7. “Out There, in the World”: Representations of the Zoo and Other Spaces in the Madagascar Trilogy

Excerpt

In the animated film Madagascar (Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, US, 2005), about four animal friends escaping from New York zoo, an early scene depicts the animals’ daily routines before their departure. We see Alex (a lion, and a star attraction at the zoo, voiced by Ben Stiller) having his fur blow dried by a number of assistants, ensuring his mane is resplendent; Gloria (a hippo, voiced by Jada Pinkett Smith) is being massaged; Melman (a hypochondriac giraffe, voiced by David Schwimmer) is being given acupuncture (Fig. 7.1). All three receive the treatment willingly, with Gloria declaring, ‘This is heaven’. The sequence suggests this treatment is regular behaviour, a reward for the animals after their day of labour as exhibits in the zoo, but also a sensible investment by the zoo to ensure its attractions remain healthy and spectacular. Later, the animals settle down to sleep, with the sound of exotic, jungle noises in the background. Alex complains, ‘They forgot to turn the ambience off again’, and Marty (a zebra, voiced by Chris Rock) kicks the speaker near his enclosure and the pumped-in sounds disappear, to be replaced by the real background noises of New York; cars screeching, police sirens, and people screaming. Alex is ameliorated; ‘Ah, much better,’ he responds.

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