October Post

Disney

This month the conversation that we had about Disney is something that really got my attention.  I think that it brought up many interesting points that I had not thought about before but it also brought up many points that I disagree with.  Disney was a huge part of my childhood, just like many children of all different generations.  Disney is such a large company and there are so many different things within it.  Movies were the main focus of conversation in class and all the different elements of the different Disney movies.  It was interesting that in every Disney movie we looked at there was something that could be interpreted as racist or sexist.  It seems like in any movie whether Disney or something else there is going to be something that people can find and pick apart.  Whether it is violence, over sexualizing characters, or over dramatizing situations I think that movies are about entertainment and through movies that might not always be politically correct Disney created entertainment for people of all ages.

There is something to be said for the influence that Disney has on children.  I do agree that they have a particularly influential and important role in children’s life and they do need to be careful about what they put in movies.  The example that really stood out to me was Peter Pan.  In Peter Pan the way that the Indians are portrayed is in a very racist way.  For young children who watch Peter Pan they now think Indians are people who are red and make mean faces.  Kids are very easily influenced and that is why it is so important to be careful what we show them.  However, there are some things that I think society needs to be less sensitive to.  Like I said earlier there is going to be something that we can pick apart in every movie that has ever been made if we look hard enough. 

Something that we did not talk about in class is all the positive things that Disney brings to children and people everywhere.  Although their approach may be flawed sometimes I think that Disney has a very positive goal and wants for children to use their imagination and enjoy really entertaining stories.  I think that in the case of Disney the pros definitely out weight the cons.  I do not believe that Walt Disney was trying to create a sexist and racist brand for children but because of human nature there are times that it can be perceived that way.  There are so many positive things that kids can take away from Disney such as, "A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart." and “If you keep on believing the dreams that you wish will come true."  I believe that these were the things that Walt Disney wanted for kids to believe in and take away from his movies.

I will not deny that my point of view could be bias because I grew up loving and enjoying Disney and still to this day I love everything Disney.  I am not a racist or a sexist person and I do not believe that Disney tried to influence me to be either of these things, but that is not to belittle the responsibility that they have to young people.  Overall, while we are being cautious of the things that are put in movies and are shown to young people, I think that our society should not be over sensitive and over analyze the things that are meant to be for our entertainment. 

http://www.inscribd.com/32-disney-movie-quotes-of-encouragement/