Abstract
This chapter examines how WDAS has depicted clothing and other objects made from animals’ bodies, such as fur coats, leather books, and feather quills. Part I outlines the relevant history surrounding clothing and other objects produced from animals’ bodies. Part II provides the data that demonstrates how often these products have been depicted in WDAS films. Then, Part III delineates how WDAS has depicted fur products, compared to how they have depicted other products made from animals’ bodies, such as leather. Finally, Part IV scrutinises WDAS’s most famous film about the ethics of producing clothing from animals: One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961). This chapter concludes by claiming that WDAS is speciesist with their criticism of products made from animals’ bodies.
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Notes
- 1.
Some sections of this chapter are taken from an earlier article written by the same author. That article is due to be published as a chapter in an upcoming book about the ethics of fur. The book is being published through the Palgrave Macmillan Animal Ethics Series (Palgrave Macmillan 2019).
- 2.
Due to the restrictions of animation, it is not possible to accurately record instances of wool and silk in WDAS films. This is because the clothing worn in WDAS films is not usually overly-detailed or explicitly named. Both wool and silk are materials that are difficult to animate using cel-animation, which is how the majority of WDAS films in this study were produced. Therefore, for accuracy, they are not being included here. Furthermore, they are never directly referenced, and the species they are produced from are rarely depicted, so they do not warrant the same level of discussion as other products. Leather is different because WDAS frequently depicts cows (the species leather is produced from) and meat (which cows are often objectified into). Therefore, it is important that leather is included here for consistency.
- 3.
This specifically means feather products, such as feather quills, feather hats, and so forth. It does not include feathers on living animals.
- 4.
This specifically means processed fur products, such as a fur coat. It does not include fur on living animals.
- 5.
This encompasses all depictions that realistically look like leather, such as a leather book strap or leather belt. Of course, it needs to be accepted that given the limits of animation, this may not be entirely accurate.
- 6.
This refers to processed shells, i.e. without a mollusc, such as Ariel’s shell bra.
- 7.
- 8.
British pantomime is a typical a family theatre show with comedy and music. Such shows usually feature a “pantomime dame”, a matronly, camp, older women that is played by a male. Further information can be found in: Sladen 2015: 80–89.
- 9.
A brief overview of some of PETA’s controversial campaigns can be found in: Yount 2008: 15–17.
- 10.
The 1961 Dalmatians film did, however, receive criticism and complaints for a scene in which the Dalmatian puppies nurse from some happy free-range dairy cows. This scene was cut from the film’s theatrical release in many countries as the sight of animated cow teats was deemed offensive (Cochrane 2014).
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Stanton, R.R. (2021). Clothing and Other Objects Made from Animals. In: The Disneyfication of Animals. The Palgrave Macmillan Animal Ethics Series. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49316-5_3
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