is A Bug’s Life anticapitalist (#2)?
There is simply too much anticapitalist goodness in A Bug’s Life for just one essay, so here is essay #2 (click here to read #1)!
Recently, a graphic by @socialclub406 has been going around Instagram that demonstrates how racism, capitalism, environmental terrorism, settler colonialsm, and patriarchy all work in tandem to support one another. In 1998, A Bug’s Life demonstrated this concept (for kids??) through capitalist Grasshoppers and working class Ants, particularly highlighting how capitalism, racism, and imperialism work together to keep oppressors in power.
Fundamental to the Grasshoppers’ reason for subjugating the Ants in A Bug’s Life is their deep-seated belief that the Ants are an inferior species. This is textbook racism, and the Grasshoppers display all the behavior we see in America from racist white people towards people of color. This prejudice, discrimination, and antagonism is summarized by Hopper at the end of the movie when he is speaking to the revolutionary ant, Flik: “You piece of dirt. No, I’m wrong, you’re lower than dirt. You’re an ANT. Let this be a lesson to all you ants. Ideas are a very dangerous thing. You are mindless, soil shoving losers put on this earth to serve us.” In addition to belittling them, Hopper uses the word “ants” throughout the movie as a slur, saying things like “it seems to me that you ants are forgetting your place.” It’s hard to hear these sentiments and not replace the word ants with a slur used for people of varying races, religions, abilities, or sexual orientations. The Grasshoppers try to convince the Ants that they are less than human (bug?), as it reinforces their reasoning for exploiting their labor in a capitalist system.
This same racist/oppressor mentality is expanded from the individual to entire nations, resulting in imperialism and environmental terrorism. It is revealed in the first scene of the movie that not only are the grasshoppers exploiting the ants’ labor, but they are actually outsiders pillaging the resources of another “nation,” aka the ants’ island. This practice is unfortunately also typical of humans, specifically Americans; US business owners frequently capitalize off of cheap labor overseas, exploiting people of color, while also draining a country of its natural resources. Populations in the Global South have been devastated by oil drilling and over-harvesting, and countries that were once rich in resources can no longer support their own populations. When the Grasshoppers in A Bug’s Life demand that the ants harvest double the usual amount of food to appease them, this exact relationship between capitalism, imperialism, and racism is demonstrated. The grasshoppers do not care about the ants and their island, and simply see the island as an opportunity to continue growing their riches. There is also a poignant scene in which the grasshoppers relax in a cantina, appearing to have travelled to Mexico for a vacation. In this scene, there is a direct comparison made between Hopper and his brother as the “president” and “vice president” of their group, solidifying the allegory between the grasshoppers and the US government. As is common with American politicians and the wealthy elite, the grasshoppers engage with tourism in the very countries that they destabilize on a large scale through imperialism and exploitation.
In response to the Grasshoppers’ imperialist expansion, our hero Flik sees that an international coalition is needed to fight back. He embarks on a mission to leave the ant island and find other bugs who will help them “fight to forever rid [the ants] of Hopper and his gang!” As Flik floats off the island on a dandelion puff seed, he yells “For the colony, and for oppressed ants everywhere!” With this line, the ants shift from simply representing oppressed workers of one country to representing oppressed members of a fascist system everywhere. During the Spanish Civil War, volunteers from the United States joined with the Spanish Republican Forces to fight Francisco Franco and his nationalist faction in what was called the Abraham Lincon Brigade. These international brigades were organized by Communist International, whose mission was to “struggle by all available means, including armed force, for the overthrow of the international bourgeoisie.” As Flik leaves the island, he is embarking this same mission, working to build his very own communist revolution in A Bug’s Life.
Once in the city, Flik finds a group of bugs he believes to be warriors and recruits them to return to the island. The bugs he finds actually happen to be artists (circus performers), and they initially shy away from battle. After they observe the subjugation of the ants, however, they quickly realize that they are oppressed by the same capitalist structures the ants are facing, and join the revolution. Just as many members in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade had no prior military experience, the volunteers are all united by the desire to fight facism. In a rousing speech that solidifies class consciousness, Flik ignites the revolution: “You’re wrong, Hopper. Ants are not meant to serve grasshoppers. I’ve seen these ants do great things. And year after year, they somehow manage to pick food for themselves, and you. So who’s the weaker species? Ants don’t serve grasshoppers, it’s you who need us!” Hopper then tries to step on Flik, but the princess gets in the way. When Hopper turns around, the entire colony of ants has stood up to fight the grasshoppers. United, they hugely out number the grasshoppers, just as the workers of the world outnumber the 1%. Together, the workers of the world unite against the common conglomerate enemies of racism, imperialism, and capitalism, and build a bug Utopia. The International Brigades attempted this in the 30s, A Bug’s Life advocated for this in 1998, and Teen Vogue is arguing for this now in 2020. It’s time we take a leaf (pun intended) out of each of these books and unite in a global uprising against capitalism!!!!
