though i just rememberd somebody telling me about a controversy being about the disney movie "song of the south"?
Disney teaches Kids to discriminate...
- Thread starter i_love_yorkie
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...also, being mexican, I can't remember many Disney movies or cartoons where the "latin" character was not either slow, lazy or had a thick accent. Even the Warner Bros. cartoons (which I am a huge fan of) are guilty of this. At least Speedy Gonzalez outsmarted Sylvester the cat!
Ok, I grew up with Disney and I never ever once watched a Disney film and had racist/discriminatory thoughts afterwards. I was, like, 6, folks! This kind of over-the-top political correctness or whatever one wants to call it makes me so very tired.
And how 'bout this? Parents are the ones who should be "teaching" their children about racism and discrimination---not giant corporations. If Disney is teaching your kids bad things, might not that be more your fault than theirs?
And how 'bout this? Parents are the ones who should be "teaching" their children about racism and discrimination---not giant corporations. If Disney is teaching your kids bad things, might not that be more your fault than theirs?
you're absolutely right. unfortunately, not every parent does this. you would not believe some of the stupid things kids can say in the schoolyard. I'm just glad Frito Lay no longer uses the "Frito Bandito" as a mascot!
_ why beautiful women in disney movies always have that NICE figures: long legs,small waist: See any major holloywood movie out right now...it's not just disney.
_ why women in disney movies always be portrayed as feminine: ...should they be manly?
_ why main characters always has good looking: This is a lot like the first point to me. But you have "hunchback of Notre Dame, and all the non-human focused disney movies (Toy story)
_ why only the MAN protecting/rescue his woman: Beauty and the Beast comes to mind, I think they sort of rescue each other, and Hunchback again, and Aladdin. I think there are plenty of non-damsel in distress movies.
_ why women in disney movies always be portrayed as feminine: ...should they be manly?
_ why main characters always has good looking: This is a lot like the first point to me. But you have "hunchback of Notre Dame, and all the non-human focused disney movies (Toy story)
_ why only the MAN protecting/rescue his woman: Beauty and the Beast comes to mind, I think they sort of rescue each other, and Hunchback again, and Aladdin. I think there are plenty of non-damsel in distress movies.
If you're writing on this topic, I think the one thing you need to keep in mind is the timeframe when each of the movies were created. You could possibly group "old" and "new" Disney films and document how themes, characters, etc. have changed in the last 50+ years. The older films are going to have many more stereotypical themes, while the current films may not.
Moreover, if you watch the Disney movie "Mulan," it's about a girl who has to pretend to be a boy to protect her family... Likewise with "Pocahontas" being a strong Native American warrior princess... "Beauty and the Beast" was about loving someone despite his hideous outward appearance. (Sure, he turned into a sexy hunk at the end, but that's beside the point!) ...And in "Snow White," seven of the main characters were bumbling old midgets!
Just my two cents on the topic, but I'd have to disagree on the topic... I think Disney movies are (and are meant to be) entirely benign...
Mulan is the FIRST thing that came to mind when I read this post!
totally agree! that kind of makes me think of the movie enchanted and how giselle changes in NYC... goes from wanting to marry the guy she just met to thinking differently about love and getting her own job. Its a really noticeable change.
yeah, i thought of mulan too. but as i watched it w "their perspective", and my teacher pointed out to me, mulan also had that feminine style,lol.
but i agree w all of you that we shouldnt take disney movie that seriously. because they are for entertainment only
and also Fantasia has some shocking scenes by todays standards.
Yeah, I've seen those scenes in Fantasia.
I posted this in a thread about banning smoking scenes from Tom & Jerry:
I was watching this news special (I think it was ABC) on old cartoons and how, at the time, there were things put in there that were okay at the time but are really un P.C. now.
Remember the big debate about whether or not Disney should release Song of the South as part of their DVD collection?
The news program showed an original clip of Fantasia. It was the part with the female centaurs and there was this little goat like character that looked like it was obviously in blackface. This character was polishing the blue female centaur's hooves.
In the Three Little Pigs, the wolf disguises himself as a salesman to get into one of the pig's house. The wolf's disguise made him look too stereotypically Jewish. So much to the point that it was offensive.
I don't think those cuts of the cartoons should be shown to children. But things like that are important to cartoon historians. I really wish they wouldn't destroy those cuts.
Song of the South should be released as a DVD, but it shouldn't be geared towards children. (Or maybe there should be some commentary about it, or something).
Isn't Pirates of the Carribean a Disney franchise? Doesn't Elizabeth go to rescue Orlando (who's character name escapes me)? Surely that would be a good example of where Disney subverts what your professors are claiming as the norm?
I think I have seen that actual documentary you discussed...and my fundamental problem with that documentary is that it ignores the fact that like it or not, our nation has a history of discriminatory behavior towards minorities; discussion about stereotypes is rendered irrelevant without acknowledging this. Disney, especially during its early years and its early films, was hardly a trailblazer against it, but it is arguable that their film characterizations before the Civil Rights Movement was indicative of the national sentiment at the time.
And now, I believe the problems you cited with Disney are indicative of the media as a whole, and NOT just one company. After all, think about racial stereotypes that most movies and televisions shows play on now, think about the number of protests that various minority groups have launched on a number of television shows and movies within the past year. Disney may not be innocent in their depictions, but neither is any other media conglomerate.
Another interesting note: While Broadway and the theme parks do not have the same appeal that say, the Disney films and televisions shows do, there has been a recent trend of race-blind casting within their live entertainment shows. After all, they have had a number of African-American women play Belle in Beauty & the Beast in the Broadway and national tour shows.
Perhaps Disney warrants the most attention because out of all the media companies, it has the largest formative impact on children. Another issue worth exploring...
And now, I believe the problems you cited with Disney are indicative of the media as a whole, and NOT just one company. After all, think about racial stereotypes that most movies and televisions shows play on now, think about the number of protests that various minority groups have launched on a number of television shows and movies within the past year. Disney may not be innocent in their depictions, but neither is any other media conglomerate.
Another interesting note: While Broadway and the theme parks do not have the same appeal that say, the Disney films and televisions shows do, there has been a recent trend of race-blind casting within their live entertainment shows. After all, they have had a number of African-American women play Belle in Beauty & the Beast in the Broadway and national tour shows.
Perhaps Disney warrants the most attention because out of all the media companies, it has the largest formative impact on children. Another issue worth exploring...