Disney certainly has been a big part of my life and some of my greatest childhood memories can be associated to Disney.... my movie collection (which I still treasure today), my 1st trip to Disney world, my decorations, my pin collection, etc. etc. Yes! Disney is a part of me.
However, Disney has relied on propaganda to help sell their products. It is only natural. They are not the 1st to do it, so we can't really hold it against them. The question here is.. to what extent? The documentary "Mickey Mouse Monopoly" brought up questions that most people probably have never asked themselves, mainly because they are blinded by the "magical world of Disney". Even I, a die-hard fan of everything Disney related, have noticed some recurrent themes in movies. For example, one recurrent theme in princesses fairy tales is showing the girl as a damsel in distress that no matter how strong or intellectual she is, she will always need the presence and help of a man to rescue and complete her. The documentary did a good job explaining the impact that it has on little girls that grow up feeling like they need a prince to rescue them so they can live happily ever after. I mean, deep down, women today still believe that. I've seen it happen and think that is really, really disturbing!! Even MY favorite... Little Mermaid :( shows the submissive role of women who have no voice in a patriarchal society. I know, it is true!!.
These are valid points. But Disney has a special place in my heart for many reasons and I have to defend many valuable memories through three following arguments: FIRST, these factors are only analyzed and scrutinized by adults who know the social implications. Children don't have the malice to see these factors as an issue. As a kid I watched the movies just because I liked them. Like s favorite toy, a favorite movie, or a favorite story. No need to look beyond that. SECOND, why the attack on Disney movies? Most of the classics were written a long time ago in different times in history by different authors, so the stories are not really Disney related. Has anyone read the REAL story about The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen?? Would the movie be as successful if Disney presented the real story? No. Because it is not appealing and it is fantasy after all. LAST but NOT LEAST, are Disney movies the only one with hidden messages that may be harmful for children? Umm.... what about Looney Tunes? Everybody loves them. But how do Bugs Bunny, Daffy, and the others make children laugh? They teach children to be mischievous and the episodes show that it is okay to pull cruel pranks, to be a bully, to steal, to lie, to shoot someone and in some cases to kill, just for the sake of LAUGHTER!!!! So, actually any cartoon or movie our children watch and play with can have a huge impact on their social behavior.
However, Disney has relied on propaganda to help sell their products. It is only natural. They are not the 1st to do it, so we can't really hold it against them. The question here is.. to what extent? The documentary "Mickey Mouse Monopoly" brought up questions that most people probably have never asked themselves, mainly because they are blinded by the "magical world of Disney". Even I, a die-hard fan of everything Disney related, have noticed some recurrent themes in movies. For example, one recurrent theme in princesses fairy tales is showing the girl as a damsel in distress that no matter how strong or intellectual she is, she will always need the presence and help of a man to rescue and complete her. The documentary did a good job explaining the impact that it has on little girls that grow up feeling like they need a prince to rescue them so they can live happily ever after. I mean, deep down, women today still believe that. I've seen it happen and think that is really, really disturbing!! Even MY favorite... Little Mermaid :( shows the submissive role of women who have no voice in a patriarchal society. I know, it is true!!.
These are valid points. But Disney has a special place in my heart for many reasons and I have to defend many valuable memories through three following arguments: FIRST, these factors are only analyzed and scrutinized by adults who know the social implications. Children don't have the malice to see these factors as an issue. As a kid I watched the movies just because I liked them. Like s favorite toy, a favorite movie, or a favorite story. No need to look beyond that. SECOND, why the attack on Disney movies? Most of the classics were written a long time ago in different times in history by different authors, so the stories are not really Disney related. Has anyone read the REAL story about The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen?? Would the movie be as successful if Disney presented the real story? No. Because it is not appealing and it is fantasy after all. LAST but NOT LEAST, are Disney movies the only one with hidden messages that may be harmful for children? Umm.... what about Looney Tunes? Everybody loves them. But how do Bugs Bunny, Daffy, and the others make children laugh? They teach children to be mischievous and the episodes show that it is okay to pull cruel pranks, to be a bully, to steal, to lie, to shoot someone and in some cases to kill, just for the sake of LAUGHTER!!!! So, actually any cartoon or movie our children watch and play with can have a huge impact on their social behavior.
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