The Demonology of Dora the Explorer
Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:44 pm
I fucking hate Dora the Explorer with a passion. It's the most godawful retarded cartoon I've ever seen and I can't stand the fact that Dora and her companions can't communicate without yelling. Nevertheless, I am forced to sometimes watch this piece of shit show because my son is only five years old and every once in a while he finds it interesting. I guess I should count myself lucky that he's not obsessed with Dora like he is with some other mind-numbing tedium like Wow Wow Wubbzy.
Anyway, I read the following article with some interest; the author's position is that the antagonist - a weasel/fox/wolverine known as "Swiper" - is a demon.
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/sw ... -explorer/
Anyway, I read the following article with some interest; the author's position is that the antagonist - a weasel/fox/wolverine known as "Swiper" - is a demon.
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/sw ... -explorer/
For those who are unfamiliar with the series, the plotline of each story, both on television and in books, follows a similar formula. Dora and her monkey friend named Boots (who incidentally wears nothing but boots) encounter some animal that needs help getting somewhere, and with aid of a talking map and backpack, they find directions, ready supplies, and begin their adventure. Along the way, they encounter numerous talking animals and trees, small animals who appear from nowhere to play a transitional-scene theme song, and other marvelous creatures on their enchanted romp through the (super)natural world. One common plot element involves the entrance of the villain Swiper the Fox, who inventively appears and attempts to steal something from the adventurers. However, they are usually able to foil his plans by calling out, “Swiper, no swiping!” three times in succession. After this, Swiper cries out, “Oh mannn!” and sulks back into the unmapped forest.
While watching an episode with my kids one day, it dawned on me: Swiper was being expelled with an incantation to ward off demons. Is Swiper to be understood as a demonic figure?
...
After many more viewings and readings of Dora the Explorer than I can ever count, the figure of Swiper began to seem hauntingly familiar to me. To me, a professor and scholar of the history of Christianity, I saw this problem-solving strategy of dealing with Swiper within a larger, historical contest. He is an archetypal image of the diabolical fox-spirit in the history of religions. The words to ward him off are similar in pattern to spells or exorcistic formulae used to ward off evil spirits throughout history. And not only may children be learning how best to deal with the demonic, but they’re doing so in a very sophisticated way. For Dora does not completely cast out her demon, but rather allows for its redemption.
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