Why Pixar’s “Cars” Universe is deeply disturbed.

This is a blogpost sparked by a heated debate between myself and my friend Dave Chen of the Slashfilmcast. 

If Cars don’t procreate - who or what is their creator?
We understand (or are told) in Cars 2 that the individual cars are created in factories. This of course means we don’t have to contemplate the messy logistics of procreation (though my best guess would be that they could still have sex for pleasure, and that it would likely involve the tailpipe performing a one-stop-shop cloaca functionality similar to the purpose it serves for birds and reptiles). 

Cars Have Religion?

Cars 2 pope.jpg
So we saw in Cars 2 that there was the Popemobile (and a Pope). This implies that at least one major religion exists in the context of that world - and would also suggest a belief in a singular creator. Beyond this is the inherently disturbing idea that an individual cars place in life is actually predetermined, applying a very Calvinistic approach to the Car’s society. 

Calvinistic Principles and The Caste System

Thequeen.png

Since each car is “assembled” and produced in a factory, there’s that inherent caste system built into it. If you happen to be a nice car - a Porsche or a Bentley or an Aston Martin, then you’re also understood to be both wealthy and attractive. However, if you happen to be made like Mater (the tow truck companion to the main star McQueen) your job is always going to be pulling around other cars. There is no upward mobility and your station in life is simply assumed to be static. This becomes even more disturbing as planes and boats become involved in this ecosystem as well. 

The “Service Class”

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Also added to the Cars universe for the first time we see Planes and Boats. Somewhat comparable to the existing Mack trucks in the first film,  the sole purpose of these individuals is to haul and transport other wheeled vehicles.  The most disturbing aspect of this is that the cars either ride inside the individuals or on top of them. This can be compared to human instances where other humans are used as tools (Nzinga’s Stool or the often used Litter) - however, neither of these examples require individuals to ride inside other individuals. 


Conflicting Food Imagery

Throughout most of Cars 2 you are predominantly shown the idea that cars have to run on fuel (presented as Allinol). If fuel is the predominant method of consuming / producing energy as a car - how then do Cars have needs for things like Wasabi, and Taco Trucks? This also leads you to question why they even have mouths for things besides talking. Does all fuel go in and out of the gas cap entryway? The human equivalent of this would be taking food through your bellybutton. This also brings up the disturbing question of how anyone (besides Axelrod) could become a solar powered car. Is that the human equivalent of becoming Vegan?