Hating on Cal Arts Style is the New Dogwhistle

What do Coco, Soul, Luca, and Turning Red have in common?

Promotional images for Luca (2021), Coco (2017), Soul (2020), and Turning Red (2022), ©Pixar Animation Studios / Walt Disney Studios

It has always been trendy to hate on what is popular, and especially what is popular with young female audiences. When a certain animation style becomes the norm, for example, that animation style may begin to see harsh criticism for no other reason than it is “mainstream” and therefore…