Excuse me, Disney!

When completing the readings on media’s portrayal of culture, it was difficult to pick just one line that stuck out to me, or got my mind racing. Did I want to focus on the appropriateness of Spongebob and Nickelodeon’s promise to encourage children to promote change, or did I want to focus on hook’s view on media’s portrayal of the poor? However, the documentary that we watched in class helped me to make my decision.

            This documentary showed the cultural stigmas and stereotypes that are shown through almost all of Disney’s early movies. In “Pocahontas,” children are exposed to cultural misconceptions, as well as a lack of accurate historical information. Movies like “The Jungle Book” and “The Lion King,” children are exposed to racism. There are little to no black people portrayed in early Disney movies. In interviews, children of color admitted to relating more closely to the hyenas from “The Lion King” and the monkeys from “The Jungle Book” more than they relate to any other character.

            The questions brought to light are, “do we refrain from exposing our children to these moves,” or “if our children are exposed to these movies, at what point do we intervene and provide explanation?” As a 90’s kid who was raised on Disney, I see the movies through rose-colored glasses. I connect all of these movies with my childhood and I plan to let my children watch them. However, I don’t want my kids to develop racist views or stereotypes from watching these movies, but am I going to have a sit-down conversation with my two-year-old about how Pocahontas didn’t actually marry John Smith? What is an appropriate age to have these conversations?

            According to babycenter.com, children begin to “categorize people in more sophisticated ways,” between the ages of 5 and 8. This would be an appropriate time to have factual conversations about race. The article advises parents to stick to the basics and encourage their kids not to label others with different skin tones. As they grow, more detail should be added to the conversation.

            It is also really important to highlight the main moral lesson that Disney is trying to teach. “Pocahontas” tries to teach acceptance and that no good comes from hating someone just because they’re different. “Beauty and the Beast” also tries to teach diversity and acceptance, as well as patience. However, it is still important to have conversations with children about healthy relationships and how to not stereotype.

            I can say that I don’t agree that Disney is all bad. I think for the most part, they try to portray important moral lessons and feel-good stories. I will agree that early Disney movies have some disturbing portrayals of many cultures, but I think that with the right communication and teaching, our children can see the good that Disney attempts to provide.

Kshef, Z (2017). How to Talk to Your Child About Race (Ages 5 to 8). Baby Center. Retrieved from https://www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-talk-to-your-child-about-race-ages-5-to-8_3657097.bc