UWC2101F: Writing & Critical Thinking: Aesthetic Transformation

Lee Weng Hong
UWC2101F
Dr. Gardner
Paper 1

Fig. 1	Fig. 2

Dexter's Lab is a cartoon created by Genndy Tartakovsky (Creator and Director) and Craig McCracken (Art Director and Co-creator) and is shown on Cartoon Network. It promotes simplistic drawings and exaggerated artwork much like his other cute cartoons, Samurai Jack and PowerPuff Girls. However, before anyone dismisses it as 'one of the usual cartoons', I implore him or her to take another look at the protagonist, Dexter, and his sister, Dee Dee, before casting judgment on the show. Dexter as the protagonist seems to be inappropriate due to his unfriendly behaviour, yet this behaviour is essential as it differentiates the show from mainstream cartoons. One will also find the role of Dee Dee indispensable to the show, though she is often seen as a sideliner who creates chaos. My intentions here are to show that Dexter is an unusual protagonist, and how the comic effect is generated by, and only possible with, both cartoon characters.

In the show, Dexter is portrayed as a child prodigy with undying passion in scientific pursuits. From his standard dress code of white physics laboratory outfit (see Fig.1), one can tell that he is much devoted to the scientific cause. His large black-rimmed spectacles and dark blue gloves also exhibit his professionalism in his 'scientific career'. Indeed, in all his cartoon episodes, he never ceases to create gadgets that are inconceivable by any human standards. But is not this too much for the 7-year old child? From the realistic sense, one would expect him to have childlike behaviour: he is far from that. Dexter's solitary involvement in scientific research within his laboratory has alienated him from what we perceived to be normal of a 7-year old, and this is definitely not cute. His pensive poses (complete with furrowed eyebrows), and intelligence to create gizmos, though reflective of his all-serious attitude and talent towards his scientific passion, do not help either- they further show him to be an unapproachable eccentric who rather interact with machines. What we best have at hand is a freaky kind of cuteness.

Clearly, Dexter was not created in mind to be 'normally cute'. 'Dexter is not cutesey, heck, he's rarely even friendly' - Polamnus, (Forum, Planetdexterslab.com). What draws the line between him and 'irksome' is only his short 'kiddy' stature (complete with exaggerated features.) On the overall, he can be seen as a representation of orderliness, which makes for insignificant comic effect.

Fortunately, Dexter's colourful older sister, Dee Dee, is an anarchic character that acts her age, albeit suspiciously with a lower intelligence than her peers. Her image is bubbly and adorable, similar to that of a PowerPuff Girl. This ecstatic image creates a resonating humour when it meets with Dexter's dull image: an exasperated Dexter trying to stop Dee Dee's mad capes can be quite entertaining. This theme is much like that of the comedy show, Dharma and Greg, where Dharma is the creative/vibrant effervescence and Greg is the conventional sodium chloride block. A careful balance between the two orders exists, much like the Taoist's balance of 'Yin' and 'Yang'. A representation of their symbiotic relationship is shown in Fig. 2, depicting a scene where Dee Dee meddles with Dexter's newest invention. The mini Atomic Particle Laser Gun that Dee Dee is holding onto has been greatly exaggerated to emphasise the intensity of the damage possible, in the wrong hands of hare-brained Dee Dee. Helplessness is portrayed in Dexter as he chases after Dee Dee with his stumpy short legs, which greatly contrast with Dee Dee's long dangy legs. It is this physical advantage that allows Dee Dee to tinkle with her younger brother's gizmos and always get away with it.

What then, renders this cartoon cute? Perhaps it is the innocence of their intentions: Dexter just wants Dee Dee out of his private lab, and Dee Dee just wants to play. In all the mishaps and mini-wars fought between Dexter and Dee, no serious grievances and hurt was intended or caused to either party, bringing resemblance to the usual sibling rivalries, especially to the older-sister-and-younger-brother model, in their formative years. With the focus on Dexter as the ignorant (there lies little truth in that) baby brother, he is more tolerated for his behaviour, and gets away from being harsh with Dee Dee. Rather than harmful and hostile, the rivalry actually builds up the relationship between the two, albeit temporal hatreds abound between the two. Much like the relationship between Hammie and Zoe in 'Baby Blues', the sometimes reactive interactions serves to let both siblings understand each other better, yet allows for development of their individual character. Thus their contentions are instinctively regarded as cute by our parental nature, as we see a result of personal growth and development in the little fellows. There are also traces reminiscent of our childhood, where we once had too, the comfort of arguments and discontents with our own brothers and sisters, though, through ages apart, this now appears cute rather than unbearable.

Another perverse form of cuteness formed by both their presence can be interpreted: that Dexter in all his capabilities is still defenceless against his older sister seems an irony deserving of our attention. None of us like Dexter enough to wish him success in his laboratory experiments, as he seems so egocentric and unfriendly. The unlovable Dexter here thus is a subject of contempt whom we very much want to see thwarted in all his endeavours, and Dee Dee is exactly our instrument for realising that. The more trouble Dee Dee causes Dexter, the merrier we are. This is much like the satisfaction that we get when we see the failure of a villain to carry out his diabolical plan successfully, except that Dexter is the protagonist and his plans against Dee Dee(who is the antagonist) are hardly malicious.

Dexter represents Order while Dee Dee is the manifestation of Chaos. Dexter is squarely drawn and often without a smile, while Dee Dee is euphorically curved and always jubilant. Dexter is dully coloured while Dee Dee is in shocking pink and bright yellow. The differences are many, and they add to the effect of contrasting the two individuals. It is exactly this vast difference that is accentuated throughout the show, which adds to the holistic cuteness of the show. Building a characters-chasm always evoke laughters when interaction occurs anywhere between the two opposite factions.

Though Dee Dee is admittedly the cuter character of the show, she is unable to fully bring about a wide range of flavours to the show without the presence of Dexter. Without Dexter, Dee Dee is at best a PowerPuff Girl without powers; and the show a PowerPuff Girls Cartoon with only one Puff girl. Dexter adds the much needed sense of balance to an otherwise ordinary cartoon, just as Dexter's Lab represents stability that encapsulates the dramatic havoc within the show.