From Child to Adult, and Back Again

One of the arguments that Judith Halberstam makes in The Queer Art of Failure is that "low theory" can provide new alternatives to the present, by rethinking what is currently considered as being normative and natural, such as the moral weight given to reproduction (15-18). "Low theory" in this case meaning accessible theories taken from more widespread and unconventional sources, such as animation movies and popular columns (19-21). Instead, "low theory" provides us with a childlike look on the world, where revolt is given the foreground and not conformity to the system currently in place (27-28). This subversiveness dismantles how we consider success in life, which is usually measured by how well someone fits in the system, and "failure," or how one fails at fitting in. "Low theory" can provide new ways to appreciate failure, and it can also be used to subvert the current system. This can, again, can be seen in some animated films, which Halberstam dubs as being part of the genre of "Pixarvolt" (Pixar + revolt).
I agree with Halberstam that the "Pixarvolt" genre can form new alternatives to our current reality. However, I still have difficulty considering how childhood movies can work on in our adult lives. In other words, how can "low theory" spur the viewer to internalize the revolt? Or, in other words, how can one take these movies form their childhood and incorporate them into their adult lives? Considering, I also believe that it is entirely dependent on the viewer what one can take away from watching a movie. Take, for example, adult humour in family animation movies, something which some animation movies contain plenty of. It can sometimes even feel as if one is watching a different film than the one they have watched in their childhood (of course, other factors should also be taken into account, such as nostalgia). Shrek is an excellent example of this, since the movie contains a lot of crude humour, which children that are watching the movie will usually not get; such as the statement of Shrek when seeing Lord Farquad's castle that "he's compensating for something." This phrase is, of course, commonly used to refer to a probable inadequacy of one's phallus. It would be interesting to investigate if the use of adult humor undermines some of the subversive elements of animation movies.
Nonetheless, I also do not want to downplay Halberstam's observations of the effect that animation movies could have had on the viewer. For example, the generations that grew up with a lot of the "Pixarvolt" movies Halberstam talks about are ascribed of having a new way of coming to age, which can be called "kidulting." "Kidulting" can be defined as the prolonged in-between area, compared to previous generations, between childhood and adulthood, and the incorporation of childlike-elements in adult life. "Kidulting" can, for example, be seen in the vast popularity of Pokémon in many adults that grew up with this beloved animation series, and the way they still are invested in the series. This new phase can lead to change in the long run, since failure in not yet attaining adulthood is embraced as something good and creative, at least by members of their own generation. It might be that "pixarvolt" movies, or series as diverse as Spongebob Squarepants, have played a defining role in this new phenomena.
These are some of my thoughts when I read The Queer Art of Failure.