Kambri Smith Blog Post

Examining Disney’s Impact on Mass Media

 
Watching a documentary called Mickey Mouse Monopoly in Christina Ivey’s COMM 160 class at Boise State, we were made to examine the company Disney and the implications that are present inside of their children oriented films. Going up watching many Disney films, I certainly have a childlike love for Disney, but since watching this documentary, I have started to question the central ideas surrounding each movie. Belle from “Beauty and the Beast’ grew to become my favorite Disney princess because she was the one I connected with the most. We both were brunette, liked to read and love to sing. I also like the Beast’s character because he was different than the rest of the princes because he wasn’t this “fluffed up character” with no flaws. For the most part, most princes in the older Disney movies don’t so much communicate as they save the day, like in Sleeping Beauty and Snow White.  In the first picture, it shows the common things that the other princes have in common; they are charming and mostly rich or appear to be.

Coming back to the Beast though, it wasn’t until I watched the documentary that I really examined his character that he had sort of a demanding and destructive personality portrayed in the documentary. Keeping in mind, he is a beast, so they do play it up, but there are certain qualities that are unsettling is you compare it to that of abuse. We are told that love with Belle is the thing that changes him but was it accurate to portray the beast this way? Why was the beast a beast? Why did he act the way he did? He is introduced as a prince who was spoiled, selfish, and unkind and found beauty on the outside appearance. After being cursed, he is ashamed of his monstrous form and over time loses hope after not finding someone to love him, after all “who could learn to love a beast.” I believe that meeting Belle, he doesn’t want to put his hope in something that might not happen so in a way, he pushes her away. Now that isn’t an excuse for his behavior, but he has been away from society and has lost his manners in a way. As the master of the house, he is used to being in charge and very early Belle is defiant against his wishes. “I am just fooling myself, she doesn’t see me as anything but a monster,” said the Beast at 0:36:45. Now taking all this in, you have someone who’s life has been turned upside, who’s value was placed in their looks and no longer has that security in themselves because their character was horrid. He also doesn’t believe he can break the curse of how he looks so he has no hope and is insecure. Shielding himself from society, he no longer has to act in a gentlemanly way, and has a bad temper because he has no one to impress, all he has to do is say what he wants and it will be done. Now after Belle walks into his life, he starts to change because he is no longer the center of his world. By focusing on where the Beast is coming from, I think that you can also start to understand where his temper and attitude comes from and why loving another person changed him. Originally, my blog post was going to be focused on the portrayal of woman and men in their films, but with the beast being a critical issue in the documentary, I wanted to further examine it. Did Belle save him? In a way, but by being shown love first, he was able to love another. In the real world, I feel like this is a good example of changing social patterns. By showing love and affection to others, I believe you can impact others in their life.

 Reentering back to talking about mass media, all films and movies, there is a creative team behind the scenes, writing the content and producing the material. Each person has bias and stereotypes that are usually are formed by a social idea or norm. Disney is no exception and I feel this is something that we have to keep in mind with looking back. My next picture shows how the idea of how a woman should be change through the years to now, and I believe is very historically accurate. At the time, women were fighting for social change and I think you can see glimpses in Disney films’ how that impact has changed. Is there still a bias or idea for both woman and men today? Definitely. Is it right to show these woman this way? Well, is there anything you can do about it? Rather, focus on raising awareness to both adults and children, teach them that everything they see in the media isn’t accurate and needs to be question. Growing up with parents who taught me to question media in all forms and facets, I believe you become more aware by regularly questioning media you are exposed too. Does Disney have stereotypes? Of course. Everyone does even if you say you don’t, it’s a part of human nature. When you learn to question social ideas in media, that is a step towards social change, especially if you share your ideas with other. As author Dr. Henry Giourx said, “Romance about it [Disney] allows us to treat it as a fantasy, a fantasy that should never be questioned.”  I really appreciate watching Mickey Mouse Monopoly, not so much because of the content that was shared, but the fact that someone was willing to question something in media that seems so innocent, and examine it further.

https://www.google.com/search?q=stereotypes+in+disney&biw=1333&bih=624&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiJuNyumv7PAhWF6IMKHfrWDtcQ_AUIBygC#imgrc=D8c-RHrt02OZDM%3A