Empathy, Anthropomorphism, and the Uncanny Valley Effect: Why Audiences Strayed Away from the Film Adaptation of Cats
Article
Cantrell, Kate and Hawkes, Lesley. 2021. "Empathy, Anthropomorphism, and the Uncanny Valley Effect: Why Audiences Strayed Away from the Film Adaptation of Cats." Journal of Popular Culture. 54 (3), pp. 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpcu.13021
| Article Title | Empathy, Anthropomorphism, and the Uncanny Valley Effect: Why Audiences Strayed Away from the Film Adaptation of Cats |
|---|---|
| ERA Journal ID | 11585 |
| Article Category | Article |
| Authors | Cantrell, Kate (Author) and Hawkes, Lesley (Author) |
| Journal Title | Journal of Popular Culture |
| Journal Citation | 54 (3), pp. 1-23 |
| Number of Pages | 23 |
| Year | 2021 |
| Publisher | John Wiley & Sons |
| Place of Publication | United States |
| ISSN | 0022-3840 |
| 1540-5931 | |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1111/jpcu.13021 |
| Web Address (URL) | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jpcu.13021 |
| Abstract | The 2019 film adaptation of the musical, Cats, was a box-office flop, unpopular with critics and audiences, and failing to recoup its production cost. The two major criticisms levelled at the film – its perceived lack of plot and unsuccessful animation – contributed to Cats’ inability to make an impact. While plot problems also beset the musical, the second criticism levelled at the film – the 'creepy' CGI – points to the uncanny valley effect as an explanation for the film’s failure. Specifically, category ambiguity hinders the audience’s ability to empathise with the characters and triggers feelings of discomfort and disgust. |
| Keywords | Cats; anthropomorphism; empathy; film; screen media; popular culture; the uncanny valley effect; negative affect |
| ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 470599. Literary studies not elsewhere classified |
| 360505. Screen media | |
| 470214. Screen and media culture | |
| 470514. Literary theory | |
| Public Notes | Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions. |
| Byline Affiliations | University of Southern Queensland |
| Queensland University of Technology | |
| Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
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