Catching a flick on the weekend turned out to an unpleasant surprise. What I thought would be a care free story about friendship was actually a feminist propaganda film that will be seen by little boys. To see that this is the case, compare where the main characters(Wreck it Ralph and Penelope) are at the beginning of the film and the ending of it. Penelope starts off happy and ends happier. Ralph starts off very content and ends up working to find some kind of contentment in an empty existence. Their trip to the internet is suppose to be a critique of it. But this a mask for what the film’s actual message – which is – You low status males better know your place.

Penelope finds a group of cool new friends in a more viscous version of her racing game. The best driver is, of course, a beautiful young female npc ”Shank”. The introduction of this npc is her erasing an avatar of a boy player who tries to steal her car. The boy (shown playing the game throws a tantrum (as male gamers are know for as we all know) while Shank condescendingly explains that players should earn their successes.

Now, any of you gentlemen who play games know that it is male players who complain that games are becoming easier over the years and that the gaming experience is less due to it. This is female projection onto male players.

Penelope wishes to stay and Ralph has to deal with losing the only true friend he has ever known. Ralph releases a virus into the game she wishes to be apart of in hopes Penelope will get bored with it and come back home. This backfires and causes havoc. The virus copies ”insecurities” and copied Ralph’s insecurity, producing a giant needy version of Ralph which Ralph has to deal with. (he has to defeat his own insecurity).

Ralph succeeds but only after being rescued by the Disney princesses in the most back handed way possible. The Disney princesses have a chip on their shoulder about being rescued by a big strong man (even though some of the newest princesses like Mulan didn’t suffer that) so they rescue Ralph in a way that that he ends up in a dress on a bed and is kissed awake by a toad.

There is couple of things to notice about this scene. 1) Walt Disney made these films so an effigy of him should have been the target of the princesses ire but it’s a Ralph who has to be the stand in for him. 2) Ralph becomes a damsel in every way except the kiss from a beautiful princess. He gets a toad.

These girls wouldn’t touch this lowly male with a ten foot pole.

In the end Penelope is having the time of her life driving wildly with her new girlfriend, while Ralph is relegated to a book club with his male support group and baking(burning) at picnics with his married couple acquaintance. He has no real friends. He isn’t doing the things he loves to do anymore. little boys aren’t going to identify with Penelope. They are going to identify with Ralph. And the message is clear – You are a lowly male who should just accept when he gets dumped by his girl friend. You were never good enough for her and you do not deserve joy in your life.