Is Scooby-Doo a Feminist Fashion Icon?
- Rebecca Doyle
- Nov 11, 2024
- 5 min read
How the live action adaptation became a staple of early 2000’s film...
imagery by Zoe Schoenfeldt
One fateful day, when Turner cable merged with TimeWarner, Warner Brothers approved of arguably one of the most memorable films of the early 2000’s. The live action Scooby-Doo Spooky Island, and Monsters Unleashed movies. Directed by Raja Gosnell, the films were initially rated PG-13, with none other than James Gunn as head screenplay writer. Production hit many bumps throughout the film's creation. Despite popular conspiracy, the initial R rating was actually due to a “misinterpreted joke” in the first draft of the script. Later on, the PG-13 rating was cut due to initial test screenings with parents side eyeing the idea that a classic cartoon like Scooby-Doo could be made with more mature content. The studio, having filmed a majority of the film, cut an abundance of footage due to the consistent feedback… So, what made this messy movie so memorable to adults and children alike?
This version of Scooby-Doo, despite being watered down, was still able to keep its edge. The intended tone of the film remained while simultaneously making an effort to shadow the more risqué themes. Although Linda Cardellini’s Velma sporting an orange latex jumpsuit saying “Who’s your Mommy” didn’t seem to make the cut, the creators walked a very delicate line that made this film truly memorable. Starting off with a base of mature themes, and cutting down content to make it more “kid friendly,” allowed space for juvenile humor and bright coloring to meld with campy elements that adults could appreciate. All of this was done without a desperation to cater to a specific demographic, keeping the essence and edge that the project started with.
This hilarious acute awareness is on display in Spooky Island, where monsters that take over college students' bodies are retrained to function in society around other humans. It’s this juxtaposition with the main dialogue in the film that assists in diverting expectations. The Monster Training Video scene is a prime example of being painfully self aware. Paired with the casual dialogue between Fred and Velma, the sequence pulls us back into this enticing storyline. As we see more and more tv shows, films, and even companies attempt to cater to younger audiences, creators can take some lessons from this scene. Sometimes being overzealous with your writing can have the opposite impact you were looking for, and this sequence is what helps the gang further uncover the mysteries of the island. What a beautiful 4th wall wink from the writers.
With a butchered script of comedic writing and 70’s inspired visuals, the vibrant costuming and soundtrack play a huge role in the movies’ success. The soundtracks for both films were arranged by John K. Bunkley, including a variety of genres that all performed well on the Billboard charts. It encapsulates the energy of the early 2000’s, featuring OutKast’s only non-album single “Land of a Million Drums.” The movies included iconic artists such as Shaggy (perfect), Third-Eye Blind, and even an on-screen feature of Sugar Ray. By melding 70s and 2000s fashion, costume designer, Lisa Evans, created various eye-catching looks for the cast of characters. Many iconic looks of Daphne came from her mind and hands, even going as far as making a duplicate from scratch of Christian Louboutin boots so Daphne could sport her iconic purple color. While we are so used to seeing the characters' costumes never changing in the classic animated show, it was a pleasant surprise to see the ability to meld into a specific style while still paying homage to the original characters’ looks.
Many voiced their praises about each character being altered from familiar expectations, with Daphne in particular going from damsel in distress to a kick-ass gallant girl. Daphne, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, as a character in particular became a beloved feminist icon. She consistently rejects sexist stereotypes, and her development as a character does not undermine her core personality. She becomes a black belt, defends herself and later others in physical fights, while still embracing her feminine traits. Daphne’s character subverts the expectation that a strong female character has to sacrifice her sense of femininity. Her sense of self is strengthened by her unwillingness to be hardened by her new skills, continually leading with empathy and kindness throughout the two films. Her active role as a hero, and her decision to dissolve sexist perceptions, are what helps solidify her as a figure of female empowerment.
Despite the suggestive camera shots and high sexualization of the female characters, the movies do showcase just how powerful women are. One of the most memorable scenes, arguably, from Scooby-Doo: Monster’s Unleashed is when Daphne and Velma come face to face with the Black Knight ghost. For those that don’t know, the gang searches for clues on how these monsters are coming to life inside Old Man Wickles’, aka the Black Knight ghosts’, mansion. This high tension scene of Velma reading and Daphne fighting, with neither Fred nor Shaggy in sight, portrays the caliber of strength women have in both intelligence and tactic. The two women ultimately defeat the ghost, with Daphne using her strength as a fighter and Velma using her strong intellect as she calculates the ghost's weakest point by reading a book she also had to translate. This drawn out fight sequence of these two women directly subverts the audience's expectations of the typical “damsel in distress narrative.” They show that women are capable of saving themselves using strengths typically attributed to men.
In the very same movie, the love story doesn’t focus entirely on Fred and Daphne, it’s actually between Velma and Patrick. As Velma isn’t someone who wouldn’t be deemed conventionally attractive (although the jumpsuit scene would beg to differ) this is yet again another facet of the film’s storyline that is handled well that breaks from traditional narrative devices when it comes to love. Despite the brief sexualization of Velma’s character, it does play a broader role in calling out these traditional story lines. Velma initially assumes that she needs to be a glamorous, sexualized being in order for Patrick to be interested in her. Even Daphne initially perpetuates this ideal that you need to formulate yourself in order to appeal to the male gaze. However, the audience later comes to find, along with Velma, that the initial attraction to her was her intelligence and being herself.
A love storyline with Velma’s character was a nice change of pace, and seeing this play out without the writers pulling a “She’s All That” is a message a lot of women needed during that time, and even today. Shown again in Spooky Island, Fred and Velma’s dynamic is played out as Velma talks about Fred’s lack of attention to her. She calls Fred out saying that all he cares about are swimsuit models. In an attempt to defend himself he says, “No! I’m a man of substance, dorky chicks like you turn me on too.” Naturally she ignores this comment. Her refusal to accept flailed praise, along with refusing to change what she enjoys, goes to show that any attraction to her is not a measure of her worth.
The films and cartoons ability to cater to a vast audience is what makes them so timeless. As we’ve seen, films that have made the attempt to jump from animated to live action have been hit or miss. For Scooby-Doo, the reward outweighed the risk. Audiences still know and love these movies even with its average CGI and tumultuous production. It earned its place as a timeless film. Maybe even a cult classic. Adults that grew up with the film still are dedicated fans 22 years later, and with its paw-print forever on the internet, this early subversive film will continue to be adored for generations to come.
BY ZOE SCHOENFELDT
