Posts tagged disney

“Disney films, and to a lesser extent other animated films, have become the staple of movie fare for children, an institution we bring them up in and use to teach values. One only need to look as far as books such as The Family New Media Guide and The Movie Mom’s Guide to Family Movies to see the recommendation of Disney films for value lessons. The former title even goes on to point out that “Disney has almost become synonymous with wholesome family entertainment.” (p. 59) Neither of these books address the depictions of sexuality and gender role modeling that are an ever present subtext in Disney films.”

“Women are constantly depicted in sexually suggestive ways. Many of the human characters of animated films have suggestive mannerisms, dress or both. Aurora is flirtatious and coy. Pocahontas wears a low-cut dress with plenty of cleavage while Ariel wears nothing but a bikini top. Megara sashays her hips and her dress clings to her body like a second skin and Jasmine’s two-piece outfits are of the harem girl style rather than what real Arabic women wear. Chel dresses differently from every other woman in her tribe. And then there is Esmeralda, whose dance in The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a striptease in all but actually taking off her clothes. Esmeralda’s pole-twirling is straight out of that style. And these suggestive mannerisms are not just limited to the adult women. The little girl in The Jungle Bookis pre-teen, but has already mastered the coy mannerisms of suggestive sexuality to lure Mowgli back to the human village.  Male characters are never shown in this manner.”

http://animation.memory-motel.net/sexuality_american.html

As children, not only do you watch these movies, you see them over and over and over again.  As children your brain is developing, you’re learning about the world, what it’s like, how you fit in, what your position in society is etc.  More than likely children trust their parents completely, and so when they sit them in front of a movie, I don’t doubt that the child’s brain automatically assumes that everything they are seeing is an accurate depiction of the world. 

As far as the argument about knowing that magic etc. doesn’t exist and giving children credit… children can’t combat something they don’t even know is happening, or if they have never seen any alternative. 

I love Twilight.  Went and saw Eclipse yesterday, and I loved it just like I have the other two and all the books.  Throughout the whole movie I was hypersensitive because of all the criticism it’s received regarding Edward being like a d.v. partner, and Bella having to be protected and shit.  I agree that the movies and books support the basic template of the man being supreme and the woman being protected, yet there are many rad key points that stand out for me.  By no means do I think anything should be overlooked, or left unconfronted.  I think it’s extremely important to point at whats wrong and to hold it accountable for how it affects our mass culture, especially considering just how huge Twilight is. 

I suppose I just want to ask why people spend time talking about Twilight, but not any of the other huge movies that our children are raised with.  Like Cinderella and The Little Mermaid.  Or why people don’t talk about parents showing their tiny kids violent horror films.  Comparatively Twilight is minor compared to the movies that are considered ‘normal’.  With Twilight, you can even say you hate it and be part of a collective whole that agree with you, but if you dare say that Disney is sexist, watch the fuck out because at least from what I’ve experienced practically everybody you know will descend on you to defend what is ‘normal’. 

I only want to point out a few things that I really noticed about Twilight in regards to Edward being a controlling bastard.  Bella doesn’t have to fear what Edward will do, if she does what she wants.  Yes, he has every right to be jealous and dislike another trying to go after his significant other.  I would consider that normal.  As far as the author pushing her Mormon beliefs on people, like not having sex until after marriage… While I hardly think that it’s necessary or good or bad or anything like that… I think it’s significant to say that for two people who would die for each other because of their deep bond and love for one another, that they don’t even have to be having passionate sex, is definitely a different type of relationship that one doesn’t typically see anymore.  Sex is awesome important and everything good, but it isn’t the climax of a relationship. 

So thanks to the people who have put a lot of time and energy into confronting the bullshit, I beg you to do the same thing for all the other movies that people are watching everyday, including the ones that you love.  We definitely all have our guilty pleasures… or things that we’ve never considered damaging, but if you think Twilight is bad… look at everything else you’re watching and reading.  The things you’ve taken for granted since being a baby.  Criticise… and start with me.

You don’t think shit doesn’t stay with you? You don’t think that all these images that you’ve seen since you were a baby has fucked with the way you see the world. Do you really think that I’m only concerned with kids thinking life is a fairy tale? Give me a break. It’s the little girls that think that their waists need to be almost nonexistant, that they need to look a certain way to attract a man, and that getting the prince is all important. And don’t try and tell me that little girls have a natural desire for this. Kids will fucking watch whatever the hell they think they are supposed to watch. And honestly if you disagree read some fucking books before responding with your asinine comments. Your opinions don’t mean shit if you don’t know what you’re talking about.

And don’t say ‘look at me, I’m fine’ because honestly you’re not. You haven’t confronted your internalized shit, and until then my frustration level will be constantly threatening to boil over like it has lately. Because it’s hard to talk shop with people who only half get it.

buriedbythebuzz:

Well, uh, if you knew any history, you’d know that these stories are MUCH older than Disney itself.

If you wanna accuse someone of being sexist, let it be The Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and a lot of other lesser known authors. Here’s the thing, though. They weren’t being “sexist.” That was how things were when these fairy tales were published originally. Women spent their lives waiting for a husband, or they weren’t of any worth. They’d all die spinsters. Granted, many of these fairy tales were more dark and menacing than Disney makes them out to be, but that’s the norm if you want to have your product appeal to young children. 

It’s not Disney’s fault for putting a cartoon spin on tales that have existed for centuries. 

 This really pisses me off.  Just because Disney didn’t create the original story doesn’t make is okay to portray women as only having worth from their beauty and always looking for a fucking prince to save and take care of them.  And saying that it’s not sexist because that’s just how it was back then? That it’s okay because that’s just the way it was? Fuck that.  “that’s the norm if you want to have your product appeal to young children” … children will learn to like whatever you want them too, that’s how it works.