Digging into Disney

I honestly can say I don’t have much of a relationship with Disney (books,movies, Disney World, etc.)  I grew up watching animated Disney films but never had a strong desire to be like any of the female characters nor did I have these grand visions of who my Prince Charming might be someday.  I don’t recall dressing up in Princess gowns or watching certain movies over and over again.  I viewed the movies from a pure entertainment only standpoint.  I was very active in ice-skating, Irish Step dancing and softball as a child.  I definitely didn't consider myself a tomboy but Disney movies/characters were enjoyable for the short period of the film….. there was no carry over or discussion about the film after it was over.  Even as I got older I couldn't understand the obsession with some of these films.  On occasion I could see the blatant gender stereotypes of women but I never really analyzed a film through a critical lens.

I have a hard time relating to Disney fans…..I have friends that will go to Disney World a few times a year.  The one and only time I went to Disney World was when I was 19 years old and tagged along with a friends family.  It was during our Spring break but my friend had much younger siblings so we were fully immersed in the Disney experience.  We had fun, it was a magical place but again I had a hard time understanding why people would go there more than once a year or every few years….lol I for one do not have that kind of money to go that frequently nor do I have the time to obsessively plan and schedule every part of my trip around when a specific character was going to be at a certain restaurant or ride.

My son Riley is 7 and enjoys Disney films.  He was completely hooked on the CARS movie and Lightening McQueen was his hero.  I have to admit Riley’s dad and I got swept up in buying any and all products that had to do with the CARS movie.  When he was 3 years old he would watch it over and over, repeat lines from the film, sing the songs and knew all of the characters.  Today, he still enjoys the movie but his interests have shifted.  He doesn’t remember as many lines and has parted with some of his CARS collection.  He enjoyed the film for the pure joy of it….he did not critically analyze or look for underlying themes.  I hope this is not something he does for a very long time….I don’t feel it is necessary until a certain age to begin dissecting films for these stereotypical themes.

I can see where Christensen is coming from in some ways, yet I do think Disney taught me some good values. I do see many Disney films dealing with the concept of “hope”. Protagonists overcoming impossible obstacles to lead happier lives. Whether the obstacle is poverty, a punishing stepmother, or a character’s own peculiar traits, Disney heroes always bounce back and triumph in the end. In the eyes of many children, Disney characters represent the power of hope, encouraging children to apply hope in their own lives....aahhh but again maybe this the unrealistic portrayal of life events. On the other hand, Disney’s characterizations of females and femininity are disparaging. Many  Disney princess plots are driven by love interests, and the princesses themselves recognize their worth and value through being the "lucky" one to be chosen for marriage. Disney movies often guide young women away from power by altering the treatment of magical powers between male and female characters. In the Little Mermaid, King Triton’s use of his magic Triton is seen  as kind-hearted and good. Yet, in the hands of a woman (Ursula), it is without a doubt considered evil and wreaks havoc in the kingdom.  Even female protagonists with magical powers like Rapunzel and Elsa are considered dangerous and locked away. Disney sends young girls a clear message that  females should only earn power through beauty.  Although I never spent much time analyzing the underlying themes of social injustice in Disney films before now, Christensen is right in regards to  the way women, the poor, and minorities were treated in these films.  It took me a long while to even start to recognize the diversity of our world. I grew up in a predominantly white Catholic neighborhood.  I went to Catholic school from K-8 then onto an all girl’s private high school. After reading the section from Beverly Tatum, I realized I too had limited opportunities to interact with people different from my family. My information, views and interactions with people from other cultures/communities was distorted by the second hand information I received form my parents, grandparents and even some of my teachers.

The first time I watched Frozen I really enjoyed it.  My son was about 5  and we watched it many times.  I never really noticed anything distasteful -in terms of social justice—about it. After Frozen completely inundated every aspect of our world…..songs on the radio/commercials/merchandise etc…..my son soon grew less interested in the movie.  I also think he started to realize that the main characters were girls and all the toys were geared towards girls.  Now at the ripe old age of 7 he rolled his eyes when I asked if he wanted to watch Frozen with me for this class.   After thinking about the movie in terms of when I had watched it a few times with my son, I tried to reflect on what I thought would be expected in terms of princess culture.  I felt  everyone could identify with Elsa. She wasn’t your typical princess. She wasn’t your typical Disney character. She was born with magical powers that she couldn’t quite control.  She had good intentions but ended up hurting her loved ones and cursing her kingdom by mistake. She was not perfect—actually flawed, in a way that resulted in real mistakes and real consequences. I felt she could be interpreted in a unique way and that others could relate to her on various levels….emotional repression, gender and identity and even about broader social acceptance and depression. Watching Frozen with a critical lens, I did see some themes of social injustice.  I noticed that people of color were completely absent in this film while the opening song sounding a lot like Native American music.  I also noticed that the strength of the sister love/bond was overshadowed  by a Anna’s love interest and “fairy tale” dreams. On the other hand,  the story line engages the audience because it undermines expected tropes and stereotypes, over and over. It’s far from being a typical princess movie.  The handsome prince is evil. The person with the magical powers is good. Not only are both leads female, but they talk and care about things other than men. It is Anna and Elsa, not the men, who save the day, repeatedly—and a noble act of sacrifice rather than a “kiss of true love” is what wins in the end. Every time I watched this movie I was always expecting to see that life saving kiss!!