyes of Meilin’s voice actor Rosalie Chiang herself, who gave her own response:
"This is a coming of age film, everyone goes through this change … I think different people of different cultures are going to go through it differently, but at the end of the day, the core messiness and change is something everyone can relate to."
Sean O’Connell’s review gained such negative feedback that both he and CinemaBlend issued a formal apology, claiming that it was in poor taste and should have been edited before being sent out. The review was taken down, but the impact of it remained. Turning Red’s scope is not as limited as it was described—but this review will leave the thought lingering in the minds of those who wish to believe it.
