Last summer, a theory started making its way across the vast blogosphere. It came to be known as The Pixar Theory. The Pixar Theory states that all the Pixar movies (those as old as Toy Story and those as new as Brave), actually exist in the same universe and are therefore interrelated. Today, conspiracy theories have become more than common, but this is the first time that a theory has gained such widespread publicity from the citizens of the internet. What is it about this theory that makes it so popular to the teenagers of today? And what do the students of Ridge High School have to say about it?
Well, the theory starts off in the world of Brave in the 15th Century. Supposedly the will-o-the-wisps become the source of all magic that is present in the future movies, movies that range from Toy Story to A Bug’s Life, from Finding Nemo to Ratatouille. The “Pixarverse” travels through time until it finally ends in the time period of Monsters, Inc. in the year 5000. In the process, it has gained a legion of followers and widespread media attention (not to mention thousands of reposts on Facebook and retweets on Twitter). The Pixar Theory isn’t the only conspiracy theory however. Another popular hypothesis is that Andy’s mom from Toy Story is actually the previous owner of cowgirl Jessie. Already we’ve seen characters make cameo appearances in other films (ex. Rapunzel attends Elsa’s coronation ball) and inside jokes made by the creators (ex. The Pizza Planet Car manages to find its way into every single Pixar movie).
These little cameos and inside jokes are known as “Easter eggs” in the world of media; they are basically little hidden messages or gifts for the viewers, from the creator to the audience. It’s the creator’s way of giving a nod to the work of his predecessors and injecting a little fun into a process that, as creative as it is, can be quite grueling. There is a large leap however between little Easter eggs and an entire world that encompasses all movies produced by a company.
Now it’s indisputable that these theories have become extremely popular today, but is this a good thing or a bad thing? Melody Xu ’15 explains that conspiracy theories mean so much to fans because “they give the audiences a sense of connection with the story. It’s really cool to see that every story is there for a reason (to keep expanding the big story).” Melody may have just touched upon the most important reason we want to believe theories like the Pixar Theory. It’s the same reason that a small set of silver bells continued ringing for a little boy every Christmas: we all want to believe. In a world based on magic and miracles, the Pixar Theory makes movies that much more magical and increase our appreciation of the work that the creators have done. What’s so wrong with that?
As interesting as it is however, the Pixar Theory is not without its critics. Many people claim that this theory has too many holes in it to be completely valid while others claim that it’s not likely the creators made all the movies with one world in mind. The most popular argument against the Pixar Theory (and all Disney/Pixar conspiracy theories for that matter) is that it’s, quite frankly, childish and immature.
Matt Perez ’17 states that these theories can get “a little ridiculous. Sometimes you have to wonder if these people have nothing better to do with their time than create theories for cartoons.” Perez definitely has a point here. Sometimes these theories can get a little crazy for their own good and people start taking the too seriously. There have been entire arguments started over the timeline of the Pixar Theory and many people have been offended when someone else didn’t agree over its validity. People are getting upset over the existence of a fan theory that was never meant to do anything other than amuse and entertain.
So are all these Disney/Pixar worlds really interrelated? Probably not. But does it give us a childlike sense of joy to see our favorite childhood movies come to life and converse with each other? Absolutely. As long as one doesn’t get too invested in the story and realizes that these movies are all works of fiction, there is nothing wrong with a little Pixar Theory. Just remember, the creators of these movies are amazing and innovative and it is certainly not out of the question, but trying to read too deeply into these movies is like overanalyzing a novel: sometimes a rock is just a rock and sometimes a movie is just a movie.