Disney animated movies contain biases and stereotypes. Just
like the people who make them, Disney animated movies are not perfect and
unfortunately main older Disney movies portray biases and stereotypes. Although
I did not consciously notice them as a child, I did when I watched again now.
It is important that we recognize these so that we can educate our children
about how these are wrong and steer them in the right direction.
Disney animated movies show the evolution in feminism. From Sleeping Beauty (yikes) and Cinderella (ugh) to Frozen and The Princess and
the Frog, Disney has come a long way in how it portrays women and women’s
roles in society through its films (finally!). Although feminism in Disney is
not perfect, there has been a clear shift in the princesses’ goals from finding
a prince to achieving their dreams (Tiana).
Disney animated movies also have a track record with
portraying villains has having stereotypically homosexual traits. While very
recent movies have moved away from this trend (Moana and Zootopia),
earlier films rarely strayed from this trend. Even Dr. Facilier from Princess and the Frog conformed to this
trend. It is important to notice this trend because it sends an immoral message
to children (that those with homosexual traits are villains) that is simply wrong.
Additionally, having grown up in Orlando, Florida, I had
always viewed Disney (the company) in a positive light because I associated it
with the park and the movies. Although I got frustrated by the tourist traffic from
time to time, I always had a place in my heart for Disney. For this reason, I
was surprised when I started reading Team
Rodent by Hiassen, another Orlando native. Hiassen is so against Disney and
believes the company is a corrupt money making scheme. Although Disney does
make a lot of money and Hiassen brought up though provoking examples of Disney being
corrupt, I still cherish Disney movies and my childhood memories at the Disney
parks. However, I will also remember the corrupt and questionable things Disney
has done to get where it is today. I am glad that I read his book though
because it showed that there multiple perspectives to every story. It also
challenged my opinions and beliefs about Disney, which made me question why I
love Disney. It made me realize that I love Disney because of what it stands
for to me: family time, fun, and movie nights. Although I did not completely
adopt Hiassen’s view point, his perspective has influenced my beliefs about the
innocence Disney projects.
Throughout this class, I think the things I learned the most
were that:
Everything deserves to be analyzed (even a Disney movie).
Don’t let something’s reputation (like Disney) define how
you think about it. Analyze it on your own and then talk about your ideas with
others.
