I really learned a lot from James Parris’ presentation. I was really impressed with his studio’s animation, especially given the scale and budget he had. It was very well rendered and animated and gave a neat story that challenged a common preconception about how kids play.
He makes for a fantastic guest speaker, and I not only learned a lot, but was pretty inspired by what he talked about. I realized that making a change in the world isn’t something you have to dedicate your life to, but just slowly work towards however you can. As he put it, he “puts a drop in the ocean of change.” If everyone did that, our world would be a far better place.
I also liked his explanation of the need to desegregate what constitutes a “boy toy” and a “girl toy.” I never thought about it from the angle of destigmatization, and his explanation that it wasn’t to be enforced, but rather just not interfering if you see your kid doing something that doesn’t fit their gender’s preexisting notion of what they should enjoy. He explained it in a way that wasn’t condescending, despite it being something a lot of people in California would almost be offended if you didn’t agree. James is an excellent guest speaker, and I hope to encounter him again someday.