Animation isn't for kids, says writer-director
Brad Bird has also worked on 'The Simpsons' and 'King of the Hill.'
THE WASHINGTON POST
Despite all the McDonald's Happy Meal toy tie-ins, all the limited-edition sugary cereal and the other marketing to tots, "The Incredibles" writer-director Brad Bird wants the world to know that his PG-rated, animated film -- Pixar's first non-G-rated cartoon -- isn't baby stuff. Same goes for all animation, in fact.
"There's an automatic feeling that I can't wait for it to end -- the day cannot come fast enough -- when people stop assuming that animation is for kids," says the filmmaker, known for his work on such grown-up fare as "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill," where he gave himself the obscure title of "executive consultant."
("I consult on executives, and I basically advocate not having too many of them," he jokes.)
"Animation is seen as a kid's medium," Bird says, "which I think sells it short tremendously, and seen, oftentimes, as a 'genre.' It's an art form that can do any genre."
Age restrictions
He's even ready to chide, albeit politely, a reporter who, against the advice of his wife, admits to having allowed his 5 year old to watch episodes of "The Simpsons."
"See, I think I'm going to have to agree with your wife on this one," he says, with the tone of someone lecturing a guy who takes his kid to strip bars.
"I'm proud of 'The Simpsons' and of being a part of it for the first eight seasons, but it's not intended for little kids."
Of the bluenoses who have attacked the show -- and, by extension, him -- in the past, saying things like "I'm quite offended at that, as a mother," Bird says "Maybe, as a mother, you should be. Why don't you get the kid to bed and watch it yourself, because I think you're going to laugh."