I find great comfort in the fantastical world of Disney films. I always thought that I would grow out of the fascination for these films, that I would grow up and indulge in art house movies whilst drinking red wine and writing poetry in leather bound books. But this didn’t happen and my love for Disney films only grew stronger.
I watch these films when I’m feeling slightly off centre or nostalgic and they never cease to entertain. My obsession with these films have been tamed however as I do not watch Beauty and the Beast 5 times in a row but still, there is something different about watching a Disney film when you are all grown up, it contains a different type of magic, one that intrigues and entertains on a different, more poignant level of creativity.
So, you can imagine my surprise when I entered one of my numerous film courses at varsity a few years ago only to find out that we were going to be doing a short course on Disney films. My excitement escalated! What I did not know however, that this course would question my outlook on Disney films altogether.
My lecturer (her name escapes me) explained that Disney was full of unsavoury messages that would brain wash children and only lead them into believing that everything ends happily ever after and that these worlds that existed n Disney films were in fact part of the real world.
Yes, Disney films exacerbate stereotypes as well as fantastical situations, but isn’t this exactly what they want? Disney do not hide in the fact that their worlds are not real, and yes the villain is always of foreign origin (well, their accent is anyway) and the woman might be in an inferior position but it’s fantasy, and this influence will not change the life course of younger ones as much as some other films directed with children in mind will.
Disney is escapism, and sometimes we all need to escape a little, no matter if we are 5 or 55. So, even though my perception of Disney has changed and I continue to view these films from a different point of views, I still hold a love for these films that no other movies could replace.
What do you think, kittens? Is my film study history making me over analyse the effect of Disney film or are these movies filled with brainwashing nonsense that is unhealthy for children.
I will watch Disney until the day I die! Sure they set the bar a little high - but so do films like Pretty Woman and The Notebook.
ReplyDeleteThe latest Disney film made in the traditional classic style animation last year, The Princess and the Frog, made a clear point of addressing the cultural and racial stereotypes for which the brand has been criticised.
We all know that the good guy doesn't always win, that animals don't talk and that 50% of marriages end in divorce but sometimes it is indeed thrilling to allow yourself to believe otherwise!
i also did that course! the lecturer was jessica tiffin, if you had the same one as me.
ReplyDeletei haven't seen the princess and the frog but would be interested to see how it addresses all the stereotypes.
i was a huge disney fan as a kid, and still know all the song lyrics, but the course did give me an insight into some of the underlying stereotypes, and blatant associated commercialism.
It's super interesting - it's set in New Orleans during the jazz era so it's not all old world and most of the characters are black with Southern accents. There are still representations of rich white folk and poor black folk but I think that's accurate to the period? So it's not totally stereotype neutral but it's progress!
ReplyDeleteI think I (and many others) have set the bar high but I do not believe it was because of Beauty and the Beast but instead some stupid rom-com that made me want that exact happy ending! The sterotypical scenarios in Disney films are evident but they just follow the stereotypical situations of other mainstream movies where we also see talking animals, foreign bad guys and happy ending with music and fireworks!
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